The travel guide for southern Xinjiang in October mainly includes scenic spot recommendations, weather and clothing suggestions, as well as transportation options.
Recommended scenic spots
Lop Nor Village: Located in Yuli County, it is a scenic spot that integrates deserts, the Tarim River, Populus Euphratica forests, lakes, entertainment, and folk customs. You can taste the red willow catfish roasted personally by the Lop people.
Wensu Grand Canyon: Located at the southern foot of the middle section of the Tianshan Mountains in Wensu, you can climb to the top of the canyon and overlook the entire canyon, feeling its magnificent and grand appearance.
Bachu Red Sea Bay Scenic Area: An ecological scenic area that integrates lakes, rivers, grasslands, wetlands, gobi, and Populus Euphratica forests. In the golden autumn of October, the Populus Euphratica forests and the Tarim River complement each other, as if stepping into a haven of peace and contentment.
Hetian Night Market: A top food gathering place in the country where you can taste various specialties of Xinjiang.
Kashgar Old City: A must-visit attraction in southern Xinjiang, filled with exotic-style residences and Xinjiang handicrafts. You can take photos in Uyghur clothing.
White Sand Lake: A dazzling pearl on the Pamir Plateau, with half of it being a sprawling desert and the other half being azure lake water. The scenery is sacred and lively.
Muztagh Glacier Park: You can look up at Muztagh Ata from a close distance and feel the grandeur of the alpine glacier.
In addition, places such as the Luntai Populus Euphratica Forest, Golden Grass Beach, Stone City,盘龙古道 (Panlong Ancient Road), Bandier Blue Lake, and others are also worth visiting.
Weather and clothing suggestions
Weather: Temperatures in October range from 5°C to 14°C. Cities with higher average temperatures include Turpan, Hetian, and Kashgar, while cities with lower average temperatures such as Altay, Shihezi, and Tacheng are relatively cold.
Clothing: It is recommended to bring warm clothing such as windbreakers, hoodies, sweaters, waterproof jackets (with fleece lining), down jackets, cotton-padded jackets, and cold-proof clothing. Special attention should be paid to keeping warm, especially when heading to high-altitude areas such as the Pamir Plateau.
Transportation options
Train: Urumqi has direct trains to Hetian, Korla, Kucha, Aksu, Kashgar, and other places, stopping at most popular tourist destinations in southern Xinjiang along the way.
Airplane: There are many airports in Xinjiang. It takes about 2 hours to fly directly from Urumqi to Kashgar, which is a fast way to arrive in southern Xinjiang.
Car: Major cities have passenger stations that can connect to various counties, townships, and other cities, but the journey is generally long.
Carpooling/Chartered car: Southern Xinjiang is vast and sparsely populated, with distant scenic spots. Carpooling or chartering a car is a more flexible and convenient way to travel.
In summary, the travel guide for southern Xinjiang in October mainly includes rich recommendations of scenic spots, clothing suggestions based on weather changes, and multiple transportation options. I hope these suggestions can help you plan an unforgettable trip to southern Xinjiang.