9-Day Urumqi-Turpan-Dunhuang-Xi’an Tours

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Daily Tour 9 day
Urumqi

Tour Highlights

  • Visit Karez underground irrigation channels one of the three Great Projects in China.
  • Visit mysterious Crescent Lake in the middle of Gobi Desert.
  • Admire the most valuable Buddhist Treasure house of Mogao Grottoes in the World.
  • Enjoy the greatest archaeological discoveries of Terra-Cotta Warriors in China.
  • Explore the ancient city of Jiaohe, which was built by dug down the ground.
  • Enjoy the diversified cultural relics and mummies in Xinjiang Regional Museum.
  • Experience an ancient city by walking or biking on the Ancient Xi’an City Wall.
  • Admire the world famous Buddha paintings of Bizeklik Thousand Caves
Day 1, Arrive in Urumqi

Activities: Warmly welcome you at Urumqi airport and transfer to your hotel
Details:Our guide will pick you up from Urumqi airport and accompany you to your Hotel. For the first day in Xinjiang you are free to explore on you own as you will.
Urumqi is the capital city of Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of the people’s republic of China. It is located in the north – west of the country. Urumqi was a major hub on the Silk Road during China’s Tang dynasty and developed its reputation as a leading cultural and commercial center during the Qing dynasty. Literal translation of Urumqi means “beautiful pasture” in Mongolian language. It is the largest city in China’s western region. Since 1990s Urumqi has developed economically and now serves as a regional transport hub, educational,cultural and commercial center.

Day 2, Day Trip to Heavenly Lake

Activities: Drive to Heavenly lake and spend a few hours around the lake for Hiking or boating as you like
Details:Our guide and driver see you at the hotel lobby and Leave for Heavenly Lake after breakfast which is 115 kms (71 Miles) over two hours by vehicle. This beautiful and crystal-clear waters of Heavenly Lake is guarded by the Tianshan mountain and once you are at the lake, you will have free time to roam around the lake, simply trekking up the mountains through the various valleys, go for boating or take a cable car (own expense) up to the top of the mountain for full scenery of the lake
Whenever ready drive back to Urumqi and stay overnight.

Day 3, Urumqi to Turpan

Activities: visit Xinjiang Museum in the morning then drive to Turpan
Details:After breakfast, visit the Xinjiang Museum which houses an impressive collection of exhibits, covering artifacts and relics from more than 12 minority groups. By this way you have a good understanding about Xinjiang and the Silk Road.
After lunch drive to Turpan on the first class highway for about 2:30-3:00 hours. On the way stop at Dabancheng power station, the largest wind power station in Asia and second largest in the world, also drive through salt lake which provides the best quality salt in Xinjiang region.

Day 4, Turpan for whole day

Activities: Visit Idikut (Gaochang) ancient city, Toyuq village, Bizeklik Thousand Buddha caves and Flaming Mountains
Details:After breakfast at the hotel, We start our tour in Turpan with a visit to ancient city of Idikut (Gaochang). The city was first built in the first Century BC and later became capital of the Idikut (Gaochang) Uighur Kingdom of the 8th Century.
We’ll visit the city for about 40 minutes and then Move on to Toyuq village, an old, beautiful and timeless village with a friendly Uighur community. Here we visit several local families and have lunch with a local family at their home. This could be the highlight of your tour of the day.
After lunch we visit Bizeklik Thousand Buddha caves which used to be an important center for Buddhist worshipers under the Xizhou Huigu government of the Idikut (Gaochang) Kingdom.
On the way back to the hotel we will stop at the Flaming Mountain which people claimed to be the hottest and driest on the Silk Road that “flying birds even a thousand miles away dare not to come”.

Day 5, Turpan to Dunhuang

Activities: Visit Yargul (Jiaohe) Ancient city, Karez underground Irrigations system and Emin Minaret, Take overnight soft sleeper train to Dunhuang
Details:Following breakfast at the Hotel we start our wonderful day in Turpan. Our special itinerary today includes sightseeing in Turpan and take overnight train to Dunhuang.
First visit Yargul (Jiaohe) Ancient City which is one of the best preserved ancient cities in China. The ruins of the buildings are divided into temples, civilian dwellings and government offices. Workshops, residential houses and the streets are still visible and time there is a time spent in a long lost world.
After an hour of seeing around the ancient city, we’ll head on to see the world famous Karez Underground Irrigation System, unique to this part of the world. The system is considered as one of the three great projects in China with the other two being the Great Wall and the Grand Canal.
Then visit Emin Suliman minaret which is a magnificent combination of ancient Uighur and Islamic architecture. It is the tallest ancient tower in Xinjiang and the only Islamic ancient minaret in the country. Locals call it “pure tower.”
End of the day take overnight soft sleeper train to Dunhuang which is about 10: 00 hours journey.

Day 6, Dunhuang For Whole Day

Activities: Arrive in Dunhuang train station in the morning and visit Mogao Grottoes, Museum, Crescent Lake and Mingsha Echo-sand Mountain
Details:Our Dunhuang local guide welcomes you holding your name in front of the Dunhuang train station and first have breakfast then go for sight-seeing.
We drive to Mogao Grottoes which were constructed over a millennium from the 4th to 14th centuries. The caves are also known as the Thousand Buddha Caves with two distinctions of being one of the most notable grottoes in China as well as the best-preserved treasure house of Buddhist arts, sutras, murals and sculptures in the world.
After lunch, visit Dunhuang Museum which exhibits relics excavated from the local area, such as papers, coins, a model of the Great Wall as it appeared during the Han Dynasty.
Then drive to Mysterious Crescent lake which its name derives from the crescent moon, shaped by the small pool of spring water between two large sand dunes. Here you’ll have chance to ride camels across the sand dunes of Sounding Sand mountain which makes sounds when the wind blows.
We highly recommend you to stay till Sunset over the high sand dunes before going back to hotel

Day 7, Dunhuang to Xi’an

Activities: Take morning flight to Xi’an and visit Xi’an city wall and Provincial Museum
Details:Our guide and driver from Dunhuang see you off at Dunhuang Airport and another Knowledgeable and friendly local guide will meet you with experienced driver at Xi’an airport and transfer to Xi’an city which is about 1.5 hours driving distance.
First have lunch and then drive to Xi’an city wall which is the symbol of Xi’an and the most ancient existing city wall in China until today. We spend a few hours by walking around or riding bicycle at this CITY WALL as your desire.
Finally visit Shanxi provincial Museum which is one of the first largest state museums with modern facilities in China. The museum houses over 370,000 items, including murals, paintings, potteries, coins, bronze, gold and silver objects. The modern museum was built between 1983 and 2001 and its appearance recalls the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty.

Day 8, Explore Xi’an For Whole Day

Activities: Visit Terra-Cotta Warriors; Bell Tower; Wild Goose Pagoda and Hui Mosque
Details:After breakfast, we start our wonderful one day tour with a visit to Terra-Cotta Warriors which is one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. This site is about an hour drive from Xi’an city.
After lunch Visit Bell tower which is located in downtown area. it is a Chinese traditional building and geographical center of the ancient capital, best preserved and largest wooden tower in China.
After an hour here we continue our tour to wild goose Pagoda which is a well preserved ancient holy building for Buddhism.
Finally visit Hui grand mosque located in Hui minority area, construction of the mosque has rich Chinese features combined with Arabic style. It is one of the oldest and largest mosque in China.

Day 9, Xi’an to your Next destination

Activities: See you off at Xi’an airport
Details:Today is the last day of your tour with us, so we hope this tour shouldn’t be the last. We strive to make every day of your time with us the one that you’ll always remember and if you’d like to book some other tours please Contact us for more information

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