Sincerely welcome you to this magical and exotic city of Xinjiang – Kashgar. Our professional and local guide will meet you at the airport, railway station, or port, then take you to your hotel by a comfortable private vehicle and help you with check-in. In the rest of the day, you can explore nearby as much as possible by your own, and please feel free to get some useful suggestions from your tour guide. 

Meal: No

Altitude: 1290m

Hotel: In Kashgar

In the early morning, after having your buffet breakfast, start a new day which is full of surprises. Driving on the China-Pakistan Highway, enjoy the magnificent Pamir Plateau, pay a visit to Opal village, it is a perfect place for you to understand about the traditional Uygur people’s village life and culture as well as customs, and take part in interesting activities like bread making.
Next, after driving about 1.5hrs we will visit the magnificent Oytagh Red Mountain, it’s valley is surrounded by a beautiful backdrop of multi-colored mountains topped by snow-capped peaks, you can take some nice photos as much as you want.
Then, head to our next destination – Karakul Lake, you can see Kirghiz herdsman and their livestock around the lake, if you want to exchange cultures with them and learn about ethnic minorities customs, feel free to communicate. The following day will be spent exploring the enchanting scenery surrounding the highway, and your driver and local tour guide will drive to take you to the Taxkorgan County for overnight stay. 

Meal: B

Altitude: 3100m

Traffic: 320kms, 6hrs driving

Hotel: In Taxkorgan

In the morning head to Kashgar, you will visit the Stone Fortress. Located in the north of Taxkorgan, it is 3,100 meters above sea level and also known as a vital ancient site on the ancient Silk Road of Xinjiang. Stone Fortress used to be the intramuros of Puli Garden, it stands at the key, imposing, from the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, expansion and garrison constantly, and the highest point of the wall as high as more than 20 meters. Multi-layer or broken or continued walls outside the city, overlapping between the stone mounds, piles of stones, constitute a unique stone fortress scenery.
If you look down to the east of the Stone Fortress, you will see a very beautiful grassland, which is known as Golden Grassland, full of cattle and sheep; when the sun is about to set, the whole stone fortress will reflect a wealth of light, first the whole city is gray black, then brick red and ochre. Standing on this pile of rocks, looking at the grassland at the moment, the distant naked mountain, you’ll forget the existence of time.

Meal: B

Altitude: 1290m

Traffic: 320kms, 6hrs driving

Hotel: In Kashgar

After breakfast, in the early morning your tour guide will take you to visit the majestic Idigar Mosque, it is the biggest mosque in China where you can feel the strong religious atmosphere. Every Eid, a lot of people come here to celebrate the most delightful festival for Muslims and if you are lucky you will enjoy singing and dancing performances. Next, pay a visit to the Kashgar Old Town which has a history of more than 2,000 years and is like a vivid scroll of Xinjiang Uygur folk custom. When you stand in the Old Town, it is like standing in the boundless ancient oil painting, you may think that this is the charm of the Silk Road. Here, you can experience the unique ethnic culture and customs by visiting a local Uygur family.
Then, head to prosperous Sunday Bazaar, when people come here for selling livestock, you can experience the ancient forms of trade of the Silk Road and it’s quite interesting to witness their typical methods of bargain.
Next, your tour guide will take you to the Handicraft Street, hundreds of handicraft workshops and stalls are gathered on both sides of the street, there are textile, gold and silver jewelry, hardware processing, wood processing, hat, clothing, musical instruments, etc. The handicrafts here have a strong national characteristics and good quality, which are loved by many people and enjoyed a high reputation both at home and abroad.

Afterwards, head to the famous Ancient Tea House, which is located in the Kashgar Old Town and you can have a cup of nice tea as well as feel the local ethnic culture and traditions here to spend a relaxing time. At last, we will pay a visit to the majestic Abakh Hoja Tomb. It is far-famed for the legendary stories about Ipar Khan, who was the beloved consort of Emperor Qianlong. Because of her fragrant aroma of wild jujube flowers that can attract butterflies, she was also called by people as “Xiangfei”. After spending a memorable time in Abakh Hoja Tomb, we will drive about 2 hrs to Yarkant for overnight stay.

Meal: B

Altitude:1231m

Traffic: 200kms, 3hrs driving

Hotel: In Yarkant

First, we will go to visit the Amanisha Khan Memorial Mausoleuma after having breakfast. Amani Shahan was a very famous Muqam Master and poet, here you can learn about her legendary stories, explore about the Uygur people’s traditional Muqam culture, and admire the marvelous architecture and carving art of the Uygur people. Then, have a spiritual trip to the sacred Yarkent Jami Mosque, it fully shows the excellent architectural art of the Uygur people, and there are more than 100 floral and lunar patterns on its painted ceiling.
Next, we will enjoy a great performance of the the intangible cultural heritage of Uygur on Ikki Muqam, which is not only a very well-known and traditional classical music of the Uygur, but also it includes songs, poetry, dancing, singing, playing musical instruments, etc. Therefore, you can have a better understanding of traditional Uygur culture and enjoy a great show. In the afternoon, drive about 6hrs to incredible Taklamakan Desert for overnight stay.

Meal: B

Altitude: 1200m

Traffic: 500km, 6-7hrs driving

Hotel: In Taklamakan Desert 

In the early morning, after having breakfast we will have a adventuresome trip to the Taklamakan Desert, mysterious and seductive, it is a dream destination for both domestic and foreign explorers and outdoor enthusiasts. “Taklimakan” means “Abandoned Hometown” in Uygur, also known as “Sea of Death”, is the second largest mobile desert in the world. The height of the dunes is generally 100-200 meters, and the highest is about 300 meters. Most importantly, you can try a lot of interesting and thrilling desert activities as well as ride a camel to fully enjoy the fabulous desert scenery. Then, drive about 3hrs to visit the beautiful Hotan. Have a break after lunch, and visit Hotan Museum to learn about Hotan history and culture; in the museum, there are 9499 cultural relics, exhibits, and over 600 books. Most of these precious cultural relics were excavated and obtained by archaeologists in the Hotan area.
Next, pay a visit to Jade River, which is also called Baiyu River due to its far-famed Hotan Jade. If you are interested weird stones and various jades, it is a perfect place for you to explore about Hotan Jades as well as take plenty of amazing photos. After spending wonderful hours by visiting Jade River, we’ll drive to Alaer for overnight stay.

Meal: B

Altitude: 1011m

Traffic: 600km, 7-8hrs driving

Hotel: In Alaer

We will drive about 4 hours to Kuqa after having breakfast, it is used to be the center of ancient Qiuci and the first stop of Buddhism spreading to the East. Our first stop in Kuqa is amazing Kizil Grottoes; it is the oldest grottoes of the four famous grottoes in China, but many architectures and murals are in well preservation. Historically, Kizil Grottoes was the seat of the ancient Qiuci Kingdom, a transportation hub on the ancient Silk Road, and was once the political, economic and cultural center of the Western Regions. Buddhism was first introduced to Xinjiang from India to form “Western Buddhism”, and then introduced to the Central Plains. Therefore, Qiuci is an important node for the introduction of Buddhism into the Central Plains.

Then, we’ll have a fantastic trip to the spectacular Tianshan Grand Canyon. The charm of Tianshan Grand Canyon lies in its majesty, steepness, deepness, tranquility and mystery. The mysterious A’ai Grottoes in the canyon are less than 2 kilometers away from the mouth of the valley. They are suspended above the cliffs. At first, they could only climb up the hanging ladders more than 30 meters high. Now, stone steps have been added next to them. According to research, the grottoes were built in the early Tang Dynasty. The grotto is very small, less than 5 meters deep, about one person high, and the top of the cave is arched. There are remnants of murals on three sides of the cave, and Chinese characters appear on the murals, which are very different from hundreds of other caves in the ancient Western Regions, fully showing the traces of Han culture.

Next, visit the Kuqa Old Town, which is lined with colorful Uygur courtyards. Kuqa is one of the important towns of politics, economy and culture in western China since Han and Tang Dynasties. There are rich cultural heritage, intangible cultural heritage and natural heritage in the territory, which is a historical witness reflecting the harmonious unity of the multi-ethnic country since ancient times. Here, you can feel the ancient vibe of this old town and wander along the old streets to spend a relaxing and pleasant time.

Meal: B

Altitude: 2550m

Traffic: 302km, 4hrs driving

Hotel: In Kuqa

After having a well-prepared buffet breakfast, head to visit the majestic Kuqa Mosque, which is considered as the 2nd largest mosque in Xinjiang, and it was reconstructed after the original mosque was burned down in 1931. Afterwards, pay a visit to the UNSEKO – recognized World Heritage Site – Site of Subashi Ruins. Despite being abandoned for nearly a thousand years, what remains of the Subashi Buddhist Temple under the sun is still stunning. The tall stupa that stands on the vast Gobi Desert, reflecting the golden light, speaks silently to people of the past glory. Temple also found a tomb, there are female body and burial goods unearthed, now hidden in the Kuqa Museum, why the female body buried at the bottom of the Buddhist temple tower, so far is still a mystery.
Lastly, go to the Alarm Tower, which was built in the Han Dynasty, and it was recorded in history that Alarm Tower was used for military alarm in ancient times. Besides, it has high tourism value because of its excellent geographical location on the prime area of the North of the ancient Silk Road. Then, we will drive to explore next wonderful city – Korla.

Meal: B

Altitude: 950m

Traffic: 300km, 4hrs driving

Hotel: In Korla

After having breakfast, start a new day by visiting the Iron Gate, which was located on the throat of the ancient Silk Road, and was set up in Jin Dynasty according to textual research. It is a suitable place for picnic in the forest, for boating and rafting; you can also experience the pastoral life in the farmhouse.
After spending nice hours in the Iron Gate, we’ll drive to visit the super enchanting tourist city – Turpan. First, go to visit the Tuyoq Village, which is a tourist area with both natural scenery and cultural relics; it is also the most mysterious place in western China, Turpan City, Xinjiang Province, about 55 kilometers to the east of Turpan City. This is the cultural land of the four major civilizations in the world. Various religious cultures such as Islam, Buddhism, Manichaeism and Nestorianism collide and gather here. The scenery of the desert canyon and the ancient Uygur villages complement each other. The Thousand Buddha Caves in Tuyoq Village is the earliest and largest excavation in Turpan area; and the Mazaar ancient village, known as the “living fossil of folk customs of traditional Uygurs”. 
Next, visit the Jiaohe Ancient City, which is 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. Besides, Jiaohe Ruins is a city without city walls; it was once one of the most prosperous cities on the ancient Silk Road. It is an ancient city in the Western Regions as famous as the ancient city of Loulan, known as the “Oriental Pompeii”. And Jiaohe Ruins is currently the largest, oldest and best-preserved city with earthen buildings in the world. It is the only and most complete Han Dynasty city site in China.

Meal: B

Altitude: 400m

Traffic: 400km, 5-6hrs driving

Hotel: In Turpan

Today, after having a quick breakfast, we will go to discover the amazing project of Karez Well system. Together with the Great Wall and Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, the 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 is melted from snow mountains of Tianshan range to desired farmlands in the desert area. 
Next, we will drive back to the downtown area of Turpan to visit some famous must-see tourist attractions such as the collection house, which is also known as “Turpan’s Grandpa Antique Shop” and the largest Islamic minaret in China built in 1778 – Sugong Minaret. It is the product of a historical event, and is an exquisite national architectural art treasure on the Silk Road in the Western Regions.

Meal: B

Altitude: 836m

Traffic: 200km, 3hrs driving

Hotel: In Urumqi

We wish this tour would go on forever. It’s too bad that all good things must come to an end. After enjoying your breakfast, your guide will escort you to the airport/train station for your next destination or home. Tour ends.

Meal: B

Altitude: 836m

Hotel: No