Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Urumqi . Urumqi City Sightseeing
Attractions: The International Buzaar and Erdaoqiao . This is a great, lively district with a unique atmosphere. Restaurants and street traders spill their goods out onto the street and the market here is a great spot to pick up some Xinjiang souvenirs.
Day 2: Turpan
In the morning we will head Turpan. Today we will visit Grape Valley , Suleiman's Minaret, Karez Well. Stay overnight in an Ulgar family.
- Grape Valley : Grape Valley : with its shady vineyards and trees, this provides a welcome place of relaxation amidst the hundreds of square miles of sand. You may take a seat under the vintage frames, savor various grapes, enjoy the beautiful Uigur girls in their ornate costumes, and be fully intoxicated by this refreshing palace of grapes. Taking a walk along the grape corridor, you will find drying rooms on nearby slopes. Every year over 300 tons of raisins are made here.
- Suleiman's Minaret: This was built in 1777 to commemorate and praise Turpan's ruler, Emin Khoja, who had achieved brilliant military success in suppressing the armed rebellion
- Karez Well: This irrigation system of wells connected by underground channels is considered to be one of the three great ancient projects in China .
Day 3: Turpan - Urumqi
Another day to explore Turpan. We will get back to Urumqi in the evening.
- Jiaohe Ancient City : Like a willow leaf, the ancient city of Jiaohe (Yarkhoto) with a history of 2300 years was the capital of the former Cheshi State . An Indian proverb says, 'Intelligence is bound to exist where two rivers meet'. Jiaohe, meaning in Chinese where two rivers meet, is such a place. According to historical records it was home to 700 households, 6500 residents plus 865 soldiers. At the end of the 8 
Century, the city was tossed into the reigns of the Turpan, Hui, and Mongols. Residents fled from the destroyed city continuously until in the beginning of the 14 
Century, the city was abandoned, as was its glory and prosperity of over 2000 years. Miraculously, owing to the arid climate and remote location, the ancient city of Jiaohe remains intact, leaving us a rare exemplar of an earthen castle.
- Thousand Buddha Caves of Tuyuq Valley : It's a treasure trove of Indo-Buddhist art dating from the 4th-8th centuries CE. Despite the depredations of early European explorers, these chapels adorned with their lapis lazuli wall paintings offer us a rare and precious glimpse of early Buddhist arts of the Silk Road .
Day 4: Urumqi - Kashgar
We will take a morning flight to Kashgar. For rest of the day we will wonder around in the old town.
Day 5: Kashgar - Lake Karakuli - Tashkorgan
In the morning we will head for Lake Karakuli where we will do some hiking and having lunch by the beautiful lake. After lunch we continue our journey to Tashkorgan.
- Lake Karakuli : The lake is in Kashgar, about 1500 kilometers from Urumqi in southwest Xinjiang, and about 3600 meters above sea level. Mount Muztagata (said to be one of the five most beautiful mountains in the world) provides a beautiful backdrop at 7546 meters with the nearby Gongeer Peaks rising to 7719 meters above sea level. It is an unspoiled natural paradise with breath-taking natural scenery. The crystal water reflecting the surrounding mountains, peaks and blue sky and clouds is stunningly beautiful.
- Tashkorgan: It is a tiny island of concrete buildings nestled amongst breathtaking mountain ranges. Traveling there lets you take in the scenery of the Karakoram Highway , and Tashkorgan boasts the ruins of a centuries-old fort. Hiking the surrounding valleys is also not to be missed.
Day 6: Tashkorgan - Kashgar
Today we will visit the Stone City and surrounding villages then get back to Kashgar.
- Stone City at the north of the Tashkurgan is a significant castle ruins on the ancient Silk Road . The old fortress was built on a precipitous hillock. Outside the castle were broken city walls which were built with huge rocks. These walls stretch around 1300 meters along the city. The wall was 6 meters high and about 1-3 meters wide at the top. On the four corners of the wall there were originally watching towers but they all collapsed. The stone city is unique with bizarre-shaped stones littering everywhere. Hearth ruins were found at the site. At the southeast of the city is a temple ruin where once pottery, Tang coins, stuff weaved with silk were excavated.
The ruin was the capital of the Puli Kingdom , one of the 36 kingdoms in the Western Region under the jurisdiction of the Han Dynasty. The Tang rulers set administration office here to rein the region after it unified the area. The Yuan government had enlarged and reconstructed the Stone City for military purpose. It was in the Qing Dynasty that the government built a new city in the south and the Stone City was deserved.
Day 7: Kashgar
Another unforgettable day to explore Kashgar.
- Animal Market: The Kashgar animal market is a wide, open space crowded with shouting hawkers, food stalls and merchants shearing their sheep here, hair flying in the air. At the animal market, horses are test-driven, sheep are picked over and cattle are paraded before potential buyers. Animals, knives, hats, pots and pans, fresh fruit and vegetables, clothes and boots and every kind of domestic and agricultural appliance; often handmade in wood and tin, are all on sale.
- Sunday bazaar: The Uygur farm trade market . Kashgar's bazaar is the biggest one in Xinjiang.
- Abakh Khoja Tomb: The tomb served as the family tomb of Abakh Khoja, the powerful ruler of Kashgar in the 17th century who was revered as a prophet and second only to Mohammed
Day 8: Kashgar to Urumqi
In the morning we will take a flight back to Urumqi . We will visit Xinjiang Folklore Street and t he Xinjiang Minority Peoples' Museum.
- The Xinjiang Minority Peoples' Museum: is definitely worth a visit. This museum houses an impressive collection of exhibits, covering artifacts and relics from more than 12 minority groups. The lay-out and presentation of the exhibits is imaginative and the preserved bodies of men, women and babies found in tombs in Xinjiang, along with the 3,000 year old mummies, make for insightful (if a little spooky) visit! The museum is divided into different sections: a Mongol wing, a Tajik exhibition, a Kasak exhibition and a Dauer people and relics display.
Day 9: Urumqi to Shanghai
We will fly back to Shanghai today. Trip ends.
