Urumqi and Turpan 6 Days Tour

Today our sightseeing is focus on the fascinating scenery of Heavenly Lake. 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.

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

After breakfast, our guide will drive you to visit the vast charming Nanshan Grassland.

The Nanshan Pasture is a relatively large pasture situated at the base of the Tianshan Mountain Range. The pasture is about 75 kilometers away from Urumqi City. Touring at Nanshan Pasture is a great opportunity to enjoy beautiful scenery and experience local ethnic life. Featured with vast green grasslands, pristine winding valleys and gushing waterfalls, the Nanshan Pasture is a popular summer resort in Urumqi. Besides sightseeing, you can also have a great time by entertainment in the pasture. You can rent a horse galloping in the cast grassland, hiking and mountain-climbing. Also you can visit the local herdsman’s families of Kazakh nationality. You can taste authentic Xinjiang food served by local Kazakh people in traditional yurts, which is a great chance to experience the local customs.

At last, our guide will drive you to Turpan and help you check in at local hotel.

Today your exploration will begin with a visit to 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.

Tuyuk Village 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.

The next destination arranged will be Astana Cemetery. The Astana Cemetery is situated about 37 kilometers southeast of Turpan and 6 kilometers of Gaochang Ancient City. It is a group of more than 1,000 graveyards for the descendants of Chinese settlers in Gaochang from the 4th century to the first half of the 8th century. Reputed as "Underground Museum" with exhibitions of mummies and artifacts, the Astana Cemetery attracts stream of tourists and archaeologists both at home and abroad.

The last destination arranged for today will be Grape Valley. When coming to Turpan, the Grape Valley is a site should not be missed out. Just as its name suggest, Grape Valley is famous for its grapes, especially the seedless grapes grown there that are juicy, sweet and tender. Grape Valley is a valley on the west of Flaming Mountain. Coming to Grape Valley, you will not only appreciate the beautiful grape trees and arbors and the quaint natural scenery, also you can taste the tasty grapes and grape wine. At the same time, enjoy the dance and singing of Uygur people are very interesting.

In the end, our guide will transfer you back to the hotel.

Today, we will start our trip with a visit to the Ruins of the Ancient 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.

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