Travel Around Southern Xinjiang

Welcome to Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China. Upon arrival Urumqi, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy your free time to explore.

This morning you will take 1-hour ride to Heavenly Lake, or Tianchi in Chinese, which is a high mountain lake with stunning scenery in the Tianshan Mountains. After lunch, you will visit the renowned Xinjiang Museum that is famous for the well-preserved mummies, particularly Loulan Beauty and Xiaohe Princess. Note: Xinjiang Museum closes on Mondays, so we will arrange to visit Turpan Museum instead if it is Monday.
Afterwards you will take 3-hour car ride to Turpan via the desert, grassland, and Tianshan highway.  

Turpan is a hub on the ancient Silk Road, and there are lots of historical sites that are renowned for its well-preserved conditions. 

Today you will visit Bezklik Thousand Buddha Caves, Astana Ancient Tombs, the Ancient City of Jiaohe and Gaochang, Karez Irrigation System, and Emin Minaret with a local guide. 

You may taste some dried fruits and eat Uyghur food at the lunchtime.

Today you will take a 5-hour ride from Turpan to Korla through the middle part of Tianshan, view the imposing scenery. Visit the biggest inland fresh water lake in China, Bosteng Lake, on the way. 

After hotel breakfat, you will take 1 hour ride to Luobu Village which is located at the edge of Taklimakan Desert, there are traditional Uyghur living here. Afterwards you will be transferred back to Korla.

Today you will take 8-hour car ride along the ancient Silk Road from Korla to Ruoqiang, enjoy the scenery on the way.

Today you will visit the new Ruoqiang Museum that is well-known for the relics exavated from Lop Nur and The Ancient City Loulan, the museum is closed on Mondays. Then you will wander around the local bazaar, and taste the local food. Note: You can not visit ruin of Milan for foreigners. 

Take 5-hour ride by car to Qiemo along the east edge of Taklimakan Desert, enjoy the endless desert view. Upon arrival, you will visit Zhaguiluke Ancient Tombs, which were the family tombs. There are dried mummies and amazing relics unearthed from here, and renow for the angels pattern on their silk embroidery robe.

After breakfast, you will take 8-hour car ride to Hotian on the southern edge of Taklimakan Desert. Arrival Hotian, you will visit a local Bazaar that sells local food, fruits, cloths, and handicrafts etc. Moreover you will also visit the well-known Edilis silk factory. 

Later, you will be transferred to hotel.

Today you will take a long ride for 8 hours to Kashgar. En route, you will visit Amaniza Mausoleum and Yarkand Kingdom Tombs in Shache (Yarkand). The road is well-constructed highway, and easy to drive, and you will see the sands from time to time from Taklimakan Desert on the road.

Today it is a busy day to explore Kashgar with a local guide. You will take the city tour by the first stop to visit the Apa Hoja Mausoleum which was built in 1640 by local Imam for his father, and later it became a family graveyard to bury 72 people for 5 generations. The mausoleum is impressive for its delicate Uyghur architectural style including the blue tiles, the dome and the minaret. 

Next, you will visit Kashgar old town to explore the interesting area where there are old houses for shops, workshops, restaurants, bakery, and tea houses etc. It displays the long history and vivid lifestyle in Kashgar from ancient Silk Road period to today. You will also visit the old Id Ghar Mosque, the biggest mosque in Xinjiang. 

Lunch is arranged at a local Uyghur's house for you to taste the authentic and traditional Uyghur food including nang bread, hand-stretched noodles, and pilau...etc. 

The animal bazaar is relocated near Kashgar Airport and opens only on Sundays. If it is Sunday, you will also visit the Animal Bazaar.

Later, you will be transferred back to your hotel.

Today you will take a 4-hour car ride to the pretty Karakul Lake which is situated by the renowned China-Pakistan friendship highway. Karakul Lake is a beautiful mountain lake with altitude nearly 3600 meters, it is an imposing picture to view the lake and the snow-capped mountains at the same time. The Muztagata(7546m) is just standing beside the Karakul Lake, creating a stunning picture. You will also visit the White Sand Lake on the way, and view the yurts spreading on the grassland.

Afterwards, you will drive on to Tashkurgan that is situated at the border between China and Pakistan.

Today you will visit the Stone City that was built 2000 years ago in Tashkurgan, and the ruin still can trace back its original style. Enjoy the grassland view outside the town.

Later, you will take the car ride back to Kashgar.

Today you will take 10-hour ride to Kuqa by car on the western edge of Taklimakan Desert, enjoy the desert view. 

Kuqa is well-known for its splendid ancient Buddhism cultural as one of the 36 states in the history 2200 years ago. Kuqa, the old name Qiuci. used to be an important town on the Silk Road, and there are lots of historical sites here, including Kizil Grottos, Kizilcara Grottoes, Simsam and Kumtura Grottoes etc.

This morning you will take one-hour ride along the ancient Silk Road to Kizil Caves, the earliest one in China, which was built 1700 years ago and still can see the colorful frescos and paintings in the caves. The Kizil is famous for its various Jataka stories that were painted on the diamond paintings. 

Later, you will head another one hour to explore the red Tianshan Mysterious Canyon, that is a 5-km long canyon in the southern Tianshan Mountains.

Afterwards you will be transferred back to Kuqa hotel.

Today you will visit the Subash Temple ruin, which was a renowned Buddhism temple in Tang Dynasty 1300 years ago. There are pagodas, halls, rooms, and walls that can tell this site used to be a huge temple. The famous monk Xuanzang in Tang Dynasty had stayed in Subash and described the temple in his journey Records of the Western Regions of the Great Tang. 

Then you will visit the old town of Kuqa and Kuqa Mosque, which are different from the new city. Later you can wander around the local bazaar to view the fresh fruits, tea, snacks, and clothing etc.

Moreover, you will visit Kizilcara Beacon Tower that was built in Han Dynasty about 2000 years ago, which was the oldest well-protected beacon tower in Northern Silk Road.

In the evening you will catch flight to Urumqi. Upon arrival, you will be transferred back to hotel.

Today you will depart from Urumqi. You will be transferred to Urumqi airport to catch your flight, where the wonderful tour concludes.