Xinjiang · 14 days and 13 nights
2027全景南北疆尊享14日游
Fares and availability vary by departure and cabin. Please confirm both when booking.
USD estimates use the 2026-11-13 exchange rate. Confirm the final amount and payment currency when booking.
Day 1
[Today] Fly independently to Urumqi Tianshan International Airport. A driver will meet you and take you to the hotel.
[Evening] A complimentary buffet dinner is served at the hotel until 22:00. The complimentary meal is unavailable to guests arriving later.
Note:Local routines in Urumqi are about 2 hours behind Beijing, although official clocks use Beijing time. Rest early to adjust and prepare for the next day.
Day 2
[All day] Take a private vehicle from the hotel to Heavenly Lake of Tianshan for a visit of at least 4 hours, including a boat ride. Historically known as the Jade Pool, the scenic area has 15 groups of sights and 38 individual attractions. Spruce forests frame the lake, with views of Bogda Peak. The site is known for its legends and mountain scenery.
Then take the New Oriental Express to Kuqa.
Day 3
[Morning] On arrival in Kuqa, visit the Tianshan Mysterious Grand Canyon for at least 1.5 hours. The canyon combines striking rock formations and dramatic mountain scenery and is a highlight of the ancient Silk Road.
[Afternoon] Spend at least 1 hour at Kuqa Nang Bread Town. In this hands-on session, learn about the traditional Xinjiang technique for making nang flatbread and try making it from dough to finished bread. The experience introduces the culinary heritage of the Silk Road.
Take the evening New Oriental Express to Kashgar.
Day 4
Enjoy breakfast on board.
[Morning] On arrival in Kashgar, transfer to the Gaotai Traditional Homes for a visit of at least 1.5 hours. This neighbourhood dates back more than 600 years and preserves traditional Uyghur houses and customs. Try Kashgar’s traditional handicrafts, with a private tea break included. Local textile printing and pottery are practical crafts with a long artistic heritage.
[Afternoon] Drive to Yengisar (about 1.5 hours) and visit the Yengisar Knife Museum for at least 1.5 hours. One of Xinjiang’s first specialist museums, it preserves the nationally recognised craft of Yengisar knife-making. Galleries cover the history, craft, cultural significance and collections of the knives, with a souvenir area. The museum also serves as a centre for collecting, preservation and education.
After the visit, drive back to Kashgar and check in at the hotel.
Day 5
[Morning] Take a private vehicle to Baisha Lake (about 3.5 hours by road, with at least 1 hour at the site, at about 3,300 metres above sea level). Aquatic plants and water birds thrive here. White sand partly covers the rolling green hills, framed by snow-capped peaks above and lakes and rivers below.
[Afternoon] Take a private vehicle to Karakul Lake (about 1.5 hours by road, with at least 1 hour at the site, at about 3,300 metres above sea level). Muztagh Ata, known as the Father of Glaciers, rises to the east, and the Sarikol Range extends to the west.
Return to the hotel in central Kashgar to rest (about 4 hours by road).
Note:A border-area permit is required for Tashkurgan. Mainland Chinese residents aged 16 or over apply online. Travellers from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, mainland residents under 16, and foreign nationals must apply in person. If your household registration is in Garzê or Aba, check in advance with your local exit and entry administration or police station.
Day 6
[Morning] Take a VIP electric shuttle and walk through the eastern part of Kashgar Old Town (about 20 minutes by road, with at least 2 hours for the visit). A historic meeting point on the Silk Road, Kashgar reflects both Eastern and Western influences. Its hat, dried-fruit and jade bazaars offer a view of the old town’s long trading history.
[Afternoon] Continue to the western part of Kashgar Old Town, including Id Kah Mosque, for a visit of about 2 hours.
Take the New Oriental Express to Turpan in the early evening.
Day 7
[Morning] Wake at your leisure and enjoy free time on the train.
[Midday] On arrival in Turpan, take a private vehicle to the karez irrigation system (about 30 minutes by road, with at least 1 hour at the site). These underground water channels are widespread in the Turpan area. The karez system is regarded alongside the Great Wall and the Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal as one of China’s three great ancient engineering projects.
[Afternoon] Visit the Flaming Mountains near Turpan (about 50 minutes by road, with at least 40 minutes at the site). These foothills of the Tianshan Mountains formed 50–60 million years ago during the Himalayan orogeny. Summer air temperatures can reach 47.8°C, and surface temperatures on the sunny slopes can reach 82.3°C.
Take the evening New Oriental Express to Beitun.
Day 8
[All day] On arrival in the morning, take a private vehicle to Hemu (about 5 hours by road, with at least 4 hours at the site). Stroll through Hemu Village and see a performance in a century-old house. See the flowers of the Jiadengyu alpine meadows and the wooden bridge over the Hemu River, and visit the local Tuvan settlement and its log houses.
Day 9
[Morning] Wake at your leisure, or climb Yunxiao Peak for a panoramic view.
[Afternoon] Drive to Kanas Scenic Area (about 2 hours by road). Stay inside the scenic area, with a flexible visiting schedule. The name Kanas is said to mean beautiful, fertile and mysterious in Mongolian. The lake and mountains combine the grandeur of northern scenery with the softer landscapes associated with southern China.
Day 10
[Morning] Spend time in the village at your leisure, or get up early to watch the sunrise. You may also opt to visit the Fish Viewing Pavilion. A vehicle takes you halfway up the mountain, after which 1,068 steps lead to a panoramic view of Kanas Lake. This is a complimentary visit with no refund if skipped. The guide and travellers will decide whether it can go ahead based on time, weather and the speed limit on the mountain roads. You can also stroll along the lakeside wooden boardwalk.
[Afternoon] Drive to Beitun Railway Station and take the New Oriental Express to Yining.
Day 11
[Morning] On arrival, spend at least 5 hours at Nalati Grassland, one of Xinjiang’s ten leading scenic areas. Set in the Ili Valley, the grassland is dotted with springs, streams, spruce trees, yurts and grazing livestock. Experience local Kazakh customs and spend time on the open grassland.
Day 12
[Morning] Wake at your leisure and explore the scenic area.
Around 11:00, return to Yining to visit Six-Star Street. Yining is home to many ethnic communities, and this district shows how local and outside cultural traditions came together.
[Afternoon] Cross Guozigou Bridge to Sayram Lake (about 2.5 hours by road). Guozigou is the gateway to the Ili Valley, with winding roads, snow-covered mountains and pine forests. The steel-truss bridge uses 17,000 tonnes of domestically produced bridge-grade steel and high-strength bolts, with an installation tolerance of less than 2 millimetres.
Day 13
[Morning] Visit Sayram Lake for at least 4 hours. Once known as the Pure Sea of the West, this cold alpine lake in Xinjiang is nicknamed the Atlantic’s Last Teardrop because it is said to be the furthest point reached by warm, moist Atlantic air. See the flower-covered grasslands on the west side of the lake.
[Afternoon] Drive to Yining and take the New Oriental Express to Urumqi.
Day 14
[Today] You can sleep in the hotel until you wake up naturally, and then the driver will take you to the airport according to your flight time.
Assigned seats or berths on the New Oriental Express and licensed, air-conditioned sightseeing coaches at the destinations. Coaches with 2+1 seating are used where available, otherwise coaches with at least 38 seats are used. Seven-seat shuttle vehicles are provided on the Duku section.
13 breakfasts and 24 main meals during the journey.
The standard breakfast on the train is ≈ USD 10.42/person, and the standard meal on the train is ≈ USD 22.34/person.
Land-based meal allowances per person: ≈ USD 7.45 for breakfast, ≈ USD 11.91–17.87 for standard main meals and ≈ USD 17.87–22.34 for speciality meals. The latter include the train welcome banquet, a Kazakh family meal, a Burqin cold-water fish banquet, Sayram Lake whitefish, yak hot pot, roast whole lamb, a Turpan fruit banquet and a farewell dinner.
Special note: Since the train meals need to be ordered in quantity before the train departs, and the local meals during the tour are group meals, the meals included in the itinerary will not be refunded if you do not use them. Please understand!
Tickets to the attractions on the itinerary and required on-site transport, including VIP direct shuttles at Heavenly Lake, Hemu, Kanas, Nalati and Bayanbulak.
Note:Admission is priced at the group rate as part of the rail package and must be booked in advance. No individual discounts apply, and unused admission tickets are non-refundable.
3 nights on the train and 10 nights in hotels. Standard rooms are for two guests. Unpaired guests will be matched with a roommate. If a match cannot be arranged or you choose to stay alone, a single supplement applies.
Trip.com 5-diamond hotels in Urumqi, Yining, Nalati and Kashgar.
Local guesthouses or hotels in Hemu and Kanas.
Trip.com 4-diamond hotels in Kuqa and Tashkurgan.
Please note:Accommodation is at one of the listed hotels or a property of equivalent standard. If none of the listed hotels can accommodate the group, for example because of peak-season shortages or requisition for public use, the agency will arrange accommodation of at least the same standard.
Local guides at the destinations and an escort throughout the journey.
Bottled mineral water during the journey.
Transport to and from Xinjiang is at your own expense.
A supplement applies if you request a single room.
Holiday extensions and any optional activities you add are at your own expense.
Additional costs, such as extra accommodation, meals and transport, caused by force majeure (including natural disasters, war or strikes), transport delays, flight cancellations or rescheduling, or other circumstances outside the agency’s control.
Any costs not specified in the quotation are at your own expense.
Travellers acknowledge that rail transport serves the national economy and public needs and is centrally coordinated. If emergencies, timetable changes, construction, line incidents, equipment failures, conflicts on the rail network or other circumstances beyond the agency’s control bring the train forward or postpone it, the agency will notify travellers 7 days in advance. If the train cannot run, the agency will give 5 days’ notice. The agency is not liable for breach of contract in these cases. If a traveller agrees to reschedule after consultation and has already booked transport to or from the tour, the agency will reimburse reasonable rebooking costs for that transport. Actual departure times and stops are subject to instructions from the railway authorities. Delays or other effects on the itinerary caused by timetable changes, construction, line incidents, equipment failures or changes to the operating plan are treated as force majeure, and the agency is not liable for breach of contract.
Since the special train is chartered, the travel agency needs to pay the railway department performance deposit, hotel deposit and other fees in advance. Therefore, the cancellation rules for tourists after registering for this special train are as follows:
(1) For cancellations for personal reasons at least 45 days before departure, a charge of ≈ USD 2,978.32 per person applies.
(2) For cancellations for personal reasons 15–44 days before departure, inclusive, 60% of the contract amount is charged.
(3) For cancellations for personal reasons 1–14 days before departure, inclusive, 80% of the contract amount is charged.
(4) If the trip is canceled due to the tourist’s personal reasons on the day of departure, 100% of the contract amount will be charged.
(5) A traveller may nominate a replacement no later than 3 days before departure without incurring a loss.
From USD 8,786 (New Oriental Express · Snow Lotus, 14 days and 13 nights). Fares vary by departure, cabin and party size; confirm the quote when booking.
Departures: Apr 16, May 7, May 20 2027. Availability is confirmed when booking.
The fare covers Transport, Meals, Admission, Accommodation, Guides and support, Other inclusions; it excludes Travel to and from Xinjiang, Single supplement, Independent arrangements. See “What the fare covers” on this page.
Select “View dates and book” to choose your date, cabin and party size, or call +86-23-88721881 and an adviser will book for you. Payment by PayPal, SWIFT bank transfer, UnionPay, Alipay, WeChat Pay.
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