4-Day Urumqi & Turpan Tour from Urumqi to Turpan

Tour Highlights
• Admire the Heavenly Lake located in the heart of Tianshan Mountains, inscribed in UNESCO World Heritage list
• Visit Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Museum, home to 4,000 year old mummies
• Visit Red Hill for a bird's-eye view of the hustle and bustle city of Urumqi
• Wander through the Ruins of the Ancient City of Gaochang
• Visit Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves containing fascinating Buddhist art work dating from the 6th to 14th centuries
• Pass by the surreal sight of the Flaming Mountains, a scorching set of red sandstone ridges
• Admire the Central Asian-style Emin Minaret, intricately sculpted with traditional floral patterns
• Explore Turpan's ingenious ancient Karez water system, one of the oldest irrigation systems in the world

Tour Itinerary at a Glance
• Day 1: Arrival in Urumqi, Urumqi Airport or Train Station Pick-up.
• Day 2: Heavenly Lake of Mount Tianshan, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Museum, Red Hill
• Day 3: Ruins of Gaochang Ancient City, Bezklik Thousand Buddha Caves, Flaming Mountain, Emin Minaret, Karez Wells
• Day 4: Departure from Turpan, Transfer to Turpan Train Station.

Hotels & Meals
• 2 nights of accommodations at 4-star Urumqi Mercure Hotel or similar
• 1 night of accommodation at 4-star Mercure Hotel Turpan Downtown or similar
• Daily hotel breakfast included, lunch & dinner on your own

Price Remarks
• Prices are not valid during National Day (Oct 1-7), Chinese New Year, and Labor Day (May 1-5).
• Prices are based on double/twin/triple occupancy at the suggested hotels.
• A single supplement is charged for single room occupancy.

Price Inclusions
• Hotel accommodation with daily breakfast.
• Professional English language speaking tour guide.
• Air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced driver.
• Admission tickets to sightseeing places.
• All government taxes.

Price Exclusions
• Your personal expenses.
• Tour guide for departure transfer.
• Lunches & dinners are excluded allowing you flexibility on menu.
• Travel insurance is not included. Please purchase before your trip to provide for any unforeseen circumstances.
• Gratuities to guide & driver. They are customary and would be of great encouragement and reward for quality service.

Additional Information
• Confirmation will be received at the time of booking.
• Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
• The itinerary is subject to change due to traffic conditions or bad weather.
• The itinerary is flexible; changes can be made upon written request from travelers.
• Advice on Meals: Please feel free to ask your guide for recommendations on authentic local food.
• IMPORTANT: It is required by the government regulations that all travellers must provide their name, gender, nationality, passport number and date of birth to their tour operator upon booking a tour. Failure to do so could result in being denied access or admittance to sites and attractions during sightseeing. When you book this tour, please complete all required fields at checkout. Please bring your passport with you on the tour.

Cancellation Policy
• Cancellations made 31 days or more before departure will receive a 100% refund.
• Cancellations made 22-30 days before departure will incur a 10% fee.
• Cancellations made 15-21 days before departure will incur a 30% fee.
• Cancellations made 8-14 days before departure will incur a 50% fee.
• Cancellations made 0-7 days before departure are non-refundable.
• Once the tour commences, there are no refunds for unused services or missed days.
• Cancellation request will be confirmed within 2-5 business days, with refunds issued within 14 working days.

Tailor This Tour to Meet Your Needs
• If you've booked your own hotel, prefer a different stay, or wish to modify this itinerary, contact us via WhatsApp (+86 139 1083 0737) or email (info@GrandChinaTravel.com), and we'll craft a personalized tour just for you.

Know Before You Go
• Keep your passport with you throughout the tour; it may be needed to buy entrance tickets.
• Meals are not included; please feel free to ask your guide for recommendations.
• Tour guide's name and contact information will be confirmed via WhatsApp or email.
• Your guide will greet you in the airport/train station arrival hall with a GGC pickup sign displaying your name.

Day 1 Arrival in Uruqmi
Meet your guide at Uruqmi airport or train station and transfer to your hotel in a private vehicle. After getting settled at the hotel, you may explore the downtown area on your own or relax during the remainder of the day to recover from the jet lag. Once a major hub on the Silk Road during China's Tang dynasty and a leading cultural and commercial center during the Qing dynasty in the 19th century, Uruqmi is now the capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the far northwest of China.

Meals Included: No meals
Hotel: 4-star Urumqi Mercure Hotel or similar

Day 2 Urumqi, Heavenly Lake of Mount Tianshan, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Museum, Red Hill
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.

Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel
Hotel: 4-star Urumqi Mercure Hotel 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 3 Drive to Turpan, Ruins of Gaochang Ancient City, Bezklik Thousand Buddha Caves, Flaming Mountain, Emin Minaret, Karez Wells
Drive out of Urumqi to visit the Ruins of the Ancient City of Gaochang (2 hours & 30 minutes) in Turpan. 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. Afterward, visit Emin Minaret. This 40 meter-high brick minaret is part of a large mosque, built in 1778. The minaret has an elegant conical shape; its brick laid in patterns that make it looked knitted. Finally, visit the Karez Wells. 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: Breakfast at hotel
Hotel: 4-star Mercure Hotel Turpan Downtown or similar

Day 4 Departure from Turpan
Private transfer (without guide) to Turpan railway stations for your departure train. Wish you a pleasant journey and thank you for traveling with GoGrandChina.

Meals Included: Breakfast at hotel

Friendly Tips
• From Turpan you can take an overnight or bullet train to Liuyuan (the nearest train station to Dunhuang). Please contact your GGC service staff if you want to book train tickets.
• From Turpan you can head to Urumqi airport where frequent flights are available to other cities.
• If you want to explore more cities in Xinjiang, you can go from Turpan to Kashgar, Korla, Kuca, Aksu... please feel free to contact your GGC service staff for extended Xinjiang & Silk Road tours.