13 Days In-depth Xinjiang Silk Road Adventure Tour
Discover the ancient civilizations lost in the history
Discover the ancient civilizations lost in the history
Starting from Chang'an (current Xi’an), the Silk Road passes through the Hexi Corridor, crossing the Western Regions, and reaches the coast of the Mediterranean. This is the greatest trading route as well as the greatest cultural exchanging routes between the West and the East during our mankind's history. Xinjiang, known as the Western Regions in ancient times, was the place where the main route and branch routes of Silk Road must pass. During ancient times, there used to be over 36 kingdoms of different nationalities originated and flourished along the Southern Silk Road and Northern Silk Road in Xinjiang as important cultural and business centers, such as Kuqa, Hotan, Shulik (Kashgar), etc. Fortunately, many historical sites and traditions of ancient Silk Road have survived in history. Some places have changed greatly to new looks.
Our Silk Road Adventure Tour takes you to follow both the southern and northern sections of Silk Road in Xinjiang with exploration of the legendary Turpan, Korla, Kuqa, Kashgar and Tashkurgan. At the same time, you will also be rewarded with splendid natural landscapes that you can only see in Xinjiang – mysterious Taklimakan Desert, azure Heavenly Lake and Karakul Lake, overwhelming Pamirs Plateau, etc. It is an in-depth Xinjiang vacation that covers a vast highlighting area of Xinjiang, a memorable trip you won’t regret.
Day 1 Urumqi Arrival
Urumqi airport/train station pick up and hotel check-in
Welcome to Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang Autonomous Region. Meet your tour guide and driver at the airport/train station, then transfer a short while to the downtown of Urumqi. Check in to your hotel. The rest time is free for you to relax. Feel free to ask for recommendations of places to go from your guide.
How to get to Urumqi? Currently, you can take flights to Urumqi from Beijing (about 4 hours), Xian (about 3.5 hours), Shanghai (about 5.5 hours), Guangzhou (about 5 hours), Chengdu (about 3.5 hours), etc., or high speed trains from Turpan (about 2 hours), Dunhuang (about 4.5 hours), Lanzhou (about 11 hours), Xining (about 9.5 hours), etc.
Free time idea: 1) Red Hill Park which is regarded as the symbol of Urumqi. It is the most popular place for the locals to relax and gather. For travelers, it is a great place to experience folk culture and local living style. Finding a higher location in the park, you are rewarded a pleasant panoramic view of Urumqi city; 2) Erdaoqiao Grand Bazaar, a great place to enjoy a leisure stroll and purchase some snacks, souvenirs, etc.
Uygur dancers at Erdaoqiao Grand Bazaar
Day 2 Urumqi - Heavenly Lake - Urumqi (B, L)
Today's highlight: Xinjiang Regional Museum, Heavenly Lake
This morning after breakfast, you will be taken to have an educational visit to the Xinjiang Regional Museum. It is the most important ancient Silk Road themed museum in China, which exhibits about 50,000 historical relics including more than 400 National First-class relics (60% of the total in Xinjiang). Among all the exhibitions, the most unique exhibition is the Mummy Hall. It collects 10 more than 4000 years old mummies which were mostly found in Loulan Ancient Kingdom Ruin and preserved almost intact. Loulan Princess, the most famous mummy in the museum, will definitely strike you with its typical European face. All these important exhibitions help you learn deep into the history and culture of Xinjiang as well as the ancient Silk Road.
Leaving the museum, you are going to explore the Heavenly Lake (or Tianchi in Chinese) which is only about 70 km (about 1.5 hrs' drive) away from Urumqi downtown. To protect the authenticity of the natural environment, our private car can only bring you to the entrance of the park. You will then shift onto a park bus to the parking lot around the lake area. Walking for about 15 minutes, you will get to the lakeside of Heavenly Lake. The rest time is free for you to stroll along the periphery of the lake, breathe the remarkably fresh air, and soak in the wonderful scenery. With an altitude of 1980 meters, Heavenly Lake and its alluring surroundings truly offer you a visual feast like heaven, featuring in serene alpine lake, rugged slopes with snow-capped mountains, pure glaciers, wild forest, vast grassland as well as unique ethnic culture.
Generally speaking, there are three ways to explore Heavenly Lake. You can walk around the lake, take a boat cruise, or ride a cable car to the mountain top. If time allows, you can even enjoy all the experiences. The Boat cruise and cable car need extra fees. Tell your preference to your guide, who will then arrange accordingly for you.
- Walking around the lake. Plank roads were constructed to encircle the lake. But since the lake is very large, it takes about 5 hours to finish the circle. You can decide the hiking length on your own according to your physical condition and time. Fee: free.
- Boat Cruise on the lake. It is very popular among travelers to take a boat cruising to the deeper area of the lake and back, which is leisure and scenic. There are modern ships, Chinese-style ships and high-speed boats available at different prices. Fee: about CNY 100.
- Panoramic view from Maya Mountain. If you want more landscape, you can take a cable car up to Maya Mountain, where you can enjoy the panoramic view of Heavenly Lake and a closer view of Tianshan Mountain Range. Fee: about CNY 220.
After the landscape trip, take a park bus to exit the park, and drive back to Urumqi.
Day 3 Urumqi - Turpan (B, L)
Today's highlights: Flaming Mountain Grand Canyon, Tuyuk Valley，Jiaohe Ancient City
This morning, you will drive about 2.5 hours (167 km) from Urumqi to the "fire land" – Turpan. It is China's hottest city that its highest temperature reaches about 50°C in summer. Besides, it is also an outpost on the Silk Road and a lot of cultural heritage sites can be explored.
As you reach Turpan, keep driving about 1 hour to Tuyu Valley along Flaming Mountain Grand Canyon, which condenses the essence of the landscape of Flaming Mountain - red sandstones looking like flaming fire, distinctive rocks showing the uncanny workmanship of nature and deep gorge with crisscross valleys.
The winding road on the cliff of Flaming Mountain will soon lead you to Tuyuk Valley (Tuyugou in Chinese) which is an Uighur valley with lots of historical sites. Mazar Village, the oldest existing Uighur village with a history of over 2,600 years, is a big highlight of the valley. It holds a significant status in Buddhism and Islam. The villagers still live peacefully in the village, and you can clearly see how they run their daily lives in the old mud adobe houses. Some villagers kindly ask the travelers to visit their vineyards and taste their fresh grapes or preserved fruits.
Drive back to Turpan city to visit Jiaohe Ancient City - an ancient city that was strategically located along the ancient Silk Road. Perching on a plateau, it acted as a natural barrier from the attacking enemies in the old times. Now, it is renowned as the best-preserved earthen architecture in the world. The interesting sculptures, videos and some other displays in Jiaohe Cultural Village Museum will give you an appreciation of the history of Jiaohe City before you start exploring. Then, take a shuttle bus to the core scenic area. Walking up along the pathway uphill, and you can see many historical structural remains, including the residential area, official area and Buddhist temples. It is also available to walk to the central platform for a more awesome view of the whole park. When the night drops, you will feast on a breathtaking sunrise over the ruins.
Today’s activities end. Accommodate in Turpan city.
Day 4 Turpan - Korla (B, L)
Today's highlights: Karez System, Turpan Museum
After breakfast, you will firstly discover the brilliant project of Karez System. Together with the Great Wall and Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, Karez System is regarded as one of China’s Three Greatest Ancient Projects. It is a special kind of irrigation system consisting of vertical wells, underground canals, ground canals and waterlogging pond. The vertically dug wells are linked together to channel the water which occurs during summer rain season, or be melted from snow mountains of Tianshan range to desired farmlands on the desert area. Visiting Turpan Karez Museum, you will not only see the pictures and models detailing the history of Karez System, but also visit the real underground tunnels.
Next, turn to Turpan Museum, an informative museum with great collections as well as a good place to avoid summer heat. The first floor has the exhibits (like dinosaur fossils, terracotta figurines, clothing, utensils, weapons…) from prehistoric ages to Tang Dynasty (618 ~ 907) on the history of Turpan. There are also many Silk Road displays from which you will understand why Turpan plays a crucial role on the Silk Road for trading, water and agriculture. Getting to the second floor, you will be awed at the millennia-old mummies well-preserved as to how they were found in their tombs.
The rest time of today is to drive to Korla city at leisure. The drive journey costs around 5 hours with many opportunities to stop along the safe roads to rest and take photos. Stay overnight in Korla city.
Day 5 Korla - Kuqa (B, L)
Today's highlights: Subash Ruins, Kuqa Grand Mosque, Kuqa Royal Palace, City Walls of Qing Dynasty, Old City of Kuqa
Today after breakfast, drive about 300km (about 4 hours) to Kuqa which was an important historical city on the ancient Silk Road, and the capital of the Buddhist Kingdom of Kucha, the largest of the "Thirty-six Kingdoms of the Western Regions" in over 2000 years ago. Strategically located as the gateway to the middle routes of the Silk Road, Kuqa was the melting pot of different cultures. Before getting to Kuqa city, you will take a stop at Subash Ruins (World Heritage Site). About 1000 years ago, Buddhism ruled Kuqa area. Subash Ruins is one of the rare sites which have survived currently. Today visitors can still discover relic sites of Buddhist temples, pagodas, grottoes, etc.
After lunch, you are going to visit Kuqa Grand Mosque. It is one of the largest and most influential mosques in Xinjiang, next only to the Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar. The archway, constructed by yellow bricks with decoration of beautiful carvings, is the most magnificent architecture in the mosque. Kuqa Grand Mosque also preserves the only surviving religious court of Muslim in Xinjiang. You can soak in the peaceful atmosphere and admire unique Islamic architecture here. Later, you will move to Kuqa Royal Palace (King Palace in Kuqa). It is the home to the last king of Kucha Kingdom who died in 2014. It is said his queen is still living in the palace. There is a small museum in the palace where visitors can learn about the history of the Kings of Kucha and their kingdoms. The most impressive exhibition is the unearthed head sculptures including European, Indian, Mongol, Russian, Chinese, etc. You can imagine how “international and popular” Kuqa was in the ancient time of Silk Road. The road where the palace is located on is named Linji Road. You can still find two City Walls of Qing Dynasty which was built to separate Han Chinese and Huihu Muslims – one is at the north 100m from the palace and another at the left corner of Linji Road.
The rest time of today is to stroll leisurely in the Old City of Kuqa. It is a great place to experience local culture. The most featured area is Resitan Road which is the main avenue of the old city. Colorful fancy Uygur courtyards and shabby earth houses squeeze at the both sides of the road. Local markets sell articles of daily use as well as many local snacks and souvenirs.
Accommodate in Kuqa city.
Day 6 Kuqa (B, L)
Today's highlights:Tianshan Mysterious Canyon, Kizil Gaha Beacon, Kizil Grottoe
Today you are going to explore Kuqa Grand Canyon, also known as Tianshan Mysterious Canyon. It is the no. 1 highlight of Kuqa that everyone shouldn’t miss. This national geopark is located in 72km north from Kuqa city. Take an excursion visit to Kizil Gaha Beacon. With a history over 1500 years, it doesn’t look grandiose, but may be the world’s oldest surviving beacon. Keeping driving to Kuqa Grand Canyon, you won’t get bored as you will make your way through many amazing landscapes of different landforms. Feel free to ask for stops at the safe places to take photos along the way.
Kuqa Grand Canyon is about 5km long, allowing a relaxing hike around 2 hours. It is a unique and scenic experience to walk on the river bed surrounded by towering woven shades of red sandstone. You need to activate your imagination to recognize all the mysterious figures as some cliffs are like elephant, dog, gate, etc. There are also enough shadow places to take rest if you visit the canyon in a sunny hot day. All these experiences make you feel yourself entering into a mysterious wonderland.
After the canyon hike, drive about 82 km (1.5 hours) to next site - Kizil Grottoes which is the most important Buddhist grottoes in Xinjiang. It is hard to believe that there is such a magnificent Buddhist site made by hundreds of Buddhist grottoes existing in Kuqa where Muslim has dominated everywhere. Actually, the fact is that over 1000 years ago, Kuqa and many areas in Xinjiang were ruled by Buddhist kingdoms. Being not as famous as Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, but Kizil Grottoes is even older, and has brilliant value for historical and cultural researches. It is praised as “the treasure house of art” because of its beautiful murals and grottoes architecture. Unfortunately, many of the murals have been destroyed by the anti-Buddhism movements in the history, and some murals were stolen by western explorers in the early 20th century. But with the explanation of the guides, one can still marvel at the greatness of the grottoes. Currently, only some featured grottoes are open for tourists. Many other grottoes are closed for protection. Bag, water, camera and lighters are not allowed to be brought into the grottoes.
Drive back to Kuqa for accommodation.
Day 7 Kuqa - Taklimakan Desert - Minfeng (B, L)
Today's highlight: Taklimakan Desert
Today，you will drive about 660km (about 11 hours) to Minfeng County. Most part of the roads is located in Taklimakan Desert, the largest desert in China and the second-largest shifting desert in the world.
Taklimakan Desert is located in the center of Eurasia and surrounded by mountains on all sides. It is full of fantasy and mystery. The desert is about 1,000 kilometers long from east to west, 400 kilometers wide from north to south, and covers an area of 330,000 square kilometers, accounting for about 20% of the territory of Xinjiang. Here, the pyramid-shaped sand dunes stand 300 meters above the plain, and shift all the time. In the ancient time, Taklimakan Desert was known as the "Place of No Return". People believed once you get in, you'll never get out because the desert is so vast and harsh, which is the reason why even the Silk Road could only travel along the north and south edges of the desert. It was not until 1996 that the first road was successfully constructed in the Taklimakan Desert. To prevent the shifting sands from covering the highway, bushes and other vegetation were planted next to the highway to anchor the sand with their roots. This highway is a project of miracle in a desert that is constantly shifting. Since then, travelers no longer need to take the detour to travel from northern Xinjiang to southern Xinjiang, which is of great significance to promote tourism in the region. Driving on the desert road, you can see different kinds of unpredictable sand dunes, like giant dragons resting on the ground, honeycomb, feather, fish-scale sand dunes… You will also feel you are traveling back to the ancient time because Taklimakan Desert is full of incredible traces of civilization. In the history, many ancient civilizations have been deeply buried under the Taklimakan Desert, such as the famous Loulan, Xiaohe, Jingjue and so on. Archaeologists have discovered many ruins in the desert and unearthed many precious cultural relics. Some of the relics are displayed in the Xinjiang Regional Museum and Hotan Museum.
Please note there is no developed attraction along the desert highway. Driving through the desert is the biggest experience. Your guide and driver will arrange stops to stretch your lets and enjoy desert views at safe places. If you take this tour during late October ~ early November, a special visit to Luntai Populus Euphratica Forest Park where you can enjoy the most ancient and primitive Populus euphratica turning into a golden world.
After arriving at Minfeng, check in to your hotel in the county. The rest time is free for you to relax.
Day 8 Minfeng - Hotan (B, L)
Today's highlights: Hotan Museum, local family workshop
Today after breakfast, drive about 300 km (5~6 hours) to Hotan, the capital city of Hotan Prefecture at the southwestern edge of Taklimakan Desert. It is a beautiful oasis city strategically located at the junction of the Southern branch of the ancient Silk Road. It was one of the places where not only goods, but also science, religions and philosophies were exchanged in the ancient Silk Road time. Hotan abounds in jades and carpets. Today, Hotan is one of the biggest cities in Xinjiang with co-existence of modernity and old-time tradition and ruins.
After arriving at Hotan, you will go to visit Hotan Museum. It is an informative museum to learn about the longlasting history and culture of Hotan region as well as Silk Road. The best exhibitions are the unearthed relics of Niya Site, Northern Tombs, Yuetegan Site and other in total of over 30 historical sites, including ceramics, Jewries, stoneware, rock-painting, ancient coins, bamboo slip writings, brocades, flannelette blankets, Buddhist sculptures, etc. The ages of some relics can be traced back to the Neolithic Age and Bronze Age. This museum also helps you know better about the process of Hotan Buddhist kingdom being replaced by Muslim kingdoms in the history. You will then visit a local family workshop to see how Hotan’s specialty – Hotan Carpets are traditionally made. Hotan is praised as “the cradle of Chinese carpet”. There were freestanding textile machines and a complete production process in Hotan in the early Han Dynasty. Its textile technique was later introduced to Iran, and spread to more countries in the world. In Tang Dynasty, Hotan carpets were sold abroad in Tibet, India, Persia and many Arab countries. Why the carpets of Hotan are so popular? The biggest reason is the carpets are made of quality wool produced by Hotan sheep whose furs are neither too thick nor too thin so that the carpets can be soft, elastic, not shed and fading.
The rest time of today is free for you to relax in Hotan city. You can go to explore the old streets, local market, etc. on your own.
Day 9 Hotan - Kashgar (B, L)
Today's highlights: Kashgar City
Today, drive about 500 km (about 7~8 hours) along the southern Silk Road to Kashgar, the religious center of Xinjiang. From the window, you can see many small oasis towns and villages as well as wild deserts and hard lands. Since the most part of the road is enclosing highway, there is no excursion trip available, but there will be rest areas for stretching legs and toilets on route.
You will arrive at Kashgar in the afternoon. The rest time is free for you to recover from the long driving and former travel.
Day 10 Kashgar (B, L)
Today's highlights: Abakh Hoja Tomb, Id Kah Mosque, Kashgar Old Town, Ancient Tea House
After breakfast, go to visit the famous Kashgar Bazaar which is huge, busy, crowded, amazing, chaotic, interesting and colorful. Bazaar, in Uygur, means the large market. Kashgar Bazaar has been the largest and busiest trading center of West and Central Asia since the origin and flourish of the Silk Road. Here you can buy anything Muslim millinery to authentic Iranian saffron, from pashminas to carpets, from fruits to spices, from a cradle to a camel… or find a place to sit down to enjoy some local snacks, or just experience local culture. If you happen to visit Kashgar on a Sunday, don't miss the opportunity to experience the Livestock Market, which takes place once a week on Sunday. By lunchtime, numerous sheep, camel, horse, cow and donkey will be driven by the Uyghur farmers and herders to squeeze through the gates of the bazaars for trade.
Continuing your Kashgar exploration, you will move to Abakh Hoja Tomb first which is not a simple tomb but an exquisite architectural complex including chapels, gardens, archways, etc., as the best place in the region to admire Uygur people’s extraordinary aesthetics and skills of Islamic architecture. It also offers a rare opportunity to see and learn about funeral custom celebrated Uygur families because there is a large Islamic family of five generations whose name is Abakh Hoja buried here. The Abakh Hoja was a local Islam master who had strengthened the spread of Islam in Kashgar area, which later earned a great reputation for him and his family.
Drive about 20 minutes to the exotic Kashgar Old Town where you can experience the authentic Uyghur living style. Explore the traditional earth buildings where local people are living in, walk through the famous Handicrafts Street where you can see how the local craftsman making handicrafts. It is a good place to buy some interesting souvenirs for your families and friends. You will also take a break and enjoy a cup of local tea at the Ancient Tea House which is more than 100 years old. The locals also like to spend some leisure time in the tea house with friends and families - drinking, chatting and playing music sometimes.Today’s activities end. Have a good rest in your hotel.
Day 11 Kashgar - Karakul Lake - Tashkurgan (B, L)
Today's highlights: Karakul Lake, Muztagh Ata, Baishahu Lakes, Pamirs Plateau
Today, you are going to visit the famous Karakul Lake which is about 190km/about 3 hours’ drive from Kashgar downtown. Although it is a long drive, you are surprisingly compensated by the constant landscape of the overwhelming Pamirs Plateau - harsh and lonely snow mountains, inhabited barrens, expansive grassland, pure glaciers, peaceful villages… Make a stop at Baishahu (White Sands Dunes Lake) where a tranquil lake lies under the towering snow mountains of Pamirs Plateau. The sands of Taklamakan Desert fly westward, get stopped by the edge of Pamirs and deposit at the slopes of the mountains, then get washed by the melting ice of the snow mountains, which is the reason why you can see white sand dunes surrounding the White Sand Lake.
You will get to Karakul Lake around noon time. After lunch, throw yourself into the breathtaking scenery of the lake and its surrounding. With an altitude of 3600m, Karakul Lake is one of the most beautiful alpine lakes in Central Asia. It welcomes visitors with stunning views of pristine lake nestled against Pamirs mountains which provide an azure backdrop as they are covered with snow all year around, including three gigantic mountains - Muztagh Ata (7546m), Kongur Tagh (7649m) and Kongur Tiube (7530m). From other sides, there is a mixture of boundless grasslands, deserts and valleys. A few Kirghiz nomads put their yurts and graze their herds of sheep, horses and camels near the lake. Take your time to wander around the lake to enjoy the landscape and take photos until returning time.
Keep driving about 1 hour to Tashkurgan. Have a good rest in this beautiful Tajik town.
Day 12 Tashkurgan - Kashgar (B, L)
Today's highlights: Tashkurgan Fort (Stone City), Alaer Golden Grassland
This morning, it is strongly recommended to get up early to watch the pink and golden dawn light of sunrise shining on the Stone City and surrounding snow mountains. What a peaceful and beautiful scene for really nice photography.
After breakfast, you are going to visit the legendary Stone City, also known as Tashkurgan Fort, which has stood on the hill at the northeast side of the county for nearly 2000 years. It is one of the World Four Stone Cities with great architecture value. Puli Kingdom, one of the 36 Kingdoms in Western Regions, also set its capital here. Unfortunately, most of the architectures have been destroyed by wars and natural erosion. Currently, only about 100,000 m2 of ruins survived including city, temple and residential houses of Tang Dynasty and government office of Qing Dynasty. For travelers, it is a fantastic experience to stand on the city ruin, experience the vicissitudes of the ancient city and imagine the ancient merchants, travelers, churchmen from West and East met here, or the king of the city looked upon the vast land and his people from the high castle. The fortress at the same time is a perfect sightseeing platform from which you can stretch your horizon to far grassland and desert, also admire nearby dominating snow mountains including the majestic Muztagh Ata. Under the foot of the Stone City lies the beautiful Alaer Golden Grassland. Walk leisurely on the plank roads to enjoy the spectacular long-distance views. Just as its name implies, the grassland turns to a golden world when the sunrises and sunsets come. It’s also beautiful in the morning especially when you frame the grassland with the stone city and surrounding snow mountains. Nourished by the Tashkurgan River, Alaer Golden Grassland is an important pasture for local nomads.
Lastly, you will leave Tashkurgan and drive back to Kashgar city. Accommodate in Kashgar city.
Day 13 Kashgar Departure (B)
Kashgar airport/train station drop off
Today is free until your tour guide and driver escort you to catch your flight/train to the next destination. Your memorable Xinjiang Silk Road tour ends.
1. This price is for one person, based on a group of 2 adults sharing one standard double-bed room
and traveling with our private tour in low seasons.
2. This price is subject to change according your
traveling season, group size, hotel class, change of activities in your itinerary and possible fluctuation of
currency exchange rate. If you want a lower price, you can get more people to join you, or use economy class hotels.
3. This price is only valid to March 31, 2025.
4. Reference exchange rate of USD 1=RMB 7.00. The final quote is based on current exchange rate. It may change
according to the currency fluctuation, while the RMB quotation will be remained the same.
Hi dear Vivien,
our journey is about to end. We are on our way to Guilin airport. It has been an awesome trip indeed. Each destination was well chosen and everything went smoothly. I am super happy for my sister and me to be able to experience such a wonderful travel through the most stunning landscapes in China. Thank you for the perfect organization. And thank you for the nice gift we got in Guilin. Really appreciate it.
My sister with her fan. We also got a beautiful stamp and ink. Thank you very much!
Francesca
Hi Vivien,
just want to record our thanks to you for your good planning, coordination and arrangement for our recent holidays to Dali, Lijiang and Xianggelila. The tour guides and drivers were warm and friendly and we felt safe, and enjoyed the trip very much.
All the best to you.
Janet/Richard/Claire
Hi Phoebe,
1. Yes - questions were promptly addressed to my satisfaction. Excellent service overall.
2. The local guide is knowledgeable and has good command of English. He's also patient, considerate, and takes good care of his customers.
Hee
Hi Samantha,
Sunrise was very nice and checked us in to a nice room at 8:30 am. It’s been a while since we were in Shanghai, and it is a wonderful, clean city that’s very vibrant. It has been sunny and warm the last four days.
Jordan
Dear Wing Zeng,
My family and I have now arrived safely back at home in Bangkok. We had a wonderful time on the cruise, and we would like to thank you very much for assisting us on the whole process, from booking the cabins to arranging transportation from Jingzhou to Maoping port. We are very impressed with your service.
As for your questions, here is my response:
1A: Wing Zeng always responds to our emails very promptly. At the beginning when I planned to book the cruise, Wing Zeng has been very patient to respond to all my questions about the cruise itinerary and the cabin types. I am very happy with her service.
2A: With Wing Zeng's help, our tour arrangements were very smooth. Our family travel with one senior and one small child, so we were very careful about transportation to and from the port. On the day of embarkation, Wing Zeng helped us book a van transfer directly from our hotel in Jingzhou to the port, which made the embarkation process very smooth and enjoyable.
3A: Definitely. I highly recommend your service to anyone who wants to take the Yangtze cruises.
4A: I'm very satisfied with your service. Our travel consultant is very helpful and professional.
5A: It would be nice if you could give a little warning that the water level in Chongqing might be too low around this time of year. Originally, our cruise was scheduled to end at Chongqing Chaotianmen port. But because of the low water level, we had to disembark somewhere else and took a 2-hour drive to Chaotianmen. The cruise arranges the transfer smoothly and it worked out fine in the end. But if this is something that happens usually around this time of year, it would be nice to be given a little warning beforehand.
Sira
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Uygur dancers at Erdaoqiao Grand Bazaar
Urumqi city view from Red Hill Park
Loulan Princess mummy in Xinjiang Regional Museum
Taking a relaxing cruise on Heavenly Lake
Grandiose view of Tianshan Mountains from Heavenly Lake
Earthy Yellow Jiaohe Ancient City Ruins under Blue Sky
Peaceful Mazar Village in Tuyugou Valley
Shane from UK - An Old Villager in Mazar Village
Exquisite Murals Exhibited in Turpan Museum
Underground Canals of Karez
Subash Ruins (World Heritage Site)
The archway of Grand Mosque
Local old men in Kuqa Old City
Walking in Kuqa Grand Canyon (Tianshan Mysterious Canyon)
Danxia landscape along the road to Kuqa Grand Canyon
Kizil Grottoes is even older than Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang
Taklimakan Desert Highway
Beautiful sand dunes of Taklimakan Desert
Populus forest along the Taklimakan Desert in Autumn
Jade monkey - the treasure relic of Hotan Museum
Coffin unearthed from ancient ruins of Hotan
Hotan carpet making in a local family workshop
Welcome to Kashgar
Sunday Bazaar
Abakh Khoja Tomb
Kashgar Old Town
Tranquil Karakul Lake in October
Shane from UK - Karakul Lake, Kashgar
Tashkurgan Fort (Stone City Ruin) in the morning of September
Beautiful Alaer Golden Grassland in August
Charming Tajik lady in Tashkurgan
Xinjiang can satisfy all your desires about different styles of travel, no matter you are seeking for nature fun, culture experience or some adventures. Generally speaking, Kashgar, Turpan and Urumqi are most popular as the Golden Triangle. They provide you Silk Road history and culture as well as Xinjiang featured scenery – beautiful lakes, gorges, mountains, etc. They are the best options for the first-timers, needing about 6~8 days. Kanas, with tranquil lake and bays, primitive villages and ethnic culture, is strongly recommended too. A trip to Kanas usually takes about 4~7 days. If you prefer natural landscape, the western Xinjiang offers you superb grassland, alpine like, wild flowers. Recommended places include Sayram Lake, Karajun Grassland, Naraty Grassland, etc. The southern Xinjiang has many hidden gems for an in-depth adventure, such as historical Silk Road cities, Takilamakan Desert, Hotan, Kuqa, etc. Such a trip usually costs over 10 days, but it is definitely worth your time and effort.
Xinjiang is far away from the sea with surrounding high mountains, forming an obvious temperate continental climate. The temperature difference is large; the sunshine time is sufficient; the ultraviolet ray is strong; the air is very dry. Since Xinjiang has a vast area, the climate differs a lot by regions. Generally speaking, the southern Xinjiang is hotter than northern Xinjiang; northern Xinjiang has more rainfall than the southern area. You can easily find different places to travel in different seasons.
♦ April to June: Ili Apricot Valley, Tianshan Tianchi Lake, Sayram Lake, Tashkurgan, Naraty Grassland, Urumqi, Turpan, Kashgar, etc.
♦ July to August: Urumqi, Sayram Lake, Karajun Grassland, Naraty Grassland, Kanas, Urumqi, Turpan, Kashgar, etc.
♦ September to early November: Kanas, Taklimakan Desert, Populus Euphratica in Tarim Basin, Kuqa Grand Canyon, Tashkurgan, Naraty Grassland, Urumqi, Turpan, Kashgar, etc.
♦ Mid November to March: Urumqi, Turpan, Kashgar, Kanas, etc.
Getting there: it usually takes a longer time than other China cities to get to Xinjiang. Travelers usually arrive in Urumqi first by flight or train then transfer to other cities of Xinjiang. Currently, you can take flights to Urumqi from Beijing (about 4 hours), Xian (about 42.5 hours), Shanghai (about 5.5 hours), Guangzhou (about 5 hours), Chengdu (about 3.5 hours), etc., or high speed trains from Dunhuang (about 4.5 hours), Lanzhou (about 11 hours), Xining (about 9.5 hours), etc. Kashgar is the secondly-used arrival hub. It operates some domestic flights to Xian, Chengdu, etc.
Getting around: from Urumqi, you can keep traveling by flights to Kashgar, Kanas, Kuqa, Ili, etc. Actually, traveling by driving is more popular than taking flight and train, because the best scenery can usually be reached by car. But it's hard to travel by public bus to many remote scenic areas.So let a travel agency like China Discovery arrange transfer for you is the best choice.
Apart from a few major cities such as Urumqi, Kashgar and Turpan whose hotels have complete facilities and wifi. In many other places, especially in some remote scenic spots, accommodation is relatively simple and basic, such as Kanas, Sayram Lake, Naraty, Tashkurgan, etc. where you can stay in a guesthouse, a homestay or a local yurt. Also, during the busy season from June to October every year, hotel occupancy will be much higher than normal days, so it is necessary to book your hotel in advance.
China Discover has included accommodation in our every tour package so that you don’t have trouble with booking hotels on your own. All our hotels are well-selected, comfortable, well-equipped with friendly services.
● Remember to always follow your groups instead of heading to the heart regions by your own, or you may get lost. Cell phone signal may be weak or zero in the grassland or forest areas in Xinjiang, stay calm.
● Wear the harness correctly when enjoying horse riding and follow the direction to keep safe!
● More useful tips & packing list for desert travel in China >
Xinjiang’s Uyghur food and other local cuisine will be a memorable part of your trip. The local Uyghur food is famous throughout China and popular among travelers. There are not only Uyghur foods, but also traditional Chinese food, Hui food, Kazakh food, etc. Some hotels and restaurants in bigger cities, such as Urumqi, Kashgar, Turpan, Ili, etc., also provide western food and coffee.
We usually cover your breakfasts in your hotels and lunches during your trip. Dinner is your own chance to explore local food or other food you are interested in. Feel free to let your guide know your dinning interest and requirement in advance so that you can arrange meals accordingly.
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