Day 1
Arrive in Kashgar
- Activites: pick you up from airport and transfer to the Hotel
- Meals: not included
- Hotel: Tianyuan International Hotel or similar (4-star)
Details Our professional guide and experienced driver welcome you at Kashgar airport with your name and accompany you to your hotel, our guide also share the general information about Kashgar on the way to the hotel. you are given English map of Kashgar city and Uighur Pheasebook which helps you walking around city when you have free time.
Day 2
plore Kashgar city
- Activites: Visit Livstock Market, Sunday Market, Apak Hoja Tomb, Idkah Mosque, Old city and local Family
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner
- Hotel: Tianyuan International Hotel or similar (4-star)
Details Explore the rich, endless culture of the Uighurs in Kashgar. First visit Livestock market which is the most interesting and traditional part of the Sunday market, then push to the largest bazaar in Central Asia at the Kashgar Sunday Main Bazaar, then spend time by the Id Kah mosque, the largest mosque in China and marvel at the intricate architecture of Kashgar’s historic Apak hoja tomb. We ’ll also spend time today in the Kashgar old town and have dinner with a local Uighur family.
Day 3
Kashgar to Tashkorgan----Karakul Lake
- Activites: Drive on KKH, visit Karakul Lake, Stone fort, Tajik family, Kyrgyz family
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner
- Hotel: Local Family Yurt
Details We set out along the Sino - Pakistan Karakorum Highway, on the Pamir plateau (the roof of the world) for your visit to Karakul Lake (3600m above sea level) on the way. Then Keep driving till Tashkorgan . Tashkurgan Tajik autonomous county was once an important hub on the old Silk Road. The area borders Pakistan and Afghanistan and is connected to them via the Kunjerab Pass. After arriving at Tashkurgan, you'll have an opportunity to see the town's Ancient Stone Fort - still standing after 1800 years! 'Tashkurgan' is a translation of 'Stone Fort.' Walking around Tajik neighborhoods, and pay a visit to Local Tajik families live around this historic town. Then drive back Karakul lake People travel to experience the lives of another culture, which is why we spend the night in the yurt of a local Kyrgyz family and really experience another way of life.
Day 4
Karakul lake to Kashgar
- Activites: hiking around lake and back kashgar,
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner
- Hotel: Tianyuan International Hotel or similar (4-star)
Details The Circle of the Karakul Lake is about 15kms and it takes about 3-4 hours hiking. If you like riding horse it takes only 1-2 hours. Whenever you are you done drive back Kashgar and stay overnight
Day 5
Kashgar to Urumqi and visit Heavenly lake
- Activites: take morning flight to Urumqi at 11:00/12:00 and visit Heavenly lake.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner
- Hotel: Mirage Hotel or similar (4-star)
Details After breakfast our guide and driver from Kashgar will see you off at Kashgar airport and another local guide and driver will expect you at Urumqi airport, then drive to Heavenly lake from directly which takes about 1.5 hours. Your stay at the heavenly lake is your time to ride horses, go boating, take photos or simply trek around the lake for as long as you like. You can eat lunch together with a local Kazak family or just pay them a visit! This is certainly the easiest way to understand the life style of the Kazak people in such a short time. when you are done, drive to Urumqi for about 2 hours and check into Hotel Hotel.
Day 6
Urumqi to Turpan
- Activites: Drive to Turpan and Visit Idikut (Gaochang) ancient city, Astana tombs, Toyup village, Bizeklik Thousand Buddha caves and Flaming Mountains.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner
- Hotel: Huozhou Hotel or similar (4-star)
Details After breakfast, drive to Turpan on the first class highway for about 2.5 hour. Once you arrive in Turpan first check into the hotel, then we start our wonderful day in Turpan beginning with a visit the ancient city of Idikut (Gaochang), The city was first built in the first Century BC and later became capital of the Idikut (Gaochang) Uighur Kingdom in the 8th Century, you can take a donkey cart to visit the site if you like. We’ll stop in the city for about 40 minutes and then drive to Karakhoja Astana tombs, a Tang-dynasty burial ground which also known as the "Underground Museum". Astana means "capital" in the Uighur language and Karakhoja is the name of a legendary hero of the ancient Uighur Kingdom who conquered by killing a vicious dragon. Moving on, we journey to Toyup village, an old, beautiful and timeless village with a friendly Uighur community. Here we visit several local families and eat lunch with a local family in their home. This could quite likely be the highlight of your tour. After lunch we visit Bizeklik Thousand Buddha caves which used to be an important center for Buddhist worship under the Xizhou Huigu government of the Idikut (Gaochang) Kingdom. Finally, on the way back to the hotel we will stop at the Flaming Mountains which people claim are so hot and dry that "flying birds even a thousand miles away dare not to come”. Later, we’ll eat dinner in the Oasis hotel restaurant and the round the day off with an atmospheric song and dance festival under the grapes.
Day 7
Turpan to Dunhuang
- Activites: visit Yargul (Jiaohe) Ancient city, Karez underground Irrigations system and Emin Minaret, then take overnight train to Dunhuang
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner
- Hotel: On the Train (soft sleeper)
Details Following a hearty western breakfast at the Hotel we start our another wonderful day in Turpan. Our special itinerary today includes sightseeing in Turpan and then take overnight soft sleeper train to Dunhuang First we visit Yargul (Jiaohe) Ancient city which is one of the best preserved ancient cities in China. The ruins of the buildings are divided into temples, civilian dwellings and government offices. Workshops and residential houses in the streets are still visible and time there is time spent in a world long disappeared. After an hour of walking around the city area, we’ll push on to see the world famous Karez irrigation system, unique to this part of the world. The system is considered as one of the three great projects in China with the other two being the Great Wall and the Grand Canal. Then visit the Emin Suliman minaret which is a magnificent combination of ancient Uighur and Islamic architecture. It is the tallest ancient pagoda in Xinjiang and the only Islamic ancient pagoda in the country. Locals call it “pure tower.” then drive to Daheyan train station for overnight first class soft sleeper train to Dunhuang. the train journey is about 10 hours.
Day 8
Dunhuang for whole day
- Activites: Arrive in Dunhuang train station in the morning and visit Mogao Grottoes, Dunhuang Museum, Crescent Lake and Mingsha Echo-sand Mountain.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner
- Hotel: Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel or similar (4-star)
Details Our Dunhuang local guide will be holding your name in the front of the Dunhuang train station and transfer to the Hotel for breakfast and then go for sight seeing. we spend the whole morning at Mogao Grottoes which were constructed over a millennium, from the 4th to 14th centuries. The caves are also known as the Thousand Buddha Caves have the double distinction of being one of the most notable grottoes in China as well as the best preserved treasure house of Buddhist art, sutras, murals and sculptures in the world. After lunch, visit Dunhuang Museum which exhibits relics excavated from the local area, such as paper, coins, a model of the Great Wall as it appeared during the Han Dynasty. Then drive to Mysterious Crescent lake which's name derives from the crescent moon shape taken by the small pool of spring water between two large sand dunes. Here you also have chance to ride camels across the sand dunces to Sounding Sand mountain which can make sounds when the wind passes. we highly recommend you to stay till Sunrise behind the high sand dunces before going back hotel.
Day 9
Dunhuang to Xian
- Activites: Take morning flight to Xian and visit Xian city wall
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner
- Hotel: Garden Hotel or similar (4-star)
Details Our guide and driver from Dunhuang see you off at Dunhuang Airport and another very Knowledgeable and friendly local guide with experienced driver from Xian will meet you at the airport and transfer to to Xian city which is about two hours from airport. First have lunch at a very good restaurant and then drive to Xian city wall which is the symbol of Xian and most ancient city wall in China excising until today. We stop here for a few hours for walking around or riding bicycle as your desire. Then Push to provincial Museum which is a famous first-class museum in China with its outstanding architectural buildings, internal apparatus, and exhibits.
Day 10
Explore Xian for whole day
- Activites: visit famous Terra-cotta warriors, Bell Tower, Wild Goose Pagoda, Grand Hui mosque and their community area.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner
- Hotel: Garden Hotel or similar (4-star)
Details After breakfast we start our wonderful one day tour with visiting Terra-cotta warriors which is the greatest archaeological find of the 20th century. This site is about an hour driving distance from Xian city, we spend whole morning around there and push to Bell Tower after lunch. Bell tower is located in downtown area and is a Chinese traditional building and geographical center of the ancient capital, best preserved and largest wooden tower in China. After stopping here for about an hour we continue our tour to wild goose Pagoda which is well preserved ancient and holy building for Buddhism. Finally we visit the Hui grand mosque located Hui minority area, construction of the mosque has rich Chinese feature as well as combined with Arabic style. It is one of the oldest and largest mosques in China. Then walk around Cultural streets of Hui people before going to Dinner.
Day 11
Back Home
- Activites: see you off Xian airport
- Meals: Breakfast,
- Hotel: not included
Details Today is the last day of our tour, but it needn’t be the last. We strive to make every day of your time with us one that you’ll always remember and if you’d like to book a longer tour please Contact us for more information.
