Turpan travel guide
吐鲁番
In Turkic, Turpan means 'a land of abundance', and this basin, nearly a tenth of which lies below sea level, is brimming with grapes and scenery. It is home to some of the sweetest grapes in the world,…
9 places · In the guidebook: pages 826–836
Turpan, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region · AI illustration for China Trip
Quick itinerary
Turpan in 2 days
- Day 1
- Jiaohe Ancient City→
- Karez Folk Park→
- Emin Minaret (Sugong Pagoda)→
- Grape Valley
- Day 2
The feel of the place
- Grapes
- In Turkic, Turpan means 'a land of abundance', and this basin, nearly a tenth of which lies below sea level, is brimming with grapes and scenery. It is home to some of the sweetest grapes in the world, the seedless white Wuhebai, which is mainly used to make raisins. In the villages, people often sit under grape trellises to cool off, and picking a couple of bunches to eat is pure pleasure. Even in the city, on streets such as Qingnian Road, the entire road is shaded by grape trellises, offering a heavy, refreshing coolness.
Commercial Savvy
Locals have developed a strong commercial sense, so raisins bought in Grape Valley are not cheap.
Things to see
Flaming Mountains
Summer temperatures here reach as high as 47°C, and the ground surface can hit 80°C. The mountains, bathed in red light, and the shimmering heat rising from them look like flames, which is how they got their name. They are also the setting for the Flaming Mountains and the palm-leaf fan in *Journey to the West*. Located south of Turpan, the Flaming Mountains lie on the way to Gaochang Ancient City, the Astana and Karakhoja Ancient Tombs, the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves and Shanshan. Deep within the fiery heat are two 'fire-proof pearls': Grape Valley and Tuyuk Valley.
3–4 hours · ¥40
Grape Valley
Grape Valley sits at the western end of the Flaming Mountains. It is 8 km long and 2 km wide, and the entire valley is covered with grapevines. Beneath the leaves lie Uyghur villages, peaceful and relaxed. Manaizi (Horse's Milk), red and black grapes, Zhezaojing, seedless grapes, Rose Fragrance and many other fruits hang heavy from the branches. Here you can enjoy ethnic dances and taste fresh grapes. The grapes ripen around August, which is when Grape Valley is at its liveliest. Turpan now also has a New Grape Valley, which together with the Old Grape Valley forms the Grape Valley amusement park. If you follow a tour guide, you will most likely be taken to the New Grape Valley, as most of the newly developed commercial attractions are concentrated there. To experience authentic Turpan grape culture, however, head to the Old Grape Valley.
3 hours · ¥60
Kumtag Desert Scenic Area
This is the desert closest to a city in the world, only 90 km from Turpan. The vast golden desert features compound, crescent-shaped and linear dune ridges, as well as grid-patterned, pyramidal and linear dunes. There are also feather-shaped dunes found nowhere else in the world. It is like a museum that condenses the typical landscapes of the world's great deserts.
3–4 hours · ¥30, with additional charges for recreational activities inside the scenic area
Jiaohe Ancient City
This city without walls is the largest, oldest and best-preserved rammed-earth city in the world. The ruins lie in the Yar Nazigou valley, 13 km west of Turpan city, on a willow-leaf-shaped island-like plateau more than 20 metres high. Because a dried-up river channel splits around the city below, it is named 'Jiaohe' (Crossing River). It was the site of the Former Court of the Chezhi Kingdom in the Han dynasty, and the Anxi Protectorate General of the Tang dynasty was first established here. It was destroyed around the 13th century in a war lasting nearly half a century. Today the government offices, residences, pagodas and temples remain clearly visible. The city has only east and south gates, and you reach the ruins by climbing a dirt path up from the riverbed.
3 hours · ¥70
Karez Well Paradise
Together with the Great Wall and the Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal, the karez is one of China's three great ancient engineering projects. The Turpan Basin has more than a thousand karez systems, with a total length of about 5,000 km. These artificially excavated underground water channels reduce evaporation and ensure irrigation of farmland. The history of the karez can be traced back more than 2,000 years.
2–3 hours · ¥40
Emin Minaret (Sugong Pagoda)
Also known as the Emin Minaret, it was built in 1748 by the Prince of Turpan to pray for his father's well-being. Made of loess bricks stacked into a shape like half a spindle, it has 72 spiral steps leading to the top, and its walls are decorated with varied patterns, making its design unique in China. Because the area receives little rain, this earthen tower has remained in excellent condition, making it well worth photographing.
2 hours · ¥45
Tuyuk Valley
Surrounded by the Flaming Mountains, Tuyuk Valley belongs to Shanshan County and lies more than 50 km east of Turpan. Like Grape Valley, it is a genuine Uyghur village, but it is even more natural and unspoiled. On the hillside of Tuyuk Valley is a shrine (mazar) to holy men, where seven Islamic saints are buried. It is therefore an important pilgrimage site in Islam. Tuyuk Valley also has the Thousand Buddha Caves, the earliest cave complex carved in the Turpan Basin, begun more than 1,600 years ago. Today 94 caves and some murals remain. The shrine and the Thousand Buddha Caves are not far apart, and these two architectural expressions of different faiths have coexisted peacefully to this day.
0.5 day · ¥30
Gaochang Ancient City
Gaochang Ancient City has a surviving perimeter of 5.4 km and covers 2 million square metres, making it the largest ancient city ruin remaining in the Western Regions. The inner city wall, outer city wall, palace wall, Khan's Fort, beacon towers, pagodas and temple ruins are all still well preserved. Monk Xuanzang once preached Buddhism in this city.
3 hours · ¥70
Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves
The Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves are cut into the cliffs on the western bank of the Mugou River valley, in the middle section of the Flaming Mountains, more than 40 km southeast of Turpan. There are 83 caves, and more than 40 of them retain over 1,200 square metres of murals. The earliest caves were carved in the 6th century, and the site reached its peak in the mid-9th century, during the Uyghur Kingdom of Gaochang. Both the Buddha statues and the murals have suffered varying degrees of damage from natural forces and human activity.
1 day · ¥40
Getting there & around
Getting In and Out
You can reach or leave Turpan by plane, train or bus, but the most convenient option is to hire a car. This may cost more, but it saves travel time.
By Air
Flights run to and from Urumqi, Yinchuan, Dunhuang, Xi'an, Changsha and other cities.
By Rail
Turpan is where the Lanzhou–Xinjiang Railway meets the Southern Xinjiang Railway. From here, heading west takes you to Urumqi and the area north of the Tianshan Mountains, while heading south takes you into southern Xinjiang. Turpan Railway Station (火车站) is 46 km north of the city, and minibuses run between the station and the city for ¥7.5. The other station, Qiquanhu Station (七泉湖站), is closer to the city and has many express trains stopping there.
By Road
Travellers can catch buses from Turpan Prefecture Passenger Transport Centre (吐鲁番地区客运中心) and Dahe Yan Bus Station (大河沿客运站) bound for Urumqi, Kashgar, Hotan, Qitai, Shanshan, Toksun, Korla, Luntai, Kuqa, Aksu, Shajingzi, Sanchajing, Bachu, Artux, Alar, Yarkant, Yecheng, Zepu and other destinations.
Getting Around the City
Turpan has relatively few city bus routes, and the fare is a flat ¥1. If you only want to visit the bazaar in town or go to the outskirts, you can hire a donkey cart, known locally as a 'donkey taxi'. Agree on the price beforehand. Touring Turpan by donkey cart is a uniquely enjoyable experience.
Turpan Jiaohe Airport (吐鲁番交河机场)
By Air- Phone:
- 0995-8621960
Urumqi Diwopu International Airport (乌鲁木齐地窝堡国际机场)
By Air- Phone:
- 0991-3801453
Railway Station Enquiry Desk (火车站问询处)
By Rail- Phone:
- 0995-7656222
Turpan Prefecture Passenger Transport Centre (吐鲁番地区客运中心)
By Road- Address:
- Chunshu Road, Turpan City
- Phone:
- 0995-8522325
Turpan Dahe Yan Bus Station (吐鲁番大河沿汽车客运站)
By Road- Address:
- Dahe Yan Town, Turpan City
- Phone:
- 0995-8645849
Shanshan Passenger Station (鄯善客运站)
By Road- Address:
- Middle section of Xincheng Road, Shanshan County, Turpan
- Phone:
- 0995-8381360
Eat & drink
Turpan's local snacks include mi changzi (rice sausage), mian feizi (wheat 'lungs') and kebabs.
Where to stay
Because Turpan is easy to reach and its sights are concentrated, it has become a popular destination in Xinjiang. Large numbers of visitors arrive each year from July to September, when accommodation is tight and room rates are higher.
Shopping
Specialities include fresh grapes, raisins, Hami melons, fresh mare's milk, sour mare's milk, long-staple cotton and almonds.
Turpan grows more than 500 fine grape varieties, including seedless white, red, black, Rose-scented and Baibuurui, earning it the nickname 'the world's grape botanical garden'. Fresh grapes are generally on sale from July to October.
There are many raisin varieties. Mǎnǎizi (also called 'Men's Fragrance'), Women's Fragrance, Red Rose and Yellow Rose are among the best known. Raisins can also be classed as warm or cool types, depending on how they are dried.
Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 826–836. Translated from the Chinese edition; names and prices follow the guidebook. · Plain text version