Know Before You Go
• This tour starts in Turpan, ends in Kashgar
• Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Museum is closed on Monday tours.
• China has only one time zone, Xinjiang time is two hours later than Beijing time.
• There is no tour guide for arrival & departure transfers.
• Keep your passport on you constantly. It might be needed to buy entrance tickets.
• Meals (lunch & dinner) are not included. Please feel free to ask your guide for recommendations.
• Add us on WeChat (+86-18309280878) or WhatsApp (+86-18309280878) to reach GGC service staff at anytime.
• Before getting to Turpan you will receive driver's contact information by WhatsApp, Wechat or email.
• You will be greeted by driver holding GGC welcome sign with your name at the airport or train station arrival hall.
• Kashgar Grand Bazaar is open every day but Sunday is the best. Plan your traveling date in Kashgar on Sunday if you want to experience the bustling Grand Bazaar at its busiest with animal market open.
Day 1 Arrival in Turpan, Turpan Train Station Pick-up, Emin Minaret, Karez Wells
Meet your driver at Turpan train station and transfer to your hotel in a private vehicle. Turpan has long been the center of a fertile oasis famous for its grapes and melons, and an important trade center on the main northern branch of the Silk Road from Hami to Kashgar, with an alternative northern route, via Uruqmi running into Central Asia. At 154m below sea level, Turpan is the second-lowest depression in the world and the hottest spot in China. Visit Emin Minaret and Karez Wells in the afternoon. Emin Minaret is 40 meters high built in 1778. The minaret has an elegant conical shape; its brick laid in patterns that make it looked knitted. Karez is covered water channels that bring melt-water from the Tianshan Mountains to the north and west into the Turpan basin. Today over 1,100 Karez Wells are still in use bringing water to this dry and hot city of Turpan.
Meals Included: No meals
Hotel: 4-star Mercure Hotel Turpan Downtown or similar
Day 2 Turpan, Ruins of Gaochang Ancient City, Bezklik Thousand Buddha Caves, Flaming Mountain, Drive to Urumqi
Morning visit to the Ruins of the Ancient City of Gaochang. Built of mud and adobe bricks as a garrison town in the 1st century AD, the city of Gaochang was abandoned during the early Ming dynasty and what is left now is just ruins of the ancient temples, houses, palaces and the old city wall. Next, visit Bezklik Thousand Buddha Caves constructed by the Buddhist Uyghurs around the 10th - 13th centuries. The Bezeklik Caves were the largest of the various Buddhist monuments that the Uyghurs had a hand in constructing around Turfan before they converted to Islam. Continue with a photo stop at the Flaming Mountain. Nothing grows on this mountain and the highest temperature of summer could reach 47.8 degree centigrade or 118 degree fahrenheit, making it the hottest place in China. Drive to Urumqi (2 & half hours)
Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel
Hotel: 4-star Urumqi Mercure Hotel or similar
Day 3 Urumqi, Heavenly Lake of Mount Tianshan, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Museum, Red Hill, Fly to Kashgar
Drive out of Urumqi to visit the Heavenly Lake of Tianshan Mountains (1 hour). With Pine trees covering the hillsides and the snow capped mountains in the background, this huge lake (3km long and 1km wide) sits half way (560 ft) up the Tianshan mountain range and offers excellent walking with breathtaking views. Take a boat ride around the lake and see some local nomadic Kazakhs herding their sheep. Visit Xinjiang Regional Museum back to Urumqi in the afternoon. Xinjiang Regional Museum is a large building of Uyghur architectural style, containing a diverse range of historical artifacts unearthed in Xijiang. These items represent the ethnic lifestyle and culture of Xinjiang. Most interestingly of all, the museum contains a fascinating exhibition of ancient Indo-European mummies that were excellently preserved through their natural environment over 3,800 years ago. Afterwards, visit the Red Hill, symbol of Urumqi and also the Eye of Urumqi. Red Hill is dotted with pavilions and at the top stands a nine-storied, gray-brick pagoda called Zhenlong Pagoda (Pagoda to Suppress Dragons). Enjoy a great bird's eye view of Urumqi on the top of Red Hill. Fly to Kashgar at night.
Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel
Hotel: 4-star Luxemon Qinibagh Hotel Kashgar or similar
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Museum is closed on Monday. If your tour happens to be on Monday, the museum visit will be changed to Grand Bazaar.
Day 4 Kashgar, Abakh Hoja Mausoleum, the Old Town, Idkah Mosque, the Handicraft Street, Grand Bazaar
Visit Abakh Hoja Mausoleum in the morning. This mausoleum is one of the best examples of Islamic architecture in China. It is an ancient Islamic building complex and a cemetery where five generations of a famous Islamic master were buried. Next, stroll around the distinctly Central Asian Kashgar old town, which stood in for Kabul in the filming of The Kite Runner. Visit the friendly Uyghur people in their home in the Kashgar Old Town and experience their unique culture. In the afternoon, visit the 500 year old Idkah Mosque, the largest mosque in China as well as an iconic part of Kashgar and the entire Xinjiang region. Continue to wander along the Kashgar Handicraft Street to soak up the culture and history of Kashgar with a stop at the One Hundred Year Tea House to experience Uyhur life. Afterwards, explore the bustling Grand Bazaar, one of China’s most famous weekend markets. The weekly Sunday Bazaar draws a variety of ethnic groups like the Uyghur, Tajik, Kyrgyz and Kazakh to the streets of Kashgar. They come on foot, bikes, horsebacks, modern motorcycles and donkey carts, all with the hope of selling merchandise that ranges from scissors to camels.
Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel
Hotel: 4-star Luxemon Qinibagh Hotel Kashgar or similar
Day 5 Departure from Kashgar, Transfer to Kashgar Airport or Train Stations
Private transfer (with guide) to Kashgar airport for your departure flight. Wish you a pleasant journey and thank you for traveling with GoGrandChina.
Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel
Friendly Tips
• If you want to explore more cities in Xinjiang, you can go to Korla, Kuca, Aksu... please feel free to contact your GGC service staff for extended Xinjiang & Silk Road tours.