To visit Xinjiang, one can choose self-driving with various classic routes to choose from, including the Northern Xinjiang Loop, Southern Xinjiang Loop, and Greater Xinjiang Loop. Meanwhile, attention should be paid to the best travel time and some travel considerations.?
Xinjiang is vast and sparsely populated with scattered attractions, so self-driving is a recommended way to travel. Here are some classic self-driving routes:?
Northern Xinjiang Loop: Starting from Urumqi, one can visit popular attractions such as Qinggeda Lake, Koktokay, Colorful Beach, Kanas, and Hemucun along the way. Autumn is the most beautiful season in northern Xinjiang, with vast fields of golden birch forests and lakes shrouded in morning mist, making every photo a masterpiece.?
In addition, there is the Kanas-Yili Loop, which covers the beautiful scenery of Kanas Fairyland and Yili Grasslands. The 3,300-kilometer journey allows one to visit the two most popular attractions in northern Xinjiang at one time.?
Southern Xinjiang Loop: Southern Xinjiang has ancient cities, Thousand Buddha Caves, desert highways, Hu Yang forests, and other relics of the Silk Road. Walking on the Taklamakan Desert Highway, with yellow sand stretching out on both sides, and occasionally seeing a few thousand-year-old Hu Yang trees popping up, adds a unique flavor.?
The Southern Xinjiang Loop is more suitable for in-depth travel, allowing one to deeply experience the cultural charm of Xinjiang, such as the cuisine, architecture, music, and handicrafts of Kashgar.?
Greater Xinjiang Loop: For hikers who love challenges, the Greater Xinjiang Loop is a good choice. This route is 12,000 kilometers long and takes about 40 days. It enters from Gansu and exits through Qinghai, covering all of Xinjiang and also stopping by Zhangye’s Colorful Danxia and Mangya’s Jade Lake.?
In addition to choosing a route, it is also necessary to pay attention to the best travel time in Xinjiang. Generally speaking, June to August is the most suitable season to travel to Xinjiang, and during this time, the Duku Highway and the Yizhao Highway are also open for traffic.?
However, Xinjiang has different beautiful scenery in different seasons. For example, from November to March, one can enjoy snow and skiing, see blue ice, or visit southern Xinjiang to see glaciers and snowy mountains; March to April is a good time to see apricot blossoms; September to October is the time to enjoy the golden autumn scenery and visit southern Xinjiang to see the legendary golden Hu Yang forest.?
In addition, during the trip, one needs to pay attention to some matters, such as respecting the privacy of locals and not taking pictures freely; refueling whenever encountering a gas station when self-driving; not scheduling the itinerary too tightly and enjoying the journey; noting that sunset is relatively late and it may be necessary to eat four meals a day, etc.?
In summary, to visit Xinjiang, one needs to make adequate preparations and plans, choose the appropriate route and the best travel time, and pay attention to some details during the trip.?
