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We had a wonderful time in Tibet. We have learned a lot about this unique destination because of the wonderful guide Degyi who is so knowledge and always available towards our tours. We stayed at the Shangri-La Hotel Lhasa, and we would never imagine a Tibet travel could be so nice and amazing without the help of Degyi.
Also, thanks a lot to our Tibetan driver Mr.Wongdun for his safe driving and a good sense of service along the way.
We shall return Tibet in the near future!
P.B. and A. A - Europe
Tibet Travel
June 2018 (Private Tibet Journey from Kathmandu)
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 Tour Name: Silk Road Explorer in XinjiangTour Code: M17D219 Duration: 20 Days & 19 Nights Destination: Urumqi, Burjin, Kanas Lake, Kuitun, Yining (Ghulja), Bayanbulak, Kuqa, Aksu, Kashgar, Khotan, Mingfeng, Korla, Turpan Features: The most complete Silk Road tour ever in Xinjiang Province. This 16-day journey takes you to explore both the natural and culture diversities of Xinjiang, China's most remote and exotic province on the ancient Silk Road. You will explore both the Dzungarian Basin and Tarim Basin in North and South Xinjiang. A Trans-Taklamakan highway trip is a highlight of the tour. Get ready to immerse yourself to the ancient history and splendid civilizations of different people whilst enjoy picturesque landscapes only Xinjiang offers. Departure Date: You Choose! Tour Price: From $ P.P |
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Trip Summary
Detailed Itinerary
Dates & Prices
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Tour Dates |
Destinations |
Tours & Services |
Meals |
Accommodation |
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Day01 |
Urumqi |
Arrive in Urumqi, be met and transferred to hotel. | N/A |
Bayinhe Hotel |
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Day02 |
Urumqi - Tianchi Lake |
Morning visit Erdaoqiao Bazaar and Xinjiang Autonomous Region Museum, then driven to visit Tianchi Lake (Heavenly Lake). | B, L |
Tianchi Hotel |
| Day03 |
Tianchi Lake - Burjin |
Transferred to Burjin along the east rim of Dzungarian Basin. | B, L | Friendship Peak Hotel |
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Day04 |
Burjin - Kanas Lake |
Transferred to explore Kanas Lake. | B, L |
Hongfu Lake Kanas Resort |
| Day05 |
Kanas Lake |
Full day guided tour inside Kanas Lake. | B, L | Hongfu Lake Kanas Resort |
| Day06 |
Kanas Lake - Kuitun |
Leave in the early morning for Kuitun, en route visit Ghost City at Karamay. | B, L | Local Hotel |
| Day07 |
Kuitun - Ghulja |
Transferred to Ghulja (Yining), en route visit Sayram Lake and walk at the Old Town of Ghulja. | B, L | Twin Star General Hotel |
| Day08 |
Ghulja - Bayanbulak |
Transferred to Bayanbulak. | B, L | White Swan Guest House |
| Day09 |
Bayanbulak - Kuqa |
Visit Bayanbulak Grassland where to see wild swans, plants, lakes and rivers. Transferred to Kuqa and visit Subash Ruins and Grand Mosque of Kuqa. | B, L | Kuqa Int'l Hotel |
| Day10 |
Kuqa - Aksu |
Visit Kizil Thousand-Buddha Caves and Tianshan Grand Canyon, transferred to Aksu (approx.4hrs). | B, L | Aksu Int'l Hotel |
| Day11 |
Aksu - Kashgar |
Transferred to Kashgar. | B, L | Barony Hotel Kashgar |
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Day12 |
Kashgar |
Full day guided tour to visit Idkah Mosque, the Abakh Khoja Tomb, Sunday Bazaar, the old town and Kashgar Silk Road Museum. | B, L | Barony Hotel Kashgar |
| Day13 |
Kashgar |
A day excursion to Karakul Lake and local Tajik Village. Transferred back Kashgar. | B, L | Barony Hotel Kashgar |
| Day14 |
Kashgar - Khotan |
Transferred to Khotan. On the way visit Yingisar Uigur pocketknife workshop and Yarkant King Mausoleum in Yarkant. | B, L | Zhejiang Hotel Khotan |
| Day15 |
Khotan |
Full day guided tour to visit Silk Workshop, Khotan (Hetian) River and Hetian Museum. | B, L | Zhejiang Hotel Khotan |
| Day16 |
Khotan - Mingfeng |
Transferred to Minfeng (320km). On the way, visit a local bazaar and a local family. | B, L | Local Hotel |
| Day17 |
Mingfeng - Korla |
Get to Korla (693km) by the trans Taklamakan Desert Highway. Enjoy the scenery of shifting sand dunes of desert. | B, L | Garden Hotel Korla |
| Day18 |
Korla - Turpan |
Transferred to Turpan and visit Bosten Lake on the way. | B, L | Jiaohe Manor Hotel |
| Day19 |
Turpan |
Full day tour in Turpan to visit Bezkelik Thousand Buddha Caves, Jiaohe Ruins, Flaming Mountain, Astana Tomb and Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves. | B, L | Jiaohe Manor Hotel |
| Day20 |
Turpan - Urumqi |
Visit Karez Well and Grape Valley. Transferred to Urumqi for departure flight. Trip ends. | B | N/A |
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Day01 Arrival Urumqi Today you arrive in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang. Greeted and received by your local guide and escorted to your hotel in town. The rest of day is at your own disposal. | ||
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Day02 Urumqi - Tianchi Lake (B, L)
In the morning you will visit Xinjiang Autonomous Region Museum to learn more of Xinjiang and the Silk Road topics at large. Then you will visit Erdaoqiao Bazaar, a bustling market filled with fruit, clothing, crafts, knives, carpets and almost anything that you can imagine. On Sunday, there are more stalls and more goods to buy than any other day. The old streets around the bazaar are really worth seeing. Here is the most welcomed place by tourist especially by ladies where they can buy some traditional Yugur make up cosmetic. Then you will be transferred to visit the Heavenly Lake. Heavenly Lake (Tian Chi) is a beautiful blue mountain lake. The crystal water, the pine trees covering the hillsides and the snow capped mountains in the background make is a spectacular sight. The tour to the Heavenly Lake includes a boat cruise trip.
Day03 Tianchi Lake - Burjin (B, L)
Transferred to Burjin along the east rim of Dzungarian Basin. You will enjoy beautiful Burning Mountain landscapes en route.
Day04 Burjin - Kanas Lake (B, L)
Drive to Kanas National Nature Reserve, Kanas contains diverse landscape features, including glaciated peaks, colorful alpine meadows, grand granitic natural sculptures, dynamic weather patterns, picturesque rivers and lakes, and authentic nomadic life and folk customs, we plan to take shuttle bus up to the lake side, on the way you can stop at Camel Neck Bay, Moon Bay and Fairy Bay, overnight at Jiadengyu.
Day05 Kanas Lake (B, L)
Full day tour at Kanas Natural Reserve. You will drive up to the Fishing Pavilion to enjoy Altay mountains which bordered with China, Kazakhstan and Russia, trekking along the small trails down to Tuwa village. Tuwa people, also called "Kukumenqiak", have a long history and were recorded in ancient literature. Tuwa people keep their unique custom and language. Their language falls into the Turkic language group, Altaic language family and they believe in Buddhism. Enjoy the local life of Tuwa and scenery of Kanas, afternoon drive down to Jiadengyu for overnight.
Day06 Kanas Lake - Kuitun (B, L)
Leave in the early morning for Kuitun. You will drive along the western rim of the Dzungarian Basin where you could see China's oil city - Karamay, reroute you will enjoy special land formation - Yardang, Ghost City and hundred miles Oil Zone. Later of the day you arrive in Kuitun.
Day07 Kuitun - Ghulja (B, L)
Today you will head for Ghulja (Yining). On your way you will visit Sayram Lake, enjoy the beautiful lake scenery at the foot of the Tien Shan mountains, afternoon drive down the Apple Gorge to Ghulja (Yining). On arrival Yining you will have some walk at the Old Town.
Day08 Ghulja - Bayanbulak (B, L)
Drive in the easterly direction along the Kunes River to Narat Grassland which is the paradise for Kazakh nomads with their cattle during the summer. The meaning of Narat is "the place where sunshine first appears" in Mongolian language. This name was came up during the Genghis Khan's period. Transferred to Bayanbulak.
Day09 Bayanbulak - Kuqa (B, L)
Visit Bayanbulak Grassland in the morning. Bayanbulak means "many springs" in Mongolian language and it is well known for a large population of wild swans and it is good place for photographers to take photos of nine turned and eighteen curved rivers. The Bayanbulak Grassland is the second largest grassland in China boasting luxuriant verdant grass, numerous flocks of sheep and varied plants. Being a far-flung and level prairie, it also abounds in varieties of grass, and is studded with numerous lakes and encircled by snow mountains. Transfer to Kuqa and visit ancient Subash Ruins and the Grand Mosque of Kuqa. The Subash Ancient City Ruins was the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Guici. The city is believed to be even older than the ancient Harappan civilization, which dates back around 4,000 years. The Kucha Grand Mosque, it was first built in the 16th century and reconstructed in 1931 after being damaged by fire, that first signified dominance of Islam over Buddhism in Xinjiang. It is the region's second largest mosque after the Etigar Mosque in Kashgar and has capacity for 3,000 worshipers.
Day10 Kuqa - Aksu (B, L)
This morning you will head out for Kuqa to visit Kizil Thousand-Buddha Caves and Tianshan Grand Canyon. Kizil Thousand-Buddha Caves is the earliest Buddhist art treasure trove in China, even one century earlier than the famous Mogao Grottoes. As fundamental historical remains of West Region art or Chinese Buddhist art, Kizil Thousand-Buddha Grottoes is situated at the Kizil Township which is 67 kilometers southeast of Baicheng County and 73 kilometers west of Kuqa city. It is the largest grottoes located in the west part of China which was started excavating in the 3rd century (at the end of Eastern Han Dynasty) and lasted for 500 years. The Kizil Thousand-Buddha Caves are considered to be art crystallization of the local tradition and of the central Chinese culture as well as foreign ones. This priceless encyclopedia of Qiuci culture depicted in the caves surely is surely worthwhile reading. Tianshan Grand Canyon is located in the north of Kuqa County. It is about 5.5 kilometers from the east to the west and made of Reddish-brown rocks.The average elevation of the canyon is 1600 meters, and its peak is 2048 meters. Later in the afternoon you will be transferred to Aksu.
Day11 Aksu - Kashgar (B, L)
Transferred to Kashgar today. Upon arrival you can have some free time to walk a little bit in the Old Town nearby your hotel.
Day12 Kashgar (B, L)
A full day guided tour in Kashgar. You will visit Idkah Mosque, the Abakh Khoja Tomb, Sunday Bazaar, the old town and Kashgar Silk Road Museum. Idkah Mosque is known for being the largest and oldest mosque in China that invites about 10,000 worshipers on every Friday. Abakh Khoja Tomb that is better known by the Chinese as Tomb of Fragrant Lady is an ancient Islamic building, where five generations of a famous Islamic master were buried. The Sunday Bazaar in Kashgar is perhaps the largest road market in Central Asia, the trip to the Bazaar offers you a good chance to experience the very good touch to the vibrant city with its local residence. After that you will explore the Old Town of Kashgar to observe these time-aged houses and people's daily life. You will also visit the Kashgar Silk Road Museum.
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Day13 Kashgar (B, L)  Today's tour brings you to the beautiful Karakul Lake and local Tajik Village. Adjacent to the Karakorum Highway, 192km from Kashgar, 3600 m above sea level lay the Karakul Lake, a stunning combination of turquoise water and grandiose mountains that turn even the most novice photographers into instant professionals. At an altitude of 3,600m, it is the highest lake of the Pamir Plateau, near the junction of the Pamir Mountains, Tianshan and Kunlunshan mountain ranges. You will visit a local Tajik Village close to the lake. Later of the day you will drive back Kashgar after seeing the Karakul in the snowy backdrop of the 7546 meter high Muztagh Ata. | ||
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Day14 Kashgar - Khotan (B, L)
Check out in the morning and leave for Khotan. The 520-kilometer journey, dotted with Gobi, desert and oasis, will take you about 7 hours by car. On the way, you could see the Yingisar Uigur Pocket-Knife Workshop and the 500-year Yarkant King Mausoleum in Shache County (or Yarkant County).
Day15 Khotan (B, L)
Full day guided tour in Khotan. You will visit Silk Workshop, Khotan (Hetian) River and Hetian Museum. Hetian Museum was built in 1995, and it has an area of 3400 square meters. It boasts over 9000 pieces of cultural relics; most of which were discovered by archaeologists after 1949 and a small number were donated by the locals. The collections in the Hetian Museum provide a vivid picture of the splendid culture of ancient Hetian area in the fields of manual textile technology, art pottery, painting art and the Buddhist culture. Hetian River is the unique river, which passes through the second largest desert in the world - Takelamagan Desert. See the Gabi scenery along the river. While at the Silk Workshop you will see how silk is produced from the cocoons of silk worms, and turned into the beautiful fabric.
Day16 Khotan - Mingfeng (B, L)
Drive to Mingfeng 3.5 hours (300 kilometers). While passing by Yutian County, you can visit a local bazaar and see the unique minority people's costume. You will also visit a local family.
Day17 Mingfeng - Korla (B, L)
Today you will drive across the Taklamakan Desert to Korla (780km, approx.9 hours). Located in the middle of the large Tarim Basin, Takla Makan is the largest desert in China with shifting dunes and poplar forest. In Uigur language, Takla Makan means 'you can get into it but can never get out' and the desert has another name 'the Sea of Death'. Later of the day you arrive in Korla and have a good rest.
Day18 Korla - Turpan (B, L)
Today you will leave for Turpan. On the way you could visit Lake Bosten. Bosten Lake is the largest lake in Xinjiang and one of the largest inland freshwater lakes in China. Then you will be transferred to Turpan the hottest, driest and lowest place in China, average temperature can be reached nearly 48 during the July.
Day19 Turpan (B, L)
The tour today covers the Bezkelik Thousand Buddha Caves, Gaochang City Ruins, Flaming Mountain and Astana Tomb. The Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves are complex of Buddhist cave grottos dating from the 5th to the 13th centuries. These caves were built on a cliff face fronting a river valley. In the Uigur language Bezeklik means "place where there are paintings". These caves are one of the largest Buddhist "grotto" sites in Xinjiang. It used to be an important center for Buddhist worship under the Xizhou Huigu government of Gaochang Kingdom, which built the royal temple of the King of Huigu at this site. Flaming Mountain is about 10 kilometers east of Turpan, stretching up to 100 km from east to west and about 10km from south to north. With an average temperature of 30 degrees, it is known as the hottest place on earth and the highest temperature can reach 47.8 Celsius degrees. Nicknamed "underground museum", the Astana Tomb Complex contains a total of over 500 tombs, the occupants of which include aristocrats, officials and ordinary people from the early Western Jin Dynasty to the mid-Tang Dynasty. Due to the high terrain and hot and dry weather in the area, the tomb chambers are naturally germ-free. As a result, mummies and burial objects inside are well preserved after thousands of years, and a large number of historical relics are kept intact, including silk fabrics, murals and pottery ware etc.
Day20 Turpan - Urumqi, departure (B)
In the morning you will continue your Turpan tour. You will visit Karez Well and tour the Grape Valley. Karez Well is a unique underground water system invented and built by the ancient farmers of various ethnic minorities of Turpan, aiming to adapt to the basin natural environment, solar radiation and the atmosphere in the dry region. This irrigation system of wells connected by underground channels is considered to be one of the three great ancient projects in China. Your tour in Turpan will draw a close at one of the vineyard and fruit gardens in the Grape Valley. Then you will be transferred to Urumqi Airport to catch your departure flight. End of your Silk Road Tour.
Tour costing varies upon group size, travel season and hotel accommodation levels etc. For price details please email us at info@splendidchinatours.com. Price inclusions: Price excluded:
01). All accommodations based on two persons sharing one room (single occupancy is subject to supplement);
02). China internal flights with airport tax or train as stated in the program;
03). Round-trip transfers between airports or railway stations, hotels, and scenic spots in each city by private air-conditioned vehicles with experienced licensed drivers;
04). All admission fees and activity expenses as listed in the itinerary;
05). Daily meals as specified in the itinerary: B denotes breakfast, L denotes lunch, and D denotes dinner (SD signifies special dinner);
06). Services of a local English speaking guide in each city (other languages can be arranged upon request, supplement may apply);
07). Travel Agency Liability Insurance during the tour;
08). Governmental taxes and fees.
01). International airfare to/from China;
02). Chinese Visa fees;
03). Expenses of personal natural such as laundry, telephone, drinks, mini bar etc;
04). Personal shopping, optional activities and excess baggage charges;
05). Gratuities for local tour guides, drivers and hotel bellboy etc;
06). International travel insurance;
07). Services and activities that are not mentioned in the itinerary.
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