Day 1: Arriving Dunhuang
Upon arrival at Dunhuang Airport or Dunhuang Rail Station, meet your guide at arrival lobby and go to the hotel for check-in. You may spend the rest of the day at your leisure exploring the streets of Dunhuang. Be sure to explore the night market nearby the hotel in the evening!
Accommodation: 4-Star Dunhuang Hotel
Day 2: Dunhuang - Liuyuan (via bullet train) - Turpan (B)
You will visit the highlight of Silk Road today, Mogao Grottoes (Caves of the Thousand Buddhas), where you will be impressed by the fresco and statues in the caves. These caves are examples of rock-cut architecture of soft gravel conglomerate not suitable for either sculpture or elaborate architectural details. In the afternoon, you will catch a bullet train to Turpan arriving in approximately 4 hours and be transferred to Turpan hotel in about 30 minutes.
Accommodation: 4-Star Huozhou Hotel, Turpan
Day 3. Turpan (B, L)
After breakfast, you will start to visit Turpan, the centre of a fertile oasis and an important trade center along the Silk Road that was once adjacent to the kingdoms of Kroran and Yanqi. You will visit Emin Minaret which is the symbol of Turpan before sampling an authentic local lunch at a Uyghur home under the grape vine in open air. Later in the afternoon, you will explore the Ancient City of Gaochang, Bezklik Grottos, Astana Ancient Tombs and Karez Irrigation System before returning to your hotel.
Accommodation: 4-Star Huozhou Hotel, Turpan
Day 4: Turpan - Urumqi (B)
After breakfast, you will take a 3 hours ride to Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. In Urumqi, the impressive stop of the day is Xinjiang Museum where well-preserved Chinese mummies are exhibited. Among which, you will find the spectacular one standing out from the rest named "Beauty of Loulan," who was buried 4,000 years ago near the town of Loulan in Taklimakan Desert. "Beauty of Loulan" was remarkably preserved in an open coffin under hot desert sands of the Taklamakan when she was excavated in 1980.Later, you will head to stroll through the wonderful Erdaoqiao Bazaar before driving back your hotel.
Accommodation: 4-Star Xiangjiang Lihua Hotel, Urumqi
Day 5: Urumqi - Heavenly Lake - Urumqi (B)
Today you will take a one hour ride to Heavenly Lake, which is located on the north side of the Bodga Shan range of the Tianshan Mountains to enjoy fantastic mountain views and serene lake scenery. Then you will be taken back hotel.
Accommodation: 4-Star Xiangjiang Lihua Hotel, Urumqi
Day 6: Departing Urumqi (B)
Transferred to Urumqi Airport where the tour ends.
The tour starts at
