South Xinjiang Group Tour and Taklamakan Desert Adventure

Today is the first day of your tour. Welcome to Kashgar! Upon arrival, you will be met  transferred to the hotel to have check-in. After some rest, you can either explore the city by yourself freely or just stay in the hotel.

After enjoy your breakfast, we will leave for Taxkorgan county. Driving on the famed Karakoram Highway is really enjoyable! You eyes will always be filled with the stunning scenery on the way. It is one of the most important highways in China as it directly connects Pakistan with China. Driving about 3 hours, you will meet the White Sand Lake, which is just in the right side of your window. Get off the car and have a rest there. The gentle wave of the lake sparkles under the sunshine, and the lake is always in milky blue regardless of the weather. 

Enjoy your lunch beside the Karakul Lake. The lake is highest alpine lake in the world. Not like the white sand lake, this lake changes color according to the angles of sunlight. It is an ideal place to know the life style of the Kirghiz herdsmen, who have been settled down and had nomadic life here for more than a thousand of years. The famed Muztagh Ata is just in front of you when you are facing to the Karakul Lake.

You will see lost of stunning scenes on the way to Taxkorgan. The dream-like milky blue aquamarine streams alongside the highway will accompany you till the end of today's trip!

You must have had a nice dream last night! The lovely morning on the Pamir Plateau is very enjoyable especially when the morning gentle sunlight falls on your face. We will head directly to the Stone Fortress where to see the historic relics that has been existed for over 2000 years. The outskirt of the city is protected by the firm stone walls and that is where the city gets its name. There is no conclusion about who built this city, but the wisdom of the designer is well presented by the solid fortress. In front of the city is a meadow named Golden Wetland. The grass on the wetland is always golden, which makes it different from the other wetland. There is a newly constructed pathway where you can have an excellent view of the stone fortress to take great pictures.

After visiting, we will drive back to Kashgar and you will renew your sweet experience of Karakul lake and white sand lake. Upon arrival, have hotel check-in and have a good rest. 

Today we will have a day tour in Kashgar. Go to the Id Kah Mosque. It is in the city center of Kashgar and also the landmark of it. As the largest Mosque in China, you will learn many things about Islam and how it developed in China here by the interpretation of your guide. Then just crossing the road and walking for a while, we will arrive at the Kashgar Old City. We should be there before 10:30 to attend the interesting opening ceremony. Appreciating the performance of the Uygur girls and boys, you will feel the passion and hospitality of local people. At the crossroad inside the old city, there is a old tea house that has been there for more than 100 years. Have a cup of tea and enjoy the Uygur dance and songs with Uygur elders playing Uygur traditional instrument in the second floor. Listening to the locals chatting and laughing, even with no idea what they are talking about, you will suddenly have a nostalgia of old days.

In the afternoon, it is just the busiest time of Sunday Bazaar. There were 2 bazaar befoe, one in the outside selling the items for daily use, the other in the inside for livestock transaction. Now for the construction of that area, the outside bazaar is temporarily closed while the livestock bazaar is still in its original appearance. People are still doing business as what their ancestors did thousands of years ago. You can have your lunch in this interesting place and having the freshest lamb and beef for barbecue is also an excellent idea.

The last spot we will visit today is the Handicraft Street. You will find numerous amazing stores and shops on the street. Buying some souvenirs for your friends and family there and looking for some local specialties like shoes, instruments or decorations, you will have a leisure afternoon in the lively place!

Today we will leave for another mysterious city – Yarkent. Located besides the oasis at the western end of Taklamakan Desert, the city is more than 3000 years old and has always been the most important stop on the ancient silk road. Grounded in the endowed geographic environment, the civilization in Yarkent has never been interrupted. We will firstly visit the Yarkent King Tombs to see the afterglow of Yarkent Kingdom. It is also the best place to know the history, custom and social system of the ancient Kingdom. In Yarkent, 12 Mukams is one of the must-experience things, which is a kind of opera consisted of over 340 songs and dances. Though it once was on the edge of being lost, Amannisha, the concubine of one of Yarkent Kings, collected and compiled the Uygur Mukams and passed them down. Looking for the pieces of this kind of art in the Yarkent Old Town. There are often some Uygur elders playing the songs from 12 Mukams. The beautiful blue dome buildings will bring you to a totally different magic world!

In the evening, drive to Hotan to have overnight stay.

Today after breakfast, we will head to visit Atlas Silk Workshop. In this workshop, you will witness the whole process of weaving Atlas silk by the local handicraftsmen on the traditional weaving machines. The delicate silk with Uygur traditional patterns on it shines under the sunlight looked extremely exquisite. You can also buy clothes or scarf there if you would like to.

In the afternoon, there is another awesome place waiting for our visiting. The Yotkan Old Town was rebuilt 3 years ago and was opened to the public 2 years ago. Yotkan is the capital of ancient Yvtian Kingdom which is famous for its long history of being there more than 1300 years. Many treasures from west and east were gathered and transacted there and people were dancing and singing almost every evening. Although that had been buried under sand for years, the lively rebuilt old town has been recovered by local people…

When the nights fall, let us leave for the famed Hotan Night Market! The aroma of barbecue wafted from miles away will show you where it is and no need for navigation! Roasted pigeons and various eggs are the most popular food in the market and you can appreciate the special Uygur dancing show when tasting these mouthwatering food.

We will visit the Hotan Museum in the morning before drive to Minfeng today. Hotan museum was built in 1995, which houses 9553 cultural relics currently. Hotan once was the territory of Khotan Kingdom, which state religion is Buddhism. After hundreds of years' development, Buddhist temples and Buddha statues were everywhere in this place. The story of Hotan is not only told by the history book, but also by the numerous treasures in the museum which were once buried underground.

Continue to drive about 4 to 5 hours to Minfeng in the afternoon. Upon arrival, have hotel check-in and have a good rest for the desert adventure tomorrow!

Exciting day! We will drive through the Taklamakan Desert via the desert highway today! Driving along the straight desert highway and listening to some nice songs is extremely enjoyable! This desert highway is the world's longest and earliest built one with endless desert scenery on the way passing your windows.

We will pay a visit to Populus Forest on the way. The best season to appreciate the beauty of populus forest is around mid-October. During that time, the leaves of populus get yellow and present the enchanting golden color. It will be fairy tale world and easy to take breathtaking pictures with no need for photographing skills.

Today we will have a full day exploring Kuqa. Our first stop today is Kizil Grottoes. It is one of the 4 main grottoes in China and also the oldest one as Buddhism is spread from Xinjiang to the other places of China. Although it has been there for more than 2000 years, the relics inside are mostly well-preserved. Different from Han Buddhism, the characteristics of the wall paintings and frescos of the grottoes are much closer to the original Buddhism. Discover the mysterious Quici Kingdom via these heritages and get to know more about the Buddhist culture here.

Thereafter, head to the Tianshan Grand Canyon. As the masterpieces of nature, it is one of the most beautiful canyons in the world. It is formed by the millions of years of wind and rainwater erosion of the red coconut rocks. The reddish-brown mountains in the two sides of the canyon tower into the clouds, like the burning flames. Standing at the bottom of the canyon and looking up to the cliffs, the cliffs seem to be falling which may make you feel dizzy. No matter what you want to experience, taking awesome pictures or taking adventure by exploring the winding trails, you can gain lots of funs and joys there.

In the morning, visit the Kuqa Old Town which is just in the city center of Kuqa. Strolling around the street, exploring the interesting shops and stores alongside the street and even playing with the kids, you relaxing morning will be spent in the lovely old town. Then go to the local bazaar to buy some souvenirs or try some local street food.

Later in the day, we will take the overnight train to Turpan.

We will head to Turpan today. It is a well-known city in China for its history, legends and special landform. All most all Chinese know Turpan even if a few of they have no idea where Xinjiang is. Because the novel and the drama adapted from the novelTuyoq Village. It is the oldest Uygur village in existence. The village in at the foot of the Flaming Mountain which is famous for its hot summer and the stories depicted in

We then will drive to a UNESCO World Heritage site - Jiaohe Ruins. It is know as the “Oriental Pompeii” for its remaining marvelous ruins that has been there for over 2300 years. The mysterious relics has witness the vicissitudes of Turpan city and its charms attracts millions of visitors every year. 

Turpan adventure is going on today! We will drive to Karez Well in the morning after breakfast. It shows the wisdom of the ancestors of local people as it is one of the most complicated irrigation system of the world. Although thousands of years have past, it is still playing a vital roles in the daily life of Turpan natives by providing the cleanest drinking water. Have a close look at the marvelous program and enjoy the cool breeze there.

After Karez Well visiting, let us go to visit the Sugong Minaret. As the largest minaret in China, it was built in 1778 and has the most precious relics to research the Islamic artworks. Strolling around the minaret, you will feel in the remote central Asia. Everything around you is just like walking out from the history book.

Afterwards, drive back to Urumqi. We will then stroll around the International Grand Bazaar, the world's largest bazaar. Be prepared to be overwhelmed by the dazzling goods and beautiful buildings! You will also appreciate the passionate Xinjiang dancing & singing in the center of the bazaar. Buy some souvenirs and gifts here will be a very nice choice!

Later in the day, we will go to Fukang and have overnight stay at the foot of Tianshan mountain near the Heavenly Lake.

Freshen yourself up in the Heavenly Lake in the morning. It is a picturesque alpine lake, with snow mountains surrounded and meadows dotted around. We will change to the shuttle bus of the scenic area and you will be amazed by the lush forest and magnificent mountains on the way. Find a place to sit down and feel the gentle breeze under the blue sky.

You unforgettable trip is about to the end. We will drive to go back to Urumqi after visiting.Upon arrival, you will be transferred to the airport based on the schedule. Wish you a pleasant journey home and hope to see you again in your next China trip!