This 22-day tour will offer in-depth travel around Xinjiang. If you really want to know every aspect of Xinjiang, this tour will be your best choice. On this tour, you will fully explore the history of the kingdoms that once existed on this land, experience customs and traditions of various minorities, and enjoy spectacular landscape along the way. You will find except for the major cities and attractions, there are many smaller and less know but even more interesting and beautiful places worthy of visiting.
Urumqi
Urumqi
Day 1 Urumqi Arrival
Day 2 Urumqi – Heavenly Lake by Car: Heavenly Lake, Grand Bazaar
Day 3 Urumqi – Burqin: Uygur Autonomous Region Museum
Day 4 Burqin – Kanas: Kanas Lake, Tuwa People Village
Day 5 Kanas Lake – Hemu Village: Hemu Village
Day 6 Hemu Village – Karamy :Ghost City
Day 7 Karamy – Sarym Lake: Sarym Lake
Day 8 Sarym Lake – Yili: Fruit Valley
Day 9 Yili – Naraty: Naraty Grassland
Day 10 Naraty Grassland – Bayinbuluk: Bayinbuluk Swan Lake Natural Reserve
Day 11 Bayinbuluk – Kuqa: Tianshan Mountain
Day 12 Kuqa: Subashi Ruins,Kuqa Mosque, Kuqa Old Town
Day 13 Kuqa – Aksu: Tianshan Grand Canyon
Day 14 Aksu – Kashgar: Id Kah Mosque, Handcraft Street
Day 15 Kashgar – Taxkorgan County: Karakuri Lake
Day 16 Taxkorgan County – Kashgar:Stone City,Honjirap Border, Old Town
Day 17 Kashgar – Yarkent: Abakh Khoja Tomb, Sunday Market
Day 18 Yarkent – Khotan: Karsu Desert
Day 19 Khotan – Minfeng: Khotan Museum
Day 20 Minfeng – Korler: Taklamkan Desert
Day 21 Korler – Urumqi: Tiemen Pass
Day 22 Urumqi Departure
Upon your arrival in Urumqi airport/train station, our local guide will wait you by holding a welcome board with your name and transfer to your hotel in city area. Accommodation: Urumqi
In the morning board the car and drive for about 1.5 hours to Heavenly Lake. 100 kilometers away from city of Urumqi, Heavenly Lake gives the impression of nobleness, elegance and beauty. Clear lake, snow mountains and soaring trees compose the charming scenery of the Heavenly Lake. Come to Heavenly Lake, and you will find words are so weak for the surrounding. It will make you totally relaxed no matter you are sitting in a boat, walking in the mountains, or just standing by the lake. In the afternoon drive back to city area and visit the Grand Bazaar. Accommodation: Urumqi
Today we will head to Burqin. Before departing we will firstly pay a visit to Uygur Autonomous Region Museum where you will have a glimpse of Xinjiang history and costume. The museum collects thousands of precious cultural relics unearthed in Xinjiang. Arriving in Burqin we will check in hotel directly. Accommodation: Burqin
After breakfast meet your guide and driver and head to the most beautiful mountain lake – Kanas Lake. Cruising on the lake you will see beauty hidden in each corner of the lake. After that visit a Tuwa People Village to see life of these local people living on hunting and grazing. Accommodation: Kanas
In the morning drive to Hemu Village, one of the most beautiful village in Xinjiang. Walking in the village you will see the nice natural scenery and feel the slow pace life here. If you like you could optionally explore more around the village by horse riding. Accommodation: Hemu Village
Meet your guide and driver and driver to Karamy, a city famous for the rich petroleum resource. While today we will visit the Ghost City which is the most beautiful Yadan Landform in this area. Accommodation: Karam
Today we will driver for about 7.5 hours to visit Sarym Lake to see the picturesque scenery consists of lake, grassland, wild flowers, cattle and sheep herds, and Kazaks people and their yurts. Accommodation: Sarym Lake
In the morning board the car. After a 4-5 hours’ driving we will arrive in Yili. If your tour is in Summer or Autumn, we will arrange the visit to a local Fruit Valley. The various vibrant fruit trees will protect you from burning weather and also treat you with lots kinds of fruits. Due to the big temperature difference between day and night, fruits in Xinjiang is of the best quality and taste in China. Accommodation: Sarym Lake
After breakfast drive along highway that across Tianshan Mountain to Naraty Grassland. That grassland enjoys high fame as the pasture base in history. There are vast grassland, wide river valley, high mountains, the crisscrossed deep gorges, the flowering forest, etc. Accommodation: Naraty
Today we will move to visit breath-taking beautiful Bayinbuluk Swan Lake Natural Reserve. Here is the paradise of swans. Accommodation: Bayinbuluk
Drive along the national highway to Kuqa. On the way we will see the beautiful scenery of Tianshan Mountain, the most important mountain in Uyghur people’s mind. Accommodation: Kuqa
Kuqa used to be an important spot that connected China and Western countries along Silk Road. Today we will visit three highlight sites. The first one will be Subashi Ruins. It is the ruins of a city existed in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and is called “Lady Kingdom” in the novel Journey to the West. Then visit Kuqa Mosque, the 2nd largest Mosque in Xinjiang. It is a representative of Uygur architecture of the Qing Dynasty. In the afternoon roam in the Kuqa Old Town to meet some facts of old Kuqa. Accommodation: Kuqa
In the morning drive to visit Kizil Grottoes, the earliest Buddhist grottoes in Xinjiang and China. By visiting there you will have more information about local history, Buddha’s life history, and story of Kama. Then pay a visit to Tianshan Grand Canyon. The Canyon used to be the river course of Kucha River and today it becomes the most stunning canyon in China. At last drive to Kashgar. Accommodation: Aksu
In the morning after a 7 hour’s driving we will arrive Kashgar. Upon arrival we will visit Id Kah Mosque which is the holy land for the Muslims, receiving thousands of Muslims worshipping here every day. In the history, Id Kah Mosque used to be a school for people learning Islamic culture where many scholars and honored clergies graduated from here. Next you will visit the Handcraft Street where you will meet lots of delicate local folk artworks. Accommodation: Kashgar
Today we will pay a full day tour at the Karakuri Lake. After hotel breakfast, we will drive about 3 hours to the lake spot. The lake is surrounded by the mountain who wears snow cap almost all year round. The tranquil lake and its surrounding environment make a striking contrast to the bustling city area. After the pleasant visit here, we will drive to Taxkorgan County. Accommodation: Taxkorgan County
In the morning pay a visit to Stone City, a ruins of ancient city. Through the relics one can still see the layout of this city used to prosper along the ancient Silk Road. Afterward pay drive to visit Honjirap Border which means “red wall” in local Tajik Language. In the afternoon walk in the Old Town to see what it looks like in past. Then drive back to Kashgar. Accommodation: Kashgar
After breakfast you will visit the Abakh Khoja Tomb which used to be the family graveyard of the powerful ruler, Abakh Khoja, in 17th century. At last take a walk at the Old Town to see the past of Kashgar. Next pay a visit to the famous Sunday Market. The market opens every day but it is most bustling on Sundays. You will see lots of local folk goods trading here. Then drive to Yarkent Town, the best preserved ancient city in Xinjiang. Accommodation: Yarkent
In the morning visit the Karsu Desert and enjoy the camel riding. Then you will pay a visit to the Atlas Silk Workshop to appreciate beautiful silk products and learn about how these silk products produced. Accommodation: Khotan
Before departing to Minfeng County we will visit Khotan Museum to learn about the local history. The museum will tells you the position and importance of Khota in ancient Silk Road. After arriving in Mingfeng check in local hotel. Accommodation: Minfeng
Today we will spend most of time (8-9) hours on the way. We will drive through Taklamkan Desert- the largest desert in China where lots of ancient city ruins lie under the thick layers of sand. On the way we will also meet the Poplars Forest Scenic Park. It is a good site for sightseeing, entertainment, adventure, scientific expedition and vacation. Accommodation: Korler
In the morning visit the Tiemen Pass (Iron Gate Pass). It was an ancient strategic gateway constructed at the entrance of the Peacock River Gorge. After that drive to Urumqi. Accommodation: Urumqi
Picked up from hotel lobby according to your flight time and transferred to the airport for flight departing Urumqi. Service ends here.