10-Day South Xinjiang Private Tour of Kashgar, Aksu, Turpan and Urumqi

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:Idigar Mosque, Sunday Bazaar, Handicraft Street, Dolan Farmer Painting
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Makit

Today we will do full day Kashgar city excursion. around 09:00 we will visit the Idigar Mosque, the largest Mosque in China and the most sacred mosque for the locals to practise their Islamic activities. Around 10:30 we have to visit the Old Town when the open ceremony ready to greeting all the tourists with the culture show, further exploration to the special culture. Lunch arranged in the local Restaurant. 

We will pay a visit to the famous Sunday bazaar, the outdoor Animal Bazar is the first bazaar we visit, where the farmers and buyers arriving by donkey cart, truck, bicycle, horseback, motorbike or on foot, with their animals. It’s loud, lively and cheerful as they arrive. It is quite interesting to witness their typical methods of bargin. Afterwards, . The tour today ends with the wandering to the bustling Handicraft street, dazzling jewelry, primitive pottery,unique musical instrument, daily resources of the locals. 

We are going to the next stop Makit and pay a visit to Dolan Farmer Painting, which are welcomed by farmers and artists because of their bold and bright colors. The creative medium is quite diverse and you will be dazzled by the paintings created by local farmers, who have received no professional training and been enriched by the local traditional culture.

Attractions: Taklimakan Desert, Populus Euphratica Forest
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Aksu

Today you will cross 39° North Latitude, the longest hinterland of Taklimakan Desert, to conquer the dead desert that Swedish Explorer Sven Hedin did not make 122 years ago. The whole journey is about 1500 kilometers, which is extremely difficult. However, along the way you will pass through the Populus euphratica forest, the tree of life in the desert. Or riding camels, or driving CRV these outdoor adventures on the moving sand. 

Following in a lunch in the local restaurant, we will drive all the way to Aksu for overnight stay.

Attractions: Kizil Grottoes
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Kuqa

A new day began, we are heading to Kuqa where used to be the center of ancient Qiuci and the first stop of Buddhism spreading to the East. Our first stop in Kuqa will go to the Kizil Grottoes, as the one of the four grottoes in China, it is the oldest one, but many architectures and murals are in well preservation. here you will learn more about the culture and history of Buddhism and ancient Qiuci Kingdom.

Attractions: Tianshan Great Canyon
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Korla

The tour begin from the mysterious Tianshan Great Canyon, which is the excellent geological park all over the world. It recorded the whole process of crustal movement in Xinjiang during the past 400 million years. You can enjoy the red cliffs and hike in the canyon. We will drive to Korla in the afternoon.

Attractions: Jiaohe Ruins
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Turpan

Breakfast at the hotel, then we will drive to Turpan. enjoy the sunset of Jiaohe Ruins with a history of 2,300 years lies between two rivers on a loess plateau atop a cliff of over 30m. It is one of the best preserved ruins of its ancient era in China, it was include in the World Heritage List on June 22, 2014.

Attractions: Tuyoq Village, Sugong Minaret, Karez Well
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Urumqi

Full day sightseeing in Turpan. A must and first visit is the oldest Uighur village Tuyoq Village located in the very center of Flaming Mountain Canyon. It used to be the holy site of Buddhism and Islam. The village consists of Canyon scenery, Maza tomb and the old buildings of the ancient village. 

Following a lunch in the restaurant, we will drive all the way of 1hr to Sugong Minaret, the largest Islamic minaret in China built in 1778 by Sulaiman that is the ruler and leader of Turpan to commemorate and commend his father’s achievements of the reunion of Xinjiang.

In the afternoon we will also pay a visit to Karez Well, A special irrigation system that the locals make full use of the topography of Turpan to draw the underground water to irrigate their farmland ingeniously. Thereafter, we will drive all the way to Urumqi, passing by the wind power station which is the largest one in Asia spreading at the foot of Tianshan Mountain.

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

After Breakfast, we will meet you at the hotel and then drive you to visit the Heavenly Lake, a picturesque Alpine lake, 2000m up in the Tianshan mountain range. Heavenly Lake is a long and narrow gourd-shaped moraine lake, 3400 meters long, about 1500 meters wide, 105 meters at the deepest point, with an average depth of 40 meters, covering an area of about 5.9 square kilometers. There are eight beautiful scenic spots in the lake scenic area.

After the exploration of the Heavenly Lake, we will drive back to Urumqi, and continue your journey at the Xinjiang regional museum to see archaeological treasures from the Silk Road and Xinjiang’s minority cultures.

Attractions: No
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Not included

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport and back to your sweet home. Wish you a pleasant journey home.