Tour Overview
| Duration | 9 Days / 8 Nights |
|---|---|
| Destination | South Xinjiang Silk Road — Kashgar / Hotan / Taklamakan / Kuqa / Urumqi |
| Price From | $1,889 per person (twin share) |
| Tour Style | Ancient Silk Road Desert Crossing |
| Data Source | ChinaDiscovery.com 2026 |
Itinerary Highlights
Day 1: Arrive Kashgar
Welcome to the westernmost city of the Silk Road. Driver will pick you up from the airport. Afternoon walk through the Old Town (Yailishiqiang), one of the world’s last preserved medieval mud-brick cities. Continue to the Id Kah Mosque (1442) and the Abakh Khoja Mausoleum (1640). Evening at the famous Sunday Bazaar, the largest open-air market in Central Asia. Overnight in Kashgar.
Day 2: Karakul Lake & Pamirs
Day trip to Karakul Lake (3,600m). Drive the Karakoram Highway — the world’s highest paved highway. Visit White Sand Lake and Karakul Lake with their breathtaking views of Muztagh Ata (7,509m). Visit Kazakh yurt settlements. Return to Kashgar by evening. Overnight in Kashgar.
Day 3: Kashgar → Hotan
Drive 600km along the southern rim of the Taklamakan Desert to Hotan — a Silk Road oasis at the southern gateway to the Tarim Basin. The journey passes through the world’s longest inland Taklamakan Desert road (540km). Visit the Hotan Museum (with its Silk Road jade artifacts). Stop at the San Wan Li (Three-Heavenly-Three-Beasts) ruin. Evening walk Hotan’s silk workshop street. Overnight in Hotan.
Day 4: Hotan — Jade Capital of China
Hotan is the world’s jade capital — White Jade (Hetian Yu) from the Kunlun Mountains is China’s most prized. Visit the Hotan Bazaar (Jade Market) — buyers and sellers trade premium jade. Visit a Hotan Silk workshop — the 1,000-year-old silk weaving tradition, where each piece takes 6 months of work. Drive to the Taklamakan Desert highway. Cross the longest desert highway in China (540km) to Kuqa. Overnight in Kuqa.
Day 5: Kuqa — Ancient Kucha Kingdom
Kuqa was the capital of the Kucha Kingdom (1,000 years under Tang China), home of the great 3rd-century translator Kumarajiva. Visit Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves — UNESCO-listed as the oldest Buddhist murals in China (3rd century, 200 years older than Yungang Grottoes, in Dunhuang and Mogao Cave 1). The mural style blends Indian, Persian, and Hellenistic influences. Continue to the Subashi Temple ruins (3rd century). Overnight in Kuqa.
Day 6: Kuqa → Korla
Drive to Korla, in the Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture. Visit the Kongque River (Peacock River), the source of the water feeding the Tarim Basin — a major engineering miracle in the desert. Visit the Yanqi ancient capital. Overnight in Korla.
Day 7: Korla → Turpan
Drive 600km to Turpan via the Tianshan Mountains. Stop at the Tianshan Canyon — a red sandstone gorge carved over millions of years. Arrive in Turpan (154m below sea level, China’s lowest point). Visit the Turpan Museum. Evening wine tasting at the underground cellar of a 1,000-year-old Uyghur winery. Overnight in Turpan.
Day 8: Turpan → Urumqi
Morning at the Bezeklik Caves and Jiaohe Ancient City. Afternoon at the Karez Underground Irrigation System and Gaochang Ancient City. Drive to Urumqi. Overnight in Urumqi.
Day 9: Urumqi & Depart
Visit the Xinjiang Regional Museum. Afternoon at the International Grand Bazaar. Transfer to airport.
Inclusions
- 8 nights (2 Kashgar + 1 Hotan + 2 Kuqa + 1 Korla + 1 Turpan + 1 Urumqi)
- Kashgar Old Town + Bazaar + Id Kah Mosque
- Karakul Lake via Karakoram Highway
- Hotan Jade Market + Silk Workshop
- Taklamakan Desert crossing
- Kizil Caves + Subashi Temple
- Tianshan Canyon + Turpan oases
- All private transfers + flights + Uyghur meals
