Xinjiang Travel Guide: Independent Group – 15-Day In-depth Panorama of Southern Xinjiang’s Folk Customs
Xinjiang Travel Consultation: (Same) 0991-8585456
Day 1: Various places -> Urumqi
Fly to Urumqi from all over the country and proceed to the hotel for check-in upon arrival
Day 2: Urumqi -> Lop Nur Village
After breakfast, depart and drive via Dujuan River and Xinier Reservoir to visit the AAA scenic area [Lop Nur Village 45 yuan/person, shuttle bus 10 yuan/person] (about 3 hours). Lop Nur Village Scenic Area is close to China’s largest and the world’s second-largest desert, the Taklimakan Desert. The Tarim River winds its way through here. The scenic area focuses on the folk culture of the Lop Nur people and integrates desert, diversifoliol poplar, rivers, and lakes. It is a tourist scenic area with diverse scenery, beautiful ecological environment, and rich folk culture. The world’s largest original diversifoliol poplar forest grows in this area. It sprouts green buds in spring, provides shade in summer, and turns golden in autumn. This is undoubtedly an idyllic paradise with picturesque scenery all year round. Diversifoliol poplar trees live for a thousand years, stand for a thousand years after death, and do not decay for a thousand years after falling. The strong vitality of diversifoliol poplar trees and the ancient folk customs of the Lop Nur people all shake our souls. After the tour, stay overnight in Korla. Later, arrive in Korla City and visit the Kongque River to enjoy the gorgeous night view on both sides of the river. Stay overnight in Korla.
Day 3: Korla -> Huyang Forest in Luntai -> Kuqa
After breakfast, proceed by car to the Huyang Forest in Luntai (ticket price: 100 yuan/person). Populus euphratica is a relic tree species from the Tertiary Period. Populus euphratica has a long growth period. Due to the influence of wind and sand and drought in the Huyang Forest in Luntai, many Populus euphratica trees have unique and strange shapes. There is a saying that ‘it lives for three thousand years without dying, stands for three thousand years without falling, and remains undecayed for three thousand years after falling.’ Populus euphratica is called ‘Tok克拉克’ in Uyghur, meaning ‘the most beautiful tree.’ Due to its tenacious vitality and amazing ability to resist drought, withstand wind and sand, and tolerate salt and alkali, people also call it the ‘Desert Hero Tree.’ Populus euphratica, along with desert plants such as red willow, haloxylon ammodendron, and elaeagnus angustifolia, tell an apocalypse throughout their lives – an apocalypse about life and death, desert guardians, and survival against all odds. Check in at a hotel in Kuqa in the evening.
Day 4: Kuqa -> Aksu
After breakfast, visit and photograph the mysterious Tianshan Grand Canyon (ticket price: 50 yuan/person). The entrance of the canyon is very open, but inside the deep valley, the path winds through peaks and turns, sometimes wide and sometimes narrow. The valley is filled with peculiar peaks and rocks in various poses. Afterwards, proceed by car to visit one of the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions in Aksu. It is one of the earliest and best-preserved witnesses of Silk Road civilization on the Northern Silk Road, one of the Four Great Buddhist Grottoes in China, a grotto earlier than the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, a remnant of the eastward spread of Buddhism, a witness to the convergence of Eastern and Western cultures, and it has a beautiful legend… Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves (ticket price: 55 yuan/person). Afterwards, proceed by car to Aksu and check in at a hotel.
Day 5: Aksu -> Kashgar
After breakfast, proceed to Kashgar by car. On the way, visit the Tianshan Miraculous Trees Garden located in Wensu County, Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang, also known as Kurmish Atam Muzha, known as the ‘Pearl of the Gobi’ – Tianshan Miraculous Trees Garden (ticket price: 50 yuan/person). There are many types of trees in the garden. Those vigorous ancient trees some twist and turn, stretching close to the ground; some creep on the ground, resembling the shapes of dragons and snakes; some have sturdy trunks and are stable. Historically, it was a cemetery for gatherings and worship. Surrounded by Gobi deserts, the garden is renowned for its beautiful and unique natural scenery, diverse plant resources, and simple and honest ethnic minority culture. Afterwards, check in at a hotel in Kashgar.
Day 6: Kashgar -> Dawakun Desert -> Kashgar
After breakfast, visit the national AAA-level Dawakun Desert Scenic Area (ticket price: 45 yuan/person, shuttle bus: 10 yuan/person). The Dawakun Desert Tourist Area is located in Tielimu Town, Yuepu County, with convenient transportation and abundant solar radiation resources. Yuepu County’s Dawakun Desert Scenic Area is known as the ‘Hometown of Desert Tourism Scenery in China’ and has the reputation of being a national ‘AAA-level’ tourist scenic area. It is a highly distinctive tourist scenic area in southern Xinjiang, mainly featuring desert landscapes. It is interesting to ride the ship of the desert—camels, and experience the camel-back life on the Silk Road. In addition, take a desert kart for desert exploration and experience desert surfing. In the afternoon, return to Kashgar, visit Yiboyuan for about 30 minutes, and stay overnight in Kashgar!
Day 7: Kashgar -> Tajik Autonomous County
After breakfast, head to Karakul Lake (ticket price: 50 yuan/person) by car. Along the way, view the Gaizi Canyon, Flaming Mountain, the Karakoram Mountains,布伦口 Sand Mountain, and upon arrival at Karakul Lake, one can overlook the snow-capped peaks known as Mushtag Ata, Kongur, Kongur Tobe, and other icy mountains.
Day 8: Tajik Autonomous County -> Kashgar
Tajik Autonomous County – Hongqilafu Border Monument – Kashgar (one-way distance: about 430KM, driving time: 6 hours)
After breakfast, head to the Hongqilafu Border Monument (ticket price: 80 yuan/person) by car. The peaks of the Hongqilafu Pass are quite unique, resembling camels lying on the ground, swords piercing the clouds, and fairy Chang’e in white clothes floating in the air, among other forms. This road is the necessary passage to Central Asia. Around the Hongqilafu 【China-Pakistan No.7 Border Monument】, the snow-capped peaks of the mountains shine, and the snowy mountains are within arm’s reach, with snow piled up on countless mountains and mountains buried under snow. The border monument stands at the watershed, and looking southwest, one can see an open area in neighboring territory. There is also a monument commemorating the opening of the China-Pakistan Friendship Highway. The border monument is cast in cement, with the name of the country written in the country’s own language on both sides. On the Chinese side, the word ‘China’ is written in red Song-style characters, accompanied by a national emblem. Here at the border monument, one can bask in the sunshine of the snowy mountains and experience the tranquility of peace. The famous No.7 Border Monument stands majestically. Today, this ancient road is bustling with tourists and traffic, and still plays an important role in trade and cultural exchanges. After the visit, follow the itinerary of the first day, return by car in the afternoon to visit the Folk Art Center (about 30 minutes), and then return to Kashgar by car in the evening!
Day 9: In Kashgar City
After breakfast, visit the Abakh Hoja Tomb—Xiangfei Tomb (ticket price: 30 yuan/person), the street of handicrafts with ethnic characteristics, and the street of gold and silver jewelry. Visit the ancient ethnic ghetto with a history of over a thousand years—the Old City of Kashgar (ticket price: 30 yuan/person), then visit the Folk Art Center.
Day 10: Kashgar -> Hotan
After breakfast, head to Kashgar by car, passing through ‘【Hometown of Chinese Dawazi】’, which is also the hometown of Adil, the Prince of High Altitudes who has set multiple Guinness World Records—Yingjisha County is located at the western edge of the Tarim Basin and the northern foot of the Kunlun Mountains, and was a post station on the ancient Silk Road. Yingjisha County is a place of outstanding people and blessed scenery, and is famous as the ‘Hometown of Chinese Knives’ and the ‘Hometown of Semiti Apricots in China’. In the afternoon, arrive in Hotan and visit the (Hotan Museum) before checking into the hotel.
Day 11: Hetian -> Minfeng
After breakfast, visit the Walnut King [10] in Kalawazi Village, Bagqi Town, Hetian County. This tree, over 560 years old and believed to be from the Yuan Dynasty, is akin to an old centenarian. Despite centuries of wind and rain, the Walnut King still stands tall and lush, giving people a profound and exhilarating aesthetic feeling. Afterwards, visit the Fig King [10] in the orchard behind the Layika Township Government in Hetian County, known as the "Mysterious Fruit" and locally as the "Fruit of Longevity and Happiness"—it has experienced nearly three hundred years of vicissitudes and is unusually large. Then visit the Grape King Tree [10] in斯坦乌其 Village, Hanggui Township, Lop County, which is rare even in Xinjiang and throughout China. The Grape King Tree is located in a small rural courtyard, with roots extending from an old house ten meters away. It has survived over 60 winters without being buried in soil and is still lush and vigorous. Afterwards, depart for Minfeng and stay at a guesthouse.
Day 12: Minfeng -> Korla
After breakfast, depart for Korla by car, enjoying the desert scenery along the way. The Tarim Poplar Reserve is currently the most concentrated, best-preserved, and most representative area of primitive poplar forests in the world. After being upgraded to a national reserve, the Tarim Poplar Reserve will play a significant role in protecting poplar trees and restoring the Tarim ecology, also benefiting the local population. Overnight stay in Korla.
Day 13: Korla -> Turpan
After breakfast, you can visit Bosten Lake (Ticket: 50 yuan/person), with its vast water area and misty horizon; the small southwestern lake area features winding rivers, reeds, blooming lotus flowers, chirping birds, and leaping fish, resembling a southern waterside scenery, hence its nickname "Western Oasis Pearl". Overnight stay at a hotel in Turpan.
Day 14: Turpan -> Urumqi
After breakfast, visit Jiaohe Ancient City, the world’s best-preserved city built of raw earth (Ticket: 70 yuan/person, Shuttle Bus: 15 yuan/person); explore the Karez Wells (Ticket: 40 yuan/person), one of the three major ancient projects alongside the Great Wall and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal; then visit Turpan’s famous Grape Valley (Ticket: 75 yuan/person) with a complimentary Uyghur home visit, where you can taste sweet Uyghur fruits. Visit Mount Flaming, the steaming and barren mountain from "Journey to the West" (Ticket: 40 yuan/person). Visit the uniquely designed Sutong Tower (Ticket: 50 yuan/person), the largest existing ancient tower in Xinjiang, which attracts a continuous stream of visitors and worshippers every year.
Day 15: Urumqi -> Various Destinations
After hotel breakfast, transfer to the airport in Urumqi to conclude your delightful trip to Xinjiang.
Expenses Included: Tour Guide, First-entry Tickets, Accommodation, Meals, Tour Air-conditioned Coach, Liability Insurance
Xinjiang Travel Consultation: (Same) 0991-8585456