Duku Highway

Tour Overview

The Duku Highway (Dushanzi-Kuqa Highway, National Highway G217) is one of China’s most spectacular and dangerous scenic roads, stretching 561 kilometers across the Tianshan Mountains from Dushanzi in northern Xinjiang to Kuqa in the south. Built over a decade from 1974 to 1984 by the People’s Liberation Army, with the loss of 168 soldiers’ lives, this engineering marvel crosses four snow-capped mountain passes over 3,000 meters, traverses alpine meadows, dense forests, deep canyons, and arid desert, and connects the nomadic grasslands of the north with the ancient Silk Road oasis towns of the south. Open only from June to October due to heavy snowfall, this 6-day road trip is the ultimate Xinjiang adventure, taking you through some of the most dramatic landscapes on earth.

Itinerary Highlights

Day 1: Urumqi to Dushanzi & Highway Start

Arrive in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and the farthest city from any ocean in the world. After pickup, visit the Xinjiang Regional Museum to see the famous Tarim Mummies, remarkably preserved 3,800-year-old Caucasian mummies discovered in the Taklamakan Desert, and exhibits on Silk Road history. Then drive approximately 2.5 hours (250 km) to Dushanzi, a petroleum industry town at the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains and the starting point of the Duku Highway. Visit the Dushanzi Grand Canyon, a dramatic 20-kilometer-long gorge carved by the Kuitun River with colorful stratified rock walls reaching depths of 200 meters. The canyon’s winding paths and viewing platforms offer stunning vistas of the geological formations. Prepare for the road trip ahead with a briefing on the highway’s history and conditions. Overnight in Dushanzi.

Day 2: Dushanzi to Nalati Grassland via Duku Highway

Early morning departure to begin the legendary Duku Highway journey. The road immediately climbs into the Tianshan Mountains, winding through hairpin turns and past dramatic cliff faces. Cross the Hashilgen Pass (3,400m) and the Qiaoerma Pass, where a memorial honors the 168 soldiers who died building the road. Descend into the alpine valley of the Kunes River, passing through dense spruce forests and alpine meadows carpeted with wildflowers. Stop at the Qiaoerma Martyrs Memorial to pay respects to the road builders. Continue to the Nalati Grassland, one of China’s most beautiful alpine meadows at an elevation of 2,200 meters, covering over 1,800 square kilometers. The grassland is the traditional summer pasture of the Kazakh nomads, who live in white yurts and raise horses, sheep, and cattle. Visit a Kazakh family’s yurt for traditional milk tea and horsemeat sausages, and enjoy a horseback ride across the rolling grasslands with views of the snow-capped Nalati Ridge. Overnight in a Nalati guesthouse or yurt camp.

Day 3: Nalati to Bayanbulak Grassland

Morning continue along the Duku Highway, climbing from the Nalati Valley through forested mountains to the Bayanbulak Grassland, China’s second-largest alpine grassland at an elevation of 2,500 meters, covering over 23,000 square kilometers. Bayanbulak, meaning “abundant spring” in Mongolian, is a vast high-altitude wetland crisscrossed by the meandering Kaidu River, which creates the famous “Nine Bends and Eighteen Turns” (Jiuqu Shibawan) landscape. The grassland is home to the only swan nature reserve in China, where thousands of whooper swans, tundra swans, and mute swans breed from April to October. Visit the Swan Lake viewing area and climb to the Bayanbulak observation deck for the iconic sunset view of the Kaidu River’s serpentine course reflecting the golden light. The grassland is also home to Mongolian Torghut tribes who returned to China from the Volga region in 1771. Overnight in Bayanbulak.

Day 4: Bayanbulak to Kuqa via Tianshan Mystery Grand Canyon

Continue south on the Duku Highway, crossing the Tielimai Pass (3,335m) and descending dramatically from alpine grassland into the arid red-rock canyons of southern Xinjiang. The landscape transforms dramatically from green meadows to rust-colored sandstone gorges. Stop at the Tianshan Mystery Grand Canyon (Tianshan Mysterious Grand Canyon), a 5-kilometer-long gorge carved into the red sandstone cliffs, with narrow passages, towering walls reaching 200 meters, and hidden caves including the Aai Buddhist Grotto with 13th-century murals. The canyon’s colors shift from deep red to orange and gold depending on the light. Continue to Kuqa (Kuche), an ancient Silk Road oasis town that was once the capital of the Qiuci Kingdom, a major center of Buddhist art and culture along the Silk Road. Visit the Kuqa Grand Mosque, the second-largest mosque in Xinjiang, built in the 16th century, and explore the old town with its traditional Uyghur mud-brick houses and bustling bazaar. Overnight in Kuqa.

Day 5: Kuqa Ancient Sites & Kizil Grottoes

Full-day exploration of Kuqa’s ancient Buddhist heritage. Morning visit the Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves (Kizil Grottoes), located 70 kilometers west of Kuqa. Dating from the 3rd to 8th centuries AD, these are the earliest major Buddhist grottoes in China, with 236 caves containing over 10,000 square meters of murals depicting Jataka tales, Buddha life stories, and scenes of daily life along the Silk Road. The Kizil murals are renowned for their unique Indo-Gandharan artistic style and their depiction of musicians and dancers reflecting the Qiuci Kingdom’s famous musical traditions. Afterward, visit the Subashi Buddhist Temple Ruins, the remains of a large 7th-century Buddhist monastic complex on both sides of the Kuqa River, once visited by the famous monk Xuanzang on his journey to India in 630 AD. Also visit the Kuqa Royal Palace (Kuqa Wangfu), the restored residence of the last Uyghur king of Kuqa. In the evening, enjoy the Kuqa night market with Uyghur delicacies including roasted lamb, polo (pilaf), and samsa (baked pastries). Overnight in Kuqa.

Day 6: Kuqa to Urumqi & Departure

Morning drive or take a flight from Kuqa Qiuci Airport back to Urumqi (approximately 1.5 hours flight, or 8 hours drive via the Tarim Desert Highway). If driving, travel along the southern edge of the Tianshan Mountains through the Tarim Basin, passing desert landscapes and poplar forests. Upon arrival in Urumqi, visit the International Grand Bazaar (Xinjiang International Bazaar), the largest bazaar in Central Asia, where you can shop for carpets, silk, dried fruits, nuts, jade, and traditional Uyghur musical instruments. Enjoy a farewell lunch of Uyghur cuisine including signature dishes like da pan ji (big plate chicken), laghman (hand-pulled noodles), and kawap (lamb kebabs). Transfer to Urumqi Diwopu International Airport for your onward flight. End of the Duku Highway adventure.

Included

• Air-conditioned vehicle
• Driver
• Fuel Cost, Parking Fee, Toll Fee
• 5 nights accommodation
• Daily breakfast

Not Included

• Entrance fees to attractions
• Tour Guide
• Meal
• International and domestic flights
• Travel insurance and personal expenses