SILK ROAD HIGHLIGHTS TOUR 07

--Southern Silk Road Tour--

Beijing-Xi'an-Dunhuang-Urumqi-Turpan-Korla-Kuqa-Taklamaka Dersert-
Minfeng-Hotan-Yekent-Kashgar-Taxkorgan-Kunjirap Pass 21Days

Day-1: Beijing--Arrive in Beijing

Day-2: Beijing--Visit the People’s Square,the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace.

Day-3: Beijing--Visit the Great Wall, the Ming Tombs.

Day-4: Beijing-Xi'an--Catch the morning flight to Xi'an, visit Ancient City Wall of Ming Dynasty, Big Wild Goose pagoda.

Day-5: Xi'an --Visit the wonder of the world-the Emperor Qinshihuang's Terracotta Warriors in the morning, the city sightseeing of Xi'an: the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower in the afternoon

Day-6: Fly to Dunhuang--the highlight of the silk road will bring you to Mogao Grottoes, known as the “Treasure House of the Eastern Art”, best preserved in China as well as in the worldwide. Then visit Mingsha Hill and the Crescent Moon Lake in the afternoon.

Day-7: Dunhuang-Urumqi-Tianshan Mountains--Fly to Urumqi in the morning,the capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, drive to Tianshan Mountains and visit the Heavenly Lake in the afternoon,Enjoy the local flavour at dinner.

Day-8: Urumqi-Turpan--Visit the Xinjiang Museum,where we can see three exhibition halls ,for folk customs of minorities,historical relics,the ancient corpses.Drive to Turpan after lunch.Turpan,which is famous for grapes and hami melons. Visit the ancient irrigation system-karez on the way .After dinner you can enjoy the Uygur dancing and singing under the grapes’ trellis.

Day-9: Turpan--The full day tour of the ruins of Ancient City Gaochang, Ancient Astana Tombs.Beziklik Thousand Buddha Grottoes, the Flaming Mountains .In the afternoon,visit the ancient Uygur architecture- Emin minaret and Jiahe Ruins .

Day-10: Turpan-Korla--Drive to Korla,the famous oil city of China, visit Bosten Lake, Tie Men Guan Pass.

Day-11: Korla-Kuqa--Drive to Kuqa,visit Subashi Ruins of Ancient Qiuci State,Kuqa Mosque.

Day-12: Kuqa-Kizil Grottoes--Drive to Baicheng County and visit Kizil Grottoes,the Great Kuqa Valley,the Beacon Tower.

Day-13: Kuqa-Taklamakan Desert-Minfeng--Drive across “the Sea of Death”-Taklamakan Desert which is the largest shifting dune desert in the world.Arrive in Minfeng County in the afternoon.

Day-14: Minfeng-Hotan--Visit local market of Minfeng, then drive to Hotan after lunch.

Day-15: Hotan--Visit Malikwat Ruins and Yetkan Ruins,museum.

Day-16: Hotan--Visit the local handicraft factories, such as : Jade Carving factory,the carpet factory and felting production (woolen felts or mats ).

Day-17: Hotan--Visit the original workshop such as: production of cooking oil,wooden bowls and other cooking utensils,making paper of mulberry bark etc.In the evening,drive to the edge of Taklamakan Desert and enjoy the dersert sunset ,riding camel by the dersert.

Day-18: Hotan-Yekent-Kashgar--Drive to Kashgar via Yekent,visit the local workshops in Yekent,such as: knives,leather goods etc.

Day-19: Kashgar--Full day tour of Idkah Mosque,the Apak Hoja Tombs,Bazzar,Uygur family.

Day-20: Kashgar-Taxkorgan--Drive to Taxkorgan County,visit the Lake of Kalakuli on the way and Stone City.

Day-21: Taxkorgan-Kunjirap Pass--Drive to China-Pakistan Pass- Kunjirap Pass and leave for Pakistan.