The 8-day Xinjiang itinerary pushes to China’s far west: Urumqi and Turpan in the north, then a flight to Kashgar on the Pamir edge, where the old Silk Road still breathes. Budget ¥400 / US$55 in Urumqi and ¥420 / US$58 in Kashgar — both walkable, both with real foreigner-licensed hotels if you book ahead.
Quick Answer
Eight days, three bases, eight nights, and the biggest distance jump of any route here: the Urumqi–Kashgar flight is 2 hours but crosses a third of the country. The payoff is Kashgar’s old city — mud-brick lanes, Sunday livestock bazaar, and the gateway to the Pamir Highway. This trip needs more planning than the east: Xinjiang checkpoints are frequent, so your passport is your constant companion.
- Day 1 — Urumqi: Heavenly Lake (Tianchi).
- Day 2 — Urumqi to Turpan: Gaochang, Flaming Mountains.
- Day 3 — Turpan to Kashgar (flight): old city at dusk.
- Day 4 — Kashgar: old city lanes, Id Kah Mosque, bazaar.
- Day 5 — Kashgar: Karakul Lake & Pamir day trip.
- Day 6 — Kashgar: Sunday bazaar, handicraft streets.
- Day 7 — Kashgar to Urumqi (flight); rest.
- Day 8 — Depart Urumqi.
- Bases — Urumqi (2), Turpan (1), Kashgar (3).
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1 — Urumqi: Heavenly Lake
Land in Urumqi, settle near Line 1 metro, and drive 1.5 hours to Heavenly Lake (Tianchi), a glacial lake beneath Bogda Peak. Walk the shore or take the cable car for the high viewpoint. Back in town, the Xinjiang Regional Museum (free, passport required) is the best intro to the province’s peoples — I spent two hours on the Uyghur textile and mummy halls alone.
WHERE TO STAY TONIGHT: Urumqi city, near the metro. Two nights.
Day 2 — Urumqi to Turpan: Desert Oasis
Fast train to Turpan (1.5 hrs, ¥70 / US$10). Hit the Jiaohe and Gaochang ruined cities, the Flaming Mountains, and the Karez canal system. Turpan is the lowest, hottest oasis in China — time outdoor sights for morning. Evening back to Urumqi or sleep in Turpan.
WHERE TO STAY TONIGHT: Turpan city (one night) or return to Urumqi.
Day 3 — Turpan to Kashgar: The Long Flight West
Fly Turpan (via Urumqi) or direct Urumqi–Kashgar (2 hrs, ~¥900 / US$125). Settle in the Kashgar old city (the Kashgar Xiangdao area inside the walls). Evening walk the lanes as the call to prayer echoes from Id Kah Mosque — a scene unchanged for centuries.
WHERE TO STAY TONIGHT: Kashgar old city. Three nights; this is the heart of the trip.
Day 4 — Kashgar: Old City & Bazaar
Get lost in the old city (Kashgar Laosheng) — mud-brick homes, rooftop cafés, and the artisans’ street where they hammer copper and carve wood. Visit Id Kah Mosque (China’s largest), then the Sunday bazaar area (livestock on Sundays, goods daily). The can foreigners book hotels in China rules apply; Kashgar’s older inns sometimes lack the foreigner license, so book listed.
WHERE TO STAY TONIGHT: Same Kashgar base.
Day 5 — Kashgar: Karakul Lake & the Pamir
A guided day trip south to Karakul Lake (3.5 hrs each way) beneath Muztagh Ata (7,546 m). You need a border permit for the Pamir — get it at the Kashgar PSB (Public Security Bureau) with your passport, free, same-day. The road over the Pamir Plateau is spectacular; altitude hits 3,600 m at the lake, so go slow. I’ve done this as a long day; worth every minute.
WHERE TO STAY TONIGHT: Back in Kashgar.
Day 6 — Kashgar: Sunday Bazaar & Crafts
If your visit lands on Sunday, the livestock bazaar at Kashgar Animal Market is unforgettable — camels, sheep, and horse trading the old way. Otherwise, the International Bazaar and handicraft lanes fill the day. Buy a doppa (Uyghur cap) and some dried apricots; bargain gently, it’s expected.
WHERE TO STAY TONIGHT: Final Kashgar night.
Day 7 — Kashgar to Urumqi: Flight Back
Fly back to Urumqi (2 hrs). Use the evening to resupply, withdraw yuan (foreign-card ATMs thin out west), and rest before departure. The train station vs airport hotels guide helps if you’ve an early flight.
WHERE TO STAY TONIGHT: Urumqi, one last night.
Day 8 — Depart Urumqi
Diwopu airport (URC) has hubs connections. Build 2.5 hours — security is thorough and the city run is 40 minutes. Keep your passport handy right to the gate; Xinjiang’s exit checks are the last of many.
Where to Stay
| Base area | Nights | Nightly (¥ / US$) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urumqi (Line 1) | 2 | ¥400–620 / US$55–86 | Metro access |
| Turpan city | 1 | ¥300–450 / US$41–62 | Oasis center |
| Kashgar old city | 3 | ¥380–600 / US$53–83 | Inside the walls |
Kashgar’s old-city guesthouses are atmospheric but the most likely on this whole list to lack a foreigner license — I had one turn me away in 2023. Book a listed property via book on Trip.com or check Agoda. The best budget hotels in China that accept foreigners list flags safe Kashgar picks.
Getting Between Cities
Urumqi–Turpan is fast rail (12306,China Railway (12306)passport exact). Turpan/Kashgar is a flight — no useful train for tourists on a short trip.
Honest caveat: Xinjiang checkpoints are frequent. You’ll show your passport at hotels, some gas stations, and random road stops. Carry it always; keep a paper copy and a phone photo. It’s routine, but being without ID turns a 10-minute stop into an hour.
For the Pamir, the border permit is free at the Kashgar PSB with your passport — no agent needed. Don’t pay touts at the hotel who offer “expedited” permits; walk to the bureau yourself.
Foreigner Check-in & Payment Tips on the Road
Three bases, three scans — plus checkpoint scans. Xinjiang is where foreign cards fail most: Urumqi’s big hotels take Visa, but Kashgar and Turpan want Alipay or yuan. I withdrew ¥2,000 on arrival in Urumqi and never needed a card west of there. Deposits ran ¥300–500; the China hotel deposit & foreign credit cards guide explains holds.
The what documents do foreigners need to check into a Chinese hotel piece is essential reading here — bring the passport, not a photo. When I checked into a Kashgar old-city inn, the desk scanned my passport, recorded my Kashgar hotel, and noted my Pamir permit plan — all standard registration. The 240-hour visa-free transit hotel guide matters because Xinjiang’s transit eligibility shifts; confirm atNational Immigration Administration## When to Go & What It Costs
May–June and September–October are best: Pamir roads clear, Turpan survivable, Kashgar brisk. Avoid July–August (Turpan 45°C, Pamir rainy) and the spring sandstorms. Winter is brutally cold but empty.
| Season | Urumqi | Turpan | Kashgar | Feel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 14°C | 28°C | 20°C | Dust risk |
| Summer | 28°C | 43°C | 32°C | Avoid Turpan |
| Autumn | 16°C | 22°C | 18°C | Best overall |
| Winter | -10°C | 0°C | -4°C | Cheapest |
Mid-range daily budget per person: hotels ¥300–620, flights ¥900, trains ¥70, Tianchi ¥215, Pamir permit free (driver ~¥600 shared). Around US$160–240 a day with the flight.
