Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Kashgar Arrival (No meal)

   Upon your arrival at Kashgar airport, our local driver will pick you up from the exit gate by holding a welcome board with your name and transfer you to the downtown hotel for check-in. Free and easy on your arrangement for rest of the day.

   Accommodation: Overnight in Kashgar

2. Day 2: Kashgar Classic City Tour (B, L)
   Kashgar Old Town, Handicrafts Market, Id Kah Mosque, Local Livestock Market

   Today you will further visit Kashgar city. No doubt the first site will be Kashgar Old Town. Kashgar’s spirit is in the old town with curved lanes distributed in the maze-like Islam blocks, which is the thing that bewilders you to be here. Eyes on face and camera in hands should be busiest during visit, elegant folk dwellings, neat streets, cozy tea houses gathering leisure old people, naughty kids playing in front of doors and bursting into laughter when you walking closely… soul warmth rising from bottom of hearts along your slowly wander.

   

   Later, move on to the local Handicrafts Market. Spending some time in the handicrafts market is also a top things-to-do in Kashgar. Follow the local crowd to walk leisurely and stop at a stall interesting you or talking with those hawkers with ethnic faces. Do not forget to bargain when you are picking some as souvenirs.

   

   After that, come to the largest Islam Mosque in Xinjiang - the Id Kah Mosque, whose birth could be traced back to 1442, in Ming Dynasty. It’s an ancient architectural complex sitting in the city center with strong ethnic and religious color, composed by four parts: the pagoda, garden, scripture hall and praying hall. Not only functioned as center for religious activities, is the Mosque also the place for local people to celebrate festivals. If you are lucky to visit it on a praying day and or festival day, you will meet an extreme busy scene that thousands of Islam followers gather on the Square.

   Last, come to visit the Local Livestock Market. At suburb of Kashgar City, it is an interesting window for you to learn local culture and folk customs of South Xinjiang. It is said to be the largest livestock market in Asia, mainly with trade of flocks and herds. Hawking from sellers, bargaining from buyers, moo and bleat from the animals forming a busy and down-to-earth scene before you.

   Accommodation: Overnight in Kashgar

   

3. Day 3: Kashgar-Karakuri Lake-Tashkurgan (B,L)
   Karakuri Lake

   Today you will head to the amazing Karakuri Lake. The driving lasts around 4 hours from Kashgar city to the lake, which would be a good chance to enjoy the mountain-and-lake view on the way.

   Karakuri Lake also named Karakul is a high mountain moraine lake. It locates at the foot of the Father on Iceberg, 191km far from Kashgar and crossed by the Sino-Pakistan Highway.

   Karakuri means “Dark Ocean”, which is corresponded to its appearance: the water is deep and unfathomable, the grass growing well on the banks where Kirgiz shepherds usually stay for grazing. The Lake embraces the inverted images of the snowy pinnacles, green grass and leisure flocks and herds when sunny days while it turns to be dark and bleak in the rainy days.

   Finishing the relaxing sightseeing, transfer to Tashkurgan for overnight.

   Accommodation: Overnight in Tashkurgan

   

4. Day 4: Tashkurgan-Kashgar & Kashgar Departure (B, L)
   Tashkurgan Stone City

   After breakfast, come to enjoy the unique scenery in Tashkurgan Stone City which is a famous relic along ancient Silk Route, occupying a vital position in sense of ancient military. It was the Capital of Puli Kingdom of Han Dynasty and a stronghold set by Tang Dynasty to governing the surrounding areas. The significant value in trade and politic brought it prosperous time in old time and left many treasures you can see today including pottery shard, gold, silver and jewelry, scriptures, silk…

   In the afternoon, drive around 5.5 hours back to Kashgar to catch night flight for departure.

   Accommodation: N/A