Urumqi Korla Kuqa Minfeng Hotan Kashgar 8-Day Tour

Arrival in Urumqi, met by our tour guide in Urumqi and transferred to your hotel in Urumqi. After lunch, drive 120km to Tianchi Lake. Tian Chi - The name literally means "Heaven Lake" or "Heavenly Lake. This Tianchi lies on the north side of Bogda Peak of Tianshan Mountains, about 120 km east of Urumqi. It is an alpine drift lake shaped in the Quaternary Glacier period.

Then return to the city center of Urumqi. Before dinner, have a short city tour of the bazaar - Urumqi International Bazaar, locally called "Erdaoqiao Bazaar", located at No.160 Shengli Street of Urumqi city, it boasts a total area of 100,000 square meters, largest bazaar in the world. Return to your hotel in Urumqi.

Pick up from your hotel in Urumqi, then take a private vehicle and escorted by our tour guide and drive 470km ( about 6 hours ) to the new oil city - Korla. Today visit Bosten Lake - Bosten Lake is the largest inland fresh water lake in China. The lake looks like a fairyland winning its reputation of being a "pearl" in the desert sea.

After breakfast, drive 300km ( about 4 hours ) to Kuqa.

Today' highlight tour in Kuqa include:

1.Kizil Thousand-Buddha Caves - Located 67 kilometers west of Kucha County, the Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves is the oldest of its kind in China and the largest ruins of Buddhist culture in Xinjiang, even one century earlier than the famous Mogao Grottoes.There are now 236 numbered grottoes in this cave, which houses nearly 10,000 square meters of mural paintings.

2.Tianshan Grand Canyon - The Tianshan Mystery Canyon is located in the mountain area 72km north of Kuqa. The canyon is characterized by oddly-shaped rocks, craggy pinnacles, rugged cliffs and deep ravines. The width of the canyon changes due to the terrain.

While the broadest area is 53 meter wide, the narrowest section is too narrow for one person to go through sideways.

Stay at your hotel in Kuqa.

After breakfast, drive 630km along the longest sand road acrossing Taklamakan Desert. On the way, visit Diversifolious Poplar Forest in Luntai. The Luntai County is a county under the administration of the Bayinguole Mongolia Autonomous Prefecture. It is located 171km west Korla and 109km east of Kuqa, the north starting point of the longest Desert Road in the world: Luntai - Minfeng Desert Road.

Diversifolious Poplar Forest is located in the north of Taklimakan Desert, the middle portion of Tarim River. It is 70 km south to Luntai County. It is the biggest ancient poplar forest park in Xinjiang.

Then crosss the Taklamakan Desert. The Taklamakan Desert, also known as Taklimakan, is a desert surrounded by Kunlun Mountains to the south, and Pamir Mountains and Tian Shan to the west and north. Taklamakan is one of the largest sandy deserts in the world. A cross-desert highway that connects the cities of Hotan (on the southern side) and Luntai (on the northern side). Tonight stay at your hotel in Minfeng.

Drive 320km to Hotan. Visit the king trees of walnut and fig in the city. Stay at your hotel in Hotan.

After breakfast, visit Melikawat Ruins. Melikawat Ancient Ruins was Part of the vast ancient kingdom of ancient Hotan, 28 km south of central Hotan.

After lunch, drive 322km to Kashgar. Stay at your hotel in Kashgar.

Today' Kashgar highlight tour include:

1.Id Kah Mosque - The Id Kah mosque is the largest mosque in China. Every Friday, it accommodates nearly 10,000 worshippers and may hold up to 20,000. The mosque was built by Saqsiz Mirza in ca. 1442.

2.Abakh Khoja Tomb - Abakh Khoja Tomb is the 17th Century family cemetery of the Kashgar area Islamic leader. In China the tomb is quite popular as the Tomb of Xiang Fei, the only Uigur concubine among the 41 wives of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Abakh Khoja Tomb is famous as a well-preserved Islamic architectural complex not only in Xinjiang, but throughout Central Asia. Xiang Fei's love story entices tourists from home and abroad.

After late lunch, take the afternoon flight back to Urumqi. Transferred back to your hotel in Urumqi.

After breakfast, free to your transfer to Urumqi airport or Urumqi Train Station for your next destination; or you are free on your own.