Abakh Khoja Tomb, Kashgar

Day 13Minfeng - Korla

Drive about 9-10 hours (780 kilometers) to Korla through the Taklamakan Desert and enjoy the scenery of sand dunes. Stay overnight at the local hotel.(B+L)

Tips: Since Minfeng is located as far as 750 kilometers (466 miles) away from Korla, it takes you about 7 or 8 hours driving on the road. You will be driven through the second largest desert by the longest desert road in the world. On the way, you can enjoy the magnificent scene of Taklamakan Desert and also forests of desert poplars which have lived without water over hundreds of years. At noon, you will have your lunch near Tarim River. Because you will go through the desert for a whole day, it is advisable to wear a pair of sunglasses, bring enough water and also protect your camera well from sandstorm. 

Descriptions: Taklamakan Desert - As the second largest desert in the world, Taklamakan covers an area of 33, 700 square kilometers (over 13 square miles). In Uyghur, Taklamakan means you can get in but never out, so the desert is also called "Sea of Death". Actually, there are densely planted poplars in the desert along rivers, forming a "green corridor" in it.

Id Kah Mosque, Kashgar

Day 14Korla - Turpan

Drive about 5 hours (380 kilometers) to Turpan and transfer to the hotel.(B+L)

Tips: The restaurants in your hotel serve a great variety of delicacies where you can choose for your dinner on your own. There are four different restaurants here, including the Western Restaurant, Muslim Restaurant, Han Restaurant and Flavor Food Restaurant. You will find your favorite easily among the omnifarious dishes on offer. You may try the roasted lamb, kebabs, Zhua Rou (mutton eaten with hands) and braised Mutton. If you are not very used to the local food or would like to have dinner outside the hotel, you can take a taxi or donkey cart to the John's Information Café where serves nice western food. The café lies opposite to the Turpan Hotel and is not far from your hotel. You can ask the bell boy for the specific direction and walk there on your own.

Day 15Turpan

Visit the Bizaklik Thousand Buddha Caves, the Gaochang Ruins and the Flaming Hill.(B+L)

Descriptions: Gaochang Ruins - is located to the east of Turpan city, about 40 kilometers (24.9 miles) away. It was an important gateway on the ancient Silk Road. In Uyghur, Gaochang means "City of King", because Gaochang was the capital of Gaochang Huihu Kingdom in the past. Once an archaeologist said, "If you want to know how the Chang'an City looks like in glorious age of Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), come to Gaochang Ruins." Though a thousand years passed, you can still feel the prosperity of Gaochang in those days.

Day 16Turpan - Dunhuang

Visit the Jiaohe Ruins, the Karez Well and the Sugong Pagoda. Take an overnight soft sleeper train to Dunhuang.(B+L+D)

Descriptions: Sugong Pagoda - As the largest ancient tower in existence in Xinjiang, Sugong Pagoda is also the only Islamic tower in China. There are 14 windows on the tower body in different directions. On the surface, triangular patterns, quatrefoils, water ripples and lozenge patterns are layered. You can feel the typical features of Islamic architecture from it.

A local market in Turpan

Day 17Dunhuang

You will be picked up at the railway station and transferred to the hotel. Breakfast will be your choice. Visit the Mogao Grottoes and the Dunhuang Museum.(L)

Tips: When visiting the Mogao Grottoes, the visitors are not allowed to take photos, for the sake of protecting the frescos. As the light does great harm to the pigments, lots of frescos was damaged in the past years. To protect this precious cultural heritage, no photoflash lamp is allowed in the grotto and also no any lights installed in the caves. When visiting, the guide will use a flashlight for illuming and you can also bring your own flashlight, but please be prudent with its use.
 
Descriptions: Mogao Grottoes - The Mogao Grottoes, commonly called Thousand Buddha Caves, is situated about 25 kilometers southeast from Dunhuang which is one strategic passage along the Silk Road. Looking from afar, the 735 Mogao Grottoes of different sizes spread along a 1,600 meters long cliff at five different levels, just like a gigantic honeycomb. In the grottoes, there is a rich collection of murals and painted sculptures with historical value and great aesthetic. In the modern times, the Buddhist scriptures in the Mogao grottoes are also discovered.

Day 18Dunhuang - Xian

You will experience a short camel-ride along the Echoing-Sand Dune to reach the Crescent Lake. Take a flight to Xian and visit the City Wall on the way to the hotel. (B+L, D is included for luxury series.)

Differences:
Luxury series: A sumptuous buffet dinner will be served at your hotel upon your arrival in Xian, so that you can have enough time for a good rest this evening.
Standard series: The dinner today will be left on your side. It's easy for you to find a good restaurant for dinner around your hotel.
 
Tips: Due to the distinct temperature difference in Xinjiang, the fruits here are more fragrant, more savory and sweeter than other regions. Enjoying the tasty fruits here composes one part of Xinjiang Travel. Please keep in mind that do not drink tea after you eat the fruits, or you will get diarrhea.

Sunday Bazaar, Kashgar

Day 19Xian

Visit the Terracotta Warriors Museum. To avoid having the poor food at the site, you will take the highway back to downtown to have lunch at a well known Cantonese cuisine restaurant. In the afternoon, visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.(B+L+D)

Differences:
Luxury series: we will arrange the marvelous Tang Dynasty Dinner Show at the splendid Tang Dynasty Palace. (Address: No.75 Chang'an Road, Xian)
Standard series: We will arrange the local speciality Dumpling Banquet and Tang Dynasty Dance and Music Show at Shaanxi Opera Theater. (Address: No. 165, Wenyi Road, Xian)   
 
Tips: Hyatt Regency Hotel for luxury series is situated in the most bustling area of Xian City. If you walk out of your hotel and turn to the west (left), you will be on the busiest street of Xian - East Street (Dongdajie Avenue). Along the street, boutique stores and fashion accessories shops are lined one by one, with some fast food restaurants or stalls intermingled among them. Keep going to the end of the street, and you will find the landmark Bell Tower and some large shopping malls scattered around. The large Kaiyuan Shopping Mall and Century Ginwa Shopping Mall are open till 22:00 every day. You can sip a cup of coffee at the Starbucks beside the Ginwa Mall and enjoy the night scenery of Xian after dinner. Afterward, you can take a taxi back to your hotel or walk back on your own.

Day 20Xian - Shanghai

Visit the Great Mosque and a local family in the morning. After enjoying the a la carte lunch at a famous local restaurant, take a flight to Shanghai and be transferred to the hotel.(B+L)

Descriptions: Great Mosque - The most famous mosque in Xian, the Great Mosque was first built during the mid-seventh century when Islam was introduced to Northwest China as a religion by Arabic merchants and travelers. As an important to show Muslim culture mingling with Chinese, mixed architecture of traditional Chinese and Muslim styles is a big feature of the mosque.
 
Shanghai - Shanghai, the most dynamic city in China, has witnessed the history of modern China. The history of Shanghai is an epitome of modern China. Originally a fishing and textiles town, Shanghai grew to prominence in the 19th century. With the opening up to foreign trade in 1842, the city gradually flourished as an important international trade and commerce center. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Shanghai continues its robust development due to its favorable location and the national policy.

Day 21Shanghai

Visit the Shanghai Museum and the Yuyuan Garden. After lunch, different schedule is arranged for luxury and standard series as the "Differences" below specifies. The farewell dinner is served at Wang Bao He restaurant, followed by the Portman Acrobatic Show at Shanghai Centre Theatre.(B+L+D)

Differences:
Luxury series: You will take a short cruise tour from the Bund area to Wusongkou pier along the Huangpu River in the afternoon.
Standard series: The guide will accompany you walking along the Bund area and visiting a local family in the afternoon.
 
Descriptions: Huangpu River - Flowing through Shanghai city, Huangpu River originates from Dianshan Lake and pours into the Yangtze River at Wusongkou. It possesses the comprehensive function of shipping, drainage, irrigation, fishery, travel, adjusting the climate and so on. It is the mother river of Shanghai, and also the symbol and epitome of Shanghai. On both sides of the river, it assembles the highlights of Shanghai city. The Bund area along the river is the hotspot for both local people and visitors all over the world.
 
Shanghai Museum - According to historical records, the use of Chinese coins as the medium of exchange can be dated back to more than 3,000 years ago. The Gallery of Chinese Ancient Coins in Shanghai Museum enjoys a great reputation for its collection of numerous ancient coins. About 7,000 specimens of Chinese ancient coins are exhibited there.

Day 22Departure from Shanghai

Today you will be transferred to the airport for your homeward flight.(B)

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