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Activity Level: E
Start / Finish: Xi’an / Beijing
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Ancient Trails
One of the world’s earliest commercial highways, the Silk Road is easily the prettiest. By bike, we’ll take you along the over 9,000-mile route that linked Imperial China and the Roman Empire, passing incredible sand dunes on the lip of the Taklamakan Desert, poplar-lined avenues beneath the Flaming Mountains, centuries-old Buddhist shrines, bustling markets and small villages unchanged since antiquity. Our exclusive visit to Jiaohe, a 2,300-year-old earthen city where we feast on mouth-watering barbecued lamb in the square—with the whole town as our dining companions—are B&R signatures. For cultural experience more authentic and intensive than this, you’d need to go back in time. (We’re working on that one.)
Here’s a sample of what you can expect on your custom-designed Bespoke Silk Road Biking adventure. Intrigued? Contact a Bespoke Trip Planner for further details.
Day 1 Work out the kinks with morning tai chi before mounting your bike and riding through fascinating townships
Day 2 Enjoy unprecedented access to the caves of Mogao, an obscure-yet-fantastic UNESCO World Heritage Site
Day 3 Cycle to Uyghur villages where Westerners—especially ones on bikes—are rarely seen
Day 4 Dine in Turpan’s central square with the entire town as your dinner guests
Day 5 Explore the ruins of Jiaohe, reserved exclusively for us
Day 6 Haggle over the price of carpets, gold, spices and, of course, silk in Kashgar’s timeless market
Day 7 Learn about the Silk Road’s fascinating history, straight from the mouth of a local expert
Day 8 Enjoy a leisurely bike ride or walk through Kashgar’s old town before sitting down to a spectacular Silk Road send-off dinner
Day 9 Check out Beijing’s nightlife, or simply luxuriate in the creature comforts of one of China’s top hotels
Day 10 Breakfast and zai jian in Beijing
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Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel, Dunhuang
The Silk Road Hotel is built to reflect the traditional fortresses that at one time lined the trading routes. In colour, style and character, it blends comfortably into the landscape. It offers charm, simple hospitality and a little romance. The rooms and amenities are not luxurious by Western standards. There is a spa that offers traditional Chinese massages and a restaurant that, though basic, provides an introduction to the uncomplicated pleasures of western Chinese cuisine.
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Sheraton Urumqi Hotel, Urumqi
The Sheraton is the best and newest hotel in Urumqi, with spacious and comfortable rooms. The hotel caters primarily to business travellers. It is large and busy, but centrally located in a vibrant part of the city.
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Tu Ha Petroleum Hotel, Turpan
The Tu Ha Petroleum Hotel is a comfortable, modern hotel conveniently located downtown. The rooms are simple but clean, and the staff are friendly but have a limited command of English.
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Central West Asia Hotel, Kashgar
This new four-star hotel is conveniently located right next to the city's central square, facing one of China's four remaining Mao statues.
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Raffles Beijing Hotel, Beijing
Just a block away from Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, the Raffles offers the perfect combination of local elegance and exceptional service.
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Kristin Turner
Silk Road Biking 2010
“There is no better way to see China than on this biking trip with B&R! Our guides, Norman and Marco were knowledgeable, fun, and friendly, as well as interesting and intelligent. Our local guide, Askar, was fabulous as well and much needed. This will always be a memorable trip, not necessarily for its beauty, but for its interest, variety, and exposure to other cultures unlike any can imagine. Congratulations to B&R for having such an exceptional and unusual trip in your repertoire.”
Daphne Weaver & Robert Fessler
Silk Road Biking 2010
“The Silk Road Biking trip exceeded my expectations and my expectations were very high. Our guides Norman and Marco along with their local guide Askar were the key to the success of our trip. Their pre-trip planning and preparation were outstanding. They were all well versed in history, local language, cuisine, terrain, biking and every other topic relevant to travel in this very distant exotic part of the world. We all considered ourselves privileged to have such high level professionals leading us on our biking journey. The biking portions of our trip were so well conceived—the landscape always beautiful and/or interesting. Our guides were so lovely and patient—they allowed plenty of time to stop and take photos if that is what you wanted to do and if you wanted to ride fast that was OK too. There are so many wonderful things I can say about this trip!”
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Easygoing
This trip is rated Easygoing. We cover 20-35km per day. Our routes are mostly paved roads with a few gravel stretches. The roads are paved and quiet and surprisingly well shaded in many areas. The terrain is mostly flat with a few hilly sections.
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