Tour Features: By this tour, you can know more about Xinjiang people's lifestyle by strolling along Sunday Bazaar Street, visiting the spectaculars Id Kah Mosque, taking a look at the Karez Water System and visiting Kashgar old town to see the Uygur residential houses. There are also many other attractions waiting for you to explore.

Day by Day Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrival in Ürümqi (-, -, -)

Upon arrival in Ürümqi, your tour guide will meet you at Ürümqi Airport and transport you to your hotel by private car. The rest of the day is yours to relax, or step out into this amazing city for an adventure on your own.

Day 2: Hongshan, Xinjiang Provincial Museum, Carpet Factory (B, L, -)

Today you will have a city tour in Ürümqi. The tour starts with the symbolic scenic spot of Ürümqi-Hongshan, which is an inner city mountain that reflects a bright red color. There is a nine-story pagoda on the top of the mountain. At sunset or when nightfall begins, the pagoda is a marvelous sight. This view is one of the eight most famous scenic spots in ancient Ürümqi.

Then, visit Xinjiang Provincial Museum, which devotes a section to archeological finds, especially from around Turpan, including some preserved corpses, silk paintings, and lovely brocades.

Later, visit a carpet factory where carpets are woven by hands and were considered the finest in China. After this, your personal guide will take you to the Ürümqi Airport to fly to Kashgar. Upon arrival in Kashgar, your Kashgar tour guide will meet you at the airport and transport you to your hotel by private car.

Day 3: Kashgar Sunday Bazaar, Tomb of Abakh Khoja, Id Kah Mosque, Kashgar old town (B, L, -)

Today you will enjoy a tour around Kashgar. Firstly, you will see the Kashgar Sunday Bazaar, a famous weekly market and a uniquely traditional type of trade found in Xinjiang. The traditional bazaar was originally held on Sundays, but currently it is being split into two sections. One is a livestock bazaar which is only open on Sundays. The other is ordinary bazaar open every day, and especially busy on Sundays.

Then, you will visit the Tomb of Abakh Khoja, built in the 17th century and it is a group of beautiful and magnificent buildings which form one of the best examples of Islamic architecture in China.

Then you will proceed to Id Kah Mosque, the largest mosque in China and one of the most holy places in the Muslim world. It can accommodate 7,000 worshipers at the same time.

Finally, visit Kashgar old town to see the Uygur residential houses. Each house has a courtyard, some big and some small, and all the yards grow the Muslim-favored trees and flowers.

Day 4: Kalakul Lake (B, L, -)

You will have an excursion to Kalakul Lake, which means “Black Lake” in Kirghiz. At an altitude of 3600 m, Kalakul Lake is the highest lake of the Pamir Plateau. Surrounded by mountains which remain snow-covered throughout the year, the three highest peaks are visible from the lake: the Muztagh Ata, Kongur Tagh and Kongur Tiube. The lake is popular for its sureal scenery and the clarity of reflections in the water, whose colour ranges from a dark green to azure and light blue.

Day 5: Karez Water System (B, L, -)

Today you will be driven to Turpan, located about 150 km southeast of Ürümqi, to 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. A horizontal series of vertically dug wells are linked by underground water canals to collect the melting snow from the Tianshan Mountains and divert the water to small reservoirs, where the water is held in the underground canals for irrigation. Today there are over 1100 karez wells and channels with a total length of over 5,000 km (3,106 miles); it is also called "the underground Great Wall".

Day 6: Ancient City of Jiaohe, Flaming Mountains, Beziklik Thousand Buddha Caves (B, L, -)

Today, your tour starts with visiting Ancient City of Jiaohe (Yarkhoto), 10 km west of Turpan. With a history of 2300 years, Jiaohe is one of the world's architectural wonders; it is the largest, oldest and best-preserved clay-built city in the world.

Finally, 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.

Finally, 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.

Your personal guide will take you to the Turpan Railway Station to your next destination.

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

Ürümqi: Hoi Tak Hotel, 5 Star
Kashgar: Tianyuan International Hotel
Turpan: Oasis Hotel