Kashgar Car Rental: 0991-8585456 (same number)
Day 1
Urumqi
Fly from various cities across the country to Urumqi. Upon arrival, we will arrange for a dedicated car and person to pick you up (or from the train station) and take you to the hotel to rest. Along the way, enjoy the prosperity of Urumqi today and in the past.
Meals: Breakfast (please arrange on your own), Lunch (please arrange on your own), Dinner √
Accommodation: Urumqi
Day 2
Urumqi – Ku’erle (500KM, approximately 7 hours by car)
After breakfast, we will take a bus to southern Xinjiang. Ku’erle City, known as the "City of Pears", is a city in southern Xinjiang and the second largest city in Xinjiang after Urumqi. It is the target city for the Xinjiang Autonomous Region government’s "North Urumqi, South Ku’erle" development plan. It is a fortress for entering and exiting southern Xinjiang and the watershed between northern and southern Xinjiang. Along the way, we will view the Ten-Mile Salt Lake and Asia’s wind power station, the Dabancheng Wind Power Station. We will cross the ancient Silk Road "Dry Gully" and the Malan Base, enjoying the scenery of the Gobi Desert. After lunch, we will visit [China’s Inland Freshwater Lake – Bosten Lake (45 yuan)] (Lotus Lake). It is the terminus of the Kaidu River and the source of the Peacock River. In summer, the lotus flowers ripple on the water, with fish swimming alongside boats; in autumn, the reeds sway gently, with golden cotton flying, and the honking of geese sends thoughts across thousands of miles. You can take a boat into the lake at your own expense to see the dense reeds, clear lake water, and the underwater forest wonders. There is a marker for the source of the Peacock River in the lake, where you can experience the beauty of the lake amid the vast Gobi Desert in Xinjiang. Upon arrival in Ku’erle, we will visit [Tiemen Pass (6 yuan)], one of the twenty-six famous passes in ancient China and the first pass in the Western Regions. In the Jin Dynasty, a pass was established here, and it was called Tiemen Pass because of its strategic location. We will admire its majestic scenery surrounded by mountains and rivers.
Meals: Breakfast √ Lunch √ Dinner √
Accommodation: Korla
Day 3
Korla/Taklamakan Desert/Populus euphratica Forest Park/Minfeng (600 km, driving approximately
After breakfast, depart for the world’s longest desert highway and enter the Taklamakan Desert, the second-largest desert in the world and the Sea of Death. In Uyghur, it means ‘enter but cannot exit.’ Driving on the world’s longest desert highway, experience the Sea of Death and appreciate the sentiment ‘turning the ancient sand sea into an oilfield was a dream for millennia, today a miracle has turned the desert into a thoroughfare.’ Perceive the hope rekindled by oil workers in the ‘Sea of Death.’ View the magnificent Tarim Bridge and the ‘unrestrained wild horse,’ the [Tarim River, the Mother River], winding through the desert. Later, visit and admire the [world’s only primitive Populus euphratica Forest Park Reserve, 100 yuan/person, including scenic area train and shuttle bus]. Ten percent of the world’s Populus euphratica forests are in China, and ninety percent of China’s Populus euphratica forests are in Xinjiang along the Tarim River. Its ancestors appeared as early as 135 million years ago and are called ‘the third-century living fossil’ by geologists, making it one of the oldest types of poplar trees in the world. The primitive Populus euphratica forest—the ‘desert hero tree,’ the Populus euphratica tree praised as ‘dead for a thousand years but not decayed’—imparts a sense of perseverance and the power and spirit to strive upwards in any environment. Throughout the journey, countless landscapes unfold before your eyes. Later, proceed to Minfeng County, located in the southwest of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, at the northern foot of the Kunlun Mountains and on the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert.
Meals: Breakfast √ Lunch √ Dinner √
Accommodation: Minfeng
Day 4
Minfeng/Hetian Jade Dragon River/King Walnut Tree/Grape Corridor/Hotan (320 km, driving
After breakfast, depart for Hotan, the hometown of silk, jade, and carpets. Visit the miracle in the history of grape cultivation—the [15-km Grape Corridor]. To save farmland, farmers in Bagqi Town, Hotan County, utilized farmland roads by planting grapes along the roadside and training the vines over the road. Occupying more sky than earth, this approach was later unified and expanded year by year, creating a miracle in grape cultivation and earning high praise from visitors from home and abroad. Next, visit the [560-year-old King Walnut Tree, 15 yuan], which roughly forms a ‘Y’ shape and is so large that more than five people can encircle its trunk with their arms. Twelve meters away from the King Tree, another walnut tree has grown from its roots, resembling the old King Tree in shape and also forming a ‘Y’ shape. Upon closer inspection, it looks like a deeply affectionate mother and son, evoking deep emotions. Later, visit the Hetian White Jade River, the birthplace of sheep-fat jade. You can disembark to search for jade in the White Jade River, visit the Hetian jade market, and then freely explore Hetian Jade Street.
Meals: Breakfast √ Lunch √ Dinner √
Accommodation: Hotan
Day 5
Hotan / Yingjisha / Kashi
After breakfast, take a bus to Kashi, the important town in southern Xinjiang – you haven’t truly been to Xinjiang if you haven’t been to Kashi! Kashi was anciently known as "Shule", a famous cultural city with a history of over two thousand years. It is also the intersection of the North and South Routes of the ancient Silk Road, a former prosperous and culturally brilliant city renowned in Asia, and a place to experience ethnic minority culture. Along the way, visit the [Yingjisha Knife Factory] and admire the vast Gobi Desert and the scenery of southern Xinjiang. On the way from Kashi to Hotan, the strong Uyghur flavor of the oasis scenery is fully displayed. Later, arrive in Kashi for a rest.
Meals: Breakfast √ Lunch √ Dinner √
Accommodation: Kashi
Day 6
Kashi / Karakul Lake (one-way 190 kilometers, approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes of driving)
After breakfast, take a bus to Karakul Lake, known as the Black Lake (collectively apply for border passes), and travel via National Highway 314 – the China-Pakistan Friendship Highway to the photographers’ paradise, the Pamir Plateau, to enjoy the magnificent scenery of the Kunlun Mountains. Along the way, view Red Mountain, the Gaz Ancient Post, White Sand Mountain, the Quicksand River, yak on the plateau, and experience the hardships of the ancient Silk Road. During the journey, you can explore the idyllic scenery of Uyghur farms and feel the tranquility of Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall in the depths of the desert. You can also take photos in front of the White Sand Mountain in布伦口, known as the Quicksand River, and the ancient Silk Road posts along the way. Visit the [Karakul Lake 50 yuan] (meaning "black lake" or "great lake", it is one of the highest lakes in the world, with an altitude of over 4,000 meters and an area of 10 square kilometers) on the Pamir Plateau. The lakeside is the pasture of the Kyrgyz people. Kyrgyz shepherd girls with flower hats on their heads weave through herds of cattle and sheep on the green grass. Under the setting sun, shepherds returning from pasturing drive their cattle and sheep here to drink water. The sound of camel bells approaches, and the tinkling sound spreads, presenting a beautiful grassland scenery. There are also myths and legends about the Queen Mother of the West and King Mu of Zhou here. From here, you can view the Mushtagh Peak, Kongur Peak, and Kongur Tobe Peak. The three mountains stand like celestial pillars, with an altitude of 7,546 meters, earning them the reputation of the "Father of Glaciers". Afterward, take a bus back to Kashi.
Meals: Breakfast √ Lunch √ Dinner √
Accommodation: Kashi
Day 7
Kashi Folk Customs / Urumqi
After breakfast, visit the Abakh Hoja Tomb – [Xiangfei Tomb 30], built in 1640, which is a well-preserved Uyghur family tomb in the country. Visit the [Bazaar – Farmers’ Market] (praised by foreign tourists as the "First Bazaar in Central Asia") and the Street of Ethnic Handicrafts, which offers various handicraft products. After dinner, board a plane and return to Urumqi.
Meals: Breakfast √ Lunch √ Dinner √
Accommodation: Urumqi
Day 8
Urumqi
After breakfast, free activities. Then transfer to the airport according to your flight schedule, ending your pleasant journey and returning to your lovely home!
Meals: Breakfast √ Lunch (Please Arrange on Your Own) Dinner (Please Arrange on Your Own)
Xinjiang Dawakun Desert Chartered Car: 0991-8585456 (Same Number)