Destinations / Southern Xinjiang, China

Southern Xinjiang, China

1 itinerary · 0 open departures · 0 missions

Southern Xinjiang is a vast, remote region of northwestern China stretching across the Tarim Basin, home to the Taklamakan Desert — one of the world's largest sand deserts. It is the heartland of Uyghur culture, where ancient Silk Road oasis towns such as Kashgar, Hotan, and Yarkand preserve centuries of Central Asian trading heritage through their bazaars, mosques, and distinctive architecture. The region is known for its dramatic landscapes, including towering dunes, the Karakoram Highway, and the snow-capped peaks of the Kunlun Mountains. Travellers come for the rich cultural immersion, adventurous overland routes, and the sense of journeying through one of Asia's most historically layered crossroads.

What travellers are doing

Itineraries

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Save £1,851 (78% off)

£2,380 retail with Silk Road Trips → £529 self-launched

Southern Xinjiang, China · 12 days

Copycat

Southern Xinjiang Self-Launched 12-Day: Kashgar, Tashkurgan, Hotan, Taklimakan, Kuqa, Turpan & Urumqi

A self-launched version of Silk Road Trips' 12-day Southern Xinjiang loop, following the same route from Kashgar over the Karakoram Highway to Tashkurgan, east along the Taklimakan Desert to Hotan, Aksu and Kuqa, then north through Turpan and Heavenly Lake to Urumqi. Instead of a 5-star group tour, you'll use the excellent (and cheap) Xinjiang rail network, shared taxis and local buses, stay in guesthouses and budget hotels, and book the same sights independently. Note: Xinjiang travel requires a bit more forward planning than elsewhere in China — some areas (Tashkurgan) need permits arranged locally, and it's wise to check your nationality's current entry rules and register with your embassy. All costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP and exclude international flights to China.

cultureadventureroad-trip

Travel Crew

~£529

Missions

Nobody's posted a Mission for Southern Xinjiang, China yet — which, frankly, is an opportunity.

Wait, what's a Mission?It's not a scheduled trip with dates and a minimum group size like a Departure — it's a goal. Learn to dive, do a Muay Thai camp, live somewhere for a month and work on something, chase one very specific experience. Post it, and other people chasing the same thing find you.

Be the first to post one: "Learn the first 20 seconds of a local dance, then perform it, uninvited, at every bar you visit."

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