9-Day West China Silk Road Tours

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Daily Tour 9 day
Kashgar

Tour Highlights

  • Experience the live ancient Tuyuk Village with a lunch at a local house.
  • Enjoy camel ride around the Crescent lake in the Gobi Desert.
  • Drive along the Karakoram highway to visit Muztagh ata “father of ice mountians”.
  • Understand the secrets of the longest ancient underground irrigation system Karez.
  • Visit the exquisite murals and sculptures at the Mogao Caves.
  • Enjoy the largest live old city of Kashgar and sunday livestock market .
  • Enjoy the beauty of largest natural Arch of shipton’s Arch.
  • Enjoy ancient cities perspectives by walking in the streets of Jaohe and Gaochang.
Day 1, Arrive Kashgar

Activities: pick you from Kashgar airport and transfer to your hotel
Details:Our professional tour guide and driver will welcome you at Kashgar airport and transfer to your Hotel. Have a good rest after a long flight.
Kashgar, an oasis city in Xinjiang, is one of the westernmost cities of China, located near the borders of Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and Tajikistan. It has a history of over 2,000 years and served as a trading post and strategically important city on the Silk Road between China, the Middle East and Europe.

Day 2, Day Trip to Karakul Lake

Activities: Drive along the KKH, Stop at Opal Village, Oytagh Kunlunshan Colorful mountain range, Gaz Valley and check point, Bulungkol Valley (white sand mountain), Karakul lake and local Kyrgyz family visit.
Details:We set out along the Sino – Pakistan Karakorum Highway, on the Pamir plateau (the roof of the world) visit Karakul Lake (3600m above sea level). The lake sits at the foot of the notorious, Muztagh Ata (7546m) and Gongur (7719m) mountains. ‘Muztagh Ata’ means Father of the Ice Mountains and is one the most beautiful and mysterious mountains in the world. Return by late afternoon to Kashgar.

Day 3, Explore Kashgar City

Activities: Arrive in Kashgar and Visit Grand mosque, Apak Hoja tomb (which is also called Fragrant Concubine Tomb), Old city walking tours, livestock market, Sunday market and dinner at a local Uighur family countryside of Kashgar.
Details:Arrive Kashgar in the morning and our driver/guide will pick up you from airport and then Explore the rich, endless culture of the Uighurs in Kashgar. First stop is livestock market which happens on every Sunday and people bring their horses, sheep, goats, camels and other livestock to the market for sale. It provides a great opportunity to take photos of the faces of local people, study traditional local market culture, test-drive a donkey or horse or even make its shoes. Like opening a window, today is a real glimpse into a time lost in the annals of the Silk Road’s past and an opportunity not to be missed.
Later move on to Sunday market main Bazaar which is considered one of the largest market in Central Asia. From fluffy sheepskin hats to rugged camel-hide boots, not to mention beads, buttons and buckets of locals. Everything – including plenty of kitchen sinks – is for sale at this fairytale bazaar. It is the best to chance to practice your bargaining skills.
After lunch, spend some time by the Id Kah mosque, the largest mosque in China and marvel at the intricate architecture of Kashgar’s historic Apak Hoja Tomb which is also known as Fragrant concubine tomb).
We’ll also spend time in the Kashgar Old Town and have some walking tours through some ancient historical parts; Stop at century-old tea house for a short break and taste local medicinal teas such as such as those containing rose, saffron, honey and other ingredients.
Finally conclude our city tour with a dinner at a local family in countryside which offers a great opportunity to deeply understand real local life, culture and traditions of local Uighurs.

Day 4, Day Trip to Shipton’s Arch and fly to Urumqi

Activities: Drive to Shiptons arch entrance and then hiking up to the arch. Later catch a flight to Urumqi.
Details:Shipton’s Arch is the world’s highest natural arch. This imposing, entirely natural structure, rises an amazing 500/1500ft.
Some walking and climbing is required, this trip is suitable for all the ages. It is about 1.5 hour driving from kashgar city and another about 1:30 hours hiking up to the base of the arch.
After the Arch trip our driver will drop off you at Kashgar airport for your flight to Urumqi and a different driver will pick up you from Urumqi airport and transfer to your hotel

Day 5, 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 6, Urumqi to Turpan

Activities: After breakfast drive to Turpan and Visit Bezeklik Thousand Buddha caves, Tuyuq village and Turpan Museum
Details:After breakfast, drive to Turpan on the first class highway for about 2.5 -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.
Once arrive Turpan first drive to Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves which used to be an important center for Buddhist worshipers under the Xizhou Huigu government of the Idikut (Gaochang) Kingdom. In these caves, people created works of art depicting daily life and religion. The region has experienced changes in rules, invasions and immigrations, so people from different cultures left different artworks here.
Then Move on to Toyup 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 in their home. This could be the highlight of your tour today.
After lunch drive to Turpan Museum which has a great collection from ancient tombs around Turpan
stay overnight in Turpan

Day 7, Turpan for whole day

Activities: Visit Yargul (Jiaohe) Ancient city, Karez underground Irrigations system and Emin Minaret
Details:After breakfast,we start our tour in Turpan with a 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 and residential houses in the streets are still visible and time there is time spent in a world long disappeared.
After an hour of walking around the city area, we’ll push on to see the world famous Karez 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 the Emin Suliman minaret which is a magnificent combination of ancient Uighur and Islamic architecture. It is the tallest ancient pagoda in Xinjiang and the only Islamic ancient pagoda in the country. Locals call it “pure tower.”

Day 8, Turpan To Dunhuang By Fast Speed Train

Activities: Take fast speed train to Dunhuang and visit Crescent Lake and Mingsha Echo-sand Mountain.
Details:After breakfast at the hotel, take fast speed train to Dunhuang which takes around 3.0 hours.
Our guide and driver from Dunhuang will pick up you from Liuyuan train station and then drive to Dunhuang city.
Our guide and driver will pick up you from Liuyuan Train station and First have lunch, then visit 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 (camel is on your own expenses)
Stay overnight in Dunhuang

Day 9, Dunhuang To Your Next Destination

Activities: Visit Mogao Grottoes and depart from Dunhuang after lunch
Details:After breakfast our guide and driver will meet you at the hotel lobby and Spend the whole morning at Mogao Grottoes which were constructed over a millennium ago 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 art, sutras, murals and sculptures in the world.
After lunch see you off at Dunhuang airport or train station.

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