Xinjiang

Situated in the Northwest of China, Xinjiang is an extremely vast and fascinating region covering 1/6 of China's land mass. It is a predominantly Muslim region, providing visitors with a very unique cultural experience rarely seen in China. Xinjiang borders Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Tajikstan, Afghanistan, and India. Its landscape can be extremely inhospitable in places, but at the same time Xinjiang contains some of China's most amazing sites: 26,000 ft mountains, China's largest glacier, Silk Road Oases with bazaars and folk fairs, the world's most inland city (Urumqi), and ruined cities inhabited by lost Christian tribes and people with Caucasian features. Various areas of Xinjiang are famed as being the hottest place in China (Turpan), the sunniest place in China (Kuche County), or the driest place (Turpan).
 
 Xinjiang's fascinating cultural history, varied landscape, and unique features make it one of the more fascinating, adventurous, and educational places we visit here at Terratribes. Our trips here can be designed to suit your interests, from cultural immersion, exploring the Silk Road, archeological sites, desert trekking and camping, and more. 

Urumqi -  Urumqi is the center of the Uighur population and culture, as well as Xinjiang's capital. It is said to be the world's most inland  city, at 2,250 km from any sea. Visit the Xinjiang Regional Museum and the Nanhu night market or travel to the oasis town of Turpan, an ancient stop on the Silk Road's northern route. One of Turpan's most noteworthy landmarks is the Emin Minaret. This minaret is the highest in China at 44 meters. It was constructed in the 18th century, and combines Islamic elements with local Uighur building materials and architectural elements.

Jiaohe ancient archaeological site -  Built originally on an island in the middle of a river, the oldest sections of the ruin are more than two thousand years old, and it was occupied for over a thousand years before being destroyed by the marauding armies of Genghis Khan and subsequently abandoned. Enjoy a guided tour of this ruin and learn about its significance in the broader context of the history of Western China and the Silk Road.
 
Bogda Mountain Base Camp Trek -  This is located in a sub-range of the eastern section of the Tianshan Mountains stretching for over 300km from the broken belt of Urumqi in the west, to the territory of Balikun in the east. This trek can tailored to your needs. if reaching base camp is not your goal we can design a route to showcase the mounatins' unique wildlife and scenery, such as green mountain pastures, flowing rivers, snow covered peaks, and virgin forests. Wildlife in the area includes snow chickens, snow leopards, red deer, brown bears, lynx and blue sheep. On the meadows, wild flowers of varied colors such as caladium, Dangshen, gromwell, milk vetch roots, Chinese thorowax roots, can also be seen. 
 

Activities in Xinjiang:

Historical site visits
Museum visits
Archaeological site visits
Local school service projects
Meeting nomadic herders (Uighur, Kazakh, Kyrz yurts) 
History and culture of northwestern China and the Silk Road 
Multi-day desert hiking and camping expedition
Multi-day desert trekking & mountaineering