8 Days Southern Xinjiang Tour with Silk Road Ruins
Tour Overview
The 8-day private Xinjiang trip mainly focuses on the cultural heritage in south Xinjiang. You will experience traditional Uyghur lifestyle and natural beauty of the region, from the historic Tuyugou Valley and the busy Kashgar market to the beautiful Tianchi Lake.
Also, be guided to explore the ancient Silk Road sites, such as the Gaochang Ruins and Stone City, and appreciate lakes on the Pamir Plateau – White Sand Lake and Karakuli Lake.
Highlights of this tour
- Enjoy an optional cruise tour on the Heavenly Lake.
- Experience Uyghur culture when wandering through the Tuyoq Valley.
- See livestock and local goods at the bustling Sunday Bazaar.
- Admire the largest mosque in China, the Id Kah Mosque.
- Marvel at the crystal-clear White Sand Lake.
- At Karakuri Lake, shoot the snow-covered mountains and icebergs.
- Discover the ancient ruins of Stone City.
- Visit Tajik Village to explore the vivid local life.
Basic Trip Information
Travel Route: Urumqi-Turpan-Kashgar
Travel Length: 8 Days and 7 Nights
Tour Code:
Group Size: Only your family or group
Suitable for: Culture & history lovers, nature lovers
Departure: Any day you want
Your tour – quick look
Day 1-2 Arrival in Urumqi, Urumqi Tour
Arrive in Urumqi by plane and immerse yourself in the breathtaking views of Heavenly Lake.
Day 3-4 Turpan Exploration Tour
Learn about the history of Turpan by visiting Gaochang Ancient Kingdom Ruins and Astana Tomb Group. Experience the local life in Tuyoq Valley. Explore the cultural diversity at Karez Well and Sugong Pagoda.
Day 5-6 Kashgar Highlights Tour
Admire Karez Well and Sugong Pagoda. Visit Id Kah Mosque, Abakh Khoja Tomb and explore Kashgar Old Town. Marvel at the stunning views of White Sand Lake and Karakuri Lake.
Day 7-8 Tashkurghan Tour, Kashgar Departure
Explore the highlight attractions in this border town: Stone City, Tajik Village, Tashkurghan Museum. Finally, travel to Kashgar for your flight out.
Day-to-day Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival in Urumqi
So happy to see you on our 8-day south Xinjiang tour package! Upon your arrival, a local private driver will meet you at the airport. Then transfer you to your well-selected hotel. Enjoy free time for the rest of the day.
Meal: N/A
Accommodation: in Urumqi
Day 2 Urumqi to Heavenly Lake Tour
Enjoy Stunning Mountain & Lake Views and Local Legends
After breakfast, your Xinjiang trip begins! The tour guide will meet you in the hotel lobby and drive for about 1.5 hours to reach Tianshan Tianchi, aka the Heavenly Lake, a 5A level scenic spot known for its high mountains, lakes, and magnificent natural scenery. The tour guide will explain the myths related to the area, such as the bathing of the Queen Mother of the West. Optional boat activities (self funded) are available here. After the tour, go back to Urumqi.
Meal: Breakfast + Lunch
Accommodation: in Urumqi
Day 3 Urumqi to Turpan Tour
Explore Ancient Sites along the Silk Road
In the morning, you will be escorted to Turpan and visit the highlights in the City. The first one will be the Gaochang Ancient Kingdom Ruins. In ancient times, it was a bustling hub in the Western Asia Region. Next, pay a visit to Astana Tomb Group. According to excavation, there are 400 independent tombs from the West Jin Period (265-316) to the Tang Dynasty(618-907).
Then drive to visit Tuyoq Valley where you will see the typical Uyghur-style rammed earth houses and the life of local people. After that, continue your Turpan tour to Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, located at the foot of Flaming Mountain. Throughout the Gaochang Kingdom, the Buddha Caves were the religious center of Buddhism. The last stop would be Flaming Mountain, the hottest place in China in summer. The Chinese novel Journey to West makes the mountain known to everyone.
Meal: Breakfast + Lunch
Accommodation: in Turpan
Day 4 Turpan to Urumqi Tour, Urumqi to Kashgar Tour by Flight
Understand the Secrets of Underground Irrigation
Today’s Xinjiang tour in Turpan takes you to visit Karez Well, an amazing irrigation system that takes advantage of the snow melt water from Tianshan Mountain to make Turpan an oasis in the desert. Then, be led to admire the Sugong Pagoda. It is an exquisite Islamic architecture built in the 1800s in the Qing Dynasty.
After lunch, you will be escorted to Urumqi airport to take the flight to Kashgar. Upon arrival, meet your local driver in Kashgar and transfer to check in at the hotel.
Meal: Breakfast + Lunch
Accommodation: in Kashgar
Day 5 Kashgar Highlights Tour
See the Traditional Folk Houses and Local People’s Life
In the morning, your guide and driver will pick you up at the hotel lobby at the confirmed time. Then, start your Kashgar tour of Xinjiang at the lively Livestock Market, the most interesting part of the famous Sunday Market. Then, take a walk to see the other parts of the market.
After that, drive to visit Id Kah Mosque, the largest mosque in China. The mosque is not only an important spot for religious activities but also an important institute to spread Islam and train religious personnel. Then, come to the Abakh Khoja Tomb, the tomb of Emperor Qianlong’s Concubine. At last, walk in Kashgar Old Town to see the traditional folk houses and local people’s real life.
Meal: Breakfast + Lunch
Accommodation: in Kashgar
Day 6 Karakuri Lake Tour from Kashgar
Spend a Whole Day Exploring the Lake Scenery
Today, we will do a full-day tour to lakes. We will visit White Sand Lake first. Located in the Pamir Plateau, the lake’s water is as clear as a mirror, reflecting the blue sky, white clouds, and snow capped mountains. Surrounded by sand mountains and grasslands, the scenery is magnificent.
Continue driving to Karakuri Lake, with an altitude of 3,600 meters above sea level. It is surrounded by icebergs and the white cape of the iceberg reflects their images in the lake. Visitors could optionally have a rest in the yurt and try some local specialties.
After the tour, we will drive to Tashkurghan for an overnight stay.
Meal: Breakfast + Lunch
Accommodation: in Tashkurghan
Day 7 Tashkurghan Tour, Back to Kashgar
Glimpse Tajik Village and the History of Stone Fort
In the morning, board the car to explore the highlight attractions in this border town: Stone City, Tajik Village, Tashkurghan Museum. The history of Stone Fort can be dated back to the Han Dynasty in 2,000 years ago and is an important city ruins along the ancient Silk Road.
You will see the real life of local people in Tajik Village. And in the Tashkurghan Museum, you can get some basic knowledge of the county. After that, you will be escorted to Kashgar.
Meal: Breakfast + Lunch
Accommodation: in Kashgar
Day 8 Departure from Kashgar
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your departure flight. Your 8-day private South Xinjiang tour ends here. Wish you had a great time with us.
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: N/A
