6-Day South Xinjiang Private Tour of Urumqi Turpan and Kashgar

Attractions: No
Meal: Not Included
Hotel: Overnight in Urumqi

Upon arrival at Urumqi Railway Station or Airport, our local driver will transfer you to the hotel for check-in. The rest time is free for you to explore Urumqi.

Attractions: Tuyuk Vaillage, Karez System, Jiaohe Ancient City
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Turpan

Today is a long-hour day trip to Turpan to visit the classic Silk Road sites, which means you have to get up earlier than other days and may return to Urumqi in the late afternoon. Turpan is China’s hottest city, also an outpost on the Silk Road and a lot of cultural heritage sites can be explored.

You will drive about 3.5 hours (245 km) from Urumqi to Turpan to visit Tuyuk Valley along Flaming Mountain Grand Canyon, which condenses the essence of the landscape of Flaming Mountain – red sandstones looking like flaming fire, distinctive rocks showing the uncanny workmanship of nature and deep gorge with crisscross valleys. Mazar Village, the oldest existing Uighur village with a history of over 2,600 years, is a big highlight of Tuyuk Valley. It holds a significant status in Buddhism and Islam. The villagers still live peacefully in the village, and you can clearly see how they run their daily lives in the old mud adobe houses. Some villagers kindly ask the travelers to visit their vineyards and taste their fresh grapes or preserved fruits. You will then discover the brilliant project of Karez System. Together with the Great Wall and Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, Karez System is regarded as one of China’s Three Greatest Ancient Projects. It is a special kind of irrigation system consisting of vertical wells, underground canals, ground canals and waterlogging pond. The vertically dug wells are linked together to channel the water which occurs during summer rain season, or be melted from snow mountains of Tianshan range to desired farmlands on the desert area. Your last stop is the famous relic – Jiaohe Ancient City – an ancient city that was strategically located along the ancient Silk Road. Perching on a plateau, it acted as a natural barrier from the attacking enemies in the old times. Now, it is renowned as the best-preserved earthen architecture in the world.

After Turpan exploration, drive the same way back to Urumqi for accommodation.

Attractions: Xinjiang Regional Museum, Heavenly Lake
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Urumqi

This morning after breakfast, you will be taken to have an educational visit to the Xinjiang Regional Museum. It is the most important ancient Silk Road themed museum in China. The most unique exhibition is the Mummy Hall. All these important exhibitions help you learn deep into the history and culture of Xinjiang as well as the ancient Silk Road.

Leaving the museum, you are going to explore the Heavenly Lake (or Tianchi in Chinese) which is only about 70 km (about 1.5 hrs’ drive) away from Urumqi downtown. To protect the authenticity of the natural environment, our private car can only bring you to the entrance of the park. You will then shift onto a park bus to the parking lot around the lake area. Walking for about 15 minutes, you will get to the lakeside of Heavenly Lake. The rest time is free for you to stroll along the periphery of the lake, breathe the remarkably fresh air, and soak in the wonderful scenery.

Generally speaking, there are three ways to explore Heavenly Lake. You can walk around the lake, take a boat cruise, or ride a cable car to the mountain top. If time allows, you can even enjoy all the experiences. The Boat cruise and cable car need extra fees. Tell your preference to your guide, who will then arrange accordingly for you.

After the landscape trip, take a park bus to exit the park, and drive back to Urumqi.

Attractions: Abakh Hoja Tomb Id Kah Mosque, Local Bazaar, Handicrafts Street
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Kashgar

This early morning, you will take a flight to Kashgar (about 2 hrs), the southwestern border city of Xinjiang

You will visit the Abakh Hoja Tomb first, which is not a simple tomb but an exquisite architectural complex including chapels, gardens, archways, etc., as the best place in the region to admire Uygur people’s extraordinary aesthetics and skills of Islamic architecture. It also offers a rare opportunity to see and learn about the funeral customs of Uygur families because there is a large Islamic family of five generations whose name is Abakh Hoja buried here.

Next, you will visit the landmark of Kashgar – Id Kah Mosque, which is regarded as the holy shrine for Muslims. Every day, there are thousands of Muslims worshiping here.

Only several minutes’ walk from the mosque is the exotic Kashgar Old Town where you can experience the authentic Uyghur living style. Explore the traditional earth buildings where local people live, walk through the famous Handicrafts Street where you can see how the local craftsman makes handicrafts. It is a good place to buy some interesting souvenirs for your family and friends. You will also take a break and enjoy a cup of local tea at the Ancient Tea House, which is more than 100 years old. The locals also like to spend some leisure time in the tea house with friends and families – drinking, chatting and playing music sometimes.

Today’s activities end. Have a good rest in your hotel in Kashgar.

Attractions: Karakul Lake
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Kashgar

Today, you are going to visit the famous Karakul Lake which is about 190km/about 3 hours’ drive from Kashgar downtown. Although it is a long drive, you are surprisingly compensated by the constant landscape of the overwhelming Pamirs Plateau – harsh and lonely snow mountains, inhabited barrens, expansive grassland, pure glaciers, peaceful villages… Make a stop at Baishahu (White Sands Dunes Lake) where a tranquil lake lies under the towering snow mountains of Pamirs Plateau.

You will get to Karakul Lake around noon time. After lunch, throw yourself into the breathtaking scenery of the lake and its surrounding. From other sides, there is a mixture of boundless grasslands, deserts and valleys. A few Kirghiz nomads put their yurts and graze their herds of sheep, horses and camels near the lake. Take your time to wander around the lake to enjoy the landscape and take photos until returning time.

Drive the same way back to Kashgar, and have a good rest in Kashgar city.

Attractions: Local Bazaar
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Not included

Today, we will arrange for you a visit to a local bazaar. If it happens to be a Sunday, it will be scheduled to a more unique livestock bazaar. Then we will escort you to the airport.