Orient : 12D11N China Silk Road Train Adventure

<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Arrival in Urumqi, meet & greet at the airport and transfer to hotel. Free time at leisure for the rest of the day. Meals on own expenses.</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Overnight at hotel in Urumqi</span></strong></p>

<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">After breakfast at the hotel and a visit to </span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Heavenly Lake</span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"> in the Tianshan Mountains, which is located 1,980 meters above sea level and offers picturesque views of snow-capped peaks, you can enjoy the crystal-clear water sourced from melted snow. A boat cruise on Heavenly Lake provides great pleasure, with magical colors covering the lake and offering stunning views. In Urumqi, we will visit the </span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Xinjiang International Bazaar</span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">. Afterward, board the private train to Kuqa.</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Overnight on board of the train</span></strong></p>

<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">After breakfast on the train, disembark and enjoy a full day of sightseeing in </span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Kuqa</span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">, a thriving city known for its oil and gas development in the Tarim Basin with ½ million residents. In ancient times, it was the homeland of the </span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Buddhist Kingdom of Kucha</span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">. Today, we will visit the following scenic spots:</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Kuqa Grand Canyon </span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">The Mystic Grand Canyon fascinates with its colorful red sandstone rocks.</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves</span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">, also known as Kizil Thousand-Buddha Caves or Kizil Ming Öy in Uygur language, is the largest existing Buddhist stone caves in Xinjiang and the oldest, the largest and westernmost Buddhist grottoes in China.</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Kuqa Royal Palace</span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">, built by Qing Emperor Qianlong and reconstructed on the old site, exhibits the unique characteristics of the palace and the history of King Uyghur.</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Overnight onboard of the train</span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"> on the heading to to Kashgar</span></strong></p>

<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">fter breakfast, arrive in </span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Kashgar</span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">, taking the Karakorum Highway to the Pamir Plateau and the city of Taxkorgan, the last town before the China-Pakistan border at the </span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Khunjerab Pass.</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Overnight at hotel in Taxkorgan</span></strong></p>

<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Taxkorgan,</span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"> with a rich history as a Silk Road stop, served as a convergence point for major caravan routes leading to Kashgar in the North, Tajikistan in the West, and Pakistan in the South. It has been a center of various kingdoms for centuries and is now the focal point for the ethnic Tajik in China. Developed into a tourist center on the modernized Karakorum Highway, Taxkorgan offers a visit to the Taxkorgan Fort, also known as Stone City, situated on the outskirts next to the Golden Grassland. Take a stroll through the Tashkurgan grasslands after breakfast.</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">After an early lunch we head back to Kashgar via the Karakorum Highway . On the way, we do a photo stop at </span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Lake Baisha</span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"> (“Blue Lake”).</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Overnight at hotel in Kashgar</span></strong></p>

<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Kashgar,</span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"> a historic oasis city in southern Xinjiang, played a vital role on the Silk Road for over 2000 years. With a diverse cultural past under Chinese, Turkic, Mongol, and Tibetan empires, it now thrives as a bustling city of 4 million residents. Connected by the Karakorum Highway to Pakistan and the Torugart Pass Highway to Kyrgyzstan, Kashgar hosts China’s westernmost railway station. A feasibility study is underway for a new railway to Uzbekistan. After breakfast, explore the city’s top attractions.</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"><strong>Kashgar Old Town</strong><br />
</span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Kashgar Old Town often described as “the best-preserved example of a traditional Islamic city in Central Asia” has been demolished and reconstructed during the last decade to become the major tourist attraction in Xinjiang province. In the center located is the </span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Id Kah Mosque</span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"> which is one of the largest in China.</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"><strong>Afaq Khoya Mausoleum and Xiang Fei Garden</strong><br />
</span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Built in 1640 as Muhammad Yusuf’s tomb, the mausoleum later became the resting place for his more famous son, Afaq Khoja, and five Afaq family generations. It stands out as an exemplary piece of Islamic architecture in China, covering 20,000 square meters with structures like a gate tower, great mosque, small mosque, scripture hall, and the main tomb chamber. Nearby, Xiangfei Garden, a tourist park, opened in 2015. Linked to Chinese legend, the site is associated with the “Fragrant Concubine” (Xiang Fei), who became a consort to the 18th-century Qianlong Emperor</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"><strong>Bazaar (“Sunday Market”) and Livestock Market</strong><br />
</span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">The Kashgar Sunday Market is renowned as the biggest market in central Asia; a pivotal trading point along the Silk Road where goods have been traded for more than 2,000 years. The market is open daily, but Sunday is the largest. In the outskirts of the city there are livestock markets, the main one on Sundays as well, but others every day. Both, the bazaar, and the livestock markets are considered as unique experiences by overseas visitors.</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Overnight onboard of the train</span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"> on the heading to Hetian</span></strong></p>

<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">After breakfast, arrive in Hetian, also known as Hotan. This major oasis town in the southwest of Xinjiang province has a population of about 0.4 million, with the majority being ethnic Uyghurs.</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Hetian</span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"> is renowned for its Nephrite jade, silk fabrics, and hand-woven silk and wool carpets. The railway line from Kashgar to Hetian was opened in 2011. A full day of unforgettable sightseeing experiences is on today’s itinerary.</span></p>
<ul>
<li><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Tuangcheng Old Town</span></li>
<li><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Hetian Museum.</span></li>
<li><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Grand Bazaar & Night Market</span></li>
</ul>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Overnight at hotel in Hetian</span></strong></p>

<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">After a week of sightseeing, today is a leisurely day.</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">The major highlight for today is a rail experience</span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"> travel </span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">through the Taklimakan Desert, </span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">World’s first deser railway line completed in 2022</span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none"> to Ruoqiang at its southeastern edge.</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">This railway,</span> <span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">is a feat of engineering with five viaducts designed to let sandstorms pass underneath. It’s one of the first private train tours to complete the full circle around the Taklimakan Desert, offering comfortable views from your cabin, dining, or bar car. </span><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Enjoy this unforgettable rail journey!</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Overnight stay at a hotel</span></strong></p>

<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Ruoqiang is a rarely visited small town with only 43,000 residents at the southeastern edge of the Taklimakan Desert. In the morning, after breakfast, we begin sightseeing in Ruoqiang and explore the Milan Ruins and the Loulan Museum, which explains the history of ancient civilizations in the region. In the evening, we reach Korla..</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Overnight at hotel in Korla</span></strong></p>

<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">With nearly 800,000 residents, Korla is a major city in Xinjiang province, situated as an oasis town on the Peacock River at the northern edge of the Taklimakan Desert. Fueled by the discovery of oil in the desert, Korla is experiencing rapid growth, hosting the headquarters of Petro-China’s Tarim oil fields.</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">In the morning, visit Bosten Lake for a boat trip, the largest freshwater lake in China. Our journey continues</span> <span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">to Turpan.</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Overnight at hotel in Turpan</span></strong></p>

<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Turpan, also known as Turfan, is located about 150 km southeast of Urumqi, Xinjiang’s capital in a mountain basin, on the northern side of the Turpan Depression. It is the center of a fertile oasis and used to be a trading center in ancient times. It is regarded as the hottest place in China in record temperatures reaching 47,8° C in July. After breakfast, we start another day full of sightseeing activities:</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-justify para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">The </span><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Flaming Mountains</span></strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">, also called Red Mountains, are well known by Chinese people because of the legendary story “Journey to the West”.</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-start para-style-body"><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Jiaohe Ancient City </span></strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">is an island-shaped plateau situated at in Yarnaz Valley. It is the largest, oldest, and well-preserved earth-structured city in the world, with a history of over 2000 years.</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-start para-style-body"><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">The Grape Valley </span></strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">is an area of arid land in Turpan where grapes and other fruits are grown.</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-start para-style-body"><strong><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Overnight at hotel in Urumqi</span></strong></p>

<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-start para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Tour ends today.</span></p>
<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-start para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Free at your own leisure until pick up to airport</span> <span class="OYPEnA text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">for the flight back to your hometown or next destination. Bon voyage</span></p>