Day 01Arrival in Dunhuang

Our guide will meet you outside the baggage claim area at Dunhuang Airport and transfer you to the hotel. Explore the city on your own the rest of the day.

Tips: If you would like to buy some local handcrafts, luminous cup, known as the Yangguan Jade Cup should be a good recommendation. It is a special drinking vessel that glows in the moonlight. As early as in Tang Dynasty, there was description of this cup in poem. It is good for healthy when you drink using this cup. As the cup is made of jade, it is fragile and not very convenient for carrying. Please pack it carefully and take good care of that if you buy.   Descriptions: The Bazaar near the Great Mosque - The bazaar is called Muslim Street. As the name implies, it is an area where the Muslim reside in. The Muslim Street which is 500 meters long is the main street in this area. Along the street from south to north, the buildings are all in the style of Ming and Qing Dynasty. There are restaurants, souvenir shops and food shops. All of them are managed by Muslim. All the famous local flavor snacks and souvenirs can be found here. Also, Huajue Lane where the souvenir shops gather is also in this area. The Huajue Lane is a famous shopping area for small local souvenirs among the foreign travelers.

Ruins of the Stone City, Kashgar

Day 02Dunhuang - Turpan

You will experience a short camel-ride along the Echoing-Sand Dune to reach the Crescent Lake and visit the Mogao Grottoes. Take an overnight soft sleeper train to Turpan.(B+L+D)

Tips: The train conditions in China are different from those in your country. As one of the main forms of transportation in China, trains are always crowded. In the soft sleeper train you will take, there are four berths in each compartment, two uppers and two lowers. We always suggest our clients charter the whole compartment to avoid sharing it with strangers. There is no door or private wash room in each compartment in ordinary train. On the direct trains (with "Z" as the beginning of the train number), there are doors which can be locked for each compartment. For more information about trains in China, please click)
 
Descriptions: 
Mogao Grottoes - Mogao Grottoes, commonly known as Thousand-Buddha Grottoes, was built from Qian Qin Dynasty (351 -394 AD). Now with 735 caves, murals of 45,000 square metes (11.1 acres) and 2,415 painted sculptures of clay, it is the largest sanctum of Buddhist art having richest content in the world. With other three Grottoes, including Dunhuang Mogao, it shares the reputation of "Four Greatest Grottoes in China". Sitting on the cliff, it stretches long and unbroken for thousands of miles.

Day 03Turpan

Arrive in Turpan in the morning and transfer to the hotel. After having breakfast at the hotel, visit the Jiaohe Ruins, the Karez Well and the Sugong Pagoda.(B+L)

Day 04Turpan - Urumqi

Visit the Bizaklik Thousand Buddha Caves, the Gaochang Ruins and Flaming Hill. Drive to Urumqi and transfer to the hotel.(B+L)

Tips: To get to the Gaochang Ruins, you will need to take a donkey cart a short distance. This short road to the ruins is very bumpy and thick with dust. If you go on foot, your trousers will be covered with dust. We also suggest you cover your head with a scarf or hat to keep off the flying dust. Around the ruins, there are some pretty Uigur children in their ethnic dress. If you want to take photos with them, you need to pay. Five to 20 Yuan is acceptable.

Local people having their special meals

Day 05Urumqi

Visit the Southern Pastures (West White Poplar Gully) and the Xinjiang Regional Museum.(B+L)

Descriptions: 
Southern Pastures - Actually the Southern Pastures consist of six parts and tourists are often arranged to visit the West White Poplar Gully. This is a natural summer pasture. Mountains, grasslands, rivers and forests constitute picturesque scenery. You may be invited to be a guest in a yurt and have a cup of milk tea.

Day 06Urumqi - Korla

Drive to Korla and transfer to the hotel. Visit Tiemen Pass.(B+L)

Tips: As one of the most famous restaurants in Korla, Bodun Restaurant (Address: No. 92 Renmin West Road, Korla, Xinjiang 841000) is a Muslim restaurant with specific ethnic flavor, where you have to forgo wine or beer. You can have dinner on your own here. Almost every taxi driver knows where it is and it costs you 5 RMB to get there. You will find typical central Asian food there, like pilaf, fried rice, and braised mutton. You should not miss the special yoghourt. Usually the yoghourt in Xinjiang is rather acidic, so you might want to add some sugar.

Day 07Korla - Kuqa

Drive to Kuqa and transfer to the hotel. Visit the Subashi Ruins.(B+L)

Tips: Kuqa has two districts: the new town area and the old town area. The old town is on the east bank of Kuqa River and your hotel is located here. Kuqa city is small and you will easily find a bridge leading directly to the main square, where the daily bazaar is held. There are many alleys in the old town and it is quite an experience to stroll through them on your own. The gates of the residents are always open and you can get a glimpse at their courtyards. Perhaps the friendly hosts may invite you in to have a drink and chat with you for a while.   

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