When traveling in Xinjiang, you can choose multiple classic routes to experience both natural scenery and cultural customs, while also planning according to the season and your interests.?
The tourist routes in Xinjiang are mainly divided into two major regions: Northern Xinjiang and Southern Xinjiang. Northern Xinjiang focuses on natural landscapes, while Southern Xinjiang emphasizes cultural customs. Here are some specific tourist routes and suggestions:?
Kanas Loop: Suitable for a 5-7 day tour, including attractions like Kanas, Hemu, Koktokay, and Devil’s City. This route lets you experience the fairyland-like beauty of Xinjiang, such as the emerald-green waters of Kanas Lake surrounded by majestic snow-capped mountains.?
Yili Loop: Suitable for a 6-10 day tour, covering places like Sayram Lake, Nalati, and Xiata. The Yili Loop allows you to appreciate the stunning scenery at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, especially the lush grassland scenery of the Nalati Grassland and the transhumance of Kazakh herdsmen.?
Kashi-Yili Loop: Requires 11-13 days, combining the best attractions of Kanas and Yili, representing the most scenic natural landscapes of Northern Xinjiang.?
Northern Xinjiang Grand Circle Route: Suitable for a 13-17 day self-drive tour, including various landscapes such as deserts, Gobi, snow-capped mountains, and grasslands. A self-drive tour around Northern Xinjiang allows you to experience the rich tourism resources of Xinjiang all at once.?
Southern Xinjiang Grand Circle Route: Requires 13-17 days, passing through places like the Pamir Plateau, Kunlun Mountains, and the Taklamakan Desert. The Southern Xinjiang Grand Circle Route allows you to deeply experience the perfect fusion of Xinjiang’s cultural customs and natural landscapes.?
Additionally, you can choose your travel time based on the season. Xinjiang has four distinct seasons, each with different scenery and experiences. For example, in spring, you can admire the lavender fields in Yili; in summer, enjoy the coolness and beauty of the Nalati Grassland; in autumn, witness the golden spectacle of the Populus euphratica forests in southern Xinjiang; and in winter, enjoy ice and snow activities in places like Urumqi County.?
When planning your itinerary, you can also consider incorporating some unique culinary and creative product experiences, such as Xinjiang’s specialty dishes like mutton eaten with hands, mutton kebabs, and mutton pilaf, as well as the abundant mountain sports activities in the Silk Road Mountain Resort.?
In summary, Xinjiang offers a rich and diverse travel experience, whether it’s natural scenery or cultural customs, all worth exploring. When planning your itinerary, it is recommended to choose suitable routes and attractions based on your interests and time.?