The best itinerary for a two-day tour around Ili is as follows:?
Day 1: Nalati Tourist Scenic Area and surroundings?
Morning: Head to the Nalati Tourist Scenic Area to explore the magnificent aerial grassland. Here, you can admire the beautiful subalpine meadow plants and feel the vastness and grandeur of nature. The Nalati grassland is picturesque, like being in a animated world, especially at dusk when smoke rises from chimneys, cattle and sheep graze leisurely, and golden sunshine fills the grassland, creating a breathtaking view?
Afternoon: If time permits, you can visit the nearby Duku Highway Monument and take a short tour along the Duku Highway to experience the stunning scenery of red canyons, dragon pools, forests, and meadows along the way?
Day 2: Guozigou Bridge, Sayram Lake, and the Old City of Ili?
Morning: Head to the Guozigou Bridge, which has a beautiful and elegant design and feels like a natural extension of its surroundings. As the first domestic highway double-tower, double-cable-plane cable-stayed bridge, the Guozigou Bridge offers stunning scenery of deep mountains and valleys and is a great spot for photos?
From noon to afternoon: Visit Sayram Lake, where the water is clear and blue, like a mirror. Various wildflowers bloom on the surrounding grasslands, creating a breathtaking view. You can choose to stay by the lake and enjoy the magnificent sunrise and sunset. Sayram Lake is also known as "the last tear of the Atlantic Ocean", where blue ice and swans dance together, making it a fairyland with changing seasons?
Evening: Head to the Kazanqi Folk Tourism Area in the old city of Ili to explore the rich folk customs and experience the unique cultural charm of the local area?
Travel Tips:?
Transportation: Self-driving or chartering a car is the best way to tour Ili, allowing you to freely navigate between snowy mountains and grasslands?
Accommodation: On the first day, you can choose a scenic hotel in Nalati Town to enjoy the stars at night; on the second day, you can choose a youth hostel in the downtown area to meet fellow travelers and share travel stories?
Food: Be sure to try Ili’s yogurt, strawberry yogurt, Li Shilin’s big plate chicken, and the mutton skewers in Nalati Town. These are all local delicacies that cannot be missed?
Essential items: sunscreen, sunglasses, warm clothing, camera, etc., and a heart for exploring nature?
This two-day tour itinerary is designed to let you fully appreciate the beautiful scenery and unique culture of Ili!?