Dunhuang to Urumqi Train Tour

Welcome to Dunhuang, The well-known ancient cities along the silk road. Upon you arrive at Dunhuang Train Station/Airport, our tour guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. Have a good rest and be ready for the next day's adventure.

Note:

• Dunhuang Airport is one of the four civil airports in Gansu Province, located 12 kilometres east of Dunhuang City, Gansu Province.

• Jiuquan Railway Station is 12 kilometres away from the south of Jiuquan City.

Today is another day to explore Dunhuang.

Morning meet your guide and driver at the hotel, then head 2 hours to vist the Yangguan Pass, a scenic spot built on the basis of the ancient Yangguan Site. There you can appreciate ancient buildings and exhibition halls displaying  cultural relics and historical sites on the ancient Silk Road.

Thereafter, we will travel to the majestic Yadan National Geological Park, also called "Yadan Ghost City". The park stretches twenty-five kilometers from north to south and about two kilometers from east to west. There you can appreciate unique and wonderful scenes and landscapes of Gobi desert.

After an extraordinary day, freshen up and enjoy a good dinner, we continue to appreciate the bustling Shazhou Night Markets dotted with special commodities and souvenirs.

Note:

• It takes 1hr and 50 mins ( 130 km ) from Yangguan Pass to Yadan National Geological Park.

• It takes 2hr and 28 mins ( 163.4 km ) from Yadan National Geological Park to Shazhou Night Market.
  

After breakfast, let's visit the world famous Mogao Grottoes, which was designated as a world cultural heritage by UNESCO for its 1600 years accumulated cultural, architectural, and art treasures. There remains 492 cave temple and 45000 square meters of frescos. According to Tang Dynasty records, a monk had witnessed onsite a vision of thousand Buddhas under showers of golden rays. Thus inspired, he started the caves construction work that spanned ten dynasties. Mogao Caves are commonly known as the Caves of a Thousand Buddhas. At 17:00hr, we will take the train to Turpan.

After breakfast, the good day begins. First we drive to Tuyoq Village which is an ancient oasis-village in the Taklamakan desert, 70 km east of Turpan in a lush valley cutting into the Flaming Mountains and famous for its seedless grapes and a number of ancient Buddhist meditation caves nearby containing frescos. Then we make our way to Bezekilik Thousand Buddha Caves which are a complex of Buddhist cave grottos dating from the 5th to 14th century between the cities of Turpan and Shanshan (Loulan) at the northeast of the Taklamakan Desert near the ancient ruins of Gaochang in the Mutou Valley. Finally our scenic bus will take you to Astana  Tombs, a complex of an ancient tomb where you can see many well- preserved aretifacts including mummies.

Today you will have a full day to explore this fertile oasis. Pay a visit to Karez Well irrigation system that produce the best melons and grapes in China. Following is the visiting to Sugong Minaret, a conduit for cultural exchange between different ethnic and religious groups.

Afterwards explore Jiaohe Ruins, resembles Pompeii, but 300 years older, where you can experience the way of life of the Uighur ancestors.

Back to Urumqi and have a good rest,  passing by Salt Lake and the wind power station which is the largest one in Asia spreading at the foot of Tianshan Mountain.

Notes:

• It takes 2 hrs 49 mins ( 193 km ) from Turpan to Urumqi.

• The altitude of Urumqi is 800m.

We will drive 1.5 hours to entrance of the Heavenly Lake about 08:30, following is the 40-minutes shuttle bus twisting through the picturesque Tianshan mountains to the edge of the Lake. Either Trek around the lake, enjoy the boating cruise, or even take the cable car to the explore the Maya Mountain for the incredible view of Bogoda Peak.

Lunch will be arranged in the Yurt of the local Kazakhs. Back to Urumqi and head to International Grand Bazaar where you can watch Uygur dance show and taste local delicacies.

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.  

Then you will say goodbye to Urumqi, be transferred based on your flight or train schedule. Wish you a pleasant journey home!