Midsummer in Northern and Southern Xinjiang — 15 Days, 14 Nights

Welcoming guests at the station, distinguished guests board the Chengdu Express to visit the beautiful Xinjiang!

★Departs from Chengdu Anjing Station, VIPs board the train, and sets off at the Panda Special Theme Station.

★Stop at Lanzhou Railway Station, VIPs board the train and continue to the beautiful Xinjiang. (Lanzhou boarding VIP guests do not include meals today)

Today’s on-board activities: [Sichuan Opera Face Changing] [Panda Sending Blessings]

Note:When tourists arrive at Chengdu Airport/Railway Station and Lanzhou Airport/Railway Station, free pick-up/station service + one-night accommodation at a Ctrip Five Diamond Hotel is provided. (Complimentary service, no refund if no use)

Chengdu Express arrived in Turpan around this morning and greeted guests at the station.

Go to visit the [Karez] (tour duration is no less than 60 minutes). This is a special irrigation system in Xinjiang. Together with the Great Wall and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, it is also known as the three major projects in ancient China.

Visit [Flaming Mountain] (the tour duration is no less than 60 minutes). Here you can feel the ground temperature of the Flaming Mountain and experience the rich culture of Journey to the West.

After the tour, board the Chengdu Express to go to [Kashgar].

train will arrive in Kashgar in the afternoon, and guests will be welcomed at the station. After attending the ethnic-style welcome dinner, the distinguished guests will check into the Kashgar hotel.

Tips: The terrain of today’s tour route is special and it belongs to a high-altitude area, which is prone to altitude sickness and altitude complications. It is recommended that tourists over 65 years old and with underlying diseases do not participate in today’s scenic spot tour and can choose to rest or have free activities in the city.

Have breakfast at the hotel and drive along the China-Pakistan Friendship Highway to the Pamir Plateau, the roof of the world (about 3 hours’ drive)

View [Baisha Mountain-Baisha Lake] (about 3,300 meters above sea level, tour duration is no less than 40 minutes). This is an original ecological picture formed by blue sky and white clouds, snow mountains, lakes and sand mountains. On both sides of the lake stand the Gonggeer Jiubie Peak in the distance, and the scenery is spectacular. The Liusha River described in "Journey to the West" is here.

Go to [Karakul Lake] (approximately 1 hour drive, tour duration no less than 40 minutes). Karakul means "Black Sea". The lake is 30 meters deep and has a total area of 10 square kilometers. It is a rare plateau lake in the world, surrounded by ice peaks and snow ridges., you can see the peaks above 7000m above sea level at close range, such as the Three Kunlun Mountains: Gonger Peak (7719m), Gonger Jiubie Peak (7530m), and Muztage Peak (7546m). The three mountains towering on the Pamir Plateau are very spectacular.

After the tour, return to Kashgar and check into the hotel.

Have breakfast at the hotel, and today visit Kashgar and experience local folk customs.

Visit [Kashgar Ancient City] (approximately 20 minutes’ drive, tour duration no less than 90 minutes). It is known as a living fossil for studying cities in the ancient Western Regions. It is a famous cultural city with a history of more than 2,000 years. This open scenic spot is also the living area of Uyghur residents, showing their family life, ethnic characteristics, traditional handicrafts, delicious food and other unique customs.

After that, visit the [Id Kah Mosque] (the tour duration is no less than 60 minutes). This is China’s Islamic mosque. It was built in 1442. It is an ancient building complex with strong national style and religious color. It is a model of Uyghur architectural art.

Today’s lunch: Special halal meal

Go to [Gaotai Folk Residence] to visit and experience (duration no less than 60 minutes). This is a Uyghur ethnic settlement built on a loess cliff at the northeastern end of the old city of Kashgar with a height of more than 40 meters and a length of more than 800 meters. It has a history of 600 years and is a major landscape in Kashgar showing ancient Uyghur residential architecture and folk customs. Here you can try your own clay pottery or printing crafts, stroll through the Gaotai residences, and savor the restored ancient building.

After dinner, go to Kashgar Station and board the Chengdu Express to [Kuqa].

Arrive in Kuqa in the morning and visit the magical geological landscape and experience the special food culture.

Go to visit the [Tianshan Mysterious Grand Canyon] (about 1.5 minutes' drive, tour time no less than 1 hour), located at the southern foot of Tianshan Mountain, in an inland arid area, covered with fine sand and gurgling clear springs. The gurgling spring water, disappearing and appearing, is a unique sight.

Transfer to a small car to cross the [Southern Section of Duku Highway] (the crossing distance is about 190 kilometers, and the sightseeing driving time is no less than 3.5 hours). The southern section of Duku Highway refers to the section from Tianshan Grand Canyon to Bayinbuluke. Along the way, you can enjoy the scenery of Xiaolongchi and Tianshan Snow Mountain, and check in at Tiedimai Daban.

Visit [Bayinbuluke·Swan Lake Scenic Area] (the tour duration is no less than 3 hours). This is the second largest grassland in my country. It is rich in water and grass, surrounded by snow-capped peaks. The terrain is ups and downs, and the scenery is refreshing. "Swan Lake" is my country's swan nature reserve. It is an excellent experience to watch swans and terns flocking in groups and the sunset twisting and turning.

Check into the hotel in Bayinbuluke in the evening.

Special reminder for foreign guests: According to local travel policies, foreign tourists who do not hold a "Travel Permit for Foreigners of the People's Republic of China" are unable to visit the southern section (part) of Duku Highway and Bayinbuluke Grassland. For this reason, we provide an alternative travel plan for today. The itinerary reference is that after visiting Kuqa, take the train to Kuitun (overnight at Chengdu Express), get off at Kuitun Station early the next morning, and transfer to a commercial vehicle to cross the northern section of Duku Highway to Nalati. The specific schedule of the itinerary will be determined or dynamically adjusted depending on the real-time operation time of the special train and the weather and traffic conditions of the Duku Highway on that day.

After breakfast at the hotel, today we will go to Nalati to experience the charm of the "Sky Grassland".

Take a 7-seater commercial vehicle and continue to travel along the [middle section of Duku Highway] for sightseeing. The distance from Bayinbuluk to Nalati is about 70 kilometers, and the sightseeing driving time is about 2 hours.

Visit [Nalati Prairie] (the tour duration is not less than 5 hours). This is a national 5A-level scenic spot known as the four major grasslands in Asia and Europe. It is known as the "Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall" and has beautiful natural scenery. Here you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of dense mountain springs, crisscrossing streams, tower pines along the ditch, yurts, and clouds of cattle and sheep. At the same time, you can experience the simple folk customs of the Kazakh nation and let your mood fly on the vast grassland.

Stay at Nalati Scenic Area Hotel in the evening.

Special arrangement: Roast whole lamb

Have breakfast at the hotel and head to [Yining] today.

Visit [Tianshan Flower Sea Scenic Area] (the tour duration is not less than 2 hours). The core landscape here is the 2.4 ten thousand acres of lavender flower sea. In the right season, you can watch the ten thousand acres of flower sea, where hundreds of flowers bloom in full bloom.

Go to Yining City and check in at [Yining Liuxing Street] upon arrival (the drive is no less than 1.5 hours). Liuxing Street has a long history and is famous for its unique hexagonal streets and alleys. It is now inhabited by residents of Han, Kazakh, Hui, Uyghur, Russian, Tatar and other ethnic groups. It is a large cultural tourist attraction with beautiful environment, stability, harmony and vitality.

After dinner, check into the hotel and rest.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and explore the beautiful lake landscape of Xinjiang today.

Visit [Salim Lake] (approximately 2.5 hours’ drive, tour duration no less than 3 hours). It was called the Western Pure Sea in ancient times and has the reputation of “the last tear of the Atlantic Ocean”. It is the highest mountain cold water lake with the highest altitude and the largest area in Xinjiang. It is a national 5A-level scenic spot. It is full of flowers and colorful. You can see the clear water, blue sky and sparkling waves in the near distance, and you can enjoy the white snow-capped sky in the distance.

Today’s special lunch: Saihu whitefish

Then take the bus to Yining Station or Jinghenan Station, and board the Chengdu Express to [Beitun City].

Arrive in Beitun City in the morning and head to Hemu. The journey takes about 5 hours. Rest and meals will be arranged according to time conditions.

Arrive at [Hemu Scenic Area] (the tour duration is no less than 5 hours), transfer to the scenic area shuttle bus, and drive to view the Irtysh River, the only river in China that flows from the west to the Arctic Ocean. Go to the Hemu River surrounded by white mist, visit the Hemu River Valley, see the flowers in the alpine grassland Jiadeng Valley, the Hemu River wooden bridge, and view the Tuva villages and wooden houses on the Hemu River.

Today’s special arrangement: Hemu tea break + aerial photography

Stay in a special wooden house in Hemu Scenic Area.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. It is recommended to get up early to watch the early morning smoke in Hemu Village or go to the [Haden Viewing Platform] to watch the sunrise in Hemu Village.

Heading to Kanas, the drive takes about 2.5 hours.

Arrive at [Kanas Scenic Area] (stay in the scenic area on the same day) (the tour duration is no less than 5 hours). It has the beautiful natural scenery of northern Xinjiang and is known as "the last pure land of mankind", "God's back garden", "the private land of gods" and so on. The lakes and mountains are integrated into one. It has the majestic scenery of the North and the beauty of the mountains and rivers south of the Yangtze River. Stroll along the wooden plank road by the lake and enjoy the tranquil Moon Bay, the magical Shenxian Bay, and the fairy-like Wolong Bay.

Experience the unique [Kanas Cruise] and experience the beautiful scenery of lakes and mountains in all directions.

Stay in Kanas Scenic Area at night.

Have breakfast at the hotel and continue sightseeing today before heading to Beitun to board the Chengdu Express.

Visit [Fish Viewing Platform] (the tour duration is no less than 60 minutes). In the morning, the morning fog dissipates, and you can have a panoramic view of Kanas and the mysterious Kanas Lake. Enjoy local style lunch in Kanas Scenic Area. You can continue to visit the three bays of Kanas, and the tour duration will be arranged based on actual time conditions.

Head to Burqin and enjoy a special cold water fish feast for dinner.

Go to Beitun and board the Chengdu Express at Beitun Station to go to [Urumqi].

Enjoy breakfast on Chengdu Express and arrive in Urumqi.

Go to [Heavenly Lake of Tianshan Scenic Area] (approximately 1 hour drive, tour duration is no less than 3 hours). This is a national 5A-level scenic spot with world-famous mountain lakes and is known as the "Earthly Jade Pool". After arriving at the scenic spot, you will be led by a tour guide and take the scenic spot shuttle bus to enter the scenic spot. You can view the famous landscapes such as Shimen Line, West Mountain Pine Viewing, Longtan Blue Moon Sky, Dinghai Shenzhen, and overlook the majestic Bogda Snow Peak.

Today’s special lunch: Tianchi Yaochi Feast

Return to Urumqi, drive for about 1 hour, and check into the hotel after dinner.