The rhythm of the New Orient Express is travel by night and explore by day: three nights aboard the 18-car train and ten nights in hotels, with the daytimes spent at the sights below. The 14-day North-South Grand Loop runs all three 2027 seasons; spring departures substitute the Duku Highway segment (see the season notes at the end), and the dedicated October South Xinjiang editions concentrate on the Kashgar and Pamir legs.
Around Urumqi · Days 1–2
Heavenly Lake (Tianchi) Day 2 · included
The alpine lake at 1,980 m beneath Bogda Peak (5,445 m), reached by scenic shuttle with a four-hour guided tour and boat cruise. The welcome banquet that evening is the first night aboard the train.
Grand Bazaar, Urumqi Day 1 · free time
Arrival day is unscheduled apart from the hotel transfer, so the bazaar visit depends on your arrival time. It is the easiest place to start adjusting to Xinjiang's two-hour daylight offset.
The Altay North · Days 3–5
Rainbow Beach (Wucaitan) Day 3 · included
Colourful sandstone cliffs along the Irtysh River, best in late-afternoon light. The day pairs it with a Kazakh family home visit in Chonghuer for a traditional lunch.
Kanas Lake Day 3 · included
The glacial turquoise lake in the Tuvan heartland, toured by lake cruise with stops at Moon Bay and Sleeping Dragon Bay. Entrance and shuttle buses are covered by the fare.
Hemu Village Day 4 · included, afternoon free
The wooden-cabin Tuvan village and its morning mist over the river, one of China's most photogenic alpine settings. The afternoon is deliberately unstructured: walk the riverbank or climb the sunset viewpoint.
Ahe Highway drive Day 5 · included
A scenic road day through pastures, forests and valleys, with a Burqin cold-water fish lunch, before rejoining the train at night for Jinghe South.
Ili & the Tianshan · Days 6–8
Sayram Lake Day 6 · included
The sapphire-blue lake at 2,073 m ringed by snow peaks and, in June, wildflower meadows. Whitefish lunch by the shore, then an evening stroll through multicultural Liuxing Street in Yining.
Nalati Grasslands Day 7 · included, VIP access
One of Asia's four great grasslands, the "Green Island of the Tianshan". The afternoon uses 7-seat VIP vehicles into the deeper scenic zone, which regular tours do not reach.
Bayanbulak & the Duku Highway Day 8 · included, seasonal
The "Nine Bends, Eighteen Turns" of the Kaidu River at sunset and the Swan Lake wetlands, then the legendary drive south over alpine passes and glaciers to Kuqa. Summer edition only; spring departures use alternative mountain roads.
Kuqa & the Old Silk Road · Day 9
Tianshan Grand Canyon, Kuqa Palace & Restan Old Street Day 9 · included
Wind-carved red rock formations at the Grand Canyon, the Kuqa Palace blending Han, Uyghur and Islamic architecture, and Restan Old Street, a living slice of ancient Qiuci culture. The night train carries on to Kashgar.
The Pamirs · Days 10–11
White Sand Lake & Taxkorgan Day 10 · included
The drive up the Karakoram Highway onto the Pamir Plateau: chalk-white dunes against turquoise water backed by 7,000-metre peaks, then the Golden Grasslands and the ancient Stone City at sunset. Dinner is a yak hotpot in Taxkorgan.
Karakul Lake & a Tajik family visit Day 11 · included
Karakul's water shifts blue to green to black with Muztagh Ata (7,546 m) reflected on its surface. The visit to a Tajik family of the "Eagle People" of the high Pamir is one of the journey's quietest highlights. Whole-roast lamb dinner back in Kashgar.
Kashgar · Day 12
Kashgar Old City Day 12 · included
Id Kah Mosque, the labyrinthine Old City alleyways and the elevated Gaotai ancient dwellings, at the westernmost reach of the journey. The farewell gala takes place aboard the train that evening, en route to Turpan.
Turpan · Day 13
Jiaohe ruins, Karez wells & Flaming Mountains Day 13 · included
The 2,000-year-old Jiaohe ruins, the ancient karez irrigation system (one of China's three great engineering feats), Grape Valley and the Flaming Mountains, closed out with a fruit banquet lunch and farewell dinner in Urumqi.
Season notes
- · Summer (Jun–Aug): the full route including the Duku Highway, Nalati's deep scenic zone and Ili's wildflower and lavender season.
- · Spring (Apr–May): the Duku Highway is closed, so Day 8 uses alternative mountain roads; the rest of the programme is unchanged and fares are the lowest of the year (Platinum from RMB 26,888).
- · Autumn (Aug–Sep): golden light and harvest colours in the south; the most comfortable temperatures for the Pamir legs.
- · October South Xinjiang editions: a shorter, southern-only programme concentrated on Kashgar, Taxkorgan and Karakul, from RMB 16,888 on the second train group.
Based on the official 2027 product release (July 2026). The local tour director may adjust the sequence of visits for weather or road conditions; in the event of force majeure the operator reserves the right to modify the itinerary. Entrance fees and shuttle buses listed above are included in the fare; personal expenses and optional extras are not.