13 Days Silk Road Group Tour: Xinjiang, Gansu, Qinghai

Today your flight will touch down in Kashgar, We will meet you at the airport exit with a welcome board and then transfer to the local hotel check in. The rest of the day is free for you to explore this city.

In the morning, after enjoying your nice buffet breakfast, your guide and driver will meet you at hotel lobby

First we will pay a visit to the famous Sunday bazaar that is combined two section. The covered bazaar sells the clothing, nuts, household goods and many things out of your imagination. The outdoor Animal Bazaar is the first bazaar we visit, where the farmers and buyers arriving by donkey cart, truck, bicycle, horseback, motorbike or on foot, with their animals. It's loud, lively and cheerful as they arrive. It is quite interesting to witness their typical methods of bargain.

Then Driving on the China and Pakistan Highway about 4hrs to enjoy the landscape of Pamirs Plateau. 

Experience beautiful Karakul Lake where the herds of livestock around the lakeside are reflected in lake Kirghiz herdsmen usually settle down and graze their herds before shuttling you onward to Taxkorgan. The following day will be spent exploring the stunning landscape surrounding the highway, and we will drive to Taxkrogan County for overnight stay.

Today, before driving back to Kashgar, we will visit the Stone Fortress. The city is oval in shape and the city walls were built with sun-dried bricks on stone foundation. It is 1285 metres in circumference outside. 

Over the past few years, new wooden pathways have been constructed to allow tourist to walk these beautiful grasslands, known as the Golden Grassland. From here you can get even better photos of the Stone Fortress. Walking around the pastureland to see Local Tajiks customs.

Today meet your guide and driver at the hotel lobby, then we will do full day Kashgar city excursion. we will visit the Idigar Mosque, the largest Mosque in China and the most sacred mosque for the locals to practise their Islamic activities. 

Around 10:30 we have to visit the Old Town when the open ceremony ready to greeting all the tourists with the culture show, further exploration to the special culture and experience the lifestyle with the arrangements of the visiting to the local Uighur Family.

Kashgar city tour ends with the wandering to the bustling Handicraft street, dazzling jewelry, primitive pottery,unique musical instrument, daily resources of the locals. The spare time in the tea-house is our special arrangement for you to relax and get a feel for the local culture and traditions. After visiting, say goodbye to Kashgar and you will be transferred to the airport to take the flight to Urumqi.

Today you will drive to the picturesque Heavenly Lake, which is surrounded by the snow mountains, blooming wildflowers, evergreen pine trees. Trekking along the lake in the fresh air. or you can explore further uo to the Maya Mountain by the cable car to enjoy the magnificent view of the Mountains. 

Afterwards, transfer back to Urumqi about the other 1.5hrs, visit 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.

Today we will drive to the histroical sites and oasis land of Turpan. A must and first visit is the oldest Uighur village Tuyoq Village located in the very center of Flaming Mountain Canyon. The village consists of four parts: Canyon scenery, Maza tomb and the old buildings of the ancient village.

And pay a visit to the Jiaohe Ruins, one of the best preserved ruins of its ancient era in China, it was include in the World Heritage List on June 22, 2014.

Morning depart from the hotel, we will head to the Karez Well, which is special kind of irrigation system, here you can not only visit this ancient irrigation system, but also get rid of the heat of summer. 

In Turpan Gaochang District, there is a must-see place for travelers. It is a collection house. The owner is a 71-year-old man who is friendly and easy-going, and loves to chat. People named the shop "Turpan's Grandpa Antique Museum".

Then explore the Sugong Minaret, the largest Islamic minaret in China built in 1778. 

After visiting, we will drop you off at the train station and take a bullet train to Liuyuan South Station. Upon arrival, be met and transferred to downtown Dunhuang for overnight stay.

Today we will visit the "cultural treasure"—Mogao Grottoes. Here you can enjoy the magnificent grottoes and mural art, and learn the history of Buddhism in Dunhuang through explanation and film display, which is the best option for tourists to visit Dunhuang.

After the visiting, we are going to see Echoing Sand Mountain & Crescent Lake. When there is wild wind, the sands will be blown up and make a loud sound. There is also a Crescent Lake that has been in existence for hundreds of years without ever being buried by the sand. 

In the evening, strolling this interesting Shazhou Night Market with different types of things to see and food to eat, it's easy to lose our sense of time wonder the market while enjoying your leisure time and taste some local cuisine.

In the morning, we will meet you at the hotel lobby and take you to visit the Jiayuguan Pass. This Ming Dynasty fort guards the strategic Jiayuguan Pass, at the western end of the Great Wall – this was the last section built by the Ming Dynasty. and visit the The Great Wall Museum, which was opened to visitor in October 1989 and it is the first one to exhibit the Great Wall culture in a comprehensive and systematic way. (There are many steps from one tower to the other, please consider if are able to walk and climb about 2hrs). 

After the sightseeing of Jiayuguan, we will drive all the way to Zhangye Linze County. And stay at the Kaoshan tent, which is near the Zhangye Danxia Park. 

Meet the guide and driver at the hotel, then we will head to the splendid Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park, which is the most typical arid area of northern China. Ribbons of reds, oranges and yellows slice through the rock, to create a rainbow vista contained only by the contours of the jagged mountain peaks. so many people also call it "Rainbow Mountain". 

After visiting, we will drive to Mati Temple and check in the hotel in the scenic area .

After enjoying your breakfast in the hotel, around 9am, we will take the fast train which drives along the Qilian Mountain with the splendid scenery to Xining. We will visit Ta'er Monastery at 16:00  (Kumbum Monastery) which is the most populous monks outside of Tibet. Standing on Thangka Sunning Terrace, you will have the bird-view of the monastery and surrounding scenery. 

Inside the monastery, apart from magnificent Buddha stupas and wall paintings, prayer wheels are also the must-see spot. The whole monastery is surrounded by wheels, walk along the corridor, rotate the wheels and pray for blessings.

Butter sculpture is one of the "Three Wonders of Art" of Ta’er Monastery. It is a variety of artistic boutiques, such as statues of Buddha, figures, landscapes, pavilions, birds, animals, flowers and trees, which are made of butter.

Another delighted day is coming. We will ride the bikes around the beautiful Qinghai Lake after 2hrs driving, or have the light trekking in the cole flower sea. It's no exaggeration to say that Qinghai Lake is a miracle that is endowed by a deity. 

*Special Arrangement: 

① biking/hiking 1-2 hrs around Qinghai Lake

② having a nice time in Cole Flower Sea

Every year from May to October, the nomadic tibetan family will move to the side of the lake, it is so great to visit their family and learn their lifestyle. After that, drive 2.5 hrs to Chaka for overnight stay.

Today is the last day of our journey, we are going to enjoy the beautiful Chaka Salt Lake, it's the largest saline in Qinghai Province,  “Chaka”  means "the sea of salt" in Mongolian. It lies in the centre of Qaidam Basin, which was nominated by the national tourist geography magazine as one of the 55 places to go.

*Special Arrangement: 

one-way train ride to Chaka Salt Lake

After that, your enjoyable Silk Road trip is about to end, we will drive 4hrs back to Xining to catch your flight. Wish you have a pleasant journey home!

Please book a flight after 19:00