Gobi Desert Adventure

Today’s Urumqi tour continues, and we’ll head to the Heavenly Lake to embrace the unspoiled nature. After breakfast, your guide and the driver will wait for you at the hotel lobby and escort you on a 1-hour private drive to reach the lake. The crescent-shaped lake located on the north side of Bogda Peak in the Heavenly Mountains is framed by lush mountains covered with tall, verdant spruce and pine trees. Stroll around the lake to enjoy a natural escape along miles of wooden walkways, taking in the cascading waterfalls, thick forests, and beautiful lake views. The lake is also known as a bathing pool of a Chinese goddess, Queen Mother of the West, in Chinese mythology, making it more like a fairyland. If you’re energetic enough, climb up to the lakeside Queen Mother of the West Temple to enjoy a sweeping view, which can also be accessed by a cruise for CNY 100 (USD 14) on your own.  

► Visit Tips: 
1. Wear a pair of comfortable hiking shoes and apply sun screen generously! 
2. The scenic area is well-equipped, including convenience stores and fast-food restaurants like KFC, which offer drinks and snacks at a reasonable price. 

Then, we’ll go back to the Urumqi downtown area to get a taste of Uyghur culture and customs at Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar. Upon arrival, the first sight that comes into your eyes is the iconic 7-floor Silk Road Tower standing on the square, with a height of 80 meters (262 ft.). Roam the bustling bazaar guarded by Islamic-style architecture with domes, arcades, and spires everywhere, and explore the outdoor stalls piled high with dried fruits and other delicacies like baked mutton stuffed buns with crispy skin and juicy filling, kebabs, grilled fish, and naan, Uyghur-style bread. You can even find a museum about naan, specializing in introducing the naan culture and offering tastes of various types of the aromatic flat bread. The market also buzzes with pricy souvenirs and handicrafts. Skip the outside stores and step into a deeper area, where a local wholesale market hides, offering much cheaper wool handicrafts, leather goods, clothing, hats, musical instruments, and wooden products. 

At the end of the day, the guide and the driver will escort you back to your hotel. If you want to linger longer for vibrant nightlife, exhilarating folk dances, and dreamy night scenes, feel free to explore it on your own and go back by taxi.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Excemon Xinjiang Yilite Hotel (4 stars)

This morning, your guide will accompany you to extend the trip to Turpan, taking about 3.5 hours by car. Turpan is a magical land scorched by the sun, featuring China’s hottest place, the Flaming Mountains. It is also the last place in Xinjiang where Buddhism flourished. Thanks to the wisdom of the Karez irrigation system, it became an oasis, preserving ancient city ruins, the fusion of Eastern and Western cultures, along with Silk Road relics. Today’s first stop is the Karez System, a marvelous engineering wonder comparable to the Great Wall. Without the Karez System, there would be no sweet fruits of Turpan; it especially nurtures Turpan’s vineyards with high-sugar grapes. Under the "Fire Land" with an annual evaporation of 3,000 millimeters, the Karez System boasts a network of underground canals composed of over 2,000 culverts, which have been flowing for more than 2,000 years, along with vertical wells, open tunnels, and flood dams. Following the guide to go underground with a headlamp, you can wade through the ancient waterway to touch the damp gravel well walls and feel the natural coolness of 18°C (64℉). Don’t forget to take a coat underground. 

Then, we’ll head toward the Ancient City of Jiaohe, constructed by crammed earth, once an important Silk Road stopover, but later it was destroyed by the Mongols. The existing remains offer a glimpse of once government offices, residences, and Buddhist temples, but it might be a little hard to recreate its former grandeur as it has undergone thousands of years of wind erosion. Take a flashlight, and you might also discover the wheel tracks from thousands of years ago and the mysterious Sanskrit inscriptions in some caves. Please wear hard-soled hiking shoes to protect you from broken pottery shards and gullies. Also, bring at least 2 liters of water and a sun-protective mask, as there is no store inside, and no shady areas as well. Afterward, cap off today’s trip at China’s tallest minaret, Emin Minaret, soaring up to 44 meters (144 ft.). In the end, the guide and the driver will escort you back to your hotel. 

► Night Activities Recommended: (at your own expense) 
If the day tour to Ancient City of Jiaohe makes you feel too scorching, then sigh up its night tour at your own expense to soak up its unique night atmosphere, where the tall, dilapidated city walls conceal their former glory under the lingering glow of the setting sun, and a series of night performance like flute solo, singing, and poetry reading will be on show at dusk. Alternatively, go hungry to Turpan’s bustling night markets like Grape Night Market and Xingfu Road Food Street. The former one is crowded with local snacks with street performances, while the latter one, frequented by locals, offers a more authentic atmosphere.  

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Mercure Hotel Turpan Downtown (4 stars)

After breakfast, your guide and the driver will accompany you first to Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, witnessing the lost civilization of Uighurs, who built the cave grottos dating from the 5th to 14th century. Constructed between the fiery red and yellow Flaming Mountains and the lush green Wooden Valley, the 166-meter-long (545-foot) cave complex stretches in a line on the half-cliff, with 83 caves, though only half of them have murals, most of which have been seriously destroyed and stolen by foreign archeologists in the early 20th century. Once you take a closer look, you may find that nearly all mural figures’ eyes and mouths were damaged, which is said to stem from a religious taboo; the local Islamic believers thought that the figures in the murals would come out at night and harm their children. Therefore, they removed the mouths and eyes from the images to exorcise evil spirits. Then, we’ll stop by the neighboring Flaming Mountains, where the sand with super high temperature, exceeding 70℃ (158℉), can even boil eggs. This is also a famous sight related to Monkey King, the beloved hero in Chinese folklore. 

★ Explore Primitive Uyghur Life at Millennium-old Mazha Village!

At the foot of the mountain lies the oldest existing Uyghur village in Xinjiang, Mazha Village in Tuyugou Valley, with a history of more than 1,700 years. Here, you can not only explore the well-preserved earthen architectural complex composed of traditional residential houses and a mosque, but also slow down to experience the local life. It’s like a corner forgotten by time, where the elderly wearing doppa sit under ancient mulberry trees to cool off, while children play in the alleys. Everything has been preserved in its most primitive form. You’ll also be shown around their unique grape drying houses, built of a rectangular layout with a flat roof and earth-block walls with square holes for ventilation. In summer, fresh grapes can be air-dried into raisins after 30 to 40 days. 

Later, we’ll come to today’s final stop, the Ancient City of Gaochang. We especially arranged the UNESCO-listed ruins in the late afternoon so that you can glimpse the breathtakingly grand palaces, Buddhist temples, and fortresses of the once capital city of Gaochang Kingdom (5th-14th century AD) bathed in the glow of the setting sun. When visiting, please make sure to stay hydrated. After that, your guide and the driver will convoy you back to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Mercure Hotel Turpan Downtown (4 stars)

Today, tear yourself away from the flaming land, Turpan, and your private guide and the driver will escort you on a 2-hour ride to the Kumtag Desert. To be an early bird, or you may suffer from the unbearable heat. Upon arrival, it’s time to enjoy the dry-as-a-bone desert freely. Beside a county suburban area, the lesser-known desert bordering an oasis boasts powder-soft sand and an expansive view from the top of the sand dunes. On clear days, you can even look far away at the snow mountains in the distance. Some exciting activities, like dune buggy riding, sand sliding, and camel riding are also available at your own expense.

► Insider Tips: 
1. Trying a dune buggy ride is just like riding a small roller coaster up and down among the hilly dunes, and most people won’t miss it!
2. If you plan to experience the sand sliding, make sure to choose a steep slope, which can make you slide down more smoothly. Of course, it surely gets your adrenaline levels higher. 
3. At noon, the hot sand may burn your feet, and it is suggested that you prepare a pair of shoe covers, which can also be acquired at the entrance.

After a fun-filled morning, we’ll leave for Urumqi in the afternoon, which takes around 4 hours on the way enjoying the grasslands, snow mountains, and giant windmills. After arrival, check into the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Excemon Xinjiang Yilite Hotel (4 stars)

This morning, your guide will escort you to Urumqi Airport, and you’ll take a 1-hour flight to Kashgar, the epicenter of southern Xinjiang. The south and north of Xinjiang are traditionally divided by the huge, expansive Heavenly Mountains. Upon arrival, a local guide and a driver will meet you at the baggage claiming area and then accompany you to the Kashgar Old Town. If time permits, you may catch the daily gate-opening ceremony, where locals in traditional costumes gracefully dance and sing in front of the East Gate, instantly transporting you back in time to a thousand years ago. Along with the music of the Rawap, a traditional Uyghur instrument, you’ll be welcomed to the labyrinthine alleyways to explore its soul. 

The guide will accompany you first to the solemn Id Kah Mosque, one of the largest mosques in China. Composed of a grand arch-shaped gate, prayer halls, gatehouses, and two towering minarets, the complex features a bright yellow facade, and its interior is supported by numerous green carved wooden pillars, which can accommodate tens of thousands of worshippers praying simultaneously. Then, continue the exploration to the Handicraft Street, which brings together several handicrafts and arts passed down for generations. You can watch potters make pottery by hand, look for beautifully carved wooden bowls and spoons, and peruse ethnic musical instrument shops selling Rawap and the pear-shaped Dutar with two strings, where you can even enjoy live performances. In copperware stores, witness craftsmen hammer and shape copper vessels. Locals mostly use unadorned pieces, which are relatively inexpensive, while visitors prefer those with intricate patterns. The alley is also filled with clothes, textiles, carpets, and local snacks, and feel free to explore. Strolling at the end of the street, we’ll come to an old local tea house, named “A Hundred Year Old Tea House”, where the famous movie “The Kite Runner” was once filmed. If lucky, grab a window seat, where Amir's father once watched the kite race. Just enjoy the slow pace as locals do, sipping a cup of tea with a plate of snacks and watching local grandpas meet and play dombra with crisp sound, hand drum, and flute. You are encouraged to join their blissful singing and dancing! Today’s last top is Abakh Khoja Tomb, the largest Islamic dome building in Xinjiang. The striking green-glazed tomb complex is said to be the burial place of the famous “Fragrant Concubine” of the Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799 AD). However, it is a rumor and the truth is that this is the tomb of her family members, while she herself was buried near Beijing. Finish the visit, and the guide will escort you back to the hotel. 

► Warm Tips:
1. If you happen to visit on Sunday, the bustling and noisy Sunday Livestock Market will also be arranged for you. It’s interesting to observe the transportation and trade of cattle and sheep. When you see locals shake hands, it generally indicates a deal is made. Remember to wear a mask and a pair of worn shoes, as it is inevitably a bit dirty, smelly and dusty.
2. The gate-opening ceremony of Kashgar Old Town generally starts at 10:30 am, and it is better to arrive in advance, as queues begin to form at 10:00. If you miss it, don’t worry, there are also a lot of captivating parades like the Camel Caravan Parade and Princess Seeking a Bride hosted regularly every day. You can also ask the guide for an activity list in advance.  

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Radisson Blu Hotel Kashgar (5 stars)

This morning, spend your last minute getting lost in the Kashgar Old Town to embrace the city’s rhythm on your own. Get up early to beat the crowds. Wander aimlessly through the streets and alleys, soaking up the peaceful atmosphere, without the noise of tourists or the hustle and bustle of traffic. When the sunlight slants through the earthen-yellow alleys and falls on the mottled old walls, you'll see the Uyghur elderly stroll slowly along the stone-paved paths, occasionally punctuated by the chirping of early birds, and encounter local men (known as ‘Aka’) who ride a bicycle to sell milk.

Your 7 days private Xijiang Kashgar tour draws to an end here. The guide and the driver will escort you to the airport for your onward journey according to your schedule. Wish you a nice trip! Whether you want to extend your trip to explore natural wonders in Xinjiang, like Nalati Grassland and Sayram Lake, finish a Grand Loop combining Qinghai and Gansu, or explore more Silk Road relics in Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, we can all tailor it for you. Feel free to contact us for more detailed information! 

Meals: Western buffet breakfast