6 Days Classic Silk Road Tour of Dunhuang-Turpan-Urumqi

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Dunhuang Arrival

   Welcome to this 6-day classic Silk Road tour from Dunhuang. Upon your arrival, the local driver will pick you up and send you to the hotel for check-in. You are free to move around during the remaining time.

   In the evening, you are advised to visit the Shazhou Night Market on your own. It is the largest night market in Dunhuang, divided into five areas - local snacks, handicrafts, agricultural and sideline products, local specialties, and tea houses. You can taste some local specialties such as apricot peel water and yellow noodles with donkey meat.

   Meal: N/A

   Accommodation: Overnight in Dunhuang

2. Day 2: Dunhuang’s Relics and Deserts
   Explore the Ruins near Dunhuang Dating Back Two Thousand Years

   After meeting your guide in the hotel lobby, we will drive to Yumen Pass. Arrive at the site in about an hour and a half. Also known as Jade Gate Pass, it was built during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han and served as a gateway to various parts of the Western Regions at that time. The city wall is intact, square in shape, 24 meters long from east to west and 26.4 meters wide from north to south, built of yellow clay. In June 2014, the Yumen Pass site was listed as a World Heritage Site.

   

   Continuing on to the nearby Great Wall of the Han Dynasty, also known as the Outer Great Wall, it was a military defense project built during the early years of Emperor Wu of Han. With a total length of over 10000 kilometers, it is the longest Great Wall in China's history. It consists of trenches, beacon towers, pavilions and barriers, and was built using locally sourced materials such as sand, stone, and reed grass. It also serves as an important base for farming and horse breeding, and is an important base for resisting the Xiongnu.

   Yardang National Geopark is one of the largest Yardang landforms in the world and is known as the 'Devil City'. The park covers an area of about 400 square kilometers and is home to tens of thousands of landforms with various shapes, resembling castles and fleets. The unique geological landscape here was formed about 700000 years ago, shaped by long-term wind erosion. There are sightseeing pathways and observation decks in the park, allowing visitors to experience the wonders of nature up close.

   After the visit, we drive back to Dunhuang. In the late afternoon, we go to Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring to experience the fun of the desert. The main peak of Mingsha Mountain has an elevation of 1715 meters. Looking up from the foot, the mountains look like ancient Egyptian pyramids, shining brilliantly. Crescent Spring is surrounded by Mingsha Mountain, with an average depth of about 1.5 meters and has never dried up. There are many desert activities available here, including camel riding, desert off-road, and sand sliding (optional, extra charge on site).

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Overnight in Dunhuang

   

    

3. Day 3: Dunhuang to Turpan by High-speed Train
   Appreciate Buddhist Murals and Colored Sculptures

   After breakfast, you will be taken to visit the Mogao Caves (Thousand Buddha Caves), the largest and longest built Buddhist art site on the Silk Road. After thousands of years of construction, the Mogao Grottoes now have 735 caves distributed along a 1700-meter-long cliff, forming two zones: the southern zone for Buddhist worship and the northern zone for monk living. As a world cultural heritage site, Mogao Grottoes preserves 45000 square meters of murals and over 2400 colored sculptures. The mural content is quite rich, covering Buddhist scripture stories, Silk Road commercial scenes, and people's farming.

   Enjoy lunch after the visit. In the afternoon, be transferred to the train station for a high-speed train to Turpan. After arrival, the local driver will pick you up and escort you to the hotel.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Overnight in Turpan

   

4. Day 4: Highlights in Turpan
   Marvel at Underground Irrigation System and Earth-build City

   After having breakfast, drive for about 55 km southeast to Tuyugou Valley. It includes three main parts: Tuyugou Valley, Thousand Buddha Caves, and Mazha Village. This village with a history of over 1700 years is the oldest Uyghur village in Xinjiang. It has been a meeting point for different religions, cultures, and history since ancient times.

   

   Next, go back to Turpan downtown area to visit the Karez Well, a unique underground irrigation system. It was created to solve the problem of little rainfall. Although surface water is scarce, snow from surrounding mountains provides underground water. Locals used the sloped land to dig and link wells, forming a smart system to bring water to the fields.

   Then, be transferred to admire Sugong Pagoda, the largest Islamic-style pagoda in Xinjiang. The cone-shaped tower is decorated with ethnic-style carvings that share its long history. Behind it is Turpan’s largest mosque.

   Finally, explore the Jiaohe Ruins. From above, the ruins look like a giant ship resting in the Turpan Basin. Built on a natural loess mesa shaped by rivers, this ancient city was founded by the Cheshi people around 1,700 years ago. Their smart use of the land is clear in the design of homes, roads, and layout - making it the world’s largest ancient city built from earth.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Overnight in Turpan

   

5. Day 5: Turpan to Urumqi by Van
   Enjoy the Natural Beauty and Mysterious Legend

   In the morning, drive for 3 hours to Urumqi. After lunch, continue driving 1.5 hours to the Heavenly Lake, sitting at 1,910 meters above sea level. Here you can see snowy peaks, dense forests, vast grasslands, and colorful flowers.... and a famous legend about the Queen Mother of the West adds mystery to the place. The peaceful beauty will refresh your mind and spirit. If you’d like, you can take a boat ride on the lake for an extra cost.

   After that, drive back to Urumqi for a stroll along Xinjiang International Bazaar, one of the biggest bazaars in the world. With over 3,000 shops, it’s called the "Window of Central Asia." Here are many local products, from snacks to handicrafts. It’s a great place to experience Islamic culture.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Overnight in Urumqi

   

6. Day 6: Urumqi Departure

   After breakfast, your 6-day Dunhuang Turpan Urumqi tour ends here. Your private driver will pick you up at the agreed time and escort you to the airport for departure.

   Meal: Breakfast

   Accommodation: N/A