Destination: China

Itinerary: History Tour: Beijing to the Silk Road

THREE WEEKS/BEIJING TO XI'AN & DUNHUANG

For many travellers, this tour is what coming to China is all about. Spanning around 2500km from Beijing to Dunhuang, you will be visiting the major imperial monuments - including the Great Wall and the Terracotta Army - and religious sites of North China. Manageable in three weeks, a month-long tour would allow for a more relaxed expedition.

Four days in Beijing should be enough time for visiting the sights, including the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. Take the train to Datong in Shanxi province to peruse the city's temples and the fabulous Yungang Caves and Hanging Monastery outside town. Hop on a bus from Datong to the Buddhist mountain of Wutai Shan for a few days before taking a bus to Taiyuan and then on for a day (or overnight) trip to the marvellous walled town of Pingyao. A detour east by train from Taiyuan to Shijiazhuang and the charming temple town of Zhengding north of the city is also possible. From Taiyuan take the train south to spend two days in the historic walled city of Kaifeng, traditional home of China's Jews, before heading west by train to the former dynastic capital of Luo yang and the magnificent Buddhist spectacle of the Longmen Caves. Take the train west again from Luo yang to Xi'an to spend four days seeing the sights of the former capital of the Tang dynasty, visiting the Army of Terracotta Warriors and clambering up the Buddhist mountain of Hua Shan. Xi'an traditionally marked the start of the Silk Road and the Mogao Caves outside Dunhuang - reachable by plane from Xi'an - is one of the trade route's most spectacular marvels. Return to Beijing by plane from either Xi'an or Dunhuang.