Beyond the Great Wall

The Great Wall is a highlight of any visit to China. Stretching over 4,000 miles, from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, the Great Wall of China was built mainly to protect the Chinese Empire from the Mongolians and other invaders from the 6th century BC. Successive dynasties have all had a hand in repairing, re-building and preserving the wall, and Chairman Mao once claimed that ‘he who has not climbed the Great Wall of China is not a true man’.

To protect developing trade links with India and central Asia, the Great Wall was later extended westward along the Silk Road, which brought traders and their camels across the deserts in pursuit of great wealth.

Cox & Kings’ Silk Road Explorer tour traces one of these ancient trade routes, starting in Beijing and the Tang Dynasty capital of Xian, and travelling past the western extremities of the Great Wall to Dunhuang, an oasis town in the Gobi Desert. From here, visit Urumqi - the largest city in western China and the world’s farthest city from the sea – and see the spectacular scenery of Nanshan Pasture and visit a local Kazak family.

Next on the itinerary is Kashgar. A Silk Road trading centre for two millennia, Kashgar was once an important staging post and was home to many travellers and caravans. The Sunday bazaar is one of the world’s most exotic markets, with traders from Central Asia, Pakistan and India selling everything from paprika to handcrafted daggers.

From Kashgar, continue over the Silk Road’s fabled Torugart Pass into Kyrgyzstan, through spectacular scenery and astounding landscapes as arid Chinese land gives way to mountain forests and lush steppe. In Kyrgyzstan, highlights include the Russian garrison settlement at Karakol; the picturesque Djety Ogyz valley; the world’s largest freshwater lake, Issyk-Kul; and the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek.

Follow the Silk Road on Cox & Kings’ 14-night group tour, from £2,531 per person including flights with British Airways, accommodation with most meals, transfers and all excursions.

For more information and bookings, log on to coxandkings.co.uk.

Wild China is currently being shown on BBC2 at 9pm on Sunday evenings.