Gobi Desert Adventure

Your professional guide and driver will pick you up today when you reach the airport or the railway station in Urumqi. You will be transported to the hotel in a comfortable vehicle. After a short rest in the hotel, your guide will show you around the Xinjiang Regional Museum, where you can see the famous ancient corpse of 'Loulan Beauty' and brocades from the Han Dynasty (202 BC - 220 AD). Then you will be escorted back to the hotel.

This morning, your guide will accompany you to visit the Heavenly Lake, which looks like a blue crescent lying among the lofty mountains, reflecting the azure sky and floating clouds. You will be definitely amazed by the picturesque scenery here.

The afternoon Uighur trip itinerary will take you to the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar, the biggest bazaar in the world, where you can see Islamic buildings, taste delicious local foods, experience the original ethnic customs and buy some local handicrafts at a bargain price. Afterwards, we will head back to the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, you will take a 3.5-hour drive to Turpan, the next destination of your Uighur trip. The first stop you will visit is the Karez System, a desert irrigation system, and one of the three greatest ancient projects in China. Then you will visit the Ancient City of Jiaohe which was built of the rammed earth entirely. Standing in the ruins, you can imagine the past glory of the city 2,300 years ago. After that, your trip continues to the Emin Minaret - a landmark of Turpan and the largest ancient pagoda in Xinjiang. The adjoining mosque is large enough to hold more than 1,000 people. Afterwards, your guide and driver will escort you to check into the hotel in Turpan.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Today's sightseeing tour starts with a visit to the Ancient City of Gaochang. It was founded in the 1st century BC, but largely destroyed by war in the late 13th century. You can still find ruins of the city walls, temples, forts and chambers here. Next, you will visit the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves located on the cliffs of the Flaming Mountains, where a large number of Buddha images on the murals are quite diverse, hence the name. After that, you will be guided to the villages of the Tuyugou Valley, which is regarded as 'Little Maijia'. You can see the primitive Uygur residences and experience traditional local customs. We will drive by the Flaming Mountains on the way back to the hotel and you will see them bright red under the sunlight.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Today you will be accompanied to spend a full day in the Kumtag Desert. A private transfer will take you there in 1.5 hours. You can have fun in the desert, like riding a camel, experiencing sand surfing or driving an off-road vehicle at your own expense. Taking photos of the endless desert and oasis from the top of the sand dunes is a must-do activity especially for shutterbugs. After the visit, you will be escorted to the hotel in Urumqi via a 4-hour ride.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, you will be transported to the airport to take a morning flight to Kashgar. Your guide and driver of the Kashgar tour will meet you at the airport and help you check into the hotel. After you have a short break, they will take you to visit the Kashgar Old Town where the famous film "The Kite Runner" was shot. Then you will walk to the Id Kah Mosque, one of the largest mosques in China, presenting typical Islamic architectural features. At noon, we will take a family visit to taste authentic home-made Uighur food.

The afternoon Kashgar tour itinerary includes the Abakh Khoja Tomb - where a beloved concubine of the Emperor Qianlong was buried, and then the Kashgar Bazaar - a prosperous fair similar to the Grand Bazaar in Urumqi but with more local features. If you visit the bazaar on a Sunday, there will be an animal trading market for locals to exchange their livestock. When today's Kashgar tour is completed, you will return to the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

It is the last day of your Uighur trip. Your guide will transfer you to the airport for your departing flight. There are direct flights from Kashgar to some major cities in China, like Xian, Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. You can also transit at Urumqi Airport to countries in Central Asia, such as Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. We hope you have had a great time in Xinjiang!

Meals: Western buffet breakfast