9-Day Xinjiang Private Tour of Kanas and Turpan from Urumqi

Attractions: No

Meal: Not Included

Hotel: Overnight in Urumqi

When you arrive at Urumqi airport/train station, you will be met at the exit by a local driver holding a welcome sign with your name and transferred to your hotel in the city centre for check-in. Free to organise the rest of your day at your leisure.

Attractions: Dushanzi Grand Canyon, Wu’erhe Ghost City (Yardang Landform)

Meal: Not included

Hotel: Overnight in Wu’erhe Town

Today after breakfast, drive about 410 km (about 5.5 hours) to Wu’erhe. Wu’erhe is rich in tourism resources, not only rich in oil and forest and grass resources, but also rich tourism resources and magical natural landscapes, such as Wu’erhe World Devil City, Baiyang River Canyon, Ailik Lake, natural asphalt mines, oil sands mountains, coloured stone beaches, primitive poplar forests, etc, which is a "condensed place" of the great beauty of the Xinjiang scenery.

You will arrive at Dushanzi Grand Canyon first. Dushanzi Grand Canyon, located in the Gobi Desert, years of seasonal winds, frost, rain and snow forming the gully forests, vertical forests of gullies and ravines of the Grand Canyon, It's like a masterful print with layered lines,nature is the greatest artist.

Leaving Dushanzi Grand Canyon, and keep driving about 3.5 hours to Wu’erhe Ghost City . Here is a typical Yadan landform. The giant stone columns on the Gobi are strange, like a yellow medieval castle, vicissitudes of life and some grim. And between the stone pillars, often the wind whistling, like a ghost crying, sounds creepy.

After a sightseeing at Wu’erhe Ghost City, you will then drive a short while to Wu’erhe Town for accommodation.

Attractions: Kanas Scenic Area

Meal: Not included

Hotel: Overnight in Kanas

Kanas Scenic Area is the only extension of the Siberian taiga in China, the only ancient northern boundary of Europe, a Siberian flora and fauna distribution area. It is not only China's nature reserve bordering four countries, but also an important ecological site to block the northward movement of the Gurbantunggut Desert and a living museum of the nomadic culture of mankind's farming civilisation before. The whole area remains in a primitive state, with flat and boundless grasslands covering the land like a huge green blanket, wooden houses scattered, smoke rising from the cooking fire, and the aroma of milk wine wafting through the air.

Attractions: Kanas Lake, Kanas Three Bays, Taiga Trail Hiking, Fish-watching Tower

Meal: Not included

Hotel: Overnight in Hemu

Today is a full-day exploration of Kanas Lake Scenic Area including the Three Bays, Kanas Lake and Fish-watching Tower.

Kanas is the backyard of the gods, and the three bays of Kanas are the essence. The three bays are: Fairy Bay, Moon Bay and Wolong Bay. Wolong Bay is surrounded by dense forests, flowers and green grass. About 1 kilometre north along the Kanas River from Wolong Bay, you will see a blue crescent-shaped lake bay in the canyon, that is Moon Bay. Moon Bay is an extension of the Wolong Bay river bend, and its beauty and tranquillity change as the water of Kanas Lake changes.

About 3 kilometres north of Moon Bay, there is a river bank, where the river cuts the forest and grassland into small islands that seem to be connected and disconnected, known as the Bay of the Immortals. Shenxian Bay is a shallow area formed by Kanas Lake at the low point of the mountain stream. The surface of the lake glitters with a fine light under the sunlight, as if countless pearls are scattered at will. This is why it is also called "Pearl Beach".

After the lakeside hiking, keep traveling to Fish-watching Tower - the highest location of Kanas Scenic Area. One needs to walk about 1000 steps up to reach the tower, but the rewarding is handsome - a panoramic view of Kanas Lake, it is infatuated with mysterious lake monsters, colour-changing water and dazzling natural scenery, and many tourists aspire to his sanctity.

Lastly, hop on a park bus (about 2 hours’ drive along the beautiful mountain road) to Hemu Village for accommodation.

Attractions: Hemu Village Sunrise, Rainbow Beach

Meal: Not included

Hotel: Overnight in Burqin

Get up early to catch sight of the sunrise of Hemu village. You'll be able to take very beautiful photos as the sun rises and shines above the cloud-covered village. However, you will need to walk along the boardwalk to a higher point on the hill near the village to capture the sunrise. After watching the sunrise, you can go back to the hotel to have breakfast and have some rest.

Afterwards, you will visit a local Tuvas family to learn about their lives and taste local snacks, fruits and drinks prepared by the hosts. Sometimes, you may even get a chance to see Tuvas playing music and dancing. The rest of the day is at your own disposal, you can explore the place at your own pace and if you need any help you can come to the guide and driver!

After lunch, we will depart from Kanas and drive about 4 hours to Burqin County for accommodation. En route, On the way, you will see many vivid shapes at the spectacular Rainbow Beach (Riverside), where rocks have been weathered into many vivid shapes such as towering hills, deep valleys, criss-crossing streets, towers and more. Through thousands of years of geological changes, the "beach" has been painted in different colours - red, yellow, green, white ...... As the sun sets over the stones, they take on an even more brilliant appearance! When the sun sets on the stones, they take on even more brilliant colours.

Stay over the night in Burqin County.

Attractions: Kalamaili Mountain Ungulate Wildlife Nature Reserve

Meal: Not included

Hotel: Overnight in Urumqi

Have breakfast in your hotel, then drive back to Urumqi. During the 685 km’s driving journey, you will take an excursion visit to Kalamaili Mountain Ungulate Wildlife Nature Reserve, a desert that symbolises death, looks silent on the outside, but if you don't walk into it, you won't find out that it's a paradise for wildlife. Autumn in Karamayli is far more beautiful than one might expect. At the heart of China's second-largest desert, the Gurthongbangut Desert, life continues to thrive. In late autumn, the desert's sparse vegetation turns as yellow as the desert, and there are fewer human footprints here than there are hares.

Overnight in Urumqi.

Attractions: Kumtag Desert, Flaming Mountain Grand Canyon, Tuyuk Valley

Meal: Not included

Hotel: Overnight in Shanshan County

This morning, you will drive about 3 hours (167 km) from Urumqi to the "fire land" – Turpan. It is China's hottest city that its highest temperature reaches about 50°C in summer. Besides, it is also an outpost on the Silk Road and a lot of cultural heritage sites can be explored.

As you reach Turpan, keep driving about 1 hour to Tuyuk Valley along Flaming Mountain Grand Canyon, which condenses the essence of the landscape of Flaming Mountain - red sandstones looking like flaming fire, distinctive rocks showing the uncanny workmanship of nature and deep gorge with crisscross valleys.

 Mazar Village, the oldest existing Uighur village with a history of over 2,600 years, is a big highlight of Tuyuk Valley. It holds a significant status in Buddhism and Islam. The villagers still live peacefully in the village, and you can clearly see how they run their daily lives in the old mud adobe houses. Some villagers kindly ask the travelers to visit their vineyards and taste their fresh grapes or preserved fruits.

After the great time in Mazar Village, you will drive 55 km (about 1 hour) to Kumtag Desert. The sandy and windy landforms are complete, the dunes are clearly defined, and there is only a thin line between the majestic and spectacular scenery of the golden desert and the oasis scene.

There are tiny camel's thorns in the sand, with long tiny young leaves, this is a natural growth of drought-resistant plants, stems with spiny very hard small green leaves, is the only camel in the desert can eat the survival of grass, a from the green, make the desert is full of vitality.

When the sunset time is approaching, climb up to a high sand dune to enjoy the striking view of desert sunset – endless sand dunes waving under the golden sunlight.

After a wonderful desert exploration, transfer to Shanshan County near Kumtag Desert for accommodation.

Attractions: Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, Jiaohe Ancient City

Meal: Not included

Hotel: Not included

After breakfast, drive about 280 km (about 3.5 hours) back to Urumqi, and visit Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves and Jiaohe Ancient City en route.

Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, it is the cave group with the largest number of caves and the richest mural content among the existing caves in Turpan, and is one of the larger Buddhist cave temple sites in Xinjiang. It is also the one with the highest specifications, which used to be the royal monastery of the Gaochang Huifeng Kingdom.

Jiaohe Ancient City is an ancient city .Walking to the centre of the main road of the old city, from the observation deck, in addition to the old city and the old village, ethnic characteristics of the building.Immersed in the long river of history of the Jiaoxie, only mottled and pale still hides a huge unsolved mystery 

Stay the night in Urumqi city.

Attractions: No

Meal: Not included

Hotel: Overnight in Urumqi

Today is free for you to relax until you are escorted to catch your flight/train to the next destination. Tour ends.