4 Days Xinjiang Urumqi and Turpan Ancient Silk Road Tour - Experience Stunning Landscapes & Adventure

Summary

Day 1 Urumqi Arrival: Hongshan Park
Day 2 Urumqi: Xinjiang International Bazaar, Shuimogou Park
Day 3 Urumqi to Turpan by Flight: Grape Valley, Flaming Mountain
Day 4 Turpan-Urumqi by Flight: Jiaohe Ruins, Karez Well

Day 1 Urumqi Arrival

Our professional guide, fluent in multiple languages, will be accompanying you on this 4-day ancient Silk Road journey. With profound knowledge of Xinjiang's history, culture and customs, the guide will integrate detailed introductions into each scenic spot and provide thoughtful service throughout the trip, ensuring a smooth, comfortable and informative experience. In addition, our experienced and skilled driver, equipped with excellent driving capabilities, will safely transport you throughout the tour. The vehicle is well-maintained, ensuring both comfort and safety during the entire excursion. We provide seamless pick-up and drop-off services, covering hotels, railway stations and airports in Urumqi, with a distinctive "Your Way Holiday" welcome sign for easy identification, ensuring a perfect start and end to your trip.

For lunch, we will take you to a local halal restaurant in the urban area, which is popular among locals and specializes in authentic Uyghur cuisine. Our guide will carefully introduce the characteristics of each signature dish, such as tender roasted lamb chops, fragrant nang pit meat, sweet yogurt zongzi, and delicate thin-skinned buns. He will also explain the dietary customs and cooking skills behind these dishes, assist you in ordering according to your taste preferences, and provide flexible options such as vegetarian food and halal food to ensure that you can enjoy the most authentic local food experience comfortably.

After lunch, we will go to Hongshan Park, a landmark scenic spot in Urumqi. Hongshan Park, with a history of more than 200 years, is known as the "first scenic spot in Urumqi" and is named after the red sandstone of Hongshan. The mountain is about 910 meters above sea level, with steep slopes and lush vegetation. Climbing to the top of the mountain, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Urumqi urban area: the winding Urumqi River meanders through the city, and the high-rise buildings are scattered among the green trees, showing the unique charm of the frontier city. There are many scenic spots in the park, such as Hongshan Pagoda, Yuntai Pavilion and Zhaobi, among which Hongshan Pagoda is the symbol of the park, built in the Qing Dynasty, with a height of about 10 meters, simple and elegant in shape. The park also has a beautiful legend: it is said that Hongshan and Yamalike Mountain across the river were originally connected, and later separated by the flood of the Urumqi River, forming the current landscape.

After the visit, our guide and driver will safely take you back to the hotel.

Day 2 Urumqi

In the morning, you will take a comfortable vehicle to Xinjiang International Bazaar, the largest inland bazaar in Asia, known as the "Window of Central Asia". With a history of more than 100 years, the bazaar inherits the prosperity of the ancient Silk Road and integrates the customs of Uyghur, Kazakh, Kirghiz and other ethnic minorities. The architectural style of the bazaar is full of Islamic characteristics: the huge domes are inlaid with colorful glazed tiles, the curved arches are exquisite and elegant, and the walls are carved with delicate patterns, which are full of ethnic charm. Inside the bazaar, there are more than 3,000 shops, selling local specialty products such as raisins, carpets, jade, ethnic handicrafts, spices and fruits. Among them, the hand-woven carpets are famous for their fine texture and rich patterns, and the seedless white raisins are sweet and juicy, which are the best gifts for relatives and friends. The bazaar also has many food stalls, where you can taste various local snacks and feel the strong festive atmosphere.

For lunch, we will take you to a local halal restaurant near the bazaar, where you can taste authentic Uyghur catering culture. The featured dishes here include roasted whole lamb slices, hand-made rice noodles, milk skin dumplings and dried fruit porridge. Roasted whole lamb slices are tender and not greasy, with a unique charcoal flavor; hand-made rice noodles are chewy and matched with rich soup, which is delicious and satisfying. The restaurant adheres to traditional cooking methods, retaining the original flavor of the ingredients, and you can deeply experience the dietary culture of the Uyghur people here.

In the afternoon, we will go to Shuimogou Park, a famous scenic spot in Urumqi known as the "Green Island on the Frontier City and Fairyland on the Frontier". The park was built in 1733, with a history of more than 500 years, and was named after the water mills built on the Shuimo River at that time. Many historical figures such as Ji Xiaolan once visited here and left interesting stories. The park covers an area of about 36 square kilometers, composed of Qingquan Mountain, Wenquan Mountain, Hongqiao Mountain and Shuimo River. The Shuimo River is formed by numerous gushing springs, flowing all year round, with clear water and green aquatic plants on the banks. There are many scenic spots in the park, such as Jianting Xiuse, Hanwen Ridge, Qingquan Waterfall and Wenquan Pool. Jianting Xiuse is built on the hillside, with pavilions and corridors connected, and the scenery is beautiful; Hanwen Ridge is inlaid with inscriptions of famous poets of past dynasties, showing profound cultural heritage. The park is surrounded by mountains and rivers, with fresh air, which is an ideal place to escape the summer heat and relax.

After the trip, our guide and driver will safely take you back to the hotel.

Day 3 Urumqi-Turpan

In the morning, you will take a flight from Urumqi Tian Shan International Airport to Turpan. The flight between Urumqi and Turpan is short, usually taking about 1 hour, which is convenient and time-saving. After arriving at Turpan Jiaohe Airport, you will take a comfortable vehicle to the urban area or near the scenic spot to rest briefly, and then go to the restaurant for lunch. No scenic spot visits will be arranged in the morning to ensure you have enough time to adapt to the climate difference between Urumqi and Turpan and adjust your state for the afternoon tour.

For lunch, we will take you to a local farm restaurant near the scenic spots, where you can taste authentic Turpan cuisine. The signature dishes here include Turpan braised noodles with tomato and egg, baked fish in earthen oven, and mixed cold dishes with local vegetables. Turpan braised noodles are chewy, with a sour and sweet tomato and egg sauce, which is very appetizing; baked fish in earthen oven is fresh and tender, with a unique earthen flavor, fully reflecting the dietary characteristics of Turpan people adapting to the arid climate. The ingredients of the restaurant are all locally sourced, fresh and healthy, allowing you to taste the most authentic flavor of Turpan and replenish energy for the afternoon tour.

After lunch, we will first go to Grape Valley, a famous "sweet scenic spot" on the ancient Silk Road. Grape Valley is located at the northern foot of Flaming Mountain, with a length of about 8 kilometers and a width of 0.5 kilometers, surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing the river on one side. It has a history of more than 2,000 years of grape planting, and is famous for its seedless white grapes, milk grapes, horse milk grapes and other varieties. The climate here is mild, with sufficient sunlight and large temperature difference between day and night, which is very conducive to the growth of grapes. The valley is covered with grape trellises, and in the mature season, clusters of grapes hang under the trellises, red, purple and green, which is very beautiful. You can walk under the trellises, taste fresh and sweet grapes for free (in season), and visit the raisin processing workshop to understand the traditional production process of raisins—drying in the sun or in the shade, retaining the original sweetness and nutrition of grapes. There are also many folk custom experience areas in the valley, where you can experience the local custom of making nang and drinking milk tea.

In the late afternoon, we will go to Flaming Mountain, a iconic scenic spot of Turpan and a natural wonder on the ancient Silk Road. Flaming Mountain is located in the northern part of Turpan Basin, stretching for about 100 kilometers, with a width of 10 kilometers and a maximum altitude of 831.7 meters. It is formed by the erosion of ancient rivers and wind, with reddish-brown sandstone cliffs all over the mountain. Due to the extremely high temperature in summer (the surface temperature can reach up to 89?), the mountain looks like a burning flame from a distance, hence the name "Flaming Mountain". There are many scenic spots in the scenic area, such as the Temperature Measuring Pole, Journey to the West Culture Park and Geology Museum. The Temperature Measuring Pole is 12 meters high, with temperature scales on it, which can intuitively show the surface temperature of Flaming Mountain; the Journey to the West Culture Park reproduces the classic scenes in "Journey to the West" related to Flaming Mountain, allowing you to feel the charm of traditional culture; the Geology Museum displays the geological evolution process of Flaming Mountain and various geological specimens, helping you understand the formation of this natural wonder.

After the trip, our guide and driver will safely take you back to the hotel.

Day 4 Turpan-Urumqi

In the morning, you will take a comfortable vehicle to Jiaohe Ruins, a world cultural heritage site and one of the best-preserved ancient city ruins in China and Central Asia. Jiaohe Ruins is located on a loess platform between the two branches of the Jiaohe River, with a history of more than 2,000 years. It was the capital of the ancient Gushi (Cheshi) state in the Western Han Dynasty, and was an important transportation hub and military fortress on the ancient Silk Road. In 2014, it was listed as a World Heritage Site as an important site of the "Silk Road: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor". The ruins cover an area of about 2.5 square kilometers, with a complete urban layout, including residential areas, government office areas, temple areas, workshops and other functional areas. The city is built with adobe, without walls, relying on the natural loess platform to form a defensive system, which is unique in the history of ancient Chinese cities. The ruins retain a large number of earthen buildings, such as city gates, streets, houses and temples, which are simple and solemn, and you can feel the prosperity of the ancient Silk Road city from the ruins.

For lunch, we will take you to a local halal restaurant recommended by locals, where you can taste signature dishes such as Turpan spicy fried chicken, baked buns with honey and dried fruit, and mutton soup with radish. Turpan spicy fried chicken is spicy and fragrant, with crispy skin and tender meat; baked buns with honey and dried fruit are sweet but not greasy, combining the sweetness of honey and the fragrance of dried fruit, which is a unique dessert in Turpan. The restaurant has a long history, adhering to traditional halal cooking standards, and each dish is full of local characteristics.

In the afternoon, we will go to Karez Well, a great water conservancy project in ancient China, known as the "Underground Great Wall". Karez Well is a unique water conservancy project in arid areas, with a history of more than 2,000 years, which integrates wells, canals, ditches and dams. It solves the problem of water shortage in Turpan's arid climate and is the source of life for the people of Turpan. The structure of Karez Well is divided into three parts: the vertical well, the underground canal and the open ditch. The vertical well is used to excavate and maintain the underground canal; the underground canal is used to transport groundwater to avoid evaporation; the open ditch is used to distribute water to farmland and residential areas. There are more than 1,100 Karez Wells in Turpan, with a total length of more than 5,000 kilometers. You can visit the Karez Well exhibition hall to understand the history and construction principle of Karez Well, and walk into the underground canal to see the clear spring water gushing out, feeling the ingenuity of the ancient Silk Road people. After the visit, you will be sent to Turpan Jiaohe Airport on time to take the flight back to Urumqi, ending this wonderful ancient Silk Road journey perfectly.

After the trip, your guide and driver will send you to Turpan Airport or Turpan Railway Station on time, helping you with your luggage and saying goodbye to you, bringing a perfect end to this Silk Road adventure. Our seamless drop-off service ensures that you can depart smoothly without any worries.

Price Per Person in US Dollars