11 Days Silk Road Luxurious Tour from Xinjiang to Xi'an

Today you will take the flight to Urumqi. When arrival, we will pick you up from the airport and transfer to the hotel check in. The rest of the day you can have a rest at the hotel or enjoy your leisure time in Urumqi on your own.

After the breakfast in the hotel, we will drive straight for Tianshan Tianchi Lake also called Heavenly Lake in English which is a high mountain lake. It is listed in the UNESCO for the magnificent Landscape. We will drive 1.5 hours to entrance of the Heavenly Lake, 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.

After visiting, we drive back to Urumqi and go to the biggest bazaar in the world Xinjiang International Bazaar, where you can watch Uygur dance show and taste local delicacies and bazaar refers to a market or fair in Arabic. There are over 3,000 booths in Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar for selling garments, musical instruments, potteries, jewellery, nuts, fruits, and carpets. 

In the morning we first pay a visit to Xinjiang Regional Museum, home to many archaeological treasures of the Silk Road and Xinjiang's minority cultures. You can come here to see the amazing human remains and all the other relics, and you will learn about the history of Xinjiang and its peculiar ethnic customs. 

Afterwards, transfer to the Urumqi airport and take the flight to Kashgar. When arrival, we will meet you and take you to check into the hotel in Kashgar, where you can relax and enjoy your leisure time. 

After the breakfast, we will drive about 3.5hrs to 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 Kashgar. Driving on the China and Pakistan Highway. You can enjoy the magnificent Bulongkol Lake also known as Baisha Mountain (white Sand Mountain) is located in the Pamir Plateau, a large plateau in the Pamir mountain range at an altitude of about 3500 to 5000m with mountains up to more than 7000m, located next to the Karakoram Highway, so it is one of the must stop spot on the way to Karakul lake and Taxkorgan. Then we will drive back to Kashgar downtown.

Today's trip starts from Kashgar downtown. The first stop is the Apakh Hoja Tomb ( Xiangfei Tomb ) is the largest and most influential Islamic burial Place in Xinjiang and a fundamental cultural relic unit under the protection of the Autonomous Region. As a Mausoleum of the descendants of an Islamic sage, it was built around 1640 AD. Then we will visit the Idigar Mosque, the largest Mosque in China and the most sacred mosque for the locals to practise their Islamic activities. After that we are going to the Old Town. 

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! Continue to visit Handicraft Street, gathered hundreds of handicraft workshops, which has become a boutique exhibition for handicraft in Kashgar and Central Asia. After the city tour, we will take the evening train to Turpan and arrive in the early morning.

Morning depart from the hotel, we will head to the Karez Well, which is special kind of irrigation system, here you can not only visit this ancient irrigation system, but also get rid of the heat of summer. Then explore the Sugong Minaret, the largest Islamic minaret in China built in 1778. 

Then drive to enjoy the scenery 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. After the visiting, drive back to Turpan downtown for overnight stay.

Today you will take the train from Turpan to Liuyuan station and then drive about 1.5hrs to Dunhuang. After arrival, check in at the hotel. The rest of the day is up to you, whether it's relaxing in the hotel or just hanging out in the neighborhood, enjoy yourself!

Our guide will meet you at your hotel lobby in the early morning, then drive to Mogao Grottoes , where you can enjoy the magnificent grottoes and mural art, and learn the history of Buddhism in Dunhuang through explanation and film display, which is the best option for tourists to visit Dunhuang. 

Afterwards, continue the tour to Echoing Sand Mountain & Crescent Lake. When there is wild wind, the sands will be blown up and make a loud sound, while the sound sounds like being produced by some ancient musical instrument when blown by the breeze. There is also a Crescent Lake that has been in existence for hundreds of years without ever being buried by the sand. 

Today you will be transferred to the airport and take the flight to Xi'an. When arrival, we will meet you and take you to the hotel.

After checking in, move to the City Wall. You will have a bird's-eye view of panorama of Xi'an city when wandering along the wall. Followed by the ancient Bell Tower, it is the most well-preserved ancient military defensive systems and the landmark of Xi'an. Afterwards, wandering through the tight and interesting Muslim Quarter to experience the local lifestyle. Street vendors selling all sorts of goods from souvenirs, hand crafted products and local snacks. You need to bargain with the vendors if you are buying goods.

Tour starts at 08:00 and then drive about 1 hour to the countryside of the Xi'an city and visit the most imposing historic site Terracotta Warriors, the most significant archaeological excavations of the 20th century. Work is ongoing at this site, which is around 1.5 kilometers east of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum in Lintong, It is a sight not to be missed by any visitor to China. Believe you will be amazed by the culture and history to get a feeling back to Qing Dynasty during the 3hrs experience.

Lunch will be in the local restaurant, we will continue the sightseeing to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda built to house Buddhist scriptures collected by a Chinese Monk. Big Wild Goose Pagoda has 7 floors in total. Architecture is traditional Chinese style decorating with some Buddha statues. Tourists can see variety of Buddha statues and see the whole Xi'an city at the top floor. In the evening, you will stroll around Tang Paradise, which features numerous buildings, squares, and gardens, all incorporating features of traditional Tang Chinese architecture.

Today you will say farewell to Xi'an, and transfer to the airport to catch your flight back to your sweet home.It has been a great holiday and we look forward to seeing you another China trip.