Kashgar Trips

Kashgar, besides being a stopover for travellers moving between inland China and Central or Southern Asia, is also a convenient hub for trips and adventures within Southern Xinjiang. Popular options include:

• Day or overnight trips up the Karakorum Highway to Karakul Lake, an impressive glacier park, and Tashkurgan - where China ends and Pakistan begins
• Shipton’s Arch - arguably the worlds largest natural arch



• Desert trekking and camping
• Spending a half or full day exploring leafy lanes and Uighur villages en route to the Mor pagoda - China’s oldest Buddhist structure
• Camel riding - for an afternoon, or as a multi-day adventure
• The knife factories of Yingisar
• The 550km journey around the southern edge of the Taklamakan to the oasis of Hotan (Khotan), and beyond. . .

For the ambitious, Kashgar is an interesting starting point for journeys to Tibet. Such journeys require arranging a Tibetan Travel Permit, which takes three days and costs around 600 RMB per person. From Kashgar, there are two roads to Tibet.

The first route takes you around the south of the Taklimakan desert, via Hotan, Niya and Cherchen, until you finally arrive in Charklik. From there you can use a “shared taxi”, arrange private transportation, or take your chances hitchhiking the 1000km to Golmud - geographically on the Tibetan plateau but actually located in Qinghai. In Golmud, you can collect your pre-arranged Tibet travel permit and train tickets for the onward journey to Lhasa, or head back towards the East Coast.

The second, more direct, route is via the Aksai Chin region to Ali, capital of Tibet’s westernmost Ngari prefecture. Completing this journey legally requires a special permit and a private vehicle/guide. The trip, some 1200km long, is tiring and potentially dangerous, but incredibly rewarding due to the stunning natural scenery and sheer isolation. Across roads that are mostly poorly conditioned, the route traverses several mountain passes, the highest being over 5300m. The journey time can be just 2-3 days, but the cost is invariably high, reflecting the need to pay the vehicle and driver for the entire round trip.

Approximate costs for the most popular trips are as follows (RMB):

Day trip to Lake Karakul:
Max 3 people: 800 RMB
Max 8: 1200 RMB
(Excluding admission tickets, approx 50rmb per person)

Overnight to Lake Karakul, and Oy Tagh glacier:
Max 3 people 1150 Max 8 1400
(Excluding admission tickets approx 100 pp, and yurt accommodation)

Overnight trip to Karakul, Oy Tagh glacier, Tashkurgan:
Max 3 people: 1400 RMB
Max 8 people: 1900 RMB
(Excluding admission tickets approx 100 pp, and hotel accommodation)

4wd day trip to Shiptons Arch:
Max 4 people: 1050 RMB
(Excluding ladder use hire 15 pp)

Day trip into Dawakul desert max:
Max 3 people: 750 RMB
Max 8 people: 1100 RMB
(Excluding Camel hire, approx 60 RMB per person per hour )

Day trip to Yarkand, city sightseeing, and trip into Taklimakan desert:
Max 3 people: 1100 RMB
Max 8 people: 1500 RMB
(Excluding Camel hire, approx 60 RMB per person per hour , Yarkand entry tickets 20 RMB, desert park entry 20 RMB)

Trekking and mountaineering trips to Mustagata base camp and summit POA