The travel guide for going to Yili by train mainly includes transportation guide, itinerary arrangement, attraction recommendations, food exploration, and lodging tips.
Transportation Guide:
Take a train to Yili from your departure point, usually departing from Urumqi. The train journey takes about 10 hours. The hard seat ticket price is about 100 yuan, the hard sleeper about 150 yuan, and the soft sleeper about 250 yuan. It is recommended to purchase tickets at the train station ticket window, on the 12306 official website, or on your mobile phone 15 days in advance to avoid running out of tickets during peak periods such as holidays. After arriving at Yili Railway Station, you can take a taxi to the city center for a fee of about 30-50 yuan, or choose to take a bus to various attractions.
Itinerary Arrangement:
Day 1: Take an overnight train from Urumqi and arrive in Yining in the morning. You can participate in a one-day tour of Sayram Lake, including attractions such as Guozigou Bridge, Sayram Lake,霍尔果斯口岸 (Huoerguosi Port), and Lavender Manor. After returning to Yining city in the evening, you can go to Kazanqi Folk Village and Hanren Street to taste local specialties.
Day 2: Participate in a one-day tour of Nalati/Karajun Grassland. After returning to the city in the evening, you can visit Liuxing Street to see its colorful buildings and visit the mosque.
Day 3: Depending on your interests and time, you can choose to continue exploring other attractions such as Kuerdening, and then prepare to return.
Attraction Recommendations:
Yili’s Sayram Lake, Karajun Grassland, Nalati Grassland, Huocheng Lavender Fields, and the Duku Highway are all must-see attractions. Sayram Lake, with its clear lake water and surrounding snow-capped mountains, is a paradise for photographers; Karajun Grassland is renowned for its vastness and grandeur; Nalati Grassland is covered with green grass in summer and has charming snowy landscapes in winter; Huocheng Lavender Fields form a purple sea of flowers when in bloom, captivating visitors; the Duku Highway, with its picturesque scenery along the way, is also a great destination for photographers.
Food Exploration:
Xinjiang’s cuisine is rich and diverse. It is recommended to try specialties such as mutton pilaf, roasted whole sheep, and naan. When ordering main courses in restaurants, you can pair them with some snacks, such as roasted stuffed buns and thin-skinned stuffed buns. Special dishes such as big plate chicken and spicy chicken with pepper and numbing spice can also be worth a try.
Lodging Tips:
In Yining city, you can choose accommodation near the passenger station for convenient travel. If your budget is limited, you can also choose budget accommodations such as youth hostels or homestays. If you want a more comfortable stay, you can choose high-end accommodations such as star hotels or resorts.
Above is the travel guide for going to Yili by train, hoping it will be helpful for your trip.