Essentials - 8 days

Private Journey

Price from

$3,585 per person

$448 per day

Private travel departures daily

Your journey will be a private customized travel experience, based on your individual schedule, interests and budget

Start Your Journey

Silk Route Wonders

Your short stay into Xinjiang will show you yet another and unique corner of the China tapestry. In Urumqi, Turpan and Kashgar you will see a different landscape and a different society. You will meet the Uyghur people who live in the region. You will view ancient Buddhist holy places and ruined cities. You will see Islamic sites and culture as lived in far western China. You will see spectacular landscapes – mountain and desert. You will soak up the variance of the local ethnicities with their unique mix of Turkoman, Han and Caucasian characteristics. You will see great architecture and engineering feats. You will visit remarkable markets and bazaars. For a moment you will be traversing in the footsteps of those who have walked the “Silk Road” for more than 2000 years. All unforgettable experiences for you, the intrepid traveller.

 

Days 1-2 Urumqi

Private transfer from the airport to the hotel.

In Urumqi, you will visit the excellent Xinjiang Regional Museum to see the incredibly well preserved mummies found in ancient tombs.

 

Days 2-4 Turpan

Travel in a private car and guide with you to Turpan. This is a largely Muslim city lying below sea level in a depression in the desert.

During your stay in Turpan, there is an excursion to the spectacular rock formations of the Flaming Mountains and you will see the ancient Thousand Buddha Caves at Bezeklik. Following this you travel into the desert to see the mystical ruins of the ancient settlement of Jiaohe. Also you will take a private excursion to the peaceful ancient village of Tuyugou in a lush valley carved into the Flaming Mountains. Next you tour the ancient ruins of Gaochang.

In the evening you enjoy an Ethnic Culture Show.

 

Days 5-7 Kashgar

Today you travel to Urumqi airport by private car for your next city, Kashgar.

Kashgar is China’s westernmost city. The highlights of the stay will be the visit to the famous Sunday Bazaar, where tens of thousands of villagers and nomads arrive in their donkey carts, often causing traffic jams. Large numbers of minority peoples come to trade, all sporting their distinctive costumes and headgear. Also the other sites will include the visit to the sacred resting place of AbakhHoja, the burial place of the emperor Qianlong’s legendary “Fragrant Concubine”.

During your stay you will also take a private excursion to the spectacular Karakul Lake.

 

Day 8 Kashgar-Urumqi

You will be transferred to the airport for flight to Urumqi where you will be assisted to connect your onward flight.