20 Days Beijing-Urumqi-Turpan-Korla-Kuqa-Alear-Hotan-Kashgar-Xi’an-Shanghai

Welcome to Beijing, welcome to China. Your hassle-free China tour will start here with CCT team. You will be escorted to the hotel from the airport by our private guide and driver. The guide will also help you do the check-in.

Meals: No meal, advice freely available

• Hotels: Hilton Beijing Wangfujing, Regent Beijing, Park Plaza Beijing Wangfujing, Beijing Double Happiness Courtyard Hotel

Beijing

In the morning, you will visit the heart of Beijing, Tian’anmen Square, the largest square in the world. Cross it, and you will see the gate of Forbidden City, an imperial living and governing quarters with valuable artworks and traditional gardens. Standing on the central point of the south-north axis of the city and faces the north gate of the Forbidden City, Jingshan Park offers a panoramic view of the Forbidden City.

Gain a deeper understanding of Beijing's history and culture by walking through the streets of the old hutong alleys.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch at Jin Ding Xuan Restaurant with a la carte menu

Feature Dinner option: Peking Roast Duck (Dadong Peking Duck, Qianmen Quanjude Peking Duck), Mei Family Restaurant, Bai Family Restaurant)

Optional evening activity: Peking Opera, Kungfu Show

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

Forbidden City

Morning tour to the largest surviving altar complex in China, Temple of Heaven. Take a Taichi lesson here with the master’s guidance.

Drive about 1.5 hours from the city area to Mutianyu Great Wall. It is the essence of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall with over 90% vegetation coverage rate. Round ways cable car is arranged for you to save energy so that you have more energy for the hiking on the Great Wall.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

Temple of Heaven

In the morning, you will get rid of the heat in Summer Palace, a retreat for the royalties in summer in the past. A boat cruise in Kunming Lake is quite agreeable.

You will be transferred to the airport after lunch. A direct flight will take you to Urumqi.

Note: boat cruise is not available from December to March as the water in the lake may be frozen.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
• Hotels: Hilton Urumqi Hotel, Excemon Xinjiang Yilite Hotel

Summer Palace

The surrounding snowy mountains make Heavenly Lake is a summer resort. A boat cruise there is quite enjoyable. Have a closer view of the local life, culture and trade by visiting Erdaoqiao Market. Nang is a common but essential food for Xinjiang people. Step in a local Nang shop, where you could see the process of making it and talk with the shop owner to know their life.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

Erdaoqiao Market

After breakfast, use the private transfer from Urumqi to Turpan. Start your Turpan exploration from Karez Well, an underground irrigation system in Turpan, which reflects the wisdom of the ancient people.

Continue to explore the Ruins of the Ancient City of Jiaohe. The ruins of buildings in the city can be generally divided into temples, dwellings, official offices, etc., which have been well preserved tested even after 2300 years’ ups and downs.

After a glimpse of the history, you will have the chance to view the local life by visiting a local Uyghur family. The host will teach you how to cook Xinjiang dishes. Lunch will be served in the local family.

You will have the option to pick up grapes in the local family if you travel during August and September. Another optional night market tour by carriage is also available.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

The Karez Wells

Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves is one of the famous relics of Buddhism in Xinjiang, which was listed as a state key cultural relics protection unit in 1982.

After that, you will be transferred to Kolar. Upon arrival, have lunch first. Head to Iron Gate Pass, which is the intersection of the southern foot of The Tianshan Mountains and the Northern Slope of the Kunlun Mountains, and is the only place in the middle of the ancient Silk Road.

End the day with the visit of the ‘mother river’ of Kolar, Kongque River.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
• Hotels: Korla Pear City Garden Hotel, Silver Star hotel

Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves

After a sound sleep, you will go from Kolar to Kuqa by private transfer. There are many things for you to explore and the first one is Subash Ruins, a famous women's kingdom during the ancient times with an area of about 5,000 square meters. Go ahead to the majestic and straight Kizil Gaha Beacon Tower, which was earliest-built and well-preserved beacon tower in ancient Silk Road.

Kuqa Great Mosque is a place of worship for the people who believe in Islam and the second largest mosque in Xinjiang only next to Id Kah Mosque. Tang dynasty Beacon Tower is the alarm signal facility for the ancient border area. It plays an important role in border defense and war. The last destination of today’s tour is Kuqa Old Town. Wander in it and get to know its history with the explanation of the guide.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
• Hotels: Wuzhou Hotel Kuqa

Subash Ruins

Sit on the cliffs on the northern bank of the Muzat River, Kizil Thousand-Buddha Caves is the earliest Buddhist art treasure trove in China, even one century earlier than the famous Mogao Grottoes.

After lunch, go to Kuche Grand Canyon. It is a living museum of nomadic culture before human farming civilization as it includes all the natural scenery in Xinjiang except for the desert.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

Kuche Grand Canyon

After breakfast, visit Kuqa Palace before going to Alear. It was built in 1759 by the Emperor Qianlong of Qing dynasty to honor the local Uighur leader, E, for helping to put down the rebellion.

On the way to Alear, you will see the desert oasis and have a view of the Tarim River running through the city.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
• Hotels: Yindu Holiday Hotel Alear

Kuqa Palace

After the overnight in Alear, go to Hotan by private transfer. Located in the vast desert, more than 70km away from Hotan, Rewake Buddha Temple Ruins is a well-known culture relic of Buddhism under a high-rate protection of local autonomous region.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
• Hotels: West Lake International Hotel Hotan

Rewake Buddhist Temple Ruins

After waking up and breakfast, visit Hetian Silk Shop, where you will see how silk is produced from the cocoons of silk worms and turned into the beautiful fabric. Besides the silk, Hotan is also specialized in carpet and paper making. Do not miss the chance of the making process by visiting the carpet factory and paper making factory.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

Paper Making Factory

Be ready with the long drive today from Hotan to Kashgar, which takes about 8 to 10 hours. You can rest in the car and appreciate the scenery along the way.

Note: You can get off the vehicle from time to time to refresh yourself.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
• Hotels: Radisson Blu Kashgar, Luxemon Qinibagh Hotel Kashgar Prefecture

Kashgar

In the morning, stroll at Kashgar Old Town and visit a local smithy or copper-smith. If you wish to buy the bracelet or ring, you are allowed to participate in the making process.

In the afternoon, continue your tour to Id Kah Mosque, the biggest mosque in China with strong ethnic style and religious features. You can see many worshippers coming here to pray every day. Next you will visit Abakh Khoja Tomb, a typical Islamic ancient building complex and mausoleum Muslim holiness. Go on visiting the bazaar in Kashgar, where you could find numerous commodities, like dried fruit and delicacies, clothes, shoes, leather, textiles, rugs and carpets as well as scarves, souvenirs and other goods.

Refresh yourself by drinking a tea in the 100 Years Old Teahouse. Some snacks like Nang or nut are also served.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

Kashgar Old Town

Lake Karakuli is not outstanding itself. However, with the surrounding mountains, such as Mount Muztagata and Kongur Shan, green grass and livestock form reflections in the mirror-like water, it creates a fair and charming picture.

This is your last in Kashgar. The guide will escort you to the airport in Kashgar after lunch. Meet with the guide at the arrival hall of Xi’an airport. Rest in the hotel.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
• Hotels: Sofitel Legend Peoples Grand Hotel Xian, Wyndham Grand Xian South

Lake Karakuli

As a category of ancient tomb sculptures, Terra-Cotta Warriors has become a golden card of China's ancient splendid civilization and is honored as one of the rare treasures among world's ten ancient tombs.

Muslim quarter is a fascinating area where you can find exotic food, interesting people (some of the residents are still look like their Arabian cousins) and great souvenir stalls. You can taste many authentic Islamic snacks there. Besides this, you will visit Gao’s Family Courtyard with delicate construction design, where you will watch the traditional shadow play.

Located less than 1 km northwest to the Drum Tower, the Great Mosque is the most famous among the 14 mosques of Xi'an as well as one of the oldest and largest ones of China.

Feature Dinner option: Defachang Dumpling Restaurant, Lao Sun Jia Muslim Restaurant, First Noodle under the Sun

Optional evening activity: Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show with Dumpling Banquet

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

Great Mosque

Take a morning tour to Xian Ancient City Wall where you will ride a bike for about an hour. By riding the bike, you could see the scenery around the city wall. You may hungry after a whole morning tour. Next you will learn to make Chinese dumplings in a local family with the host’s guidance. Do not miss the chance to talk with the locals and learn about the local life.

After lunch, you will be transferred to one of the city's most distinctive and outstanding landmarks, Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Be ready to say goodbye to your Xi’an guide and driver. You will go to Shanghai by air, where you will be escorted to the hotel by our Shanghai guide and driver.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
• Hotels: The Peninsula Shanghai, Shanghai Fairmont Peace Hotel, Les Suites Orient, Bund Shanghai, Central Hotel Shanghai

Dumpling making

In the morning, tour the Yuyuan Garden, a private garden perfectly blending decorative halls, elaborate pavilions, glittering pools, zigzag bridges, pagodas, archways, and impressive rockeries. Nearby is the City God Temple, a main Taoism Temple in the city that enjoys a high reputation both at home and abroad by its long history and magnificent architecture. Go appreciate the unique architectures at French Concession before lunch.

Obtain a 360-degree view of Shanghai from the observation deck located at the 118th floor in Shanghai Tower. You can also enjoy the sunset and night lights from this building.

End the tour with the watching of the display of international architectures on the Bund.

Feature Dinner Option: Nan Xiang Mantou Dian, Green Wave Gallery, Lost Heaven-Yunnan Restaurant Bund Branch, 

Optional evening activity: Era Time or Shangcheng Acrobatic Show

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

Yuyuan Garden

Enjoy a free day in Shanghai.

• Meals: Breakfast,

the Bund

Your China tour ends today in Shanghai. Your tour guide and driver will collect you from your hotel and transfer you to Shanghai Pudong International Airport for your flight home.

• Meals: Breakfast,

Shanghai Tower