Listening to Buddhist chants in front of the grottoes, chasing light in the canyon, encountering the most authentic Southern Xinjiang style at the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains

【5 days 3 nights, about 7600 RMB per person! Aksu Guide: Silk Road Oasis · The Mysterious Echoes of Kucha’s Music and Dance】

Day 1: Arrive at **Aksu Airport** (connecting flights available from Urumqi/Xi’an, round-trip tickets about 3400 RMB), check in to a quality city hotel 【Aksu Friendship Hotel】 or a distinctive guesthouse 【Kucha Courtyard】 (breakfast included, 1300 RMB/night × 3 = 3900 RMB). Stroll in the evening at 【Duolang River Scenic Area】, experience the slow life of a Southern Xinjiang city, check out the light and water dance show, and taste authentic barbecue and dried apricot milk tea.

Day 2: Explore the World Cultural Heritage site 【Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves】 (ticket + shuttle bus 80 RMB) — China’s oldest grottoes, admire Gandhara-style murals and the “Heavenly Palace Music” flying apsaras. Stop by 【Baicheng Grand Canyon】 (free), overlook the red rock deep valley and herds running. On the way back, view the Yanshuigou Yardang landforms and capture the vast Silk Road scenery.

Day 3: Venture into the 【Tianshan Mysterious Grand Canyon】 (ticket 60 RMB) — walk through red sandstone canyons, hike “One Line Sky” and “Tiger’s Den to Heaven,” feel the wonders of nature’s craftsmanship. Return to Aksu in the afternoon to experience intangible cultural heritage projects: Kyrgyz embroidery and Kucha music and dance (regular performances at the cultural center).

Day 4: Charter a car to 【Wensu Tomur Grand Canyon】 (off-road vehicle + ticket about 300 RMB/person) — magnificent landforms comparable to the American Antelope Canyon, light and shadow interweaving on the rock walls, aerial shots look like a secret Mars landscape. In the evening, pick seasonal fruits along the way: crystal sugar apples, paper-skinned walnuts, small white apricots (Aksu truly deserves its title as the “Hometown of Melons and Fruits”).

Day 5: Visit the 【Aksu Agricultural and Sideline Products Exhibition and Sales Center】 to buy souvenirs: red dates, walnuts, rose tea, camel milk powder. Optionally visit the 【Daolang Tribe Scenic Area】 (ticket 80 RMB) to learn about primitive folk customs and the Meshrep song and dance. Return according to flight schedule.

💰Budget breakdown:
Airfare 3400 + Transportation and car rental 1400 + Accommodation 3900 + Meals 800 + Tickets about 250 + Other reserves 250 ≈ **7600 RMB**

📌Tips:
- Photography of murals inside the Thousand Buddha Caves is prohibited; please respect cultural relics;
- Large temperature difference in the canyons, bring a windproof jacket;
- Must-try foods: grilled eggs, jarred meat, pigeon soup, yogurt zongzi.

⚠️Warnings:
❌ Do not trust “wild guides” in scenic spots, beware of detours and extra charges;
❌ When buying dried fruits, pay attention to weighing methods and choose stores with clear pricing.

Five days and four nights, step into Aksu. This place is not just about apples, but also the millennia-old echoes of Kucha’s music and dance, and the interplay of light and shadow in the grand canyons — a Silk Road secret. Come here, listen to Buddhist chants in front of the grottoes, chase light in the canyons — at the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains, encounter the most authentic Southern Xinjiang style.