Whether you want immense desert or boundless pasture, this tour definitely can satisfy you. You will drive across the biggest desert in China — Taklamkan Desert and enjoy amazing grassland view on Southern Pasture. Besides, you will explore some cultural relics such as Id Kah Mosque, Kizil Thousand Buddha Grottoes and Subashi Ruins together with your private English speaking guide. Join this tour to embrace nature and probe ancient civilization.
Urumqi
Urumqi
Day 1 Urumqi Arrival
Day 2 Urumqi – Kashgar by Flight: Southern Pasture, Xinjiang Museum
Day 3 Kashgar: Sunday Market, Id Kah Mosque
Day 4 Kashgar – Khotan
Day 5 Khotan – Tazhong
Day 6 Ta Zhong – Kucha
Day 7 Kucha: Kizil Thousand Buddha Grottoes
Day 8 Kucha – Urumqi by Flight: Subashi Ruins
Day 9 Urumqi Departure
Upon your arrival in Urumqi, our guide and driver will meet you in airport/train station and transfer you to hotel. Enjoy your free time in the rest of the day.
Accommodation: Urumqi
After breakfast, pick up from hotel and drive to Southern Pasture. The southern Pasture boasts not only the nice grassland view, cattle and horses herds, but also the yurts for tourists to have short rest and also other items full of local taste. You will enjoy the grassland view and pay a visit to a local family. Then drive to the Xinjiang Museum. The largest comprehensive museum in Xinjiang that focuses on the history and costume of Xinjiang. At last take a flight to Kashgar and transfer to the local best hotel.
Accommodation: Kashgar
The first stop of today will be the famous Sunday Market, also known as Sunday Bazaar, the largest international trade market on the northwest boundary line of China. Next we will pay a visit to Id Kah Mosque, a typical Islamic architecture like domes, minarets and arches, as well as pious prayers.
Accommodation: Kashgar
In the morning board the car and drive through the desert to Khotan. In the desert there spread many little oasis towns. If you have interest, we will make a stop in some towns to pay a short visit to see the local people’s real life. In the late afternoon arrive at Khotan and check in the hotel.
Accommodation: Khotan
In history, Khotan is famous for the jade, silk, and carpet. Till today there are many family silk workshops. Today the guide will accompany you to visit one of them. You will see how the silkworm string are used to create the colorful and delicate silk products. After visiting we will drive to Ta zhong after the driving through the heart of Taklamkan Desert.
Accommodation: Tazhong
Continue driving for some time we will finish Taklamakan Desert when arriving at Kucha. In the Han and Tang Dynasties, Kucha was one of the 36 kingdoms in Xinjiang area. It is also the cradle of Qiuzi Civilization.
Accommodation: Kucha
After hotel breakfast, we will drive for about 1 hour to Kizil Thousand Buddha Grottoes. It locates 70km from Kucha Township. The Buddhist caves here were excavated from the 3rd century to the 13th century. 236 caves and 10000m2 murals are preserved. In some expert’s mind, that Buddhist grottoes is more valuable than Mogao Grottoes.
Accommodation: Kucha
Before flying back to Urumqi city, we will pay a visit to Subashi Ruins, one of the important cultural relics of Qiuzi Kingdom. The city appeared in the 1st Century BC and in the 6th-8th Century the city welcomed its peak time. In the 14th Century, the city was ruined by wars. After the visiting you will take the flight back to Urumqi. Met by local guide and driver and transfer back to hotel.
Accommodation: Urumqi
Our guide and driver will meet you in hotel at confirmed time and escort you to airport for flight departing Urumqi.