12 Days Xinjiang Tour via Taklamakan Desert

Attractions: 

Transportation: Flight, Bus/Car

Activities: Our guide and driver will meet you at Kashgar Airport then transfer you to your comfort hotel. You will be given time to rest and explore the area near to your hotel rest of the day.

Accommodation:

Attractions: Karakorum Highway, Kirgiz People, Kirgiz Yurt, Karakul Lake, Snow Capped Mountains, Muztagh Ata Mountain

Transportation: Bus/Car

Activities: We start our tour after our breakfast at the hotel. Karakoram Highway known as the Friendship Highway in China. From Kashgar  it traces 1300km along one of the routes of the Ancient Silk Road to India. The views are unparalleled along this one of the highest roads of the world. It also cuts along the collision zone of the Eurasian and Indian plates where China, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan come close to one another. Bulung Kul(Corner Lake) is located besides the Karakoram Highway. The view of the lake reflecting the mountains of sand in the distance is absolutely stunning. Karakul Lake is the highest lake on the Pamir plateau where the Pamir, Kunlun and Tianshan mountain ranges meet. Surrounded by mountains which remain covered by snow throughout the year, the three highest peaks visible from the lake  are the Muztagh Ata (7546m), the Kongur Tagh (7649) and the Kongur Tiube (7530m). Every summer, mountain climbers from all over the world descend to Karakul lake to climb the  Muztagh Peak. There are Kirgiz settlements along the shores of the Karakul lake, living in yurts and mud stone houses. We will return to Kashgar after our trip.

Accommodation:

Attractions: Sunday Market, Id Kah Mosque,  Kashgar Old Town, Appak Hoja Tomb/Fragrant Concubine Tomb, Handcraft Street

Transportation: Bus/Car

Activities: We start our Kashgar tour by visiting Apak Hoja Tomb located in the northeast of Kashgar city. Legend has it that seventy-two persons in five generations of the Hoja family are buried in the tomb. Kashgar Sunday Market biggest market in Xinjiang. As early as two thousand years ago, it was the collecting and distributing center for trade. Various special local products, handicrafts, articles of daily use, fruits and vegetables as well as all kinds of domestic animals can be found here. Id Kah Mosque is a grand Islamic structure was built in 1442 AD. It was extended and renovated time and again through the ages, finally reaching its present shape and size. The mosque is the largest in all China with covering an area of 16,800 square meters. Kashgar Old Town is located in center of the city. The inhabitants of the Old Town are Uyghur’s whose ancestors have been living there since the city was established. By walking through narrow streets and visiting the families there, you can learn about Uyghur culture and custom. The Handicraft Street provides a place where tourists can see traditional Uyghur craftsmen engaged in making different types of articles for special and daily use. At the same time, tourist can see the daily lives of Uyghur people in Kashgar. Night will be spent in Kashgar.

Accommodation: 

Attractions: Yingsar Knife Factory, Yarkand, Golden Grave Yard, Yarkand Old Town

Transportation: Bus/Car

Activities: Early in the morning after breakfast we leave to Hotan. Khotan is 520 km from Kashgar. On  the way, we will stop several cities to do sightseeing. First is Yingsar, Yingsar is 78 km from Kashgar and is famous for making traditional Uyghur knives known as Yingsar knives. Visitors can visit workshops to observe how these sought after knives are made and maybe pick up one or two as souveniers. Yarkant is another county of Kashgar’s.  Yarkand was once the capital of a Kingdom and was an important station on the ancient Silk Road, with a history of over 2000 years. Aman Nisahan, the wife of the second king of the Yarkant kingdom and the compiler of the famous Uyghur 12 Music Mukams, is buried in a tomb in the Golden Grave Yard. After your trip in Yarkand, we will continue our journey to Hotan, we will be in Hotan late in the afternoon. Night will be in Hotan.

Accommodation: 

Attractions: Atlas Silk Factory, Hotan Carpet Factory, Hotan Bazaar, Jade Factory, Hotan Museum, Mulberry Paper Making

Transportation: Bus/Car

Activities: Our day starts by visiting Atlas Silk Factory. Atlas is the Uyghur word for the soft and graceful silk and means “tie dyed silk fabric”. Visitors can see the whole process of handmade silk from boiling the silk worm cocoons till weaving the cloth on the looms. Hotan Carpet Factory manufactures handmade carpets. Hotan Carpets were sought after in ancient times and antique carpets are collector items. The Hotan Bazaar sprawling over a vast area rivaling all other bazaars in the region. On every Sunday, the whole city and countryside community converge on the bazaar to trade, shop and enjoy themselves conjuring up a fascinating Aladdin’s world. The Jade Factory carries on Hotan’s more than 3000 years old tradition of supplying jade to central China where Hotanese jade was used to make the Imperial seals of power. Hotan Museum highlights are the mixtures of Caucasian and East Asian “mummies” reaching back two thousand years proving Hotan’s historically rich blend of peoples, cultures and religions. Mulberry Paper Making which was thrived in the area decades ago but today it is replaced with modern equipments, it is a good place to see how the Uyghur man makes a paper from bark of the Mulberry tree.

Accommodation: 

Attractions: Taklamakan Desert, Sand Dunes

Transportation: Bus/Car

Activities: Our plan for today is to cross the Taklamakan Desert which is the second largest shifting sand desert in the world, covering an area of 337,600 square km. The ancient silk road traders regarded it as the “sea of death”  and dreaded the camel caravan crossings through it. Many traders entered the desert and were never seen again. Marco Polo himself recorded traveller’s stories of evil spirits haunting the desert and luring unwary travellers to their deaths. The desert road between Hotan and Aksu is the second desert Highway in Xinjiang which crosses Taklamakan Desert. We will be in Aksu by in the afternoon.

Accommodation: 

Attractions: Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves, Kucha Grand Mosque, Kucha Old Town

Transportation: Bus/Car

Activities: We start our journey to Kucha after our breakfast at the hotel. On the way, we will visit Kizil Thousand-Buddha Caves which is the one of the four biggest groups of grottoes in  China.  75 of the caves are still intact with well-preserved frescoes. The Kizil Thousand-Buddha Caves were amongst the earliest large-scale grotto-type temples built. The special grotto structures, the themes of the murals and artistic styles reflect the Buddhist faith of ancient Qiuci. Kuqa Grand Mosque is located in the north of the old city of Kuqa County. It is the second largest mosque in the area after the Id Kah Mosque. The construction of the mosque, which even has its own religious court, was started in 1922. Kuqa Grand Mosque is the center of religious activities in Kuqa. Kucha Old Town is located next to Kucha Mosque, it is a also good place to wonder around to get the idea of how the locals daily life looks like. Night will be spent in Kucha.

Accommodation:

Attractions: Subashi Ancient City, Tianshan Grand Canyon, Iron Gate

Transportation: Bus/Car

Activities: We will have half day tour in Kucha before we head to Korla. We start our tour by visiting Subashi Ancient City was also an ancient capital of the Kingdom of Qiuci dating back to the 4th Century AD. Tourist can still see the ruins of halls, towers, houses, pagodas and monasteries. Tianshan Grand Canyon also known as the Kezilya Grand Canyon. It is located 64 km away from Kuqa town in the southern foothills of the Tianshan Mountain Range. It runs east to north for about 5.5 km and has an average altitude of 1600 m. This natural wonder was formed by erosion resulting from wind and rain. After our arrival to Korla, we will visit Iron Gate. The Iron Gate Pass leading to Karashahar is about 7 km north of Korla city. It played an  important role in protecting the ancient Silk Road from nomads raiding  from the north.

Accommodation:

Attractions: Jiaohe Ancient City, Karez Underground Water System

Transportation: Bus/Car

Activities: We will leave for Turpan after our breakfast at the hotel. We go to Turpan by crossing the TianShan Mountain which divides Xinjiang into  two parts, Northern Xinjiang and Southern Xinjiang. Upon our arrival, we check in to our hotel and do short refresh, We start our Turpan tour by visiting Jiaohe Ancient City which is known as Yarghul Ancient City in the Uyghur language. Located about13 kms from Turpan City, it was first the capital of the State of South Cheshi which was the one of the thirty six states in the Western Region (Old name for Xinjiang today). The Jiaohe Ancient City was bordered by rivers flowing by, hence the name of ‘Jiaohe’ or ‘the city of joining rivers’. Karez System is an underground gravity irrigation system developed by the Uyghur’s over centuries. Karez is composed of a series of wells along the snow-covered mountains and linking underground channels that use slopes and gravity to bring water to the surface. There are around 1600 Karez Systems in Xinjiang and length of the Karez in Turpan is around 5000 km. It is considered as one of the three great ancient projects in China.

Accommodation:

Attractions: Gaochang Ancient City, Emin Minaret, Astana – Karakhoja Tombs, Tuyuk Village

Transportation:  Bus/Car

Activities: We start our day tour by visiting Gaochang Ancient City which located 50 km southeast of Turpan. The city was built  as a garrison town in the first century BC and developed into one of the key points along the Silk Road.  The town was known as Kocho and ruled a wide area. In the 14th century however, it was abandoned after continued warfare between the Mongols and the Uyghurs. Emin Minaret (Tower) or Turpan Tower was built 1778 AD by Suleman, the Aqimu Boke, in memory of his father. The circular tower is 37 meters high and its bottom diameter is 10 meters. The whole sun dried brick tower tapers skywards in geometric and floral patterns. There are 77 spiral steps up to the top. Astana – Karakhoja Tombsis a public cemetery of the Ancient Gaochang Kingdom. Archeologist excavated many tombs and found mummies, ancient books, paintings, pottery, clay figures, wood works, gold and stone wares, ancient coins, cotton and silk textiles  in great value.  Tuyuk Village is a one of the oldest Uyghur settlements in Xinjiang. You can visit Uyghur house and have your lunch in a Uyghur family if you want to.

Accommodation:

Attractions: Nanshan Pastureland, Xinjiang Museum, Erdaoqiao Market

Transportation: Bus/Car

Activities: We will head to Urumqi after our breakfast. Before entering to Urumqi, we will visit South Mountain Pasture Land which is very big with West Baiyanggou, Juhuatai, East Baiyanggou, Mount Zhaobi, Miaoergou and Daxigou from west to east. Visitors can visit locals’ houses to have some milk tea and mutton while you are there. You can also rent a horse to ride around the grassland. If you are fortunately enough, you can watch the activities of horse racing, sheep catching and girls’ whip. You can also climb up the mountain for trekking if you wish to do so.  The Xinjiang Museum serves as the archaeological and history research center of the region. The museum is famous as the home of the thousands year old Europoid mummies discovered in the deserts of southern Xinjiang at the end of the last century. Visit the Erdaoqiao Market in the evening. Night will be spent in Urumqi.

Accommodation: 

Attractions: Heavenly Lake

Transportation: Bus/Car

Activities: We will visit the Heavenly Lake which is located east of Urumqi in the middle ranges of the Bogda Peak. It’s nearly 100 meters deep and covers an area of 4.9 square kms. Heavenly Lake is considered the Pearl of the Tianshan Mountains with its spectacular lpine scenery often compared to Switzerland’s. After our trip to Urumqi, we will take our lunch then see you off at Urumqi Airport. This will be the end of our service for this tour.