8-Day Southern Xinjiang Silk Road Group Tour
Overview
Follow an eight-day southern Xinjiang route from Urumqi through Korla, Kuqa and Aksu to Kashgar. Bosten Lake, Qiuci heritage and Wensu Grand Canyon lead into the old-city and market visits in Kashgar.
Your Route Map
Route and pace
Duration: 8 days. Route: Urumqi – Korla – Kuqa – Aksu – Kashgar.
The route ends in Kashgar and does not return to Urumqi. Confirm the long-distance transport used between stages, the named canyon visiting area and access to cultural sites. Market activity and any religious-site visit follow local conditions, so a dated programme matters more than a fixed generic timetable.
Confirm your group departure
Request the dated programme for your party before booking. It should identify the meeting arrangements, guiding language, accommodation where applicable, included admissions and meals, and any optional activities. The day-by-day itinerary below shows the planned sequence; the written confirmation sets out the services and conditions for your departure.
Explore the destinations
Korla travel guide · Kuqa travel guide · Kashgar travel guide · Aksu travel guide
Daily Itinerary
Arrive in Urumqi for the southbound Silk Road journey and transfer to the hotel as arranged. Keep the first evening light, with time to review the route through Korla, Kuqa and Aksu before Kashgar. Confirm the next day's pickup and keep travel documents accessible for the intercity sections.
Leave Urumqi for the Korla area, combining the intercity journey with the Bosten Lake stop listed in the programme. Select a workable shore visiting window instead of treating the lake as a separate full-day excursion. The final road sequence and hotel location determine how much time is available beside the water before check-in.
Travel from Korla to Kuqa across the southern Xinjiang corridor. Use this primarily as a transfer day, allowing for meals, comfort stops and the arrival at the next hotel base. A short orientation in Kuqa can fit an early arrival, while the dedicated royal-palace and cultural programme remains on the following day.
Explore Kuqa Royal Palace and the Qiuci cultural theme through the sites and interpretation included in your booking. Your guide connects the local buildings and displays with Kuqa's place on the Silk Road. Leave time for questions and unhurried movement between stops; an additional cave or distant canyon visit is not assumed unless named in the final itinerary.
Continue from Kuqa to Aksu, protecting time for the intercity journey and hotel check-in. Keep the arrival programme light so the next day's Wensu Grand Canyon visit starts without another late transfer. Any optional town walk is arranged around the actual arrival rather than treated as a compulsory attraction.
Visit Wensu Grand Canyon from the Aksu base, using the access transport and walking sections approved for the day. The canyon visit should match the group's mobility and current weather, with a clear turnaround time. Return with enough time to prepare for the Kashgar connection; the canyon outing itself does not cover the separate journey between the two cities.
Complete the Aksu-to-Kashgar connection on the transport scheduled in the final itinerary before beginning the city visit. The available sightseeing window then covers a realistic selection of Kashgar Old City, Id Kah Mosque and local markets, subject to access and opening times. If the connection arrives too late for that programme, the route or departure arrangements must be revised rather than presenting a full city day after a long transfer.
Depart from Kashgar using the airport or railway-station transfer included in the booking. Allow for the hotel location, luggage and terminal procedures. Any remaining city visit can be considered only if the confirmed departure leaves enough time; it is not a substitute for agreeing a workable Aksu-to-Kashgar connection before the tour begins.
