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12-days Essence of Xinjiang Tour

Day By Day

Day 1 Urumqi
Meals: B, L
Places to visit: Xinjiang Museum,Erdaoqiao Market & International Bazaar
You are picked up by our tour guide at the airport and then start your trip from Xinjiang Museum.

Xinjiang Regional Museum is a large integrated museum and centre housing the collection and study of cultural relics in Xinjiang. Its architecture was built in 1953 with featured Uighur ethnic internal decor style and has an exhibition hall covering an area of about 7,800 square meters.  

The Erdaoqiao Bazaar 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.


Day 2 Urumqi/Burqin
Meals: B, L
Places to visit: Burqin Colorful Beach
Drive along the No. 216 Road to Burqin Colorful Beach with a view of desert, gobi and mountain.    
Burqin Colorful Beach is actually referring to the banks of a river that has desert, oasis and forest on its south side while sand/rock mounds in all shapes formed by years of wind erosion, line the north bank. The mounds have very irregular profiles and although they are mainly red, bands of red, white, black and yellow are also found in them.


Day 3 Burqin/Kanas
Meals: B, L
Places to visit: Kanas Lake
Bus visit to Kanas Lake in the early morning and enjoy the boat cruise there.

The Kanas Lake is a magical and appealing place for all ages. Maybe the Kanas is an enchanting Mongolian name with meaning: a beautiful, abundant and mysterious lake in a gorge. The travelers called it as Switzerland in East or Camerists Heaven.


Day 4 Kanas/Burqin
Meals: B, L
Places to visit: Hemu, The Tuwa Tribe Village

Hemu,a small village within the Kanas Lake area in the north of Xinjiang province, China, enjoy the untraversed snow mountain, icy lake, grassland and primitive Tuwa minority village whom lived there for thousand years.

The Tuwa Tribe is a Mongolian tribe called Tuwa lives on the south bank of the Kanas Lake. Believing in Lamaism, it is a valiant ethic minority with a long history. Tuwa people speak Turkish, resembling the language of Kazakh, and live on hunting and graze.


Day 5 Burqin/Urumqi/Kashgar
Meals: B, L
Places to visit: Ghost City
Morning drive to Urumqi, visit the Ghost City on the way. And fly to Kashgar from Urumqi.

Ghost City is the most beautiful Yardan landform in this region. The movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" has left you a deep impression of the multi-colored bay where the heroine Ziyi was hidden, this special desert scene shot in the movie is located at the Gobi desert.


Day 6 Kashgar
Meals: B, L
Places to visit: Karakul Lake  
After breakfast, a drive along the China-Pakistan highway to visit the Karakul Lake.

Karakul Lake is 3,600 m above sea level. The lake is a paradise of bonfire night parties for boy and girl khalkhas with tourists. The party is full of songs and dances, as well as good smell of roast lamb skewers.


Day 7 Kashgar/Turpan by Train
Meals: B, L
Places to visit: Sunday Bazaar, Id Kah Mosque, Apak Hoja Tomb, Old Town

The Id Kah Mosque is a group of old Islamic constructions with strong ethnic style and religious features located on the central square in Kashgar City, Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region.

Apak Hoja Tomb is the holiest place in Xinjiang. Built in 1640, it is reminiscent of the Central Asian artistic style of Samarkand or Isfahan.

In the late afternoon, transfer to the train station, and take the soft sleeper in the overnight train to Turpan, the kingdom of grapes.


Day 8 Turpan
Meals: L
Places to visit: Flaming Hill, Grape Valley

You will arrive in Turpan railway station at noon. Local tour guide will meet you and escort you to the hotel to check in. After lunch, you will visit the Flaming Hill and Grape Valley.


Day 9 Turpan
Meals: B, L
Places to visit: Karez Irrigation System, Sugong Minaret, and Jiaohe Ruins

Karez Irrigation System is a unique irrigation system in Turpan, which, taking advantage of the slopes, draws the underground water to flow by itself to irrigate farmland. It consists of four parts: vertical wells, underground channels, ground canals and small reservoirs.

The Sugong Pagoda, or Emin Minaret is a local Islamic building. At the time of some traditional festivals, Muslem people push their way to the Sugong Pagoda to pray for blessing just like a pilgrimage.


Day 10 Turpan/Urumqi
Meals: B, L
Places to visit: Bezklik Grottoes, Astana Tombs,Tuyoq Valley

Bezklik Grottoes. "Bezklik" means "a place with beautiful decoration". These caves are first excavated in Qu`s Gaochang period. The excising caves were reconstructed by Uighur people.

Tuyoq Valley,constructed in eastern and western cliffs in Tuyoq valley . more than 40 caves, there are 10 preserving murals. They are considered to be the earliest caves in Turpan, Murals are mostly damaged, but unique in style


Day 11 Urumqi    
Meals: B, L
Places to visit: Heavenly Lake
After breakfast ahead to Heavenly Lake, experience the local Kazak's lifestyle in the deep of Tianshan Mountain.

Heavenly Lake, covering an area of about 5.9 square kilometers, has eight beautiful scenic spots in the lake scenic 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".

Day 12 Urumqi
Meals: B
Depart from the hotel after breakfast, and you will fly to your next destination.

 

Price Includes:

Transportation & Private Transfers:

Transportation cost covers all the domestic airfare of economy class with airport tax, train tickets between the cities as the itinerary specified.


Transfer between airports, railway station, hotels and scenic spots for sightseeing around the cities that are specified by the itinerary with private air conditioned vehicle with driver and English-speaking guide. Separate arrivals and departures will incur extra charges.


Entrance Fees:

All entrance fees to the scenic spots listed in the itinerary. The final arrangement will be determined by private tour guides depends on the real-time local circumstances wheather are beyond the control of Access China Travel. We will adhere to the original itinerary as accurately as possible.


Normal Meals:

All normal meals as the itinerary specified: B = breakfast, L = Lunch, D = dinner in local restaurant. Breakfasts are served in hotel, breakfasts have Chinese or Western style for your option; Lunches are served in carefully selected quality local Chinese restaurants with best service, your lunches will be ordered by your guide catering to your preferences within normal standard. Dinners as the itinerary specified will be also served in local Chinese restaurants. The meal quotation is normalized. If you have any special request about meals, like vegetarian, famous rare dishes, Indian food or more, please inform us in advance. For the unspecified dinners, you will have dinner on your own. Feel free to ask your local guide for suggestions or recommendation.


Private Sightseeing Escort:

Normal sightseeing activities as the itinerary listed will be escorted with English-speaking guide. The English-speaking guide and driver in each city are with you throughout the entire itinerary around that city. They do not fly with you from one city to another.


Hotel Accommodation:

Hotel service criterion: two adults share on one standard twin/double-bed room; solo traveler who want to occupy one twin/double-bed room assigned is required for extra single supplement rate. A single room is available on prior request at an additional cost; if a recommended hotel unavailable, it will be replaced by one of the same class. All hotels as the itinerary listed serve daily western or Chinese breakfast. All rooms are air-conditioned with private facilities unless specified.


Tour Arrangements:

The tour cost includes the planning, handling, booking, operation and communication charges.

Service Charge & Government Taxes

Price Excludes:

International airfare or train tickets for entry or exit China, unless that is noted or required otherwise.

Visa Fees, passport application or renewal fee.

Excess Baggage Charges.
Personal Expenses:
Expenses of a purely personal nature such as excess luggage fees, laundry, drinks, fax, telephone call, optional activities (shows) and meals, beverages...

Meals:
Any meal are not specified in the itinerary with "B", "L" or "D".
Any extra cost caused by the changes of natural disasters, fires, weather, government and local authority orders, politics, strikes, war, riots, quarantine, custom regulations; as well as tourist law violation, accident damages or injury incurred out of Access China Travel control.

Gratuities:
Tips to guides, escort, drivers bellman, etc.