Ancient Silk Road: Xian to Urumqi

Upon arrival at Xian, transfer to your hotel for check-in. Reminder of the day is free at leisure.

Transfer to the airport and fly to Dunhuang. Arrive Dunhuang, transfer to your hotel for check in. Lunch is on your own. Begin your time in Dunhuang with a camel ride over the sand dunes at Crescent Moon Spring.

Enjoy a rooftop dinner at hotel with the beautiful sunset view of the desert.

Tour the Mogao Caves in the morning. The Mogao Caves are cut into steep cliffs along a riverbed, providing a perfect location for the thousands of Buddhist murals and statuary. An old inscription records that the first cave was created in 366 CE and UNESCO listed the Mogao Caves as a World Heritage Site in 1987. Despite erosion and man-made destruction, 492 caves are preserved. Wander through a succession of grottoes, marveling at the interiors of Buddhas and bodhisattvas dating from the 4th through the 14th century. Return to hotel and lunch is on own at hotel

In the afternoon visit the Dunhuang Museum, which is a comprehensive topography one principally exhibits historic and cultural relics.

In the evening visit the famous Shazhou Night Market with round way transfers.

Morning free at leisure until transfer to Liuyuan Railway Station (2 hours drive). Taking the high-speed train.

Upon arrival in Turpan, wander the site of Jiaohe, the ancient walled capital that originated in the Han dynasty. This was a fortress intended to protect against raids by the Xiongnu. The ruins date mostly to the Tang dynasty, and include a large Buddhist stupa.
Check in at hotel. Dinner is arranged at hotel.

Let your imaginations soar amid the vast ruins of Gaochang, a city surrounded by 33 feet high walls. Gaochang was founded as a garrison town in the 1st century CE and by the 4th century had become the capital of the western Han Empire. It was abandoned during the early Ming era. The ruins are extensive, though in a diminished state after centuries of erosion. Examine the collections of the Underground Museum at Astana. Get an overview of the artifacts and contents of graves that provide such a fascinating window on the history of the Silk Road. Numerous expeditions in the 20th century, including one by Aurel Stein in 1914, have unearthed more than 10,000 objects. Make your way to the Thousand Buddha Caves hewn into the sides of the Sengim Gorge. See the Emin Minaret. Built in 1777, this wood and brick minaret uses local materials to create a mixture of Chinese and Islamic designs found only in this region. Lunch at local restaurant and enjoy dinner at local's home with a minority music & dance performance. At the local family, you will have a private cooking class to learn how to do Uighur stretched noodles (laghmen), and join the local musicians to learn how to play the local instruments and Uighur dance named Nazirkom!

In the morning take the high-speed train(1 hour) to Urumqi and fly to Kashgar.

Arrive Kashgar, transfer to hotel for check in. Dinner is at a local Uygur Restaurant.

Visit the Aba Khoja Mausoleum. The mausoleum is perhaps the finest example of Islamic architecture in Xinjiang. A large dome of 56 ft (17 m) is at the center surrounded by four corner minarets with stripes and arabesque floral patterns. Wander the Great Bazaar. Bazaar means market in Uygur language. Kashgar Bazaar has been the gathering point of businessmen since ancient time. It is the largest international trade market in northwest China. Lunch is at QASIR Restaurant.

Visit Id Kah Mosque. As the biggest mosque in China, it is a group of old Islamic constructions with strong ethnic style and religious features.'Id Kah' means 'a place of praying and celebrating in festivals'. Visit a local Uygur's Family at Old Town. Visit the Old Town of Kashgar, where we have our guests experience a local makeup - Uighur ladies put osma plant (after squashed) on their eyebrows (Uighur, Uzbek, Tajik girls' use that plant from their childhood, so that their eyelashes and eyebrows become thick and black!

Transfer to airport for morning flight flying back to Urumqi, private transfer to hotel for check in.

Afternoon visit the Xinjiang Provincial Museum and Erdaoqiao local bazaar. This evening is free with dinner on own

Transfer to airport for your flight to next destination.