Xinjiang Cultural Tour

• Urumqi Arrival
  

• 4+ stars Hotel

• None

Welcome to Urumqi, our guide and driver will pick you up and transfer you to your hotel for check-in. You can choose to have a good rest in the hotel to prepare for tomorrow's journey, or you can enjoy free time in the hotel annex to feel the rhythm of life of Urumqi people.

• Xinjiang Museum - Tianchi lake

• 4+ stars Hotel

• Breakfast

After breakfast, you will visit the Xinjiang Museum. This is China's most important museum on the theme of the Ancient Silk Road. The most unique collection here is the mummies. It has a collection of 10 almost intact mummies from more than 4,000 years ago, mostly found in the remains of the ancient kingdom of Loulan.

After leaving the museum, you will explore Heavenly Lake of Tianshan (or Tianchi lake in Chinese) In order to protect the natural environment, visitors' cars are only allowed up to the park entrance. Next you will take a park bus to the depths of the scenic area. It is said that the mythical event of the Peach Banquet organized by the Xiwanmu was held here. Surrounded by hills, green grass and flowers, it is known as the Pearl of Tianshan.

Recommended Activities

There are generally three ways to explore Tianchi. You can take a walk around the lake, take a boat tour, or ride the cable car to the top of the mountain. (Boat trips and cable cars will be charged extra.

If time permits, you can even enjoy all of these experiences.

• Urumqi - Flight to Kashgar - Apakhoga Tomb - The Etigar Mosque - Old Town of Kashgar

• 4+ stars Hotel

• Breakfast

Early this morning, you will take a flight (approximately 2 hours) to Kashgar, which was once a center of regional trade and cultural exchange along the ancient Silk Road for more than 2,000 years.

After rest in the hotel, you will first visit the Apakhoga Tomb, which is not a simple mausoleum but an elaborate complex that is the best place in the region to appreciate the extraordinary aesthetics and Islamic architectural skills of the Uyghur people. It also offers a rare opportunity to see and learn about the funeral customs of Uyghur families.

Next, you will visit Kashgar's landmark--The Etigar Mosque, which is considered a holy place for Muslims. Every day, thousands of Muslims worship here. Historically, the mosque used to be a school where Islamic culture and history were taught. Many scholars and respected clerics graduated from it.

A few minutes' walk from the mosque is the exotic Old Town of Kashgar, where you can experience the authentic Uyghur way of life. The ancient city of Kashgar has a history of more than 2,100 years and is known as the "soul of Kashgar". This is a great place to buy some interesting souvenirs for your family and friends.

This is the end of today's activities, next you can have free time or go back to your hotel in Kashgar for a good rest.

• Baisha Lake (White Sand Lake) - Karakul Lake

• 4+ stars Hotel

• Breakfast

Today, you will visit the famous Karakul Lake, which is about 190 kilometers away from the center of Kashgar, about 3 hours by car. Although it is a long drive, the continuous landscape of the Pamir Plateau is breathtaking, with harsh and lonely snow-capped mountains, inhabited barren lands, vast grasslands, pristine glaciers, peaceful villages

You will stop at the White Sand Lake (Baisha Lake), a serene lake beneath the towering snow-capped mountains of the Pamir Plateau. 

You will arrive at Karakul Lake around noon. At an altitude of 3,600 meters, Karakul Lake is one of the most beautiful alpine lakes in Central Asia.

It is a mix of endless grasslands, deserts and valleys. Some Kyrgyz nomads keep yurts by the lake and graze herds of sheep, horses and camels. Here you can spend some time strolling around the lake, enjoying the scenery and taking photos until it's time to return.

Finally, drive back to Kashgar have a good rest.

• Tashkurgan Stone Town Ruins

• 4+ stars Hotel

• Breakfast

Early in the morning, we highly recommend you to get up early to see the sunrise, the view is stunning and suitable for taking photos.

After breakfast, we will take you to visit the mysterious Stone Town, also known as Tashkurgan Stone Town Ruins. This nearly 2,000-year-old site, situated on top of the hills in the northeast of the county, is one of the world's four largest stone cities and its architectural value speaks for itself.

In addition, the fortress is also an excellent viewing platform, from which you can see the border between the steppe and the desert, as well as the nearby majestic snow-capped mountains, especially the majestic Moustagh peak.

Adjacent to the foot of Stone Town is the beautiful Alar Golden Grassland. You can leisurely stroll along the trestle and enjoy the spectacular vista. When the sunlight falls, this grassland seems to turn into a golden ocean, especially at sunrise and sunset, it is mesmerizingly beautiful.

Afterwards, you will drive back to Kashgar city, where we have arranged accommodation for you, and we hope you can have a good rest and get ready for tomorrow's journey.

• Kashgar Bazaar - livestock Bazaar - Kashgar Departure

• None

• Breakfast

In the morning you will come to Kashgar Bazaar. It is a grand, busy, crowded, awe-inspiring, chaotic, fun and colorful place. In Uyghur, bazaar means a grand marketplace. The Kashgar Bazaar has been the largest and busiest trading hub in West and Central Asia since the rise and prosperity of the Silk Road. You'll find everything from Muslim mills and authentic Iranian saffron to Pashmina wool and fine carpets, as well as fresh fruit, spices, cradles and even camels.

If you're lucky enough to visit Kashgar on a Sunday, don't miss the livestock market experience, which takes place every Sunday. At midday, Uyghur farmers and herders drive herds of sheep, camels, horses, cows and donkeys through the gates of the market to trade. The scene is dusty, smelly and crowded, but it offers a unique and exotic experience for most people.

After the tour, we will transfer you to the airport for your flight to your next destination. Or if you plan to leave China via the land border, we will arrange a vehicle to take you straight to the border.