There are multiple options for car travel routes in southern Xinjiang, and one of the classic 10-day tour routes is as follows**:
Day 1: Depart from Urumqi to begin your journey in southern Xinjiang.
Day 2: Depart from Urumqi to Kuitun, enjoying the scenery along the way and preparing for the next leg of the journey.
Day 3: Travel from Kuitun to Dushanzi Grand Canyon and then proceed to Bayanbulak. In Bayanbulak, you can choose to leave the scenic area and continue along the Duku Highway to experience the joy of horseback riding.
Day 4: Explore Bayanbulak Grassland and Tianshan Grand Canyon, and then head to Kuqa.
Day 5: Visit the Kuqa Royal Palace and the famous Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves to feel the weight of history and the charm of art.
Day 6: Travel from Kuqa to Hotan, crossing the magnificent Taklamakan Desert and experiencing the unique charm of the desert highway.
Day 7: Arrive in Kashgar city and visit the bustling Kashgar Night Market in the evening to taste local cuisine.
Day 8: Depart from Kashgar city and head for Tashkurgan County along the China-Pakistan Friendship Highway. You can enjoy the magnificent scenery of the Pamir Plateau on the way, including the Kexiu Glacier Park, Baisha Lake, Karakul Lake, and Mushtagh Mountain.
Day 9: Visit the盘龙 Gu Dao (Dragon Coiled Road) and then return to Kashgar Old City. If time allows, you can also choose to continue to Datong Town and then return to Shache.
Day 10: Spend a day deeply exploring Kashgar Old City and feel the local cultural atmosphere. You can visit famous attractions such as Xiangfei Garden and mosques.
In addition, there are other wonderful self-driving tours in southern Xinjiang, such as the Southern Xinjiang Grand Circle Route, which covers many cultural and natural landscapes of southern Xinjiang and is suitable for tourists who want to deeply experience the local customs.
. No matter which route you choose, you can find your own travel joy on the vast land of southern Xinjiang.