12 Days South Xinjiang Tour with Taklamakan Desert Adventure

Arrival in Urumqi, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer to hotel. Urumqi is the capital of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, the farthest city from the ocean. It is Mongolian for 'beautiful farm'. Our bilingual tour guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel.

Morning head to Xinjiang Regional Museum, where are many archaeological treasures of the Silk Road and Xinjiang's minority cultures. You will learn about the history of Xinjiang and its peculiar ethnic customs.  Visit Grand International Bazaar where you can watch Uygur dance show and taste local delicacies.

Say goodbye to Urumqi, be transferred to take the flight to Kuqa. Upon arrival, pick up to check in the hotel.

After buffet in the hotel and we will head to our first step, Kizil Grottoes, which is a typical representative of Qiuci Grottoes. And then visit the Tianshan Great Canyon, which is the excellent geological park all over the world. It recorded the whole process of crustal movement in Xinjiang during the past 400 million years. Then we will explore Kuqa Old Town, say hello to the kids who are playing, give a smile to the senior man resting under the tree, taste the local cuisine. 

In the morning, breakfast at the hotel, then we will drive to Minfeng, It is the best time to visit Poplar park in Mid Oct for its golden yellow leaves visiting in the train of the park. Afterwards driving along the Taklamakan Desert Highway, It is the longest and earliest desert highway in the world that runs through the floating desert. It is also the center of the ancient Silk Road.

After breakfast, we will drive to Hotan, the first site we will visit today is Hotan Museum, built at South Tanai Road, Khotan City in 1991, the museum has a floor space for exhibition of about 200 square meters. Besides wooden tablets, the main exhibition “Khotan Historical Relics Exhibition” displays potteries, wooden wares, textiles, sculptures and building components from ancient sites and tombs in Khotan area, totaling over 200 specimens. Among them the Kharosthi and Hotanese tablets, wool fabrics and various sculptures are of distinctive Khotan feature. They mirror the important position and role Hotan occupied and played on the Silk Road. Next, we are going to visit The Atlas Silk Workshop is open every day and tours are free, and demonstrate the entire process from cocoon to weaving. Which has a showroom where you can buy Atlas silk by the meter or made into scarves, bags, dresses and other items.

In the morning,we will drive you about 6 hours to Kashgar. Upon arrival, you will be transfer to hotel, and you will be free to explore Kashgar.

In the morning, enjoy your nice buffet breakfast. At 09:00 your guide and driver will meet you at hotel lobby to start the adventure. Driving on the China and Pakistan highway about 4hrs to enjoy the landscape of Pamirs Plateau.40mins driving. we stop in the Opal village to visit the traditional bustling bazaar. 

On the way, you can 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.

Stay one night and explore its peculiar folk customs of Tajik nationality. Taste snack and milk tea provided by local herdsman and spend your rest of day at leisure.

This morning you 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 meters in circumference outside. Walking around the pastureland to see Local Tajiks customs. Then driving back to Kashgar in the later afternoon.

Today you will enjoy a full day excursion of Kashgar. Pay a visit to Id Kah Mosque, the largest Mosque in China and the most sacred mosque for the locals to practise their Islamic activities at 09:00. Continue the visiting to Old Town at 10:30 with the open ceremony of Maxilap show. Come and Join the exciting movement in this well-preserved Uighur residential area. Our speciality: Relaxing in the Hundred-years Tea house,taste the local rose tea and nang-bread!

After Lunch in the local Restaurant. Continue to visit Handicraft street, gathered hundreds of handicraft workshops, which has become a boutique exhibition for handicraft in Kashgar and Central Asia.

Then drive to Sunday Bazaar drive to 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 bargin.

Thereafter, catch the night flight to the capital city of Xinjiang- Urumqi (2hrs).

In the morning, After that, Start the trip off with the 3hours driving to Turpan, passing by Salt Lake and the wind power station which is the largest one in Asia spreading at the foot of Tianshan Mountain. Following glimpse of Salt Lake in Dabancheng. We'll be amazed by 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. It used to be the holy site of Buddhism and Islam. The village consists of four parts: Canyon scenery, Thousand Buddha Caves, Maza tomb and the old buildings of the ancient village. Following a lunch in the traditional Uighur family in their grape yard, then we will proceed to visit the Bezeklik Grottoes, it has always been the Buddhist Center of Gaochang area, there are 57 existing caves and murals for you to visit. From here you can also enjoy the outlook of Flaming Mountains around the grottoes. The tour today end up to enjoy the sunset of Jiaohe Ruins with a history of 2,300 years lies between two rivers on a loess plateau atop a cliff of over 30m. It is one of the best preserved ruins of its ancient era in China, it was include in the World Heritage List on June 22, 2014.

Today's tour begin with visit The Ruins of Ancient City of Gaochang, which was a political, economic and cultural center of Xinjiang in ancient times. The existing parts of it consist of three parts built in different times.

Pay a visit to Karez Well irrigation system that produce the best melons and grapes in China.

After visiting, drive back to Urumqi

Today our journey comes to a halt after a good breakfast. You will be transferred to the airport or train station based on your schedule.