11 Days Oriental Express Tour to Southern Xinjiang

Welcome to Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang. Getting off the plane, you will find a tour guide from our Express expert in Chinese and English is already waiting for you at the airport. Along the way to your hotel, you can enjoy the charming natural scenery and learn more about the history, culture and customs of the vast region from the guide. And you can get a nice rest once arriving at the hotel.

Today you will enjoy a full day excursion Turpan where you will get a closer look over the remarkable ancient underground water conservancy project- the Karez Well irrigation system. It brings life to Turpan. In the afternoon, you are going to have a closer look at the Flaming Mountains(251m) depicted in the marvelous Chinese novel the Journey to the West(about one hour for the visit). Following is the visiting to the Jiaohe Ruins. Having a walk on the trails, you'll have a profound understanding of its millennia history. And when night falls, you can also enjoy joyous music played by some locals. In the end of the day, we'll have you back to the hotel for rest. That's our whole schedule.

After breakfast, you will be taken to visit the Heavenly Lake, which is located halfway up the Bogda Peak(5445), the highest mountain in the eastern Tianshan Mountains. The Lake will offer you picturesque scenery that earns it the name of the “Yaochi”(a fairyland in a Chinese myth). Trekking, taking the cruise or even the cable car to the Maya Mountains, you'll harvest an incredible view of Bogoda Peak. After dinner, you will be driven back to the hotel.

Finishing breakfast, you will set off to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum(Xinjiang Museum) which houses more than 1,000 precious cultural relics. The Museum divides the exhibition halls according to themes, thus you can easily locate the section you want to explore. If you want to learn about Xinjiang, you'd better make yourself appear in Hall 3 and Hall 5. In the afternoon, you will take the Express to Kashgar and start your adventurous journey to Southern Xinjiang where you will be amazed by the exotic vibe.

After arriving in Kashgar in the morning, you will be driven to the much well-known Karakul Lake which means the “Black Sea Lake”. It is one of the few highland lakes in the world. On the way, you will have a short stop at the Roof of the World-the Pamir Plateau where can get a closer look at the Flaming Mountains in Southern Xinjiang--the Oytak Red Canyon Mountains, the splendid Gez Gorge, the remarkable Bulunkou Lake and Mount Kongur Tiube. After arriving the Lake, you are suggested to take a walk around, immersing yourself in the marvellous natural beauty. But please also hold your breath for Muztagh Ata, or the “Father of Ice Mountains” . And the final stop will be in the Stone City in the north of Tashkurgan County (about 1 hour for the visit). It once functioned as a stronghold along the ancient Silk Road which you can't miss. And just embrace the sunset with your arms, you'll have nice photos at the Jincao Beach.

After breakfast, you will begin your extraordinary journey through the Panlong Ancient Road to Kashgar. The Road has more than 600 curves,with most are more than 180 degrees, some even 270 degrees, like a black dragon entrenched in the mountains. Truly it will make your adrenaline soar. After lunch, you will head to Kashgar, and wrap up the day with a nice Chinese-style meal and a sweet sleep.

After having breakfast at the hotel, you'll officially usher your day with a visit to the Kashgar Ancient City standing here for over 2,000 years. Walking on the crisscrossed streets, you will automatically be impressed by the exotic vibe around here. What is the most attractive is the world's largest existing complex of earth buildings inside. Here is also the home of Uyghurs who will welcome you with their singing and dancing. The next stop after lunch is the Id Kah Mosque built in 1442 which is not only the largest mosque in Xinjiang, but also the largest mosque across the country. And then you'll visit the Abak Hoja Tomb, also known as the Fragrant Concubine Garden. Here you will be introduced about the amazing stories throughout her the Concubine, and please do have a  closer look at the exquisite glazed tiles outside the tombs are an embodiment of the Uyghur aesthetic value. After dinner, the Express will take you back to Kuqa.

Arriving in Kuqa, once the prosperous Qiuci Kingdom and birthplace of the famous “Qiuci Music and Dance”. you'll be taken to the first attraction hiding in the city-the Tianshan Grand Canyon. What makes it charming is not only its magnificence and precipitousness, but also its tranquility, mysteriousness and serene. Apart from that, you can also harvest a camel-riding experience. After lunch, you will visit the Kizil Caves, also known as Kizil Thousand-Buddha Caves. To date, the Canyon has preserved 236 caves, of which the most wonderful is the existing tens of thousands of square metres of mural paintings. People call it the “Second Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes” in China, and in the near future, it will be equivalent to or maybe even surpass its Dunhuang counterpart in fame. In the end of the day, the Express will take you back to Kashgar.

Today, the Express will take you to Yuli County, Korla City where you'll be overwhelmed by both natural wonders and unique culture of the Lop Nur People Village, one of the largest villages in western China. There are a great amount of activities that make you want to travel here again, including visiting Lop Nur style  buildings, walking in the desert, wading through the Tarim River, and taking nice photos at the forest of golden desert poplar. Also you will be hospitably welcomed by the Luo Nur at their home, and you can ask them about the key to longevity as there are many centenarians. After dinner, you will be back to Urumqi in the same way.

On the morning when back to Urumqi, you will visit the Hongshan Park, the symbol of Urumqi located in Hongshan Road, Shuimogou District. More of an amusement park than a natural wonder, it is nevertheless a great place to stroll and enjoy the good city views, particularly from the 18th-century hilltop pagoda, which has become something of a city icon. And modern entertainment facilities and ethnic performances bring a fresh and lively atmosphere to the park. After lunch, you'll head to the International Grand Bazaar which is the largest bazaar in Urumqi. There you'll find a bustling market filled with fruit, clothing, crafts, knives, carpets and almost anything that you can imagine.

Today our journey comes to an end after a good breakfast. After breakfast, your guide will take you to the airport.