Xinjiang Panoramic Tour

Day 3

BurqinKanas Lake (180kms 4hrs driving)

Exciting day! we will drive along the mountain road to the amazing Kanas Nature Reserve, China's only European-like ecological site that has been awarded the title of the "Pure Land of the World" due to its unspoiled natural scenery. which is the most beautiful mountain lake you have never seen. 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. Have a lunch when we arrive in Kanas Jiadengyu, after that go to the center of park and take the shuttle bus to visit the famous Moon bay, Dragon Bay and Immortal Bay, you can enjoy the leisure time in Kanas and explore the Tuwa Tribe if you are interested, which is a Mongolian tribe called Tuwa lives on the south bank of the Kanas Lake.
After the visit, we will drive back to Jiadengyu and transfer to the hotel, Have a good rest.
Accommodation: In Kanas
 

Day 4

Kanas Lake  Hemu Village

In the morning, enjoy your simple buffet breakfast and the sunrise of Kanas. then we will travel to Hemu Village,  which is one of the three residences of the Tuva Mongol in China. People here 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 come back to experience the wildness of nature. Arrive at the entrance of Hemu, we still have to change the shuttle bus to the village. Here we would like to suggest you leave your big luggage in our coach and take your must stuff.
tranquil village, herds of cattle and sheep, warm and hospitable locals, What a beautiful and mysterious place! you can also experience horse riding here (1 hour).
Accommodation: In Hemu
 

Day 5

Hemu Village  Karamay (600kms 8hrs driving)

Enjoy the sunrise and after breakfast, we will head to  the famous oil city Karamy with about 8 hours driving. and travel along the Gurbantunggut Desert to the Urho Ghost City, also known as Wuerhe Wind City", a unique wind-eroded geological area commonly referred to as "wind city" because of the frequent howling winds. this is the most beautiful Yadan Landform in the region. When we arrive at the entrance, we will take the shuttle bus, which is shaped like a small train. you can visit the entire Ghost city by shuttle bus. After a long car ride and visit, we will proceed to transfer to the hotel and the guide will escort you to check in. 
Accommodation: In Karamy
 

Day 6

Karamay  Yining (580kms, 7--8hrs driving)

This morning, we will meet you at the hotel lobby and bring you to Sayram Lake, the another highlight of your northern Xinjiang tour, which is known as the last drop of tears of the Atlantic. Sayram Lake is a fairyland with wonderful natural scenery. its water is very clear and pure. you can stroll on the shore, enjoy the blooming wildflowers and the beautiful grassland around the lake. On the way to Sayram Lake, you will see the famous Guozigou Bridge, the largest and most important bridge in Xinjiang. There are many beautiful S bends and you can enjoy the scenery of Guozigou valley which is the most beautiful valley in southern Xinjiang en route. After visiting, bus transfer to Yining for overnight stay.
Accommodation: In Yining
 

Day 7

Yining Tekes  (200kms 3—4hrs driving)

In the morning, your guide and driver will pick you up from the hotel lobby and then we will head to the next destination Tekes with about 3 to 4 hours driving. Here you will see the Kalajun Prairie which is as beautiful as in a poem or a picture. There are springs densely distributed here. Every year, from May to September. The ideal place for people of the pasture to exchange materials and hold cultural activities. Kalajun, in Kazak, means "a dark wilderness". For generations, people on the grassland have lived a simple nomadic life. The traditional lifestyle exudes a unique charm. After the visiting, you will spend the night in this beautiful town.
Accommodation: In Tekes
 

Day 8

Tekes  Naraty Grassland (260kms, 5hrs driving)

After breakfast drive along the National Highway runs across the Tianshan Mountains to visit the Naraty Grassland, which is one of the four famous grassland in the world. Furthermore, Nalat Grassland boasts sub-alpine belt, and it has been a famous pasture land ever since the ancient times, and there are wide river valley, high mountains, the crisscrossed deep gores, the flourishing forest and open grassland. It is crowned as“air pasture'and“garden highway”. you can enjoy the beautiful scenery and explore the Kazakh way of life.
Accommodation: In Naraty
 

Day 9

Naraty Grassland  Bayinbuluk (167kms, 3—4hrs driving)

Enjoy your simple buffet breakfast at the hotel, then we will depart from the hotel with our guide and drive to Bayinbuluk to enjoy the second largest grassland in China, it is also one of the most important Animal husbandry base in Xinjiang. after that, you can visit the Swan Lake it is the largest swan nature reserve and the only one in China. 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”．
Accommodation: In Bayinbuluk
 

Day 10

Bayinbuluk  Kuqa (250kms, 4—6hrs driving)

Drive on 217national road to Kuqa and experience the beautiful view in Tianshan Mountain, Tianshan Mountainsis magnificent in scenery and rich in natural resource. And spruce trees are seen everywhere in the mountain areas. Also Tianshan Mountain has the largest area of glaciers in China. On the way, take you to visit the Kuqa TianShan Great Canyon, which is the excellent geological park all over the world. It recorded the whole process of crustal movement in Xinjiang during the past 400 million years. Arrive in Kuqa with the beautiful scenery along the way, we will start our journey from the Kuqa Mosque, the second largest mosque in Xinjiang, The mosque also is a representative of Uygur architectural art of the Qing Dynasty. thereafter, we will travel to Kuqa Old Town, to explore the local folk customs and lifestyle.
After the visiting, bus transfer to the hotel and the guide will escort you to check in your hotel. Have a good night.
Accommodation: In Kuqa
 

Day 11

KuqaAksu  (300kms, 4hrs driving)

Today you will take the whole day tour in Kuqa which is famous for the Grottoes and the Qiuci Culture. After breakfast, we will have a chance to go our first step a typical representative of Qiuci Grottoes Kizil Grottoes, the Chinese Buddhist Grottoes, it has 4 grottoes and 81 murals for you to enjoy. and then drive you to the next stop Subashi ruins, which is located on the ridges on both sides of Kucha River and 23 kilometers tto the north of Kucha City .“Subashi”means “headwater of a river”. It is composed of two parts divided by the river. With a lot of ruins of stupas, temples and grottoes from the Wei and Jin Dynasties to the end of the T`ang Dynasty, the site is the biggest site of Buddhist temples in Xinjiang.
After the exploration of Kuqa, we will drive to Aksu for overnight stay.
Accommodation: In Aksu
 

Day 12

Aksu  Kashgar (480kms 7hrs driving)

Depart from the hotel in the morning and then we will head to our next destination Kashgar, a city full of folk customs. As the westernmost city of China, the name Kashgar had its origin in the Uygur word Kashgar which has multiple meanings including”colored brick houses” or “jade converging land”. The unique regional environment of desert oasis and the heavy historical and cultural precipitation formed Kashi’s unique ancient style and traditional district layout. In Kashgar, you will learn more about the humanities and history of Xinjiang.
Accommodation: In Kashgar
 

Day 13

Kashgar

Today is Sunday and we will do full day Kashgar city excursion. around 09:00 we will visit the Idigar Mosque, the largest Mosque in China and the most sacred mosque for the locals to practise their Islamic activities. around 10:30 we have to visit the Old Town when the open ceremony ready to greeting all the tourists with the culture show, further exploration to the special culture and experience the lifestyle with the arrangements of the visiting to the local Uighur Family. Lunch arranged in the local Restaurant. Today's highlights is the Sunday bazaar that is combined two section. The covered bazaar sells the clothing, nuts, household goods and many things out of your imagination.The outdoor Animal Bazar is the first bazaar we visit, where the farmers and buyers arriving by donkey cart, truck, bicycle, horseback, motorbike or on foot, with their animals. It's loud, lively and cheerful as they arrive. It is quite interesting to witness their typical methods of bargin. After the visiting to Cenral Asia Market, continue to the  Apak Hoja Tomb, which is the holiest place in Xinjiang and an architectural treasure. Kashgar city tour ends with the wandering to the bustling Handicraft street, dazzling jewelry, primitive pottery,unique musical instrument, daily resources of the locals. The spare time in the teahouse is our special arrangement for you to relax and get a feel for the local culture and traditions.
Accommodation: In Kashgar
 

Day 14

Kashgar  Taxkorgan county (450kms 7hrs driving)

In the morning, enjoy your nice buffet breakfast. At 09:00 your guide and driver will meet you at hotel lobby to start the adventure. Driving on the China and Pakistan highway about 4hrs to enjoy the landscape of Pamirs Plateau.40mins driving. we stop in the Opal village to visit the traditional bustling bazaar. The following day will be spent exploring the stunning landscape surrounding the Karakul Lake, where the herds of livestock around the lakeside are reflected in lake and is extraordinarily graceful,where Kirghiz herdsmen usually settle down and graze their herds. You will have ample opportunity for leisure walking and enjoy the Magnificant Muztagh Peak. then we will drive to Taxkorgan for rest in the late afternoon.
Accommodation: In Taxkorgan
 

Day 15

Taxkorgan county  Kashgar(300kms, 4-5hrs)

After breakfast, our guide will escort you to the Stone Fortress it is one of three most famous stone cities in history. Surrounded by the grassland, snow mountains and rivers, it is a strategically important castle on the ancient Silk Road. Here you will see the temple, city wall and official office which built in Tang and Qing Dynasty. afterwards, walk around the local pasture to experience the lifestyle of Tajik and enjoy the scenery of Taxkorgan.
In the afternoon, drive back to Kashgar downtown along the beautiful scenery. then you will be transferred to the hotel and have a good rest.
Accommodation: In Kashgar
 

Day 16

Kashgar  YarkentKhotan

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up from the hotel. Today we will drive about 3hours to an trade center city Yarkent, which is also an oasis at the western end of the Taklimakan desert. Arrive in Yarkent, transfer to our first stop Yarkent King Tomb, which was buried the King of Yarkent Kingdom and their family from 1533, Exquisite patterns, architecture and history, these attract many people to visit.  After the visit, to explore the Yarkent Old Town, you will see the local lifestyle, enjoy your time and relax. 
Following a luch in local restaurant, we will continue our travel to Khotan with about 5 hours driving. Evening you will have a time to visit the Khotan Night Market, to do a cuisine exploration.
Accommodation: In Khotan
 

Day 17

Khotan  Minfeng (300kms, 5—6hrs) 

In the morning we will do a Khotan city tour. the first site we will visit today is Khotan Museum, built at South Tanai Road, Khotan City in 1991, the museum has a floor space for exhibition of about 200 square meters. Besides wooden tablets, the main exhibition “Khotan Historical Relics Exhibition” displays potteries, wooden wares, textiles, sculptures and building components from ancient sites and tombs in Khotan area, totaling over 200 specimens. Among them the Kharosthi and Hotanese tablets, wool fabrics and various sculptures are of distinctive Khotan feature. They mirror the important position and role Khotan occupied and played on the Silk Road. Next, we are going to visit The Atlas Silk Workshop is open every day and tours are free, and demonstrate the entire process from cocoon to weaving. Which has a showroom where you can buy Atlas silk by the meter or made into scarves, bags, dresses and other items. head to Minfeng County. 
Accommodation: In Minfeng
 

Day 18

Minfeng  Korla (600kms, 8-9hrs) 

Today will be a long trip, but it is also an amazing day! After breakfast, we will depart from the hotel early and drive to Korla along the Taklamakan Desert Highway, It is the longest and earliest desert highway in the world that runs through the floating desert. It is also the center of the ancient Silk Road. For centuries, silk route traders plodded across the desert, taking many days to cross. but now the desert highway shortens the distance between Kuqa to Minfeng by several hundred kilometers, travel through the desert in just a few hours. here you can take a photo or have a break when parking on the road. On the way, we will pay a visit to Diversifolius Poplars Park. The park is located in the north of Taklimakan Desert, and the middle portion of Tarim River. One can see Tarim River, poplar trees, the desert and the oil industry complexes. It is a good resort for sightseeing, entertainment, adventure, scientific expedition and vacation. Diversiform - leaved poplar is a rare and precious plant in Xinjiang And in Uygur language it is called "Tuhorak", meaning "the pretest tree". It has striking capacity to resist drought, sand and salinization. The poplar alkali secreted from the bark can be used as sola as well as in making medicine and Soap, degumming and degreasing. Grown-up poplars, strong and tall, stand on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert along the Tarim River, showing diverse poses. They offer lives for the boundless desert, protect the oasis and balance the ecosystem in the desert. "desert hero".
Accommodation: In Korla
 

Day 19

KorlerTurpan (350kms, 6hrs) 

Breakfast at the hotel, then we will say goodbye to Korla and head to Turpan, an important town on the Silk Road. On the way, you will see the Iron Gate which was a very important pass in the ancient Silk Road. According to textual research, it was set up in Jin Dynasty. Because it is situated in a strategic point and difficult to access, the barrier is vividly called “Iron Gate Barrier”. and when you arrive in Turpan, you will enjoy a charming and cheerful Uyger Show The folk dance in Turfan is famous for its grace, nature, lightness and cheerfulness. Under grape trellises in summer, loud and clear sounds of tambourines and Suona horns, graceful dance, and affecting “Meshrep”can clear up the hotness and refresh you after you journey.
Accommodation: In Turpan
 

Day 20

Turpan 

Today you will start your journey in Turpan. A must and first visit is the oldest Uighur village Tuyoq Village located in the very center of Flaming Mountain Canyon. It used to be the holy site of Buddhism and Islam. The village consists of four parts: Canyon scenery, Thousand Buddha Caves, Maza tomb and the old buildings of the ancient village. and then you will head to visit the Astana Tombs, which is the graveyard of the residents who lived in the Gaochang City in the Jin-Tang period. Between 1959 and 1975, a great number of cultural relics had been unearthed, including Chinese documents, textiles, epitaphs, coins, clay sculptures, pottery, wooden wares, silk-paintings, crops and foods, etc. The site is known as the Underground Museum.
In the afternoon, drive you to explore the Bezeklik Grottoes, the Buddhist Center of Gaochang area, is a complex of Buddhist cave grottos dating from the 5th to 14th century between the cities of Turpan and Shanshan at the north-east of the Taklamakan Desert near the ancient ruins of Gaochang in the Mutou Valley. Some murals show a large Buddha surrounded by other figures, including Turks, Indians and Europeans. Some of the murals are masterpieces of religious art. From here, you can enjoy the outlook of Flaming Mountain around the Grottoes.
Accommodation: In Turpan
 

Day 21

Turpan  Urumqi(200kms, 2-3hrs) 

Morning enjoy your nice buffet breakfast at the hotel and then we will do a Turpan city tour. the first stop is Sugong Minaret, the largest Islamic minaret in China built in 1778 by Sulaiman that is the ruler and leader of Turpan to commemorate and commend his father's achievements of the reunion of Xinjiang. Afterwards, we will also pay a visit to Karez Well, A special irrigation system that the locals make full use of the topography of Turpan to draw the underground water to irrigate their farmland ingeniously. The tour today in Turpan end up to enjoy the scenery of Jiaohe Ruins with a history of 2,300 years lies between two rivers on a loess plateau atop a cliff of over 30m. It is one of the best preserved ruins of its ancient era in China, it was include in the World Heritage List on June 22, 2014.
In the afternoon, we will drive all the way to Urumqi about 3 hours, passing by the wind power station which is the largest one in Asia spreading at the foot of Tianshan Mountain. Following glimpse of Salt Lake in Dabancheng. Arrive in Urumqi, you will have a chance to visit the Xinjiang International Bazaar, the largest bazaar in Urumqi. You'll find a bustling market filled with fruit, clothing, crafts, knives, carpets and almost anything that you can imagine. (Option: The Culture Show with Banqute,fr $45/pp)
Accommodation: In Urumqi
 

Day 22

Urumqi

This morning the tour will begin from the Xinjiang Region Museum to see archaeological treasures from the Silk Road and Xinjiang's minority cultures. After exploring the museum, you will enjoy the tour of the picturesque Heavenly Lake (approximately1.5hrs), 2000m up in the Tianshan mountain range. which is surrounded by the snow mountains, blooming wildflowers, evergreen pine trees. 40-minute sceniic shuttle bus ride that twists though the dramatic mountains. Then you can either walk to the lakeside in 10mins or take the electronic cart. There are 3 options suggested. Boating cruise to take the incredible view of Tianshan Mountain. Trekking along the lake in the fresh air. or you can explore further uo to the Maya Mountain by the cable car to enjoy the magnificent view of the Mountains.
After the visiting, we will take the shuttle bus down the mountain and drive back to Urumqi with about 1.5 hours driving. 
Accommodation: In Urumqi
 

Day 23

UrumqiYour City 

Today you will end your enjoyable tour in Xinjiang and back to your sweet home. Wish you a pleasant journey home!