Tour Features: This is an excellent tour covering the most famous attractions of Xinjiang, Southern Pasture, Heavenly Lake, Ancient City of Gaochang, Bezaklik Thousand Buddha Caves, Flaming Mountains, and so on. You can also enjoy the show of Uygur singing and dancing.

Day by Day Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrival in Ürümqi (-, L, D)

Upon arrival in Ürümqi, our tour guide will meet you at Ürümqi Airport and transport you to your hotel by private car. After a short break, you will go to visit the Southern Pasture, 75 km away from Ürümqi, which is a famous summer resort with forest of emerald green spruce rounds it while flowers, flocks and herds strew it. Kazakh inhabit and graze here in summer.If you are lucky enough, you might be able to see the amazing horse-racing and traditional Kazakh dancing.

And then visit Erdaoqiao market, which is the largest retail and wholesale market for ethnic minority goods in Xinjiang. Then you will be transferred back to your hotel.

Day 2: Heavenly Lake, Karez Water System, Emin Minaret, Uygur singing and dancing (B, L, -)

After breakfast, your tour starts with the Heavenly Lake,a crescent-shaped lake surrounded by lush meadows and dense pine forests. It stands at an elevation of 1,980 m (6,500 ft), about 110 km east of Ürümqi. Enclosed by snow-capped peaks, including the majestic Bogda Peak, this mountain lake is named "the Pearl of Heavenly Mountain" (Tianshan Mountain). In the afternoon, you will be driven to Turpan, about 150 km southeast of Ürümqi.

Then, you will take a look at the Karez Water System which is the life source of Turpan dating back to 103 BC. This special irrigation system includes vertical wells, underground channels, ground channels and small reservoirs.

Next, you will visit a typical pagoda of Islamic characteristics- Emin Minaret, built in 1779, the largest extant old tower in Xinjiang, and it is the only Islamic tower among the hundreds of famous towers in China.

In the evening, you will enjoy the show of Uygur singing and dancing. The "Twelve Muqams" opera is a classical musical treasure of the Uygur people. It is an epic that comprises more than 340 classic songs and folk dances. Stay at Turpan overnight.

Day 3: Ancient City of Gaochang, Bezaklik Thousand Buddha Caves, Astana Ancient Tombs, Flaming Mountains, Turpan Grape Valley (B, L, -)

After breakfast, you will go to the Ancient City of Gaochang. The present remains of Gaochang City was built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and then rebuilt and enlarged in the Huihu period. It is surrounded by 10 meter-high walls and most of the city wall was made of compacted earth.

Then you will proceed to the Bezaklik Thousand Buddha Caves. Dating from the 6th to the 14th century, the caves originally stored a collection of Buddhist murals in the Indo-Iranian style, which showed unusually marked western influences.

Afterwards, you will move to Astana Ancient Tombs, which are a series of underground tombs and served as the public cemetery of the ancient Gaochang residents, both aristocrats and commoners from 273 in the Western Jin Dynasty to 778 in the Tang Dynasty.

After this, you will go to the Flaming Mountains, which is the hottest place in China and the temperature can rocket up to 48 centigrade in summer. Owing to the special temperature, there are no single grasses or birds on the mountain. The mountains look like they are on fire in the midday sun. However, being as a section of Silk Road, the flaming mountain is a famous tourist attraction for its harsh yet unique natural conditions and abundant cultural heritage.

After this, you will go to Turpan Grape Valley, an attractive desert oasis with vines and trellises bulging with grapes. Every year, over 300 tons of raisins are made here. After the trip, you will be driven back to Ürümqi.

Day 4: Leave Ürümqi (-, -, -)

Then your personal guide will take you to Ürümqi Airport for the flight to the next destination.

Itinerary: B: Breakfast  AB: American Breakfast   L: Lunch   D: Dinner   SD: Special Dinner

Ürümqi: Hoi Tak Hotel, 5 Star
Turpan: Oasis Hotel