Urumqi Turpan Korla Kuqa Aksu Kashgar 9-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 200km to Turpan. Stay at your hotel in Turpan. The afternoon tour in Turpan include:

1. Jiaohe Ruins - The Jiaohe Ruins is the place of ancient Chinese ruins found in the Yarnaz Valley, 10 km west of the city of Turpan. The city of Jiaohe was the capital of the Anterior Jushi Kingdom, concurrent with the Han Dynasty, Jin Dynasty and Southern and Northern Dynasties in China. It was finally abandoned after its destruction during an invasion by the Mongols led by Genghis Khan in the 13th century.

2. Karez Well - It is a loacal Turfan water system, called karez well in Turfan. It is a qanat system that has been regarded as one of the three greatest water projects of ancient China together with the Du Jiang Yan Irrigation System, and the Grand Canal.

3. Flaming Mountains - The Flaming Mountains are barren, eroded, red sandstone hills in the east of the city of Turfan. The mountain climate is harsh and the temperature is extremely hot in the summer, the hottest site in China.

4. Grape Valley - Situated in the Flaming Mountain 13 km east of Turpan, the Grape Valley is 8km long from north to south and 0.5km wide. This green paradise of 400 hektares is covered with layer upon layer of grapes.

After breakfast, drive 400km ( about 6 hours ) to the new oil city - Korla. Stay at your hotel in 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. 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.

Tonight stay at your hotel in 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.

After lunch, drive 230km to Aksu. Stay at your hotel in Aksu.

After breakfast, visit The Magical Wood Garden in Wensu. In the garden you will be amazed at finding the old trees reaching high to the sky. Some of trees are oddly shaped. People say if you come back from the "The Magical Wood Garden in Wensu", you will lose your interest in seeing any more trees in future.

After lunch, drive 500km ( about 7 hours ) to Kashgar. Stay at your hotel in Kashgar.

Full day round trip to the Lake Karakuli, 190 kilometers from Kashgar and 1500 kilometers from Urumchi in southwest Xinjiang, and about 3600 meters above sea level.

• The Lake Karakuli ( the Lake Karakol ): At the base of Muztagh Ata (7,545 m ) sits Lake Karakol (3,770 m ), a majestic blue glacial lake that is fed by the mammoth, century-old glaciers above. 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.