Urumqi

Welcome to Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and the farthest major city from any ocean in the world. Upon arrival, you'll be transferred to your hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is free for you to explore at your leisure.

Today is a relaxing day! In the morning, we will drive to the entrance of Heavenly Lake, then take a 40-minute shuttle bus ride, winding through the picturesque Tianshan Mountains, to the lakeshore. You can either trek around the lake and enjoy a boat cruise or take the cable car up to Maya Mountain for breathtaking views of Bogda Peak. Lunch will be served in a traditional Kazakh yurt. Afterwards, we’ll transfer back to Urumqi (about 1.5 hours) and visit the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar—the largest bazaar in the city. Here, you’ll find a bustling market filled with fruits, clothing, handicrafts, knives, carpets, and almost anything you can imagine!

Start the trip with a 2-3 hour drive to Turpan, passing by Asia's largest wind power station, sprawling at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains. Next, catch a glimpse of the Salt Lake in Dabancheng before arriving in Turpan, where we'll explore its fascinating historical sites and lush oasis landscapes. Our first must-see stop is Tuyoq Village, the oldest Uighur village, nestled in the heart of the Flaming Mountain Canyon. Once a holy site for both Buddhism and Islam, the village is divided into four sections: the canyon scenery, the Thousand Buddha Caves, the Mazar tombs, and the ancient village's historic buildings. Next, we’ll visit the Jiaohe Ruins, a 2,300-year-old ancient city perched on a 30-meter-high loess plateau between two rivers. As one of China’s best-preserved ruins from its era, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on June 22, 2014.

In the morning, we will depart from the hotel and head to the Karez Well, a unique ancient irrigation system. Here, you can not only explore this remarkable engineering marvel but also escape the summer heat. Next, we’ll visit the Sugong Minaret, the tallest Islamic minaret in China, built in 1778. After the visit, you will be transferred to the train station to take the high-speed train to Dunhuang (arriving at Liuyuan Station). Upon arrival, we’ll drive approximately 2 hours to Dunhuang city center, check in at the hotel, and enjoy some rest.

Today we will have a full-day sightseeing tour in Dunhuang. Our first stop is the Mogao Grottoes. The visit begins with a 4D movie. Accompanied by a professional guide, we will then visit 8 grottoes, where you can admire the magnificent grottoes and mural art. Through the guide’s explanations and film displays, you will learn about the history of Buddhism in Dunhuang — a must-see experience for tourists visiting here. After lunch, we will head to Echoing Sand Mountain. When strong winds blow, the sands are lifted and create a loud echoing sound. Here, you will also find Crescent Lake, which has existed for hundreds of years. Camel riding in the vast desert and sand sliding are highly recommended activities. Special Arrangement: 1 bottle of cold beer per person In the evening, we will stroll around Shazhou Night Market, a distinctive local attraction where you can taste local cuisine and relax. After the visit, we will return to the hotel to rest. Tomorrow will bring more excitement!

After enjoying your buffet at the hotel, we will drive 4 hours to visit Jiayuguan Pass today. This Ming Dynasty fort guards the strategic Jiayuguan Pass, located at the western end of the Great Wall — the last section built by the Ming Dynasty. Next, we will explore the Great Wall Museum, which opened to the public in October 1989 and is the first to comprehensively and systematically exhibit Great Wall culture. After bidding farewell to Jiayuguan, we will drive approximately 2 hours to Danxia National Geological Park for an overnight stay. An amazing starry night awaits you. Reminder: The climate in Jiayuguan may be a bit dry. Remember to drink water regularly.

Get up early to catch the sunrise at the splendid Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park, a typical arid region in northern China. Ribbons of red, orange, and yellow slice through the rock, creating a rainbow vista framed by the contours of jagged mountain peaks. Many people also call it "Rainbow Mountain". We will then continue our trip to Mati Temple, built during the Jin Dynasty. It will take us about 2 hours to drive to the site. In Grotto 9, a series of horseshoe prints are visible, said to be left by a heavenly horse. Hence, the temple is named after the legendary heavenly horse's horseshoe prints, which have become the temple's treasure. After the visit, we will stay overnight in Zhangye, and you can enjoy a relaxing evening at the town's night market.

After enjoying breakfast at the hotel, we will take a high-speed train along the Qilian Mountains at around 9 am, enjoying splendid scenery on the way to Xining. At 16:00, we will visit Ta'er Monastery (Kumbum Monastery), which has the largest population of monks outside Tibet. Standing on Thangka Sunning Terrace, you will have a bird’s-eye view of the monastery and its surrounding scenery. Inside the monastery, apart from magnificent Buddha stupas and wall paintings, prayer wheels are also a must-see attraction. The entire monastery is surrounded by prayer wheels — walk along the corridor, rotate the wheels, and pray for blessings. Butter sculpture is one of the "Three Wonders of Art" at Ta’er Monastery. It encompasses various artistic boutiques, such as Buddha statues, figures, landscapes, pavilions, birds, animals, flowers, and trees, all crafted from butter.

Another delightful day awaits! After a 2-hour drive, we will cycle around beautiful Qinghai Lake or take a light trek through the cole flower sea. It’s no exaggeration to say that Qinghai Lake is a miracle endowed by nature. Special Arrangements: ① 1-2 hours of cycling/hiking around Qinghai Lake ② Enjoying time in the Cole Flower Sea Every year from May to October, nomadic Tibetan families move to the lake’s shore. It is wonderful to visit their homes and learn about their lifestyle. Afterward, we will drive 2.5 hours to Chaka for an overnight stay.

Today is the last day of our journey. We are going to explore beautiful Chaka Salt Lake, the largest salt lake in Qinghai Province. "Chaka" means "the sea of salt" in Mongolian. It lies in the center of the Qaidam Basin and was nominated by a national tourist geography magazine as one of the 55 places to visit. Special Arrangement: One-way train ride to Chaka Salt Lake Afterward, your enjoyable Silk Road trip will come to an end. We will drive 4 hours back to Xining to catch your flight. Wish you a pleasant journey home!