11 Days Northern Xinjiang Tour: Keketuohai, Kanas, Hemu, Turpan

As one of the Autonomous regions in China, Xinjiang is the homeland of unique cultural highlights and the most exciting places in Asia. Spending 11 days traveling across here is a great opportunity to explore the exotic culture and the mysterious history of the ancient silk road. 

Today, you will take your flight to Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang. Upon arrival, we will meet you at the airport, bring you to downtown Urumqi to check in your hotel. Have a good rest.

Nothing is more stupendous than enjoy the beautiful natural landscape Heavenly lake (Tianchi).

After breakfast your tour guide and driver will drive you to visit the Heaven lake, a picturesque Alpine lake, 2000m up in the Tianshan Mountain range. There are eight scenic spots in this area, they are " A Ray of Stone Gate", "Dragon's Pool and Green Moon", "Magic Needle for Guarding the See", "Three Stones Bearing the Sky", "the Snow capped Southern Mountain", "Pine Billows in Western Mountain", "the Hanging waterfall", and the "Sea Peak's Sunrise". After that, we will drive to Fuyun county, pass by: Huoshaoshan(Burning Mountain), where you will witness the red sea, which caused by burnt rocks that look as if they are still burning along the hills.

After breakfast in the hotel, you will start your trip from Keketuohai National Geological Park. Take a trolleybus and travel along the Irtysh Grand Canyon, till you visited Shengzhong Mountain and Earthquake Museum. Thereafter, travel to Burqin, enjoy the sunset of Five Coloured Beach, when you walk into the Five Coloured Beach , you will feel as in a utopia. The unique lava landscape consisted of purplish red, Vandyke red, yellow and light green mud stone, sandstone and gravel. And this is the miracle of Burqin.

We will pick you up in the morning, and then drive along the mountain road to Kanas Nature Reserve, China's only European like ecological site that has been awarded the title of the "Pure Land of the World", due to its unspoiled natural scenery. En-routed, visit Kanas Lake, Moon bay, Dragon bay. Later afternoon back to Jiadengyu district to check into the hotel.

After breakfast, we will take the coach to Hemu Village, which is one of the most well-known Tuvas village. Hemu River runs through and cut the grassland into two parts: in the cloudy slop, there are thick green forests where red deer, marmot and snow cock inhabit, while green grasses and blooming flowers cover the sunny slop in the other side: bees are busy making honey,flocks and herds are playing around the mountain, a charming grassland picture. You can experience the unique life style of Tuvas and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Enjoy the sunrise and after breakfast, travel along the Gurbantunggut Desert to Urho Ghost City also known as "Wuerhe Wind City", a unique wind eroded geological area commonly referred to as "wind city" because of the frequent howling winds.

After breakfast your tour guide and driver will drive you to visit Ili Valley, Sayram Lake In the spring, summer and autumn, the sapphire water of the lake seems to meet the sky in the distance. The pasture is a charming scene of flourishing trees, waving grass, and wildflowers that are reflected in the clear water of the lake. As well as the local Kazakhs with their yurts, variety of the cattle and sheep.

After breakfast at the hotel, then we will drive to Shihezi, on the way, you will visit the Anjihai Grand Canyon, a paradise for photographer. Anjihai is originated in Tianshan Mountain, through many years of scouring, in the vicinity of Tungut, it was formed a huge alluvial fan under the Northern slope of Tianshan Mountain. The scale of the river valley alluvial fan is quite magnificent, to the north opening with umbrella-shaped, it can be called a geographical wonder.

After breakfast at the hotel, we'll drive to Turpa, an significant town on the ancient silk road and it is also one of the centres of Uyghur cultures. We will visiting the Tuyoq Village, it was constructed in eastern and western western cliffs in Tuyoq valley. More than 40 caves, there are 10 preserving murals. Enjoy the scenery of The Flaming Mountain en route.

Bezeklik Grottoes is a complex of Buddhist cave grottoes dating from the 5th to 14th century between Turpan and Shanshan county at the north east of the Taklamakan Desert near the ancient ruins of Gaochang in the Mutou Valley.

Morning visit the Karez well, which is a special irrigation system in desert, Sugong Minaret, the largest Islamic minaret in China built in 1778. And 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 22nd, June, 2014. then drive back to Urumqi, and then we are going to Xinjiang International Bazaar, which is the largest in Urumqi. You'll find a bustling market filled with fruit, clothing, crafts, knives, carpets and almost anything that you can imagine.

Say farewell to you tour guide and driver, base on your flight schedule, they will pick you up from hotel to drive to the airport or train station.