9-Day Xinjiang Highlights

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Daily Tour 9 day
Kashgar

Tour Highlights

  • Experience the live ancient Tuyuk Village with a lunch at a local house.
  • Visit the picturesque scenery of Heavenly Lake at the Tianshan Mountains.
  • Explore the ancient city of Jiaohe, which was built by dug down the ground.
  • Admire the natural sceneries, lakes and the great mountains along the KKH.
  • Entertain the liveness of the famous Livestock Market.
  • Admire the world famous Buddha paintings of Bizeklik Thousand Caves
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, Explore Kashgar City

Activities: Visit Apak Hoja Tomb; Monday market (livestock market); Grand mosque; Old city walking tours, Sunday market and dinner at a local Uighur family
Details:After breakfast, Explore the rich, endless culture of the Uighurs in Kashgar. First visit an architecture of Kashgar’s historic Apak Hoja Tomb which is also known as Fragrant concubine tomb). One family of five generations were buried here since 1650.
After visiting about an hour here, drive to Monday market which is about an hour drive distance from the city. Kashgar Sunday market is famous, but Monday market is more traditional and non-touristic. You can see true local life and market culture at this Bazaar.
After lunch spend time by the Id Kah mosque, the largest mosque in China, about 40,000-50,000 people attend prayer on big Islamic festivals.
The handcraft street near mosque is the best place to walk around and experience wood carving and the musical instrument making. The cradles and the wooden household items are nicely made by carpenters with beautiful traditional patterns and the designs.
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.
We’ll spend some 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, we 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 3, Kashgar to Tashkorgan

Activities: Drive along the KKH, Stop at Opal Village, Oytagh Kunlunshan Colorful mountain range, Gaz Valley and check point, Ancient Caravan Saray, Bulungkol Valley (white sand mountain), Karakul lake, Tashkorgan Stone Fort and Tajik Family
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) on the way.
Then Keep driving till Tashkorgan Tajik autonomous county which was once an important hub on the old Silk Road. The area borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan via the Kunjerab Pass and Wahan Corridor. 
After arriving at Tashkurgan, you’ll have an opportunity to see the town’s ancient stone fort – still standing after 2200 years! ‘Tashkurgan’ means ‘Stone Fort’. Walking around Tajik neighborhoods and pay a visit to Local Tajik family live around this historic town.

Day 4, Tashkorgan to Kashgar

Activities: Drive to Kashgar and hiking around lake for a few hours
Details:After breakfast drive to Karakul lake and spend about 3-4 hours for hike around the lake.
The lake has an area of around 1o sqkms and takes around 3 to 4 hours.
then keep driving to Kashgar and arrive late afternoon

Day 5, 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 6, 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 7, Urumqi to Turpan Tuyuq Village

Activities: Drive to Turpan after breakfast and visit Idikut (Gaochang) ancient city, Astana tombs, Bizeklik Thousand Buddha caves, Flaming Mountain and stay overnight at a Local family in Tuyuq village.
Details:Drive to Turpan after breakfast and visit Idikut (Gaochang) ancient city, Astana tombs, Bizeklik Thousand Buddha caves, Flaming Mountains and stay overnight at a Local family in Tuyuq village.
After breakfast, drive on the first-class highway to Turpan for about 2:30-3:00 hours. Once you arrive in Turpan check into the hotel, then start our wonderful day in Turpan with a visit to the 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 in the 8th Century.
We’ll spend about 40 minutes in this ancient city and then drive to Karakhoja Astana tombs, a Tang-dynasty burial ground which also known as the “Underground Museum”. Astana means “capital” in the Uighur language and Karakhoja is name of a legendary hero of an ancient Uighur Kingdom who saved his people by killing a vicious dragon.
After lunch 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.
We’ll stop on the roadside for photos of the Flaming Mountain which people claimed to be the hottest and driest along the silk road that “flying birds even a thousand miles away dare not to come”.
Finally, Move on to Toyuq village, an old, beautiful and timeless village with a friendly Uighur community. Here we visit several local families and have dinner with a local family and spend a night in their home. This could be the highlight of your tour today.

Day 8, Day trip to Turpan

Activities: Drive to Tupan and visit Yargul (Jiaohe) Ancient city, Karez underground Irrigations system and Emin Minaret, drive back Urumqi in the evening.
Details:After breakfast, drive to Turpan on the highway for about 2.5 hour. Once you arrive Turpan 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.”
When finished drive back to Urumqi in the evening

Day 9, Urumqi To Your Destination

Activities: See you off at Urumqi 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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