Day 1 Urumqi to Kashagr by Air
Today you will be picked up by our driver from your centrally located Urumqi hotel, and transferred to Urumqi airport to take 1.5-hour flight to Kashgar.
Upon arrival, you will be met by local guide and take a private car to the first stop, Apa Hoja Mausoleum, which was built in 1640 by local Imam for his father, and later it became a family graveyard to bury 72 people for 5 generations. The mausoleum is impressive for its delicate Uyghur architectural style including the blue tiles, the dome and the minaret.
Next, you will visit Kashgar old town to explore the intersting area where there are old houses for shops, workshops, restaurants, bakery, and tea houses etc. It displays the long history and vivid lifestyle in Kashgar from ancient Silk Road period to today. Handicraft Street is a must-see section in the old town, where the huge music instruments and bronze vessels are very impressive. You might taste some local snacks here, such as Nang Bread, grilled eggs, dried fruites etc. before visiting the old Id Ghar Mosque, the biggest mosque in Xinjiang. Enter the mosque at non-praying time to appreciate its architecture and decor, please wear long pants and cover the shoulders for ladies while visiting this mosque.
Lunch is arranged at a local Uyghur's house for you to taste the authentic and traditional Uyghur food including nang bread, hand-stretched noodles, and pilau...etc. In the afternoon, you will wander around the the Grand Bazaar in Kashgar, which is well known in Central Asia for its colorful and lively market. As a Uyghur saying goes that you can buy everything except for your parents. There are more people in the afternoon, because the farmers will drive to here from different area in the morning and buy things in the afternoon at the market. Actually the bazaar opens every day, and more people on Sunday. The animal bazaar is relocated near Kashgar Airport and opens only on Sundays. If it is Sunday, you will also visit the Animal Bazzar as well. When your tour is finished, you will be transferred back to your hotel.
Overnight in Kashgar 5-star hotel
Meal: Lunch
Day 2 Kashgar to Urumqi by Air
At 9:30 am Beijing time, you guide will meet you in your hotel in Kashgar and take a private vehicle from Kashar to Karakul Lake that is 190 km away. While driving on the Friend ship Highway from Kashgar to Islamabad, you will view the Uyghur villages, Kirghiz yurts, impressive mountains on the Pamir Plateau. Moreover, this is part of the ancient Silk Road. Firstly, you will stop at Upa Uyghur village to buy some fruites, or Nang bread, then you will view the Red Hill, and stop for lunch beside the stunning White Sand Lake. Upon arrival Karakul Lake, which covers an area of 6.2 square miles (10 square kilometers) with altitude of 11,811 feet (3,600 meters), you will walk along the lake to view the famous lake constructed a wonderful picture with Muztagata Summit that means Ice-mountain-father in Uyghur, 7509 meters. The famous Swedish explorer and geographer Sven Hedin recorded this Summit in 1894. Lunch is included and served at local restaurant. Afterwards you will be transferred back to Kashgar Airport to catch flight back to Urumqi. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your Urumqi hotel where the trip concludes.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
