ITINERARY

Tianshan Tour (6 - 14 September 2025)

Sep 6 - Day 1 (Arrival at Urumqi)

Welcome to China! Your adventure begins in the city of Urumqi, which over several centuries has been one of the main points on the Silk Road northern branch crossing Eastern Turkestan. It is now the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region with a population of around 4 million.

You will likely arrive late if you fly in from Europe. If you do arrive early, you have the opportunity to ealready taste the spirit of the city and region by visiting the Xinjiang Regional Museum or the Grand Bazar.

Accommodation: Yaduo Hotel Urumqi Youhao Wanke Kexi Road or similar

Sep 7 - Day 2 (Urumqi – Dushanzi)

There is free time in the morning, so you can rest sufficiently after the long-haul flight. After lunch, we prepare for our departure by bus (appr. 3 hours) to the city of Dushanzi.

After check-in at the hotel in Dushanzi, you will have time to put together your bicycle (if you chose to bring your own). We will have a pre-ride briefing ahead of our welcome dinner.

Accommodation: Maitark Hotel or similar

Meals: Brunch and dinner provided

Sep 8 - Day 3 (Dushanzi – Wulan Sadeke)

After breakfast, we will leave Dushanzi to the starting point of the Duku Road (G217) and mentally prepare to cycle over the Tianshan mountain range in the coming days.

After the first 20km, the incline will start to increase when we enter the mountain range. The support car will stop along the way several times for snacks and drink refills. Our destination for the day is high and remote in the mountains, so this night only basic accommodations are available.

Accommodation: 639 Wulan Sadeke Xiaoyang Inn or similar

Meals: All meals provided

RIDING

Distance: 80km
Elevation: +2,800m
Peak: 2,040m

Sep 9 - Day 4 (Wulan Sadeke – Aketasi)

After breakfast, we will continue our gradual climb for 30km to the highest point of Duku Road at Hashilagen Daban (3,390m). Protected by our support cars, we will cross the peak tunnel before enjoying a well-deserved and enjoyable gradual descent towards our lunch at a road side restaurant. There are plenty of opportunities for snacks and drink refills before we reach the destination of today; Aketasi Grassland.

Accommodation: Aketasi Resort or similar

Meals: All meals provided

RIDING

Distance: 90km
Elevation: +1,700m
Peak: 3,460m

Sep 10 - Day 5 (Aketasi Grassland – Nalati Grassland)

After breakfast we start with a fairly flat section through the valley of Aketasi. Surrounded by forest, meandering streams and grazing cattle on meadows, it looks like you’re riding in Switzerland. It will also feel that way as the road will start to incline, reaching the peak of 3,200m after about 75km. We will finish the ride with a well-earned and enjoyable downhill of about 40km.

Lunch location is a local herding community for homemade rice, soup and/or BBQ and there are several stop opportunities for snacks and drink refills.

Accommodation: Nalati Grassland Hotel or similar

Meals: All meals provided

RIDING

Distance: 115km
Elevation: +1,500m
Peak: 3,230m

Sep 11 - Day 6 (Nalati Grassland – Bayanbulak )

We will take the support car to the starting point today to avoid the highway junction near Nalati. The beautiful ride today takes us to the Bayanbulak plateau, the second largest grassland of China.

We are embraced by another change of landscape, moving through alpine-like scenery full of pine trees to an authentic Mongolian-style grassland. As Bayanbulak holds a sensitive military station, foreigners are not allowed to stay overnight in this town. We will therefore transfer back to the comfortable Nalati Grassland hotel for our dinner and sleep.

Accommodation: Nalati Grassland Hotel or similar

Meals: All meals provided

RIDING

Distance: 100km
Elevation: +1,300m
Peak: 2,710m

Sep 12 - Day 7 (Bayanbulak – Kuruli)

We will start the day by car, as we will drive back to where we finished our ride yesterday. Today is a long riding day, but it will be absolutely worth it, because you will be amazed by the variety of landscapes you will ride through; from grasslands to canyons, from no mans land to authentic villages and from waterfalls to rock formations.

After 55km of flat to gradually inclining roads, we finish with a 60km descent to Kuruli. We have several stop opportunities for snacks and drink refills. Lunch will be enjoyed at a road side restaurant.

Accommodation: Kuruli 988 cyclist hostel or similar

Meals: All meals provided

RIDING

Distance: 115km
Elevation: +1,300m
Peak: 3,240m

Sep 13 - Day 8 (Kuruli - Kuqa)

Today’s ride of 85km is mostly downhill to our final destination of Kuqa. Easy and beautiful. Along the way, we will stop by and visit the famous Kuqa Grand Canyon before heading to the finish.

After arriving at the finish of Duku Road, we will load the bikes on the car to avoid truck traffic and drive into the city. A celebration dinner is waiting for us at Kuqa.

Accommodation: Sicily at Kuqa B&B or similar

Meals: All meals provided

RIDING

Distance: 85km
Elevation: +400m
Peak: 1,800m

Sep 14 - Day 9 (Departure from Kuqa)

After enjoying the local-style breakfast, there is the airport drop off for the people who DO NOT join the “Pamir Extension”. Based on you self-arranged flight, you will fly out from Kuqa Qiuci Airport to home.

Meals: Breakfast provided

ADDITIONAL ITINERARY

Pamir Extension (14 - 18 September 2025)

Sep 14 - Day 9 (Kuqa - Kashgar)

After breakfast, those that booked the Pamir Extension will depart for Kashgar by plane MF2569 (10:10-11:25). We jointly apply for the required border pass upon arrival at Kashgar airport by noon before visiting the famous Sunday animal market in Kashgar.

Accommodation: Atour Kashgar Hotel or similar

Meals: Breakfast and dinner provided (lunch on the plane or self arranged)

Sep 15 - Day 10 (Kashgar – Pamir Plateau, Tashkurgan)

In the morning, we will depart for Tashkurgan by car, stopping along the way for beautiful views on the Baisha lake, the Muztagh Ata glaciers and the Tagharma plateau wetland.

After arrival in our hotel and some refreshments, we will do a short warm-up ride in the neighbourhood.

Accommodation: Meet Torgrencia Glamcamp Tent or similar

Meals: All meals provided

RIDING

Distance: 35km
Elevation: +150m
Peak: 3,110m

Sep 16 - Day 11 (Panlong Dragon Road and Bandihr Lake)

After enjoying the fantastic sunrise view during breakfast, we start the Queen stage of Panlong Dragon Road. We start the first 25km with a gradual incline, until we reach the start of the Panlong Dragon Road, where the 13km and 600 turns to the peak at an average incline of 8% awaits us. With the road blocked for traffic from the other side, you don’t have to fear upcoming traffic.

The peak is at 4,300m, but with our experience and acclimatization of the previous week, this should not be a concern. Nonetheless, for those suffering from fatigue, the support car is never far away.

After the Panlong Dragon Road, we will head to the sacred lake at Pamir Plateau, “Bandihr Lake”. As usual, we have several stop opportunities for snacks and drink refills.

Accommodation: Meet Torgrencia Glamcamp Tent or similar

Meals: All meals provided

RIDING

Distance: 95km
Elevation: +1,400m
Peak: 4,260m

Sep 17 - Day 12 (Tashkurgan – Kashgar)

After breakfast, we will depart by bus to Kashgar from Tashkurgan (appr. 300km in 5 hours). Upon arrival in Kashgar, those that brought their own bikes will be supported with re-packing them and enjoy the last night at Kashgar old town. We will stay a night before our international flight home the next day.

Accommodation: Hotel in Kashgar

Meals: All meals provided

Sep 18 - Day 13 (Departure from Kashgar)

In the morning, we will drop off at the Kashgar Laining International Airport for your self-arranged flight to home and the Pamir Extension Tour officially ends here.

Meals: Breakfast provided

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