10 Days East Xinjiang and Kumul Photography Tour

Xinjiang is a vital gate way of the Silk Road and boasts one of the most diverse landscapes in China. Starting from Urumqi and through Qitai, Mulei, Shanshan, and Turpan, this Xinjiang Photography tour is filled with a large collections of natural landscapes.

Highlights:

• Visit the highlights of Urumqi city and Turpan city.
• Enjoy the colored Yardan landform at Five-colored park.
• View Diversiform-leaved Poplar Forest in Mulei.

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Brief Itinerary

• Day 1: Urumqi Arrival
• Day 2: Urumqi - Five-colored park
• Day 3: Five-colored park - Qitai
• Day 4: Qitai - Mulei
• Day 5: Mulei - Balikun
• Day 6: Balikun
• Day 7: Balikun - Hami
• Day 8: Hami - Shanshan
• Day 9: Shanshan - Turpan
• Day 10: Turpan - Urumqi

Google Map

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Urumqi Arrival

Sightseeing and Activities: Xinjiang Museum, Grand Bazaar
Accommodation: Urumqi
Meals:

Picked up from airport and start today's tour. Visit Xinjiang Museum first. A visit to Xinjiang’s capital of Urumqi would be incomplete without a visit to the Xinjiang Museum. It is a comprehensive historical museum in China built in 1953, and famous for holding artifacts and mummies of Caucasians who lived in the region 1500 and 4000 years ago.

Then continue the tour to Grand Bazaar, one of the most famous landmarks in Urumqi city, which is the largest bazaar in the world by scale, combining Islamic culture, architecture, ethnic commerce, tourism and entertainment.

Day 2 Urumqi - Five-colored park

Sightseeing and Activities: Five-colored park, Kalamali Wild Animal Protection Reserve
Accommodation: Five-colored park
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Morning, drive to Five-colored park to enjoy the colored Yardan landform. On route, we will pass by Kalamali Wild Animal Protection Reserve. See some wild animals through the window.

In the evening, enjoy the hot spring in the vast dessert.

Day 3 Five-colored park - Qitai

Sightseeing and Activities: Jiangbulak scenic spot
Accommodation: Qitai
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Morning, drive to Jiangbulak scenic spot for a visit. Located more than 60 kilometers away from Qitai county, it is a vast grassland in the eastern part of Tianshan Mountain. Stay overnight at Qitai county.

Day 4 Qitai - Mulei

Sightseeing and Activities: Diversiform-leaved Poplar
Accommodation: Mulei
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, drive about 3 hours to Mulei for visiting Diversiform-leaved Poplar.

Day 5 Mulei - Balikun

Sightseeing and Activities: Balikun Lake, Balikun grassland
Accommodation: Balikun
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Morning drive to Balikun county. We will visit the Balikun Lake and picturesque grassland here. Balikun grassland is the second largest grassland in Xinjiang.

Day 6 Balikun

Sightseeing and Activities: White Stone park, Barkol Sand Dune
Accommodation: Kazak's Yurt
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Enjoy the morning here and then head to visit White Stone park. Shot the view of the East Tianshan prairie. After that, head to Barkol sand dune and stay overnight in local Kazak's Yurt.

Day 7 Balikun - Hami

Sightseeing and Activities: Hami Ghost Castle
Accommodation: Hami
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Enjoy the morning of Balikun and then drive to Hami. After lunch, head to visit Hami Ghost Castle in the southwest Gobi. It has been developed into Yadan ecological garden, including four scenic spots: east, south, west, and north cities.

Day 8 Hami - Shanshan

Sightseeing and Activities: Kumtag desert
Accommodation: Kumtag
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, drive to Kumtag desert for shooting. Kumtag desert is one of wild Bactrian camel distribution area in the world, the main topography unit there is piedmont alluvial floodplain gobi, desert and salt desert wetlands.

Day 9 Shanshan - Turpan

Sightseeing and Activities: Tuyoq Valley, Astana Tombs, Bezklik Grottoes
Accommodation: Turpan
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, drive to Turpan and visit Tuyoq Valley, splitting the grand Flaming Mountain into two parts, which is a gorgeous valley with a long history, splendid culture and charming natural scenery.

In the afternoon, visit the Astana Tombs and Bezklik Grottoes. Astana Tombs is an underground cemetery of ancient Gaochang residents, which is considered to be one of the humblest burial sites in China. Bezklik Grottoes is a complex of Buddhist cave grottos.

Day 10 Turpan - Urumqi

Sightseeing and Activities:
Accommodation:
Meals: Breakfast

Drive back to Urumqi and escort you to the airport for your next destiantion.

Service Included:

• Admission fees for all of the sightseeing spots listed in the itinerary;
• Meals as listed in the itinerary;
• Hotels as listed in the itinerary;
• Private English-speaking tour guide;
• Private vehicle for transfers & sightseeing with skilled driver;
• Service charge & government taxes;
• Luggage transfers between airports and hotels;
• Domestic train tickets of soft sleeper.

Service Excluded:

• Any arrival and departure international airfares or train tickets;
• Chinese visa fees;
• Excess baggage charged by Airlines;
• Single room supplement;
• Tips to guides and drivers;
• Personal expenses and gratuities to service staff;
• Personal travel accident insurance;
• All optional programs.

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Included & Excluded

Admission fees for all of the sightseeing spots listed in the itinerary;

Meals as listed in the itinerary;

Accommodations: hotels based on twin occupancy as specified(Except day tours);

Sharing English-speaking tour guide;

Sharing vehicle for transfers & sightseeing with skilled driver;

Service charge & government taxes;

Luggage transfers between airports and hotels;

Domestic train tickets of soft sleeper.

Any arrival and departure international airfares or train tickets;

Chinese visa fees;

Excess baggage charged by Airlines;

Single room supplement;

Tips to guides and drivers;

Personal expenses and gratuities to service staff;

Personal travel accident insurance;

All optional programs.