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Itinerary
Day 1 Beijing
Arrive in Beijing, welcome and transfer to your hotel to check in. Deluxe room at Waldorf Astoria Beijing for 1 night.
Day 2 Urumqi
Fly to Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang. Visit Xinjiang Regional Museum, and see the ancient mummies. Hike up the Red Hill, and take in panoramic views of the city. This evening, opt to visit the night market. Superior room at Grand Mercure Urumqi Hualing Hotel for 1 night.
Day 3 Turpan
This morning, drive southeast into the Turpan basin. Visit Emin Minaret and the mosque, and study the elegant architecture of this ancient Islamic site. Tour the Karez Well – the ancient underground irrigation system of channels and wells to supply water from Tianshan Mountains to the city and farmland. Before dinner, watch the sunset at Jiaohe Ruins. Standard room at Tuha Petroleum Hotel for 2 nights.
Day 4 Turpan
At Bezeklik Caves, appreciate the earliest Buddhist cave art in China, and learn the past glory of ancient Gaochang Kingdom. Have lunch at the vineyard of a local family home in Tuyugou Valley.
Tour the peaceful Mazar Village, where old Uygur traditions are well kept. Walk to the nearby mountainside to visit some Buddhist ruins – a group of ancient Buddhist caves with frescoes. Afterwards, tour the site of the ancient Gaochang City by taking a traditional donkey-cart. Return to the city, and walk around the old town before dinner.
Day 5 Korla
Drive southwest to Korla (~380km /5hrs) in the morning. En route, stop at the picturesque Bosten Lake, an inland freshwater lake amid the vast desert, and go for an easy stroll along the lake. Afterwards, continue the drive to Korla. After dinner, opt to join the locals and take a leisurely walk along the Kongque River (literally, the Peacock River). Standard room at Loulan Hotel Korla for 1 night.
Day 6 Kuqa
Drive into Taklamakan Desert, and visit Lop Nur Village, a small village on Tarim River where people still live in the old way – canoeing and fishing. Afterwards, continue the drive along the northern rim of Taklamakan Desert to Kuqa (Kucha), once the ancient Buddhist kingdom on the northern Silk Road. Before dinner, take a leisurely stroll at Kuqa old town, and visit Kuqa Mosque. Deluxe room at Kuqa International Hotel for 2 nights.
Day 7 Kuqa
At Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves, appreciate the exquisite mural paintings and get a glimpse into the ancient Qiuci Kingdom. From these ancient paintings, you will discover the traces of the confluence of different religions and cultures dating back to the third century. On the way back, visit the ancient Kizil Gaha Beacon Tower.
Spend the afternoon exploring the peaceful countryside, and enjoy afternoon tea and taste local bread “Nang” at a local family home. Alternatively, if Friday today, visit Kuqa Friday Market instead. Before the sun sets, have a short visit to Subashi Ruins.
Day 8 Bayanbulak
This morning, drive to Bayanbulak Grasslands. En route, have an easy hike at the Grand Canyon of Tianshan Mountains, also known as the Keziliya Grand Canyon. Continue the drive through the snow-capped mountains to Bayanbulak Grasslands. Tour the famed Swan Lake (3,000m /9,843ft) – a wetland of many small lakes, where thousands of swans come to spend the summer before migrating to the south in autumn. Stay at a local Mongolian yurt for 1 night, under the starry sky.
Day 9 Yining
Wake up in the scent of boiling milk tea and the fresh morning air. Have a leisurely stroll around before leaving for Nalati Grasslands. Amid the picturesque Nalati Grasslands, meet with local Kazakh nomads at their yurts. Afterwards, continue the drive along Yili River (Ili River) to Yining. Yining, the capital of Yili Kazakh autonomous prefecture, is a small but pleasant city in the far west China. Standard room at Yining New Development International Hotel for 2 nights.
Day 10 Yining
Head to Khorgos Port – a border port between China and Kazakhstan, and visit the local market there. Continue the drive through the scenic Guozigou Valley (literally, the fruit valley) to Sayram Lake. Tour the picturesque Sayram Lake (2,070m /6,791ft) – the “Blessing” lake of the Kazakh people, and picnic by the lake. Return to Yining in the late afternoon. Walk along the Yili River, and enjoy the sunset over the Yili Bridge.
Day 11 Kashgar
Enjoy some downtime in the morning, and fly to Kashgar (when the seasonal direct flight to Kashgar is not available, you will fly to Kashgar via Urumqi). As the ancient Silk Road trade center, the energy and charm of Kashgar flourishes today as if two millenniums ago. Deluxe room at Jinjiang International Hotel Kashgar for 3 nights.
Day 12 Kashgar
Visit Id Kah Mosque, the biggest mosque and the religious center of Xinjiang. Step out of Id Kah Mosque, tour the nearby marketplace and the old neighborhood. If time permits, step into a local Uygur home, have tea and chat with the family members about their daily life. Afterwards, visit Abakh Khoja Mausoleum (also known as the Mausoleum of Xiang Fei), a masterpiece of Uygur Islamic architecture.
If it is Sunday today, head to Kashgar Sunday Bazaar, which is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating markets in Asia to experience the ancient Silk Road spirit. Visit the bustling livestock market, the market for the trading of sheep, cows, donkeys and camels. If it’s Monday, then you will head to Upal village instead. Take a traditional donkey cart to visit a smaller but traditional village market – the Upal Monday Bazaar.
Day 13 Kashgar
This morning, enjoy cycling through the peaceful countryside (~40km /25mi, 3hrs), and tour the Mor Pagoda – an ancient Buddhist site from Tang Dynasty. Return to your hotel for lunch and some downtime. En route, stop to photograph the Gaotai Ancient Homes, and learn the history of the centuries-old neighborhood of Kashgar Old Town.
Spend the rest of the day exploring the colorful market for all kinds of regional handicrafts (the International Trade Market of Central Asia, also commonly known as the Dongmen Grand Bazaar), as well as a nearby market for local fruits and melons that Xinjiang is famous for. Go for a leisurely stroll at the People’s Square, and learn the story of the great statue of Chairman Mao. This evening, have dinner at a local Uygur family’s courtyard home, and watch a traditional dancing and singing performance.
Day 14 Farewell
Fly to Beijing via Urumqi, and connect to your onward flight home. Farewell.
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