7 Days Whole Kashgar Tour
Destinations: Kashgar-Karakoram Highway-Karakul Lake-Tashkorgan-Shipton’s Arch-Taklimakan Desert
Tour Description: this tour begin s and ends in Kashgar .Karakoram highway ,which is highest paved international adventurous road in the world ,cuts through incredible Pamir , Kara koram and Hindu kush Mountains to link China with Pakistan via Kunjirap pass , Karakoram Highway ,Total 430km on the China side ,Geographically Surrounded by glaciers and popular high peaks like Muztagh Ata and Konggur Tagh , and easily accessible from Kashgar that you can not only enjoy it’s scenery ,but also experience the distinctive nomadic Kyrgyz and Tajik peoples back there in remote mountains ,
Tour Overview: This is a private tour, we will assign private guide, car, van and bus according to the group size, and no other participants will be allowed to join in your group. Also the tour is totally flexible. Moreover, if you would like to do some adjustment in this itinerary or book this trip please contact us in what area you are not satisfied, we can adjust the itinerary according to your every request.
Additional Requests :if you have any requests including home staying with locals, learning Uyghur food ,visiting food markets, please mention to us when you book the trip , we will make special arrangements for your requests without adding any extra days in the program,
- Duration: 7 days/6nights
- Best time: highly recommended to arrive Kashgar on Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday to cath up the big Sunday Market in Kashgar
- Arrival Date: depending on your conveniences
- Where to Start: Start from Kashgar and end in Kashgar
DAILY ITINERARY
DAY 1 KASHGAR ARRIVAL
Arrive kashgar by flight , and picked up at the airport and transfer to the hotel (30minutes driving to any destination in the city from airport),
DAY 2 KASHGAR CITY TOUR
Kashgar has been claimed “the best-preserved example of a traditional city to be found anywhere in Central Asia”, although the city is becoming more developed.
Being the cultural center and one of the ten internationally influential touristic cities of China, Kashgar，now days， is very important western most special economic zone as well as it was also very important hub and oldest cultural center in china’s Silk Road.
So far today we will do excursion in this city, and visit Apak Hoja tomb, Central Asia Market ,Kashgar animal (Livestock market)and Kashgar old town, and enjoy the Uyghur local cuisines like kebab, hand pulled noodle in best Uyghur food restaurant in kashgar
Apak Hoja tomb: Mausoleum is finest examples of Uyghur architecture in China, large dome of 17m is at the center surrounded by four corner minarets with strips and arabesque floral patterns initially built in 1640, powerful religious and political leader Apak hoja’s five generations of relatives buried inside the tomb,
Kashgar old town: well preserved more than 1000s years old Uyghur residential area, people began to settle down there 11 hundred years ago after .and it was cultural, political and important transportation hub in China’s silk road, it is treasure of silk road.
Kashgar Live stock Market: Open field agricultural market only held on every Sunday, Uyghur farmers type, very local atmosphere, business is all about the animals like sheep, yaks, goats, donkey, cows, camels and horses, it is must see place to visit when you are in kashgar ,
South and Central Asia Market: it is regular commodity market that has all sort of goods, Market attracts more than hundred thousand people every Sunday from nearby towns around the kashgar and from central Asian countries as well.
Idkah Mosque: Being largest mosque in China the Idkah mosque is unique best preserved Uyghur architectural relic and can hold more than 20 thousand worshipers on Friday prayer.
After the excurtions in the city , driver and guide will transfer you to your hotel ,
Check in Hotel
DAY 3 KASHGAR – KARAKUL LAKE – TASHKORGAN
we’ll take breathtaking highest and adventurous paved highways in the world to go though High Mountain range to Karakul Lake, visit Opal village and bulunkul lake on the way ,
Karakul Lake: it is rare highland lake in the world at the elevation of 3600m, located on the side of Karakoram highway ,200km south west of Kashgar ,it is surrounded by many snow capped high mountains like Mt Muztagh Ata(7546m) and Konggur (7649m). You will have chance to hike around the lake,
Kyrgyz Yurt: made of stone, still some are made of local embroidered mats; it is living house of local Kyrgyz people settling around the karakul lake, talk to them, stay with them and get to know their adventurous life in the remote mountains going to be your lifetime experience.
Tashkorgan is only western most Entry and Exit gate of western China, mountain Tajik people live in surrounding area and it is important town in the Karakoram, located south west of Kashgar, borders with Badakhshan province of Tajikistan, Wakhan corridor of Afghanistan and Pakistani Kashmir where Karakoram, Pamir and Hindu kush mountain ranges are connected .therefore it has outstanding scenery of mountains,
Spend about two hour there to visit the Ethnic Tajik Museum, best preserved ruin Stone forte which dates back to 7th century, and visit the Pamir Grass land , derive back to Kashgar in the afternoon ,
DAY 4 TASHKORGAN – KASHGAR
After breakfast , we will drive back to Kashgar , on the way back we will visit the Muztagh Ata glaciers for two hours ,we need to hike half an hour to see the glacier and half an hour back to meet with driver to continue drive back to kashgar ,and Check in Hotel in kashgar
DAY 5 KASHGAR – TAKLAMAKAN DESERT
Today after breakfast in hotel we will drive to Taklimakan desert to enjoy the sand dunes and do camel riding and back to kashgar in the afternoon,
DAY 6 KASHGAR –SHIPTON’S ARCH
start in the morning from kashgar and drive high wheel vehicle as further as possible until the boot of Arch beside the river , then Hike up to the Arch about 40 minutes and enjoy the stunning scenery of the area , same way hike back to the vehicle and drive back to Kashgar , it requires 2hrs hiking and 2 hrs driving from kashgar , after visiting the arch , we will drive back to kashgar in the afternoon , and transfer to hotel ,
Description: Arch known as Toshuk tagh to the locals , arch was first visited by first western mountaineer Eric Shipton who has visited this area in 1947 during his tenure as British Consul in Kashgar – and made known to the West in his book Mountains of Tartary.
The height of the arch is estimated to be 1,500 feet (460 m), about the height of the Empire State Building. The span of the arch is roughly 180 feet (55 m). The “true” height of the arch is debatable: viewing the arch from the north (normal approach route) it appears to be 200 feet (61 m) tall from the top of the 100 feet (30 m) rubble pile; from the south side (approachable via a technical canyon ascent), the height is closer to the estimated 1,500 feet (460 m). The height depends upon what constitutes the base of the arch, which is either the base of the rubble pile (which is partially under the arch and where the span achieves its maximum width) or the floor of the west side canyon head, 900 feet (270 m) lower.
DAY 7 DEPARTURES FROM KASHGAR
Check out from the hotel and Our guide and driver will drop you off at the airport or train station
