Day 1 Kashgar
Pick up from the pass Turgat or the airport or train station. the first city on the Silk Road trip, it is also the westernmost city in China.
Accommodation: Kashgar Qinibag Hotel
Day 2 Kashgar - Karakul Lake (260kms,3hrs driving)
Visiting sites today : Opal village, Karakul Lake,
Morning visiting :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. It is highly recommended to visit the local Kirgiz family in their yurt. We take the Karakom highway back to Kashgar in the late afternoon.
Afternoon visiting : Night market suggested today for the food and experience the real life of the locals.
Accommodation: In Kashgar
Day 3 Kashgar - Urumqi
Visiting items: Idigar Mosque,Old Town,Sunday bazaar, Apak Hoja Tomb, Handicraft street
Morning visiting : 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 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 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.
Afternoon visiting : 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.
Say goodbye to Kashgar where you must have amazing experience and catch your flight to Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang.
Accommodation: In Urumqi
Day 4 Urumqi - Heavenly Lake (120kms, 1.5hrs driving)
Visiting items : Heavenly Lake ,Xinjiang regional museum, Xinjiang International Bazaar.
Morning visiting : Visit 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. The lunch in the local Kazakh‘s yurt is highly recommended.
Afternoon visiting : Travel back to Urumqi in the afternoon which is about the other 1.5hrs, continue the tour at the Xinjiang regional museum to see archaeological treasures from the Silk Road and Xinjiang‘s minority cultures. After then, 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 5 Urumqi - Turpan(200kms,3hrs driving)
Visiting items :Tuyoq Village, Sugong Minaret, Karez Well, Jiaohe Ruins
Morning visiting : Start the trip off with the 3hours driving to Turpan, 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. We‘ll be amazed by the histroical sites and oasis land of 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. Following a lunch in the traditional Uighur family in their grape yard,we will drive all the way of 1hr to 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.
In the afternoon 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 end up to enjoy the sunset 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.
Accommodation: In Turpan
Day 6 Turpan-Dunhuang
Visiting items : Echoing Sand Mountain&Crescent Lake.,Shazhou Night Market
Morning visiting : We will catch the morning express train to Dunhuang (Liuyuan station), you will be greeted by our driver and guide when you arrive and head up to Echoing Sand Mountain&Crescent Lake. When there is wild wind, the sands will be blown up and make loud sound, while the sound sounds like being produced by some ancient musical instrument when blew by breeze, There is also a Crescent Lake that has been in existence for hundreds of years without ever being buried by the sand. Riding the camel as the Silk Road Caravan in the vast desert is highly recommended (approximately 40mins). Please bring your sunglasses and and mask to keep out the dust
Afternoon visiting : In the evening, you will enjoy the walking tour to the Shazhou Night Market, the most bustling place of Dunhuang at night. It‘s easy to lose our sense of time wonder the market while enjoy your leisure time and taste some local cuisine.
Accommodation: In Dunhuang
Day 7 Dunhuang- Jiayuguan (350kms,4hrs driving)
Visiting items : Mogao Grottoes,
Morning visiting :This morning, we will visit Mogao Grottoes, also known as the Thousand Buddha Grottoes, this UNESCO World Heritage site. It is one of the great artistic and religious wonders of the world and it is famous for its exquisite murals and various sculptures inside the caves, which was built in different dynasties, spanning 1,000 years of Buddhist art, enjoy the Silk Road Movies in the visitor Center about 40 mins before our exploration into the Grottoes.The professional guide from the Mogao will bring you to 8grottoes with their special torch so that you have clear view of the murals and paintings. （Note: No photos and Video in the caves). The visiting time is around 4hrs including movie.
Afternoon visiting : Following a lunch in the local restautant, we will drive all the way to Jiayuguan about 5hrs, check in hotel and relax with free time for the rest of the day. (night market is about 10mins walking from our selected hotel)
Accommodation: In Jiayuguan
Day 8 Jiayuguan - Xi‘an
Morning visiting :Full day sightseeing in Jiayuguan, we will climb the Jiayuguan pass in the morning. This Ming Dynasty fort guards the strategic Jiayuguan pass, at the western end of the Great Wall – this was the last section built by the Ming Dynasty. and visit the The Great Wall Museum, which was opened to visitor in October 1989 and it is the first one to exhibit the Great Wall culture in a comprehensive and systematic way. (There are many steps from one tower to the other, please consider if are able to walk and climb about 2hrs)
Afternoon visiting : Next, travel to the Weijin Tombs, which are ancient tombs of brick paintings dating back 265-420 AD. The wall paintings discovered are lifelike and succinct in style and cover a wide range of subjects including politics, economics, culture, military affairs, folk customs, and science and technology during the Wei and Jin periods.
Then we will arrange the airport transfer for you and assist you to take the afternoon flight to Xi‘an where our local guide will greet you and bring you to check in the hotel in the downtown.
Accommodation: In Xi‘an
Day 9 Xi‘an
Morning visiting :As the starting point of Silk Road, Xi‘an has a profound history and culture. Drive to the countryside of the Xi‘an city about 1hrs, we will visit the most impressive historic site Terracotta Warriors which are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. Work is ongoing at this site, which is around 1.5 kilometers east of Emperor Qin Shi Huang‘s Mausoleum in Lintong, It is a sight not to be missed by any visitor to China. Believe you will be amazed by the culture and history to get a feeling back to Qing Dynasty during the 3hrs experience. （No flash when take photos)
Afternoon visiting : Lunch will be in the local restaurant, we will continue the sightseeing to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda built to house Buddhist scriptures collected by a Chinese Monk. Big Wild Goose Pagoda has 7 floors in total. Architecture is traditional Chinese style decorating with some Buddha statues. Tourists can see variety of Buddha statues and see the whole Xi’an city at the top floor.
Option: if time permit we suggest you enjoy the Culture Tangshow in the evening which is 1hr
Accommodation: In Xi‘an
Day 10 Xi‘an
Morning visiting : Spend the other whole day exploring culture and customer in Xi‘an. we will go to the Shanxi Province Museum, This provincial museum is one of the major museums in China. It holds numerous unearthed cultural artifacts from within the Shaanxi province as well as the rest of China. The newly built modern building recreates Tang-dynasty architecture and successfully symbolizes the great extent of Shaanxi history and its remarkable culture.
Afternoon visiting : Afterwards, drive you to the Ancient City Wall, This is the most complete city wall that has survived in China as well being one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. you will enter the city wall through the ticket gate. Standing on the wall, you can‘t use your eyes to judge how long the wall is. you can walk around the city wall or experience the cycling. and then explore the Muslim Street, Relax with free walking along the street tasting he local delicious food and exploring the local lifestyle.
Accommodation: In Xi‘an
Day 11 Xi‘an
Breakfast, transfer to the airport to catch your flight back to your sweet home. It has been a great silk road holiday and we look forward to seeing you another China trip.
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