14 Days Xinjiang Picture Landscape with Ethnic Flavor Tour

Day 1

Urumqi

You will arrange for you international flight to Urumqi. Our guide will meet you at the airport, transfer you to your hotel and check you in. You will have the rest of the day free to do a little exploration at your leisure.

Day 2

Urumqi  Burqin(700kms, 9hrs driving)

Burqin Colorful Beach

After breakfast, we will head to Burqin. visit the Burqin Five-colored Beach upon arrival, enjoy the beautiful scenery and sunset.
Burqin Fiver-Colored Beach:It is actually referring to the banks of a river that has desert, oasis and forest on its south side while sand rock mounds in all shapes formed by years of wind erosion, line the north bank. The mounds have very irregular profiles and although they are mainly red, bands of red, white, black and yellow are also found in them .

Day 2

Burqin  Kanas(180kms,3hrs driving)

Kanas Lake

In the morning we will do some shopping for our trekking. Then we will head to Jiadengyu life area, and check into the hotel. After lunch we will enjoy the beautiful view around the lake. We will also take the boat cruise on the lake, where we might even see the monster of the lake.
Kanas Lake: This is the latest lake that has been opened to all tourists in China, and has rapidly attained a reputation as “the tourism pearl of Mountain Altai”. The lake takes on different colors following the four seasons of the year. Sometimes it's crystal blue, sometimes it's dark green, or even gray, you may find it containing many colors setting off each another at a time. It has thus gotten the name the Color-Changing Lake.

Day 3

Kanas  Habahe(150kms, 2-3hrs driving)

Hemu

After breakfast we will drive about 80 km to Hemu Village. We will enjoy some free time riding horses and experiencing the local folklore. We will enjoy the beautiful sunset view there as well. after that, we will go to Habahe County.
Hemu Village: This is one of the three residences of the Tuva Mongol in China. The Tuva Mongol is believed to have descended from the troops of Genghis Khan when he crusaded west. The Tuva Mongol of Hemu Village live in frame houses half-buried in the ground to resist the cold of winter. They believe in Buddhism and have well preserved the traditional beliefs of their tribe. Religious and traditional festivals are always jolly and busy, while the landscape tempts every visitor to come back to experience the wildness of nature.
Habahe County :Habahe county is located in Ataile district, which boasts a variety of plants from all climatic zones, from the temperate to tundra. It's said that people here don't need clocks to tell the time because the change of the plants' colors with the change of sunshine can tell them exactly what time it is. Tuwa people have lived here for generations and their way of life is well preserved. Their lifestyle is similar to people in Kazakstan, speaking Turki language and dressing like Mongols. Their houses are built with logs and pen in their herds with wooden fences .

Day 5

Habahe  Kuytun

Ghost City

Morning head to Kuytun,and experience the Oil City -Karamay and the Ghost City on the road.
Ghost City:Located in the northern edge of Junggar Basin, between the Altay Mountains and Tianshan Mountains, the Ghost Town is a noted spot in northern Xinjiang where wind blows everyday. Gales of force 8 on the Beaufort scale frequently blow in this area .The "Ghost Town" in the desert is situated in Wuerhe, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) away from Karamay city, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and takes an area of 100,000 sq meters (10 hectares). Being one of the few typical wind erosion physiognomies in the world, the Ghost City has become a famous tourist area for its unique landform and the howling wind .The Ghost Town is the nickname for Feng Cheng (the Windy Town), and it is named as such for just the wind rather than its appearance.

Day 6

Kuytun  Yili

Sayram Lake

Morning drive to Yili,you can appreciate the beautiful Sayram River, Fruit Gully on the route.
Sayram Lake,renowned as a pearl of the Silk Road, is the largest alpine lake in Xinjiang. It is located about 90 kilometers (56 miles) southwest of Botala Prefecture, Urumqi. Sayram Lake is a fairyland with wonderful natural scenery. The lake is like a brilliant emerald inlaid in the basin surrounded by Tianshan Mountain. The water in the lake is very pure and clear. Flocks of ducks and swans coast on its surface. Flourishing cypress and cedar trees cover the whole mountain range. Cottages scatter the foothills of the mountains. Horses and sheep call on the mountain slope. What a vivid and splendid picture!
Fruit Gully :there are numerous pine trees, and rivers and brooks converge here flanking by numerous ridges and peaks. Known as the "1st scene of Ili", the gully has a pleasant cool weather in summer and autumn, and the ground is covered with flowers with bees and butterflies flying and dancing among them. Countless fruits hanging from the branches of the trees on the hillsides, pure white snow far and near, together with flocks of sheep and yurts scattering in the gully here and there compose a beautiful picture of grassland.

Day 7

Yili  Narat  Bayinbuluk

Bayinbuluk Swan Lake Natural Reserve

Morning drive to the Narat Grassland ,which was listed as a nature reserve.Then head to the Bayinbuluk Swan Lake Natural Reserve .
Narat Grassland:Located at the important line of communications connecting Southern and Northern Xinjiang, the north part of Nalat Grassland connects to Gongliu and Xinyuan County Town，and west part to Hejing county．East part comes from Aikendaban of northwest Hejing and west part reaches to Wulandaban．It is about 150 kilometers long and 3,000-4,500 meters above sea level．The northern slope faces the wind and yearly rainfall is 400-700mm．A large stretch of wild apple trees have been found in Xinyuan County at the 1,500-2,000 above sea level．It was listed as a nature reserve．
Bayinbuluk Swan Lake Natural Reserve lies in Bayinbuluk grassland，taking up 1,000 square kilometers. In 1986 it was listed by the State as the national nature reserve．It is a paradise of flocks of swan. The swans are like white sails wandering on the lake，carefree and contenting themselves．Therefore it is offered the name"Swan Lake".

Day 8

Bayinbuluk  Kuqa  Kashgar

Tianshan Grand Canyon

Drive on 217 national road to Kuqa ,experience the beautiful view of Tianshan Grand Canyon before take the soft sleeper train to Kashgar.
Tianshan Grand Canyon :The mysterious Tianshan Grand Canyon, also known as Keziliya Grand Canyon, is a canyon near Keziliya Mountain (a branch of Tianshan Mountain) formed by wind and rain over billions of years. "Keziliya" in Uighur means red cliff. The canyon is as long as 5.5 kilometers from east to west with an average depth of 1,600 meters. The reddish-brown mountains of the grand and rugged canyon are in different shapes, and gullies and trenches can be found everywhere. Some places are too narrow to pass through. The peaks in the canyon are multicolored, and strange-shaped stone formations can be found.

Id Kah Mosque

Check in hotel upon arrival and then take the city tour in the afternoon,visit the Idgar Mosque and Handicraft street.
Id Kah Mosque is the large Mosque in China and most famous one in Xinjiang. The Mosque started to build in the mid of fifteenth century, and has gradually developed to the present size. Id K ah Mosque, with about 16800 square meters in area, consisting of Pray Hall, the Koran teaching Hall, The Corridor, the Arches and other buildings attaching to it. The Pray Hall of the mosque can hold 4000 prayers is supported by 140 carved wooden pillars.The buildings of Id Kah Mosque look magnificent and solemn, and display the artistic styles of Islamic mosque architectures.
Handicraft street,Streets near this big market are choked on Sundays with farmers and buyers arriving by donkey cart, truck, bicycle, horseback, Ute, motorbike or on foot, with their animals. It's loud, lively and cheerful as they arrive, eat breakfast, set up their animals and check out the action.

Day 10

Kashgar  Taxkorgan

 Karakul Lake

After breakfast take the drive on the China and Pakistan highway to visit the Karakul Lake and enjoy the Pamir landscape.
Karakul Lake,At an altitude of 3,600 m. it is the highest lake of the Pamir plateau, near the junction of the Pamir, Tianshan and Kunlun Mountain ranges. Surrounded by mountains which remain snow-covered throughout the year, the three highest peaks visible from the lake are the Muztag Ata (7546m), Kongur Tagh (7,649m) and Kongur Tiube (7,530 m). The lake is popular among travelers for its beautiful scenery and the clarity of its reflection in the water, whose color ranges from a dark green to azure and light blue.

Day 11

Taxkorgan County  Kashgar

Apak Hoja Tomb

After breakfast visit Stone city, then back to Kashgar,visit the Apak Hoja Tomb and Old Town.
Stone City ,Built on a mound of 20 meters high (about 67 feet high), all that remains of the Stone City today are some parts of the periphery of city, such as the gate, city wall whereas the buildings inside the city had all collapsed. However you can still enjoy the view of the ruined city, the surrounding snow-crowned mountains, grasslands, rivers and even the flavor of national traits of the Tajik people.
Apak Hoja Tomb This Mazar is the holiest place in Xinjiang and an architectural treasure Built in 1640,it is reminiscent of the Central Asian artistic style of Samarkand or Isfahan. A handsome blue-and-white tiled gate leads into the compound, which includes a small religious school and the Abakh Khoja family tomb. The latter is domed and faced with multi - colored tiles. I t most complete Islamic tomb of the Qing Dynasty up-to-now in China.

Day 12

Kashgar  Urumqi  Turpan

Sunday Bazaar

Morning enjoy the Sunday Bazaar,and then transfer to the airport ,take the flight to Urumqi.And then head to Turpan upon arrival.
Sunday Bazaar (livestock Market)Streets near this big market are choked on Sundays with farmers and buyers arriving by donkey cart, truck, bicycle, horseback, ute, motorbike or on foot, with their animals. It's loud, lively and cheerful as they arrive, eat breakfast, set up their animals and check out the action. Cattle, sheep (they definitely look different), goats, donkeys, horses have their own sections; sellers show their animals are "good eaters"(most go as livestock not meat) and the entire experience is fascinating and fun.

Day 13

Turpan  Urumqi

Tuyoq Valley

After breakfast visit Jiaohe Ruined city, Bezklik Grottoes, Karez Irrigation system,Sugong Minaret, Astana Tombs and Tuyoq Valley.Then back to Urumqi.
Karez Irrigation System,is a unique irrigation system in Turpan, which, taking advantage of the slopes, draws the underground water to flow by itself to irrigate farmland. It consists of four parts: vertical wells, underground channels, ground canals and small reservoirs
Sugong Minaret was built in the 41st year of the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty,It is an embodiment of the ancient architectural arts of the Uygur nationality. The tower is 37 meters high and 10 meters in diameter at the base.
Bezklik thousand buddha caves :“Bezklik”means “a place with beautiful decoration”. These caves are first excavated in Qu`s Gaochang period. The excising caves were reconstructed by Uighur people.
Tuyoq Valley,constructed in eastern and western cliffs in Tuyoq valley . more than 40 caves, there are 10 preserving murals. They are considered to be the earliest caves in Turpan, Murals are mostly damaged, but unique in style.

After breakfast transfer to the airport,take the flight to you next destination.