1. When is the best time to visit Xinjiang?
It is often said that the peak season in Xinjiang is from May to October. Xinjiang is so vast that it is beautiful all year round.
January – February: Hemu Snow Village, Kanas Snow Village, Kashgar in Southern Xinjiang,Muztagh Ata Glacier. At this time, Xinjiang is less crowded and the scenery is beautiful.
March – April: Be aware, spring is coming soon in Xinjiang. This is a good time to see apricot blossoms. Apricot blossoms in Tashkurgan County (Datong Township, Bandir Township), Nalati Apricot Blossom Valley… The timing of apricot blossoms varies each year, so please refer to specific notifications.
May: Southern Xinjiang gradually enters summer, while Northern Xinjiang enters spring. Kanas has not yet entered spring and needs to wait for the grass to turn green. At this time, you can see the blooming flowers in Ili, and the scenery varies depending on the flowering season.
June – August: Xinjiang is fantastic all around. Everywhere in Xinjiang is a great destination.
September: Don’t go to Ili at this time. Once the grasslands in Ili turn yellow, they are not as beautiful. Main attractions are in Kanas and Southern Xinjiang.
October: Birch Forest in Kanas, Populus euphratica in Southern Xinjiang.
November – December: Same as January – February.
2. What are the classic tourist routes in Xinjiang?
Xinjiang has numerous attractions and many tourist routes. The specific itinerary needs to be arranged according to the travel time. Here are a few routes for your reference:
8-Day Quality Group Free and Easy Tour of Northern Xinjiang
Day 1: Arrive at the world-famous ‘Hometown of Songs and Dances, Fruits and Melons, Gold and Jade’ Urumqi → Airport Pickup (24/7 airport/high-speed rail pickup),
Check-in at hotel. (Free Activities → Xinjiang Autonomous Region Museum → Visit International Grand Bazaar)
Day 2: Urumqi → Karamay Hundred-Mile Oilfield → China’s Only River Flowing into the Arctic Ocean – Irtysh River, Colorful Beach by the River → Burqin;
Day 3: Burqin → Pure Land on Earth Kanas → Jadenyu;
Day 4: Jadenyu → God’s Backyard: China’s First Village Hemu → Burqin
Day 5: Burqin → Drive-by View of Urho Devil’s City → Urumqi
Day 6: Urumqi → ‘Flaming Mountains Turpan’, Asia’s largest wind farm, Ten-Mile Salt Lake, via Dabancheng Ancient Town, Flaming Mountain, Ancient Three Water Projects
one of the beneficial irrigation projects, Karez Wells, Vineyard (taste seasonal fruits, enjoy Uyghur-style songs and dances) → Urumqi
Day 7: Urumqi → Western Regions Grand Bazaar, Tianshan Tianchi Alpine Lake, Bogda Peak Snow Mountain → Urumqi
Day 8: Urumqi – End of Itinerary
12-Day Quality Group Tour of Northern Xinjiang Grand Loop
Day 1: Airport Pickup – Check-in
Day 2: Urumqi — Koktokay — Fuyun
Day 3: Fuyun — Colorful Beach — Burqin
Day 4: Burqin — Hemu — Jadenyu
Day 5: Jadenyu — Kanas Lake — Karamay
Day 6: Karamay — Urho Devil’s City — Sayram Lake — Qingshuihe/Yining
Day 7: Yining — Nalati Grassland — Bayinbuluke
Day 8: Bayinbrok Grassland — Hejing
Day 9: Hejing — Turpan/Urumqi
Day 10: Turpan — Flaming Mountain — Kanerjing — Grape Estate — Urumqi
Day 11: Urumqi — Tianshan Tianchi — Urumqi
Day 12: Urumqi — Airport Transfer for Departure
Xinjiang is too large to fully explore in one trip, and multiple trips are too expensive. Many attractions and itineraries can be combined, such as the North-South Xinjiang Grand Circuit, Horgos Port, Turpan Flaming Mountain, Taklamakan Desert, and more.
Precautions for Traveling in Xinjiang
1. Xinjiang and Gansu belong to the northwest region, and their economy differs from that of the mainland. Therefore, food, lodging, and transportation differ from those of the mainland.
2. There is a two-hour time difference between Xinjiang and the mainland, but the entire region uses Beijing time for daily activities;
3. The temperature difference between day and night is large, with a temperature difference of about 20 degrees. If you plan to stay overnight at Tianchi, Nalati Ranch, or visit Kanas Lake, you must bring outerwear, sweaters, and other clothing.
4. Due to Xinjiang’s vast territory and long travel times by car, in many cases, tourists need to get off the bus to walk or personally experience the fun of horse riding and camel riding. Therefore, a pair of suitable shoes is particularly important.
5. Many areas in Xinjiang are at high altitudes with intense ultraviolet radiation. Prepare sufficient and effective sunscreen. If you are prone to carsickness, please bring your own carsickness medication.
6. When traveling in Xinjiang, you may experience water and soil不适应 symptoms. You should bring relevant medications and some commonly used medications, such as band-aids, cold medication, or medications for gastrointestinal discomfort.
7. Xinjiang is known as the hometown of melons and fruits. Never drink hot tea after eating fruit to avoid diarrhea.
5. How to Save Money on a Trip to Xinjiang
1. Reception: To save money on a trip to Xinjiang, be sure to find a local to receive you. Absolutely do not look for one at your departure point. For example, if I depart from Shanghai, I would never sign up for a tour locally because the local travel agency will transfer the reception to a Xinjiang travel agency, adding an intermediate link and naturally increasing the price. However, many people do not know this secret and end up wasting a lot of money! This is why I spent less than 2000 yuan for an 8-day trip to Xinjiang (key point);
2. Itinerary: It is said that the itinerary is the soul of travel! The tourist attractions in Xinjiang vary greatly in terms of dimensions and scenery from east to west. Friends who are unfamiliar with the attractions and have not planned their route well will always have to backtrack, making the trip exhausting.
3. Food, Lodging, and Transportation: Xinjiang has a plethora of delicious food, especially sweet and inexpensive fruits sold by the kilogram, such as grapes, Hami melons, fragrant pears, walnuts, dates, etc. There is also mutton, hand-grabbed rice, big plate chicken, yogurt, mare’s milk, etc., which can make people gain weight.
Xinjiang is vast in territory, and the scenic spots are relatively scattered. It takes 4-5 hours to drive to attractions, which can easily lead to fatigue driving. Road conditions, weather, and vehicle conditions are all factors to consider. It is recommended to arrange a chartered car to travel around Xinjiang, which can save time and better enjoy the scenery along the way, having close contact with the beautiful scenery!
Xinjiang Customized Travel Planner Guo Jing: 0991-8585456 181-3962-2229 (WeChat same as phone)