Urumqi Turpan Hami and Dunhuang 7 Days Muslim Tour

After breakfast, our guide will pick you up at the hotel and then drive you to visit Heavenly Lake.

Heavenly Lake is a famous scenic spot in Xinjiang. It is located at the mountainside of the Bogda Peak which is the highest peak in the east range of Tianshan Mountain. The Heavenly Lake, also called "Pearl of Tianshan Mountain" for its enchanting scenery by local people, is about 3400 meters long, 1500 meters wide and 105 meters deep. The Heavenly Lake boasts for its fairy natural scenes, including the crystal water, pleasant climate, silvery mountains, and colorful wild flowers. At the same time, the relic of the Quaternary Period Glacier, rare birds and animals, glaciers, special landscapes and rich resources in Heavenly Lake area are great for science exploration.

After that we will move to have a free tour at Erdaoqiao Market. The Erdaoqiao Market is the largest retail and wholesale market that is specialized in selling ethnic minority goods. With more than 2,000 kinds of items sold in the market, a wide selection of goods including ethnic clothes and accessories, handcrafts and jewelry, fresh fruits and dry fruits, ethnic medicine, Pakistan bronze wares, ethnic carpets, Hetian jade and ethnic antiques, musical instruments and so on is proved in this market. The Erdaoqiao Market is also considered an epitome of Xinjiang ethnic custom and culture and it is a must-see attraction when coming to Urumqi.

Afterwards, our guide will drive you back to the hotel.

After breakfast, our guide will pick you up and transfer you to Turpan to visit Tuyugou Canyon at first. The Tuyugou Canyon is located about 55 kilometers east of Turpan and 13 kilometers from the Gaochang Ancient City in the southwest. Tuyugou Canyon used to be the holy land of Buddhism and Islam, and is considered as the most mysterious place in west China. Mingled with several civilizations of religious and histories, together with its magnificent and gorgeous scenery of the great canyon and valleys, the historical and cultural Tuyugou Canyon attracts tourists there, especially Muslim travelers. Tuyugou Canyon is consisted of Canyon Scenery, Thousand-Buddha Cave, Mazaar Village and Ancient Villages.

Also we will visit Tuyuk Village, which is one of the most typical Uygur ancient villages in Tuyugou area. This village has well-preserved the traditions and customs of Uygur nationality. People still live in earthen building, they still dress the most traditional Uygur clothes and speak Uygur language. This village is a great place to get to know the original Uygur history and customs.

After that, our guide will arrange a stop at a local Kyrgyz family. You will have the chance to get to know the unique ethnic customs and life of the local Kyrgyz people, and also you will have opportunities to taste delicious food and snacks offered by local family.

Afterwards, our guide will take you to local hotel for check in.
 

Today, we will start our trip with a visit to the Ruins of the Ancient City of Jiaohe. The Jiaohe ruins is located 10 kilometers west of Turpan atop of a 30 meters steep cliff. The shape of the ruins is like a willow leaf and is surrounded by water. It used to be the capital of the Cheshibu Kingdom, which was dated back to 2000-2300 years ago. The Jiaohe Ruins is the oldest, biggest and the most well-preserved mud building city in the world. With its unique and interesting constructions, and historical and cultural values, this earthen castle Jiaohe Ruins attracts numerous tourists there.

Next we will proceed to visit Karez well system. The karez well system was constructed by ancient people about 2,000 years ago. It is made up of wells, dams, underground canals and reservoirs in order to store water and control water flow. This great well system was constructed according to the local hot and dry climate, and has made great contribution to the prosperity of Turpan. Reputed as “the underground Great Wall”, the karez well system is a result of local people’s intelligence and wisdom.

Then we will head to visit the famous Suleiman Minaret. The Suleiman Minaret is also known as Sugong Tower. It is located 2 kilometers east of Turpan. The tower was built in 1778 and now has a long history. Sugong Tower is the largest ancient tower in Xinjiang. The tower was constructed with steel-grey bricks into the unique Islamic style, also its construction has blended the excellent traditional architectural art of Uighur. Now the Sugong Tower is a popular tourist attraction for tourists, especially for Muslim tourists because of its noted architecture of Islamic art and being the only Islamic architectural tower in China.

Then our guide will drive you to Hami to visit the Islamic King Tombs. Islamic King Tombs are a group of ancient tombs built in 1840s as burial sites for Islamic Kings and their wives. They are located 2 kilometers south of Hami. The mausoleum architectural is surrounded by a wall with a mosque opposite the tombs. It is divided into the three parts of Islamic King’s Tombs, the Small Arch and Big Aitika Mosque. The construction of the mausoleum complex adopts both the style of Islamic and traditional Chinese style. The Big Aitika Mosque is a great mosque in Xinjiang. It is featured with typical Islamic architectural style.

Afterwards, our guide will bring you to the hotel for check in.

Our guide will pick you up and transfer you to visit Balikun Grassland this morning. The Balikun Grassland is located in Hami, northeast of Xinjiang. It is the second largest grassland in Xinjiang. With the green and lush grasses, clean and fresh air, pleasant climate, the colorful ethnic customs and recreations, Balikun Grassland is a great destination for summer resort in Xinjiang.

Next we will proceed to have a great time at White Stone Scenic Area. The White Stone Scenic Area is a famous scenic area which is located about 70 kilometers away from Hami City and is situated in the north of Kaerlike Snow Mountain which is the main peak of Tianshan Mountain. White Stone Scenic Area gets its name because of the huge white stone lying among green grassland and thick forest. This scenic area is consisted of five scenic spots, including Haiqi Ditch, Pine Pond, Mingsha Mountain, White Stone and Tianshan Temple. With its alluring scenery of green and lush grasses, towering pines, beautiful flowers, lively flocks and herds, ancient temples and cultural relics, and the colorful ethnic life and the beautiful legend, the White Stone Scenic Area attracts a lot of tourists there for sightseeing and entertainment.

Afterwards, our guide will drive you to Dunhuang and help you check in at local hotel.

Your exploration of Dunhuang will start with to the remains of Han Dynasty Great Wall. This Han Dynasty Great Wall refers to the remains of the Great Wall which was built in Han Dynasty (206BC - 220), which is more than 1,000 years earlier than the Ming’s Great Wall.

The next attraction to appreciate will be Yumen Pass. Yumen Pass, also called the Jade Gate Pass, is located some 90 kilometers northwest of Dunhuang City, Gansu Province. Together with Yangguan Pass, it is the main pass by which ancient China was connected to the Silk Road. It was established twice separately in the Han and Tang Dynasties. The current Yumen Pass is the remains of the one built in the Tang Dynasty. Yumen Pass witnessed the economic and cultural exchanges between China and the west. At present, the Yumen Pass site consists of a small square castle.

After that we will proceed to visit Dunhuang Yadan National Geologic Park. Situated 180 kilometers in the northwest away from Dunhuang City, the Dunhuang Yadan National Geologic Park is the largest one of Yadan Landform found so far. The park stretches twenty-five kilometers from north to south and about two kilometers from east to west. It features the unique and wonderful scenes and landscapes of the gobi desert.

In the end, our guide will bring you back to the hotel for a good rest.

The first site to start today’s trip will be Mogao Grottoes. The Mogao Grottoes, also named “Thousands Buddha Caves”, is regarded as the most valuable discovery in 20th century. It is known as the “Louvre of East”, which is outstanding for its exquisite mural paintings and statues. There are now 492 grottoes in which about 45000 square meters mural paintings and 2100 colorfully painted statues have been preserved very well. The history of Mogao Grottoes can be traced back to the “Five Hu-16 Kingdoms” period (CD304-439). Mogao Grottoes was constructed by the Prior Qin, and the subsequent dynasties rebuilt and enlarged the scope year by year. In the splendid caves, you will learn much about the evolution of China’s history.

Then we will head for the sightseeing of Crescent Spring. The Crescent Spring is located 5 kilometers southwest of Dunhuang and is famous as one of the “Eight Scenes of Dunhuang”. It is also known as the “first lake in the desert”. Surrounded by sand mountains, the Crescent Spring has a beautiful oasis with traditional Chinese architecture.

The last attraction to have a great fun will be the Echoing Sand Mountain. Echoing Sand Mountain is a famous scenic spots in Dunhuang. With the pale golden color, these dunes are huge and some measures about hundred meters while most of them are rather stable in shape though the dunes shift recurrently. When breezes come, the sand produces gentle and dulcet sounds just like beautiful music. This is how the mountain gets its name.

As your tour concludes, our guide will escort you to the airport for your departure flight. Have a nice trip.