5-Day Urumqi & Turpan Highlights Tour

Cruise on the Heavenly Lake
The Flaming Mountains in Turpan
The Grape of the Grape Valley in Turpan
The Jiaohe Ruins in Turpan
The Karez Well in Turpan

Tour Outline: Urumqi - Turpan - Urumqi

Overview
Itinerary
Service Inclusion
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Trip Overview

In the tour, you can visit the highlights of Urumqi and Turpan. Urumqi is the biggest city in Xinjiang, where you will visit the beautiful mountain lake - Heavenly Lake and the museum collecting the unearthed cultural relics - Xinjiang Museum. In Turpan, you will immerse yourself in the ruins of ancient Kingdom, seeming that you came back to the ancient China; explore the Flaming Mountains which is the hottest site in China, even in winter; taste the sweetest grape or take some raisins from the Grape Valley.

[Heavenly Lake] A beautiful blue lake with fabulous surrounding sceneries;
[Xinjiang Museum] A museum mainly collecting the unearthed cultural relics and specimens in Xinjiang;
[Jiaohe Ruins] The capital of the Anterior Jushi Kingdom;
[Karez Well] One of the three greatest water projects of ancient China;
[Flaming Mountains] Harsh climate and hot temperature in the Summer, the hottest site in China;

Best Time to Visit

All year round
Physical Demands

Very leisure tour; zero physical demand

Day by Day Itinerary

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Day 1: Urumqi Arrival

Upon your arrival at the Urumqi Diwobao international airport, our tour guide will meet and escort you to your hotel in Urumqi downtown. The rest of day is yours to relax and have a good rest.

Drive 18km from the airport to hotel
High Altitude: Urumqi (680m)
Internet & Wifi
Urumqi business hotel
Meal: No

Day 2: Urumqi - Heavenly Lake - Urumqi (220km)

Uyghur Women at the Heavenly Lake

Cruise on the Heavenly Lake

Today after breakfast, we will drive to visit Tian Chi, which literally means "Heaven Lake". It is a very beautiful mountain lake formed more than million years ago in the 4th glacial epoch, covering about 5.9 square kilometers. On the east of the lake stands the Bogda Peak, the highest peak in Tianshan Mountain area, which is capped by glacier and snow glistening in the sun. Finely contrasted with blue lake water, the scenery is fabulous. In the afternoon, be transferred back to your hotel.

Drive 220km round trip to the Heavely Lake
High Altitude: Heavely Lake (2150m)
Internet & Wifi
Urumqi business hotel
Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3: Urumqi - Turpan (200km)

Jiaohe Ruins

The Hottest Flaming Mountain

Today you will be picked up in your hotel and drive to Turpan. After checking in your hotel of Turpan, we will go to visit Jiaohe Ruins, the capital of the Anterior Jushi Kingdom. It includes city gates, streets and lanes, government office, temples, domestic houses, cave houses, and underground temple. Then move on to visit Karez Well, a local Turpan water system, which has been regarded as one of the greatest water projects of ancient China, together with Dujiangyan Irrigation System and the Grand Canal.

In the afternoon, we will drive to visit the Flaming Mountains, which are barren, eroded, red sandstone hills. The climate of the mountains is harsh and the temperature is extremely hot in the Summer, the hottest site in China. Afterwards, transfer to visit Grape Valley, which is one of most famous scenic spots in Turpan.

Drive 200km to the Turpan
High Altitude: Urumqi (680m), Turpan (-154m)
Internet & Wifi
Turpan business hotel
Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4: Visit in Turpan, drive back to Urumqi (200km)

Bozeklik Thousand Buddha Caves

Sugong Pagoda

Today after breakfast, we will visit Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, a group of Buddhist cave grottoes dating from the 5th to the 9th centuries, in which there a mural of Buddha. Then move on to Sugong Pagoda, an embodiment of the ancient architectural arts of the Uygur nationality. It is 37 meters high and 10 meters in diameter at the base.

In the afternoon, we go to visit Astana Tombs which covers an area of 10 square kilometers and is known as "the Underground Museum" with ten thousands of cultural relics. It is the graveyard of the residents who lived in the Gaochang City in the Jin-Tang period. Afterwards, be transferred back to your hotel in Urumqi.

Drive in Turpan, and 200km to Urumqi
High Altitude: Flaming Mountains (830m)
Internet & Wifi
Urumqi business hotel
Breakfast, Lunch

Day 5: Urumqi Departure

After breakfast, you will visit Xinjiang Museum, a museum mainly collecting and investigating the unearthed cultural relics and specimens in Xinjiang. Then we will transfer you to the airport/ train station for your next destination.

Drive in the Urumqi, and 18km to airport
High Altitude: Urumqi (680m)
Internet & Wifi: No
Hotel: No
Breakfast

Price Details & Guide

Price Inclusions

Private transportation to the destinations and sites listed in the itinerary; ranging from 4WD land cruiser to bus depending on the group size and trip route; car gasoline, road toll and in-transport refreshments (free bottles of water, air pillow and headscarf) are included;
Lodging: three nights in Urumqi business hotel, one night in Turpan business hotel;
Private experienced English-speaking trip leader;
Airport/railway station pick-up and send-off services at the beginning/end of the tour;
Entrance ticket fees for all the sight spots listed in the itinerary;
Meals listed in the itinerary (4 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches);
First aid kit;
A coverage of 300,000RMB Chartis travel insurance;

Price Exclusions

International and domestic flight/train to Urumqi (Note: we accept the domestic flight/train tickets booking to Urumqi from other cities in advance, check the updated ticket availibility and cost with your travel consultant);
Meals that are not specified in the itinerary (Averagely a meal in the 3rdpole region cost 3~10USD per person);
Tips and gratuities for the trip leader and driver;
The expense of a personal nature like alcoholic beverages, laundry, phone call, etc;
Optional activities and excursions not specified in the itinerary;
China Entry visa fees;

Itinerary Alteration

Once we receive your tour deposit, which is followed by signing the contract, your reservation is secured with legitimacy. Our staff will reserve the accommodation, vehicle, site tickets, meals and more, and pay the deposit for our suppliers. So if you want to alter to another itinerary, you need to cover the deposit we've paid, while no service charge is needed if you make some changes on the itinerary you booked.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

If you cancel the tour beacuse of your personal issues, you will be liable to pay cancellation charges that are bounded by 3rdpoletour.com cancellation policy as follows:

1.) If you cancel the tour more than 30 days before the trip starts, you will forfeit 10% of the total land cost per person;
2.) If you cancel the tour 15-30 days prior to your trip start date, 20% of your total land tour cost will be forfeited as a cancellation fee.
3.) If you cancel the tour 7-15 days before the trip starts, you will forfeit 30% of land cost.
4.) If you cancel the tour 7 days prior to your tour start date, you will forfeit 50% of land cost.
5.) If you fail to show up or cancel at your scheduled arrival time without prior notice or later than that, you will forfeit 100% of the land cost.

If the tour has to be cancelled because of the natural disaster or the government restrictions that is beyond both parties control, we will charge only USD50 per person, this is just the service fee and larbor fee during the preparation. This is a rare occurrence!