Southern Train Baiyun: 18-Day Tianshan Xinjiang Journey

Board the Baiyun in Guangzhou and settle in with a welcome ceremony, live music and dance performances. Your 18-day Silk Road journey begins here; your departure information will confirm the meeting point, station and train times.

Stay: Southern Train Baiyun

Meals: At your own expense / At your own expense / Cantonese and Hunan cuisine

Transport: Southern Train Baiyun

Visit the Three Gorges Museum for an introduction to the Yangtze and Chongqing's history. Enjoy the city's signature hotpot, then take in the evening skyline from the Raffles City viewing platform before rejoining the Baiyun for Urumqi.

Stay: Southern Train Baiyun

Meals: Cantonese and Hunan cuisine / Cantonese and Hunan cuisine / Chongqing hotpot

Transport: Premium coach with 2+1 seating; Southern Train Baiyun

Watch the Hexi Corridor unfold as the train heads west. Join onboard activities and talks with the accompanying cultural specialists, or simply relax and enjoy the changing scenery.

Stay: Southern Train Baiyun

Meals: Cantonese and Hunan cuisine / Cantonese and Hunan cuisine / Cantonese and Hunan cuisine

Transport: Southern Train Baiyun

Choose Route A for the Xinjiang Regional Museum and International Grand Bazaar, or Route B for Heavenly Lake in the Tianshan Mountains. Both include a welcome meal before the onward train to Altay. Choose your route when booking; you must stay with that option throughout this section.

Stay: Southern Train Baiyun

Meals: Cantonese and Hunan cuisine / Xinjiang welcome banquet / Regional Xinjiang meal

Transport: Premium coach with 2+1 seating; Southern Train Baiyun

Route A follows the Altay-Hemu Highway to Hemu. Route B stops in Chonghuer village for Kazakh customs, music and dance before continuing to Hemu for a private tea break. Use of the Altay-Hemu Highway depends on road access, weather and local restrictions.

Stay: Hemu Holiday Hotel or similar

Meals: Altay breakfast / Lunch on your chosen route / Hemu meal

Transport: Premium coach with 2+1 seating

Route A explores Hemu with a private tea break, then continues to Kanas for a lake cruise. Route B follows the Tiejia Highway to Baihaba, a border village surrounded by mountains and forest. Both routes stay in the Kanas scenic area tonight.

Stay: Premium guesthouse in Kanas or similar

Meals: Hotel breakfast / Hemu meal / Kanas meal

Transport: Direct scenic-area shuttle

Take the scenic-area shuttle to Fairy Bay, Moon Bay and Crouching Dragon Bay. Continue to Burqin for an Irtysh River fish banquet, then board the Baiyun at Beitun for Yining.

Stay: Southern Train Baiyun

Meals: Hotel breakfast / Kanas meal / Traditional river-fish banquet

Transport: Direct scenic-area shuttle; Premium coach with 2+1 seating; Southern Train Baiyun

Routes A and B tour Sayram Lake and stay by the lake. Route C follows the Yining-Zhaosu Highway to Jade Lake for a private boat trip and sunset dinner, staying at a scenic guesthouse in Zhaosu. Route C carries a supplement of CNY 6,000 per person.

Stay: Accommodation for your chosen Ili route

Meals: Cantonese and Hunan cuisine / Ili meal / Dinner on your chosen route

Transport: Seven-seat touring vehicle

Route A visits the Tianshan flower fields and Nalati Grassland. Route B explores Kalajun Grassland with a gentle walk and an evening bonfire. Route C follows the old Xiata trail among glaciers, snowy peaks and river valleys.

Stay: Accommodation for your chosen Ili route

Meals: Hotel breakfast / Ili meal / Dinner on your chosen route

Transport: Seven-seat touring vehicle

Route A explores Nalati before following the Duku Highway to Bayin. Route B visits the spruce forests and river valleys of Kurdening. Route C circles Sayram Lake, then returns to Yining to board the Baiyun for Kuqa.

Stay: Accommodation for your chosen Ili route

Meals: Hotel breakfast / Meal on your chosen route / Ili meal

Transport: Seven-seat touring vehicle; Southern Train Baiyun

Route A reaches Kuqa via the southern Duku Highway; Routes B and C arrive by train. All three visit the Kiziliya Grand Canyon in the afternoon, then board the Baiyun for Kashgar in the evening.

Stay: Southern Train Baiyun

Meals: Cantonese and Hunan cuisine / Kuqa meal / Kuqa meal

Transport: Seven-seat touring vehicle; Southern Train Baiyun

Follow the Karakoram Highway into the Pamir Plateau, stopping at White Sand Lake on the way to Tashkurgan. Visit a Tajik family and enjoy traditional eagle-flute music and eagle dancing.

Stay: Tashkurgan Xueshang Huangguan, Wanda Moments or similar

Meals: Cantonese and Hunan cuisine / Simple plateau-style meal / Tashkurgan yak hotpot

Transport: Premium coach with 2+1 seating

Visit Karakul Lake beneath the great peaks of Muztagh Ata, Kongur Tagh and Kongur Tiube. Return to Kashgar in the evening.

Stay: Kashgar Global Harbor Hotel, Radisson Blu Kashgar or similar

Meals: Hotel breakfast / Simple plateau-style meal / Roast-lamb banquet

Transport: Premium coach with 2+1 seating

Explore Kashgar's old streets, pause for a private tea break and visit Id Kah Mosque. After dinner, board the Baiyun for Korla.

Stay: Southern Train Baiyun

Meals: Hotel breakfast / Kashgar meal / Kashgar meal

Transport: Premium coach with 2+1 seating; Southern Train Baiyun

Discover the history of Loulan, the Silk Road and the Bayingolin region at Bazhou Museum. Continue to Bosten Lake for reed wetlands and a boat trip, then take the evening train to Golmud.

Stay: Southern Train Baiyun

Meals: Cantonese and Hunan cuisine / Korla meal / Korla meal

Transport: Premium coach with 2+1 seating; Southern Train Baiyun

Visit Qarhan Salt Lake, travelling across its great salt causeway and looking out for naturally formed salt crystals. Return to Golmud for a meal before boarding the Baiyun for the journey home.

Stay: Southern Train Baiyun

Meals: Cantonese and Hunan cuisine / Cantonese and Hunan cuisine / Local halal meal

Transport: Premium coach with 2+1 seating; Southern Train Baiyun

Relax, watch the scenery and join onboard activities as you travel back towards Chongqing. The route and train times are subject to the railway's final operating schedule.

Stay: Southern Train Baiyun

Meals: Cantonese and Hunan cuisine / Cantonese and Hunan cuisine / Cantonese and Hunan cuisine

Transport: Southern Train Baiyun

The Baiyun returns to Guangzhou via Chongqing, bringing your 18-day journey through Xinjiang and Golmud to a close. Your departure information will confirm arrival stations, times and arrangements for leaving the group.

Stay: Journey ends; no overnight stay

Meals: Cantonese and Hunan cuisine / Cantonese and Hunan cuisine / Cantonese and Hunan cuisine

Transport: Southern Train Baiyun