The self-guided travel itinerary for Urumqi, Xinjiang mainly includes attraction recommendations, food exploration, and transportation guides.?
Attraction Recommendations?
Hongshan Park: Located in the center of Urumqi, it integrates natural and cultural landscapes. You can enjoy the beautiful cityscape of Urumqi and feel the rich folk customs. The Hongshan Tower and Yuantiaolou (Overlooking Tower) within the park are great places for taking photos.?
International Bazaar: This is the world’s largest bazaar with a strong Islamic architectural style. Here, you can purchase various Xinjiang specialties and handicrafts, taste authentic Xinjiang cuisine, and enjoy wonderful song and dance performances in the evening.?
Tianshan Heavenly Lake: Located in the northeast of Urumqi, it is an alpine lake with crystal-clear water surrounded by snow-capped mountains, offering spectacular scenery. Visitors can choose to hike, ride horses, or take a shuttle bus to explore the lake.?
Nanshan Scenic Area: This is a famous summer resort with dense forests and fresh air. The scenic area boasts waterfalls, streams, meadows, and other natural landscapes, making it a great place for leisure and vacations.?
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Museum: This museum houses a rich collection of artifacts, especially mummies and precious exhibits like the ‘Five Stars Emerging in the East, to the Advantage of China’. It is worth a visit.?
Food Exploration?
Lingguan Lane: This place gathers various local Xinjiang cuisines such as meat-filled naan, yogurt rice cakes, freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, etc. It offers affordable prices and authentic flavors.?
Hetian Second Street: This is also a food street with a wide variety of restaurants and is busier than Lingguan Lane. It is recommended to try the grilled stuffed bun from Kashgar Yibazhua and the fig pilaf from Nuriman.?
International Bazaar: Besides shopping, the food here is also worth trying, but be aware that the cost-effectiveness of the goods and food may not be high.?
Transportation Guide?
Intracity transportation: Transportation in Urumqi is convenient, with options such as BRT rapid transit and Metro Line 1. Taking a taxi is also an option, but be mindful of taxi fares.?
Transportation to attractions: For distant attractions like Tianshan Heavenly Lake, you can choose to take a tourist bus or rent a car for self-driving. The drive from the city to Tianshan Heavenly Lake takes about 1 hour, followed by a shuttle bus ride into the scenic area.?
Transportation from the airport to the city: The airport has Metro Line 1 directly to the Nanmen (South Gate) of the city, which is convenient and fast.?
In summary, the self-guided travel itinerary for Urumqi, Xinjiang includes visits to attractions such as Hongshan Park, the International Bazaar, and Tianshan Heavenly Lake, exploration of food streets like Lingguan Lane and Hetian Second Street, and transportation guides within the city and to the attractions. I hope this itinerary can help you better plan your trip to Urumqi.?