Route Map
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Silk Road Expedition Continues
-Crossing Taklamakan Desert
This trip covers Uruqmi, Kashgar, Khotan, Niya, Korla and Turpan

Day 1 Saturday Shanghai-Urumqi-Kashgar (Kashi)
Own arrangement to Shanghai Hongqiao airport, check in, depart for Urumqi and then further to Kashgar. Meet on arrival at Kashgar airport and transfer to Seman hotel 3* (early Russia consulate) or similar, hotel check in. Welcome dinner at local restaurant.

Day 2 Sunday Kashgar
Visit the famous Sunday Market (incl. animal market), thousands of merchants haggle for camels, carpets and other goods, imams on donkeys and veiled woman in their dark robes. Lunch will be at a local family in old town. City tours include visiting the Old town of Kashgar, Abakh Hoja Tomb, Id Kah Great Mosque and its Bazaar. Abakh Hoja Tomb began as a family mausoleum in the seventeen century.

Day 3 Monday Kashgar – Khotan (Hetian)
We are heading for Taklamakan Desert today. We will travel by bus along the southern fringes of the desert, our first stop is Khotan. There are total 540 km, the duration on the road will be around 8 hours. Khotan is famous for its jade, carpets and silk. In history, Khotan has witnessed the coming and leaving of the Buddhist pilgrims. We will have a chance to visit some of the small cottage industries to see handicrafts being made by local families. We will also take a donkey cart ride to Malika Awat old town. We will stay at Khotan hotel 3*

Day 4 Tuesday Khotan – Niya (Minfeng)
Tour continues to Niya (today is called Minfeng). Niya, believed to have flourished from the 1st century BC to 4th century, has remained the best preserved and one of the largest ruins of the city states that were scattered along the ancient Silk Road about 1,500 years ago. We overnight in Niya before entering the Taklamakan Desert on our way north. Today, we will drive 320 km, the duration is around 4 hours. We will stay at Baorui hotel 2*

Day 5 Wednesday Niya – Korla
This is the day for our remarkable journey through the world's second largest desert, the Taklamakan. As late as 1960s, it still took around 40 days to travel from new Niya to oasis town Korla (700 km). But now, the journey can completed in about 10 hours by a superbly built highway. We will stay at Kaide hotel 2*

Day 6 Thursday Korla – Turpan
Expedition continues to Turpan (460 km, around 5 hours on road), another place which is famous for its dried mummies and many other historical sights. We will stay at Turpan Oasis Hotel 3*, the local music dance show will be accompanied our dinner today.

Day 7 Friday Turpan – Urumqi
Visit the remains of ancient cities Jiaohe, Thousand Buddha Caves, visit also Karez Irrigation Well, Grape Gorge and Emin Minaret, one of the architectural gems of the Silk Road. The ancient Karez Irrigation System was comprised of a series of wells and linking underground channel that use gravity to bring ground water to the surface. In the late afternoon, we go to our last destination in this trip, the capital of Xinjiang-Urumqi. The distance is about 200 km and 2.5 hours by high way. We will check in deluxe hotel Mirage Mei Li Hua 5*

Day 8 Saturday Urumqi – Heaven Lake – Urumqi – Shanghai
Heaven Lake at the foot of Heaven Mountain is our last sightseeing spot. A boat ride tour on the lake is included; it is also possible to have a small trekking tour around the lake. Return to Urumqi in the afternoon. After an early dinner, transfer to airport and depart for Shanghai.
END