11-Day Xinjiang Private Tour of Kashgar， Kanas and Turpan

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

Upon arrival at Kashgar 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 Kashgar.

Attractions: China and Pakistan highway, Karakul Lake
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Kashgar

In the morning, enjoy your nice buffet breakfast. Driving on the China and Pakistan highway about 4hrs to enjoy the landscape of Pamirs Plateau. 

The following day will be spent exploring the stunning landscape surrounding the Karakul Lake, where the herds of livestock around the lakeside are reflected in lake and is extraordinarily graceful,where Kirghiz herdsmen usually settle down and graze their herds. You will have ample opportunity for leisure walking and enjoy the Magnificant Muztagh Peak. We will back to Kashgar in the late afternoon.

Attractions: Kashgar Old Town, Id Kah Mosque
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight on the train

Today we will spend a day touring the Kashgar Old Town. Kashgar’s spirit is in the old town: a labyrinth of small lanes crisscrossing the neighborhoods, hundreds of years old mud-brick  buildings with Islamic and Uyghur decorations, children playing in front of their door, seniors gathering and chatting at local tea houses…A walk through the winding lanes of the old city is a walk into living history.

We will also take a walk around the local bazaar, where you can explore small shops selling souvenirs and local food, admire craftsmen banging on tin and chasing copper, making Ugyur instruments. Don’t forget to bargain when shopping. 

Next tour the Id Kah Mosque on the central square of the city. Built in 1442, it is the largest mosque in China which holds nearly 10,000 to 20,000 worshipers every Friday. The mosque comprises a chapel, a sutra hall, a gate tower built with two 18-meter-high asymmetrical minarets. 

At the end of the day tour, we will send you to the Kashgar Railway Station for the overnight train to Turpan. The train journey lasts for about 15 hours. 

Note: A soft sleeper compartment is equipped with 4 berths, but no private bathroom.  

Attractions: Karez Well, Sugong Pagoda, Jiaohe Ruins
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Urumqi

Arrival at Turpan in the early morning. The local guide waiting at the train station will pick you up and send you to visit Karez Well. It is a set of ancient wells linked by a underground irrigation system that transport water from Tianshan Mountain to the desert oasis of Turpan. The karez well system completed 2,000 years ago is still used in Turpan. Without this marvelous engineering masterpiece, Turpan, one of the hottest places on earth would not exist. 

Next, we will tour the 44-meter-high Sugong Pagoda, aka Emin Minaret, the tallest minaret in China. The elegant, tapered dome is decorated with rich Islamic geometric and floral patterns, which is unparalleled in Chinese architecture.

Then we will drive to Jiaohe Ruins, the world’s largest, oldest and best-preserved earthen city with a history of over 2,000 years. Buildings in the city including Buddhist temples, pagodas, dwellings, alleys and workshops were all made of rammed earth and they are disappearing, so we are lucky to visit the ruins while it is possible.

Attractions: Bezikrik Thousand Buddha Caves, Tuyu Village, Flaming Mountains, Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Urumqi

After breakfast, we will go to visit Bezikrik Thousand Buddha Caves, situated high on the cliffs of the Mutou Valley, with 77 rock-cut Buddhist cave grottoes dating from the 5th to 14th century. The brightly-colored murals showcases the social and religious life of the people living in the ancient Gaochang Kingdom (A.D. 499 – 640). 

Later pay a visit to Tuyu Village. It is the oldest Uyghur village in Xinjiang with roughly 1,700 years of history. The ancient customs and culture of Ugyhur, the tomb of the first Ugyhur Muslim – The Mazar is still preserved here, making the place a Mecca for many Muslims. Our last stop at Turpan will be Flaming Mountains. The red sandstone bedrock gives the mountains a flaming appearance at certain times of the day. 

In the afternoon, we will drive to Urumqi in 3 hours and tour the largest bazaar in the world – Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar. It is a magnificent commercial complex combining Islamic architecture and over 3,000 stands selling ethnic clothing, carpets, embroidery, jewelry, musical instruments, potteries, snacks, nuts, and fruits.

Attractions: Heavenly Lake, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Urumqi

After breakfast, drive 1.5 hours to visit the Heavenly Lake at Tianshan Mountain. It is an alpine drift lake formed in the Quaternary Glacier Period which deserves its name with crescent-shaped water area against ever-changing silvery mountains soaring into the blue sky. If interested, you could enjoy boating on the crystal water. 

In the afternoon, we will explore the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum with exhibits including ancient mummies of Caucasians, costumes, dried food, silks and writing in various languages, paintings, tomb figures, carpentries, ironwares, bronze wares and coins etc.

Attractions: Five-colored Beach
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Burqin

After breakfast, we will take a long ride to Burqin County, located about 700km away from Urumqi. Upon arrival go to visit Five-colored Beach. Located next to River Irtysh – the only river in China whose waters reach Arctic Ocean, the colored beach features a unique lava landscape consisted of purplish red, vandyke red, yellow and light green mudstone, sandstone and gravel. During the sunset, the color of the rocks is mainly red, with little green, yellow, white and black. There are also wooden pathways sneaking through the rocks to facilitate different angles for various photographic opportunities.

Attractions: Kanas Lake
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Kanas

Kanas Lake might be the most alluring resort in Northern Xinjiang. After a 4-hour drive on the winding road, we will reach Jiadengyu, the entrance of Kanas Lake Reserve. Enjoy a lunch break and then take the shuttle bus to the lake.  

Kanas Lake is the deepest freshwater lake in China. The surrounding glaciers, primitive birch forests, grasslands, rivers, ethnic customs, and rare fauna and flora have made it a “Switzerland of the East”. With seasons or weather changing, the lake bursts into different colors, crystal blue, dark green or even gray. While walking along the six bays along the lake, you could see the beauty of the lake in different angles and take some great pictures.

Attractions: Hemu Village
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Hemu Village

Today the Kanas Lake tour continues! When it’s completed, we will take a 2.5 hours’ ride to Hemu Village, one of the three largest habitats of the Tuvas, an ethnic minority who still live a simple, ancient lifestyle by grazing animals and hunting. We will enter the village bus by shuttle bus. The the wooden houses of the tranquil village, boundless forest and misty snow mountains are reflected on the water, forming a surreal watercolor painting. 

You could immerse in the natural beauty of the hidden fairyland and experience locals’ lifestyle. When the night approaches, the starry sky creates a mysterious and mesmerizing view. You can simply lie down on the ground, gaze at the stars and empty your mind.

Attractions: Urho Ghost City
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Karamy

Enjoy a morning walk through the fog around Hemu Village. Then drive pass the famous oil city – Karamy, across the Gurbantunggut Desert to reach Urho Ghost City. Here frequent howling winds and flying sand have created the some of the world’s most mysterious and mesmerizing yardang landform. We will take a train-shaped shuttle bus at the entrance to tour the entire city.  

In the afternoon, drive to check in the hotel at Karamy. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Attractions: No
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Not included

After breakfast, we will drive back to Urumqi in 5 hours and see you off at the airport. Thanks very much for booking the tour. Bon voyage!

Note: Please book the flight that departures after 15:00 o’clock.