From Kashgar to Turpan and Urumqi

Morning/Afternoon — Arrival & Transfer
Fly to Kashgar, where a local guide greets you at the airport. You are transferred to the Kashgar Global Harbor Hotel for a two-night stay, with time to settle in before exploring.

Afternoon — Kashgar Old Town
Explore Kashgar's Old Town, a maze of adobe streets preserving 2,000-year-old Silk Road charm. Wander through Uighur neighborhoods, watch artisans craft textiles and pottery, and sip brick tea in historic cafes. The Old Town is one of the largest and best-preserved traditional old towns in Central Asia.

Evening — Id Kah Mosque at Sunset
End the day with a sunset stroll to the Id Kah Mosque, China's largest mosque, built in 1442 and blending Islamic and Central Asian architecture. Its yellow-tiled facade and spacious courtyard make it the spiritual heart of the city.

Meals
Breakfast at the hotel; lunch during the tour; dinner at your leisure.

Accommodation
Two nights at the Kashgar Global Harbor Hotel.

Morning — Id Kah Mosque & Old Town
Explore the Kashgar Old Town, a living labyrinth of traditional earth-built courtyard houses, narrow lanes, and bustling handicraft streets. Visit the Id Kah Mosque, the largest mosque in Xinjiang and one of the largest in China, with a history spanning over 500 years; admire its yellow-tiled courtyards and graceful Islamic-Chinese architecture.

Afternoon — Sunday Bazaar & Handicrafts
Wander the famous Kashgar bazaar — historically one of the largest and most vibrant markets in Central Asia — where Uyghur vendors trade carpets, handicrafts, dried fruits, and spices. Browse the handicraft streets for knife-making, pottery, and embroidery demonstrations that showcase the region's artisan heritage.

Cultural Insight
Kashgar has stood at the crossroads of the Silk Road for over 2,000 years, where Chinese, Central Asian, and Islamic cultures meet — a living museum of oasis-city life on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert.

Evening — Local Dinner & Rest
Enjoy a Uyghur-style dinner of pilaf (polu), hand-pulled noodles, and kebabs at a local restaurant recommended by your guide, then return to your hotel to rest.

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Morning — at your leisure
The morning is free for you to rest or explore at your own pace before your afternoon program.

Afternoon — Xi'an City Wall
Head to the Xi'an City Wall in the afternoon, one of the most complete and best-preserved ancient city fortifications in China. Built in 1370 during the Ming Dynasty, the wall stands about 12 meters tall and stretches 13.7 kilometers around the old city, with watchtowers and a moat. Walk the ramparts or rent a bicycle — a full loop from the South Gate takes about 1.5 hours and frames both the ancient center and the modern skyline.

Evening — Chinese Calligraphy & Painting
After the wall, visit a nearby art center to learn traditional Chinese calligraphy and painting, a hands-on workshop rooted in Xi'an's deep literary heritage. You'll practice brush techniques and create your own keepsake piece to take home.

Morning — Nalati Grassland
Drive to Nalati Grassland, one of Xinjiang's most celebrated alpine meadows in the Ili River valley, famed for its vast green slopes and nomadic Kazakh yurts. Ride horses across the rolling hills and visit a Kazakh family for homemade yogurt and storytelling that opens a window onto pastoral life.

Lunch — at a local yurt or guesthouse
Lunch is at your own arrangement at a yurt or local guesthouse.

Afternoon — Wild Apricot Forest
Explore Xinjiang's largest wild apricot forest, ablaze with pink blossoms each April, a spectacular seasonal display against the mountains. In the evening, settle into a lakeside hotel surrounded by alpine meadows.

Evening — at your leisure
The evening is free at the lakeside hotel.

Morning — Fly to Turpan & Karez Irrigation System
Fly to Turpan, which sits in the Turpan Depression, the lowest point in China. Tour the Karez Underground Irrigation System, a roughly 2,000-year-old network of underground channels, wells, and reservoirs that collects snowmelt from the Tian Shan and carries it to the oasis. This ingenious system has sustained oasis agriculture in one of China's driest regions for centuries.

Afternoon — Jiaohe Ruins
Visit the Jiaohe Ruins, a well-preserved earthen city from the Han Dynasty, built on a plateau between two rivers. Its streets, temples, and dwellings, now part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing, show how this Silk Road city was laid out.

Late Afternoon — Sugong Minaret
Visit the Sugong Minaret, a 44-meter tower blending Islamic and Chinese styles. Built in 1777, it is the largest surviving old tower in Xinjiang and is renowned for its patterned brickwork.

Evening — Flexible Evening / at your leisure
The evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure.

Meals
Breakfast at the hotel; lunch during the tour; dinner at your leisure.

Morning — Gaochang Ancient City
Discover Gaochang Ancient City, a Silk Road hub whose ruins include Buddhist temples and surviving frescoes. Founded as an oasis city more than two thousand years ago, it flourished as an important stop on the trade routes linking China and Central Asia, and its earthen walls and stupas now form part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing.

Afternoon — Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves
Explore the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, cut into a cliff in the Flaming Mountains and featuring murals from as early as the 8th century. The caves preserve a remarkable record of Buddhist art and the region's diverse cultural influences.

Late Afternoon — Turpan Museum
Tour the Turpan Museum, which showcases mummies, manuscripts, and artifacts from the region's multicultural past. The collection helps explain how Turpan, one of the driest and lowest places in China, became a crossroads of Silk Road trade and belief.

Evening — Flexible Evening / at your leisure
The evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure.

Meals
Breakfast at the hotel; lunch during the tour; dinner at your leisure.

Morning — Drive to Urumqi & Xinjiang Regional Museum
Drive to Urumqi and visit the Xinjiang Regional Museum, home to the 3,800-year-old 'Loulan Beauty' mummy and a rich collection of Bronze Age artifacts. The museum's displays trace the region's history along the Silk Road and its many cultures, and your guide will highlight the most significant finds.

Afternoon — Erdaoqiao Bazaar
Stroll the Erdaoqiao Bazaar, Urumqi's best-known market, sampling nuts, spices, and textiles. The bazaar's stalls and food vendors offer a lively introduction to the flavors and crafts of Xinjiang.

Evening — Hotel with City Views
Overnight at a modern hotel with city views, and the evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure.

Meals
Breakfast at the hotel; lunch during the tour; dinner at your leisure.

Accommodation
Overnight at a modern hotel with city views.

Morning — Heavenly Lake (Tianchi)
Embark on a full-day excursion to Heavenly Lake (Tianchi), a glacier-fed lake ringed by the Tian Shan Mountains and lying at an elevation of roughly 1,900 meters east of Urumqi. Formed by ancient glacial activity, the lake is renowned for its deep turquoise water set against snow-capped peaks. You will hike through pine forests and take in the surrounding alpine scenery.

Afternoon — Kazakh Yurt Camps & Lunch
Visit Kazakh yurt camps for horseback rides and lunch on grilled fish, a specialty of the region. The yurts and the hospitality of the local Kazakh herders offer a glimpse of the nomadic culture of the Tian Shan, and you return to Urumqi with memories of turquoise waters against snow-capped peaks.

Evening — Flexible Evening / at your leisure
The evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure after the day trip.

Meals
Breakfast at the hotel; a grilled-fish lunch by the lake; dinner at your leisure.

Morning — Departure from Urumqi
Your guide and driver assist with checkout and transfer you to Urumqi Airport for your flight home. You depart carrying stories of Xinjiang's breathtaking landscapes, rich history, and warm hospitality.

Meals
Breakfast at the hotel; meals during travel.