Southern Pasture, Urumqi

Day 01Arrival in Urumqi

Our guide will meet you outside the baggage claim area at Urumqi Airport and transfer you to the hotel. The rest of the day is on your own to explore the city. You can go to local Uygur restaurants and delicacy stands to taste authentic Xinjiang snacks and representative local dishes. Bazaar is the traditional gathering places of Uygur people, where you can experience local customs and lifestyle. Erdaoqiao Bazaar in the south end of the Tianshan District is a frequently visited spots by travelers.

Day 02Urumqi

Full day tour to the Heavenly Lake.(B+L)

Descriptions:
Heavenly Lake - There are several heavenly lakes (tian chi) in China. The one in Urumqi Xinjiang is one of the most famous four. The natural crescent alpine lake lies in the mountain side under the grand Bogda Peak. Reputed as the pearl in Tianshan Mountain, the lake is not only a perfect summer resort, but also an ideal skating rink in winter. Although there are cable cars and vehicles offered up to the lake, visitors can also take challenges to hike up. That is hard and exhausted but a lot of fun.

Abakh Khoja Tomb, Kashgar

Day 03Urumqi - Kashgar

Visit the Southern Pasture and the Xinjiang Museum. Take a flight to Kashgar and transfer to the hotel.(B+L)

Descriptions:
Southern Pasture - Early in the Tang Dynasty, the Southern Pasture had become a distinguished game land and then well known as a famed pastured and summer resort since the early years of the Qing Dynasty. This is a vast and fertile land in the deserted dry Central Asia, where you can admire alpine grassland, Kazak folk customs and riding freely on horse back.

Xinjiang Museum - Located in Xibei Road of the city proper, it is a provincial integrated museum and largest cultural relics research center in Xinjiang of full-bodied local architectural features. It has basic displays on pottery, copper and iron articles of different periods of Xinjiang, folk customs of the twenty ethnic minorities living in Xinjiang, ancient corpses of some four thousand years ago and tens of thousand other exhibits.

Kashgar Sunday Market

Day 04Kashgar

Visit the Id Kah Mosque, and the Abakh Khoja Tomb, which are the important Muslim sites of the city and outstanding architectural representatives in the local. Old Street and the Bazaar are good places to witness local lifestyle the local residents lead. You can visit a local family here too.(B+L)

Descriptions:
Id Kah Mosque - The magnificent Islamic building of the mosque is located in the city center of Kashgar with an history of more than five hundred years since the ruler of Kashgar initiated the construction in 1442. Occupying an area of 16,800 square meters, there are thousands of pious Muslims coming to pray, especially in Friday.

Kashgar Grand Bazaar - Located near the east gate of Kashgar City, the bazaar is the largest international trade market in Northwest China. There are more than 20 specialized markets, some 5,000 fixed stalls and a food street, selling great variety of local handicrafts, specialties, delicacies and good from Pakistan, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan and Saudi Arabia.

Karakuri Lake

Day 05Kashgar - Tashkorgan

Drive to Tashkorgan. On the way, visit the Karakuri Lake. Transfer to the hotel.(B+L)

Descriptions:
Tashkorgan - This is a Tajik autonomous county located in the east part of the Pamirs, northern section of Karakorum Mountain, bordering Kashmir, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. The second highest peak in the world, Chogori and 'the father of ice-clad Mountain' Muztagata Peak are all located in this county.

Karakuri Lake - Literally meaning the 'black sea', the huge alpine ice-scour lake magnificently lies 3,600 meters above the sea level, reflecting the mysterious and lofty Muztagata nearby. The beautiful lake is about five hours from the base camp of Muztagata by foot or camel.  

Day 06Departure from Tashkorgan

Visit Stone City. See off through Khunjerab Pass, the famous pass between Pakistan and China(B)

Descriptions:
Stone City - The ruins of the Stone City on the ancient Silk Road is 1,300 year old, which is indeed a castle of a kingdom destroyed by flood. It is located on the top of a hill in north part of the county seat of Tashkorgan, once a pass of military and commercial importance along the Silk Road.  

B-- Breakfast     L-- Lunch     D-- Dinner