Travel Itinerary
Day1 Urumqi
Welcome to Xinjiang! Today you will arrange your international flight to get to Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang. we will meet you at the airport based on your flight schedule and then bring you to downtown to check you in. The rest of the day is free for you to explore this citty or have a good rest. Tomorrow you will start your amazing tour in Xinjiang.
Accommodation: In Urumqi
Day 2 Urumqi / Heavenly Lake (120kms, 1.5hrs driving)
Today you will have the opportunity visit the Heavenly Lake, a picturesque Alpine lake. After breakfast, we will depart from the hotel to Heavenly Lake with about 1.5 hours driving. Upon arrival, you will change the scenic shuttle bus enjoy the different view up to the mountains. Blue sky, clouds, snow-capped mountain and pine trees, you will feel like in a nature fairyland full of oxygen. Spend a few hours to walk along the lake and enjoy the scenery of Tianshan Mountain. After the visit, you will take the shuttle bus down the mountain and return to the downtown Urumqi.
We will take a city tour in the afternoon. the first stop will be the Xinjiang Region Museum, here you will see archaeological treasures from the Silk Road and Xinjiang's minority cultures. After that, we will take you to 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. you can buy some souvenirs or local dried fruits for your family and friends.Xinjiang Region Museum,
Accommodation: In Urumqi
Day 3 Urumqi / Turpan (200kms, 3hrs driving)
Depart from the hotel in the morning, we will drive on the highway from Urumqi to Turpan. You will have view the wind power station and Salt Lake en route. After a few hours driving, we will come to the first site in Turpan Tuyoq Village, , constructed in eastern and western cliffs in Tuyoq valley. more than 40 caves, 10 preserving murals. These grottoes are said to date from the West Jin Dynasty (265AD-316AD), and are considered to be the earliest in Turpan. Afterwards, bus transfer to visit the second stop Bezeklik Grottoes, which 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 .visit Gaochang ancinet ruins , Flaming mountian .Accommodation: In Turpan
Day 4 Turpan Urumqi
This morning you will take a Turpan city tour, we will first head to the Karez Irrigation system, ancient Irrigation System, which is still used today, is a unique irrigation system in Turpan. It takes advantage of the slopes, draws the underground water to flow by itself to irrigate farmland. It consists of four parts: vertical wells, underground channels, ground canals, and small reservoirs. then explore the Sugong Minaret, the minaret tower was built in the 41st year of the long reign of Qianlong Emperor during the Qing Dynasty. It is the embodiment of the ancient architectural arts of the Uighur people. The body of the tower is cylindroid in shape, built with bricks arranged in various symmetrical patterns on the outer wall. The tower has 14 windows and a spiral staircase inside going to the top. the final site is Jiaohe Ruins , The city's name means 'River City'. with a long history over 2,000 years. upon arrival, spend couple hours to wander around this ancient city, and pursue the past civilization along the ancient Silk Road.
After the visit, we will drive to Urumqi, Accommodation: In Urumqi
Day 5 Urumqi -- Yining (Ili) (700Km )
Morning to the capital of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture – Yining via Guojigou Valley. There are about 35 minorities that live and work in this city such as Han, Uygurs, Kazak, Hui, Mongolian, Uzbek, Russians, and more. Visit the Uyghur Culture Street in Yining on the road visit Sayram Lake . excursion tour to Sayram Lake, known as the last drop of tears of the Atlantic. This alpine lake is an amazing natural water resource which is circled by green grasslands. It is like a brilliant emerald inlaid in the basin surrounded by Tianshan Mountain. The water in the lake is very pure and clear. Accommodation Yining
Day 6Yining— Narat Grassland (320Km)
Excursion tour to Naraty Grassland. The grassland has quiet streams, fresh air and abundant vegetation. It is home to a 10th of China's Kazakh community, and its rolling hills are dotted with their camps. The landscape is carpeted with wild flowers, upon which wander herds of goats, sheep and cowse. if your travel date is from 15th June to 20th July, we will drive to visit the Lavendor field on the way. It's such an enjoyment to imagine walking in the fields of bright purple and delicate mauve under a deep blue sky. Take a deep breath, experience the true scent and color of lavender, and feel lost in the stunning sight of the Plateau… we will arrive in Naraty in the noon. After breakfast visit the Narat pastureland which was listed as a nature reserve．The No 218 National Highway runs across the Tianshan Mountains，along the north part of Nalat grassland．Furthermore, 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”. Accommodation Narat
Day7 Narat-- Bayinbulak (80Km)
after breakfast head toBayinbuluk, covering an area of about 23,000 square kilometers and 2,500 above sea level，is the second largest grassland in China．Bayinbuluk means the“the abundant spring”in Mongolian language and enjoy the grassland there.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 Bayinbulak
Day8 Bayinbulak—AKsu (500Km )
After breakfast we will drive along the edge of Tian shan Mountain to Kucha
Tianshan Mountain, Although many peaks of Tian Shan Mountains are covered with snow all the year round, the mountain area under snow line is still abundant in animals and plant resources. Vegetation there is under rich diversity, including dense forest, green spruce, whirl pines and more than 80 species of medical plants, especially the most precious herbal medicine - Saussurea Involucrate. Being adapted to harsh climates of high altitude, it grows well on cliffs and in the clefts of rocks along the mountain. On the road visit Kizil Red Thousand Buddha caves after excursions continue to Aksu .
Kizil Grottoes the caves were excavated on the cliff of Qul-tagh Mountain by the Muzart River, as the earlist caves in Xinjiang, they care also the earlist ones in China. The contents of these paintings are very rich. Including jataka stories, Budda’s life story and the stories about karma. Accommodation Aksu
Day9 Aksu Kashgar (480kms, 7hrs)
Today we will drive to Kashgar and Visit Idkah Mosque, Handicraft street upon arrival
Id Kah Mosque It is the large Mosque in China and most famous one in Xinjiang. The Mosque started to build in the mid of fifteenth century, and has gradually developed to the present size. Id K ah Mosque, with about 16800 square meters in area, consisting of Pray Hall, the Koran teaching Hall, The Corridor, the Arches and other buildings attaching to it. The Pray Hall of the mosque can hold 4000 prayers is supported by 140 carved wooden pillars.The buildings of Id Kah Mosque look magnificent and solemn , and display the artistic styles of Islamic mosque architectures.
Handicraft Streets near this big market are choked on Sundays with farmers and buyers arriving by donkey cart, truck, bicycle, horseback, Ute, motorbike or on foot, with their animals. It's loud, lively and cheerful as they arrive, eat breakfast, set up their animals and check out the action. Cattle, sheep (they definitely look different), goats, donkeys, horses have their own ections; sellers
Day10 Kashgar Tashkorgan county (300kms 7hrs driving)
show their animals are "good eaters"(most go as livestock not meat) and the entire experience is fascinating and fun.
After breakfast take the drive on the China and Pakistan highway to visit the Karakul Lake
Karakorum high way It is 1200 kilometers almost Sino Pakistan—Chinese friendship high way build since 1976. Ancient Silk Road Merchants often run Via over Karakorum, Wahan corridor with Hindi Kush Mountain to India, Pakistan until Iran. On the road, enjoy the scenery of the Mt. Muztag, Taxkorgan, Persian language that means, stone castle, the brave Tajiks people lives on the Pamir more than 2000 year with nomadic life. Visit Stone fortress, Tajiks National art gallery museum and walk around the pastureland to see Local Tajiks customs.
Karakul Lake At an altitude of 3,600 m. it is the highest lake of the Pamir plateau, near the junction of the Pamir, Tianshan and Kunlun Mountain ranges. Surrounded by mountains which remain snow-covered throughout the year, the three highest peaks visible from the lake are the Muztag Ata (7546m), Kongur Tagh (7,649m) and Kongur Tiube (7,530 m). The lake is popular among travellers for its beautiful scenery and the clarity of its reflection in the water, whose color ranges from a dark green to azure and light blue. There are two Kirgiz settlements along the shore of Karakul Lake, a number of yurts about 1km east of the bus drop-off point and a village with stone houses located on the western shores.
Day11 Tashkorgan—Pakistan Sust (220Km)
After breakfast, head to Immigration office of custom complete all Exit paper works And drive to Sost, the former site of the Pakistan border check post.. on arrival at Sost meet our Pakistani guide later will drive to Gulmit.
Accommodation: In Gulmit
