Overview: This 7-day Xinjiang winter tour bring you a skiing experience and snow sight of Tianshan Mountain and tourist highlights such as Xinjiang Museum, Great International Bazaar, Silk Road International Ski Resort, Bezklik Grottoes, Astana Tombs, Jiaohe Ruined city, Karez Irrigation system, Sugong Minaret, Sunday Bazaar, Id Kah Mosque ......
Day 1 Arrival in Urumqi
Welcome to Xinjiang! Upon your arrival in Urumqi, your local guide will meet you at the airport and transfter you to check in your hotel. The rest of the day for your free leisure in the city.
Day 2 Urumqi
Meals: B, L
Places to visit: Xinjiang Museum, Great International Bazaar
After breakfast, your local guide will meet you and transfter you to visit Xinjiang Museum, Great International Bazaar.
Day 3 Urumqi/Silk Road Ski Resort
Meals: B, L
Places to visit: Silk Road International Ski Resort
After breakfast, you will drive 1 hour to Silk Road International Ski Resort for a full day skiing tour.
Day 4 Day 3 Urumqi/Turpan
Meals: B, L
Places to visit: Bezklik Grottoes, Astana Tombs
Morning drive to Turpan to visit Astana Tombs, the Flaming Mountain, Bezklik Grottoes and Local Uyger family in the Vineyard.
The Astana Cemetery or Astana Graves is a large site 37 km southeast of present-day Turpan, 6 km from the ancient city of Gaochang. It served mainly as the cemetery for the descendents of Chinese settlers in Gaochang from the 4th century to the first half of the 8th century. The complex covers 10 square kilometres and contains over 1,000 tombs. Due to the arid environment many important artifacts have been well preserved at the tombs, including natural mummies.
The Bezeklik/Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves: Bezeklik means a place with beautiful decoration. It is famous for ancient murals with exsiting 60 caves, and over 40 caves have ancient murals of 1200 square meters.
Day 5 Turpan/Urumqi/Kashgar
Meals: B, L
Places to visit: Jiaohe Ruined city, Karez Irrigation system, Sugong Minaret
Pay a morning visit to Jiaohe Ruined city, Karez Irrigation system, Sugong Minaret; Back to Urumqi after lunch in Turpan, then visit Erdaoqiao & International Bazaar.
Jiaohe Ruins, is an archaeological site with the largest, oldest, and best preserved city gates, streets and lanes, government office, temples, domestic houses, cave houses, wells, and an underground temple, showing it as an important stop on the Ancient Silk Road.
Karez Irrigation System, made up of vertical wells, underground channels, ground canals and small reservois, is one of China's three greatest feats of ancient engineering of underground irrigation channel, along with the Great Wall and the Grand Canal.
The Sugong Pagoda, or Emin Minaret is a local Islamic building. At the time of some traditional festivals, Muslem people push their way to the Sugong Pagoda to pray for blessing just like a pilgrimage.
After Turpan tour, you will transfer back to Urumqi and take the evenning flight to Kashgar.
Day 6 Kashgar
Meals: B, L
Places to visit: Sunday Bazaar, Id Kah Mosque, Old Town, Apak Hoja Tomb, Handicraft Street
In the city east, Kashgar Grand Bazaar, Sunday Bazaar, Mal Bazaar or the livestock market on Sundays, daily Yengi Bazaar etc. show the glory of the largest international trade market or fair on ancient China Silk Road. Before 1992, Kashgar grand bazaar was only held on Sunday. So that foreiners called it Sunday Bazaar on travel guidebooks. In fact, the market is open everyday for people,but the highest busy tide still comes on Sunday.
The Id Kah Mosque is located on the central square in Kashgar City, Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region. As the biggest mosque in China, it is a group of old Islamic constructions with strong ethnic style and religious features.
Kashgar Old Town is the best place to see how the local Uyghur ethnic group has lived for centuries. The old town district has a history of over 2,000 years.
Day 7 Kashgar/Urumqi Departure
Meals: B
After breakfast, you can take a departure flight from Kashgar or an air transfer via Urumqi to your next destination.
Service ends
Transportation cost covers all the domestic airfare of economy class with airport tax, train tickets between the cities as the itinerary specified.
Transfer between airports, railway station, hotels and scenic spots for sightseeing around the cities that are specified by the itinerary with private air conditioned vehicle with driver and English-speaking guide. Separate arrivals and departures will incur extra charges.
All entrance fees to the scenic spots listed in the itinerary. The final arrangement will be determined by private tour guides depends on the real-time local circumstances wheather are beyond the control of Access China Travel. We will adhere to the original itinerary as accurately as possible.
All normal meals as the itinerary specified: B = breakfast, L = Lunch, D = dinner in local restaurant. Breakfasts are served in hotel, breakfasts have Chinese or Western style for your option; Lunches are served in carefully selected quality local Chinese restaurants with best service, your lunches will be ordered by your guide catering to your preferences within normal standard. Dinners as the itinerary specified will be also served in local Chinese restaurants. The meal quotation is normalized. If you have any special request about meals, like vegetarian, famous rare dishes, Indian food or more, please inform us in advance. For the unspecified dinners, you will have dinner on your own. Feel free to ask your local guide for suggestions or recommendation.
Normal sightseeing activities as the itinerary listed will be escorted with English-speaking guide. The English-speaking guide and driver in each city are with you throughout the entire itinerary around that city. They do not fly with you from one city to another.
Hotel service criterion: two adults share on one standard twin/double-bed room; solo traveler who want to occupy one twin/double-bed room assigned is required for extra single supplement rate. A single room is available on prior request at an additional cost; if a recommended hotel unavailable, it will be replaced by one of the same class. All hotels as the itinerary listed serve daily western or Chinese breakfast. All rooms are air-conditioned with private facilities unless specified.
The tour cost includes the planning, handling, booking, operation and communication charges.