Xinjiang travel guide, which season in Xinjiang is more beautiful

　　Xinjiang travel guide, which season in Xinjiang is more beautiful​

　　Xinjiang travel recommendation custom-made advisor Guo Jing 1813962-2229 same as WeChat ID 0991-8585456​

　　Pre-trip Information​

　　Xinjiang, located in the northwest of China and occupying one-sixth of the country’s total land area, is the largest province in China and borders on eight countries, including Russia, Mongolia, India, and Kazakhstan, occupying a strategically important position. It mainly has a temperate continental climate. Simply put, Xinjiang can be summarized by the two words “big” and “dry”.​

　　① “Big”: Friends who have traveled to Xinjiang will not deny the fact that traveling in Xinjiang is really tiring because Xinjiang is extremely vast! (How vast is Xinjiang? I roughly calculated that Beijing + Shanghai + Jiangsu + Zhejiang + Guangdong = Xinjiang’s area ÷ 4). The distances between scenic spots in Xinjiang are measured in hundreds of kilometers, and the tourist attractions are scattered. Sometimes, traveling from one city to another or from one scenic spot to another often requires taking a car or train for more than ten hours. Moreover, some scenic areas cover nearly 100 square kilometers and can only be toured by shuttle buses. Therefore, almost more than one-third of the time spent traveling in Xinjiang each day is on the road. Friends who plan to travel to Xinjiang must be psychologically prepared for long car rides. It is worth mentioning that the scenery along the roads in Xinjiang is indeed beautiful, and sometimes the stunning views are on the way.​

　　② "Dry": Xinjiang is located in the middle of the Eurasian continent, and this geographical location determines that oceanic moisture is difficult to reach. Urumqi is even the city farthest from the ocean in the world. Therefore, the climate in Xinjiang is relatively dry overall, with low air humidity. For friends from the eastern coast, especially the southeast, it may be a bit difficult to adapt. So when traveling to Xinjiang, be sure to do a good job of hydrating and moisturizing. If you plan to visit Hotan and the Taklamakan Desert, you also need to take measures to prevent wind and sand.​

　　II. Choice of Travel Time​

　　Best Travel Season in Xinjiang: July, August, September, October​

　　① March to April: It is windy, with cold waves, prone to gale-force winds and dust storms, and increased precipitation. At this time, going to southern Xinjiang is a good choice, with peach and apricot blossoms blooming, as well as newly revived grasslands. Turpan, Shanshan, and other places offer wild apricot blossom viewing.​

　　② June: In the Ili region, you can enjoy fields of flowers and beautiful lavender (most beautiful in mid-June), but fruits are not yet ripe at this time.​

　　③ July to August: You can still see fields of flowers everywhere, as well as vast and lush grasslands, making mountainous areas a great summer retreat. At this time, the grasslands welcome the Nadamu Festival and Tianma Festival. However, lavender has already been harvested, and fruits start to ripen in mid-August.​

　　④ September to October: It is the harvest season of beauty in Xinjiang, with comfortable weather, a true golden autumn season with fragrant fruits. Autumn’s Kanas is recognized as having the most beautiful autumn scenery in China, and the poplar forests in southern Xinjiang are also dyed with the colors of golden autumn, and fruits are also in the harvest season. But these two months are also the peak tourist season in Xinjiang, with corresponding increases in prices and scenic area ticket prices.​

　　⑤ Winter: The temperature drops to minus twenty to thirty degrees Celsius, and many places are closed due to snow. Many attractions are also closed. However, it is the off-peak travel season at this time, with low prices, discounted tickets for some scenic areas, and some scenic areas can even be visited for free. You can see the snowy landscapes of northwest China. But I think the viewing value in winter is not as good as that in summer and autumn.​

　　III. Choice of Travel Methods​

　　In my personal opinion, the ranking of travel methods to Xinjiang in terms of pros and cons should be:​

　　Group Self-Drive > Group Chartered Car > Solo Self-Drive > Group Free and Easy > Solo Free and Easy > Package Tour​

　　1. Self-Drive: You have freedom in travel time and don’t have to rush for buses every day. If you see a beautiful scene on the road, you can stop to enjoy it anytime. More than 1/3 of the expenses of traveling in Xinjiang are spent on transportation, and the highway tolls in Xinjiang are not high, which can save a lot of money. You can also rest in the car when tired.​

　　2. Traveling in Groups: Xinjiang is not a place suitable for solo travel. Firstly, the portion sizes of meals in Xinjiang are huge, like the famous large plate chicken, even the medium-sized portion is enough for at least three people. To eat well and diversely in Xinjiang, traveling in groups is better. Secondly, in some places in Xinjiang, there are no buses, nor direct shuttles to tourist attractions. Sometimes if you miss the bus or shuttle, you can only rent a car. If you carpool with others, you may need to wait for the driver to pick up more passengers, wasting a lot of time. If it’s awkward timing and you can’t find enough people to carpool, you will have to bear the high cost of renting a car alone. So traveling in groups can also split the transportation costs and reduce expenses. Of course, traveling in groups is also safer.​

　　① Group Self-Driving:​

　　It offers high freedom, saves time, and is also economical. The cost of group car rental and self-driving, when split among the group, is not much more expensive than taking daily scheduled buses. It’s even better if you drive your own car to Xinjiang.​

　　② Group Chartered Car Travel:​

　　Group self-driving is similar to group chartered car travel, except that when you charter a car, you also get a driver. This way, you don’t have to drive for long periods of time and can enjoy the beautiful scenery in peace. Moreover, the chartered car drivers are very familiar with the nearby scenic spots and can take you to places and even serve as your tour guide. However, if you charter a car, you must cover the meals and accommodation expenses of the driver, which costs more than self-driving.​

　　③ Solo Self-Driving:​

　　The benefits of self-driving are as mentioned above. If you’re alone, no one will split the travel expenses with you, but you have more freedom. If you’re traveling on a budget, you can even sleep in your car.​

　　④ Group Free and Easy Travel:​

　　You can split the costs of food and transportation, making expenses a little smaller, and it’s also more fun. Of course, the prerequisite is that this person shares the same values as you :) However, it’s difficult to hitchhike if you’re traveling in a group.​

　　⑤ Solo Free and Easy Travel:​

　　There are many inconveniences. It is difficult to save money on food and transportation. For friends who are not good at striking up conversations, it can be extremely lonely. But being alone gives you more freedom, and the experience is deeper. It depends on personal preference!​

　　Four Travel Routes​

　　The classic tourist routes in Xinjiang are generally divided into the Eastern Route, Western Route, Northern Route, and Southern Route.​

　　If you want to traverse the Grand Circuit of Xinjiang, the usual order is: Northern Route → Western Route → Southern Route → Eastern Route​

　　Below are four classic routes listed for you. Each route includes famous and beautiful scenic spots. You can choose according to your preferences, budget, and time.​

　　① Northern Route (mainly in Altay Prefecture): 7-8 days​

　　a. Urumqi – Koktokay – Burqin – Jiadengyu – Hemu – Kanas Lake – Baihaba – Khabar County – Colorful Beach – Burqin​

　　Or: b. Urumqi – Koktokay – Burqin – Colorful Beach – Khabar County – Baihaba – Kanas Lake – Hemu – Jiadengyu – Burqin​

　　PS: Hiking routes in Altay region:​

　　a. East Route hiking: 3-4 days​

　　Jiadengyu – Halfway Inn – Hemu Village – Black Lake – Kanas​

　　b. West Route hiking: 4 days​

　　Kanas – Tubieke – Shuanghu – Naren Pasture – Baihaba​

　　② West Route Travel (Yili region as the main area): 8-9 days​

　　Burqin – Urho (Devil City) – Sayram Lake – Guozigou Bridge – Khorgos Port – Yining – Zhaosu – Tekes – Karakjun – Qiongkushitai – Nalati – Bayinbrok​

　　PS: Qiongkushitai – Karakjun hiking route: 2-3 days​

　　Qiongkushitai Village – Camping Platform – Flower Platform – West Karakjun​

　　③ South Route Travel (Southern Xinjiang folk customs route): 9-10 days​

　　Bayinbrok – Duku Highway – Kuqa – Kashgar – Hongqilafu Port – Tashkurgan County – Taxkorgan – Kashgar – Hotan – Minfeng – Desert Highway – Korla – Urumqi​

　　④ East Route Travel: 4-5 days​

　　Urumqi – Tianshan Heavenly Lake – Urumqi – Turpan – Shanshan – Hami​

　　Xinjiang travel guide, which season in Xinjiang is more beautiful​

　　Xinjiang travel recommendation custom-made advisor Guo Jing 1813962-2229 same as WeChat ID 0991-8585456​