2021 Brand New Xinjiang Travel Routes_Itinerary + Scenic Spots & Delicacies + Travel Guide
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Classic Travel Routes in Xinjiang:
Recommended 5-7 Day Charter Route
If you only have about 5-7 days, it is recommended to choose one destination in Northern Xinjiang for an in-depth tour: either Kanas Lake or Yili Grassland. Both destinations start and end in Urumqi, with a round-trip distance of about 2,200 kilometers from Urumqi. The specific itinerary is as follows:
5-Day In-depth Tour of Kanas Lake Loop
Day 1: Urumqi – Burqin (via East Route, National Highway 216)
Day 2: Burqin – Kanas (It is recommended to stay within the scenic area)
Day 3: Kanas – Fish Viewing Terrace – Hemu
Day 4: Hemu – Colorful Beach – Habahe
Day 5: Khabarovsk – Ghost City – Urumqi (via West Route, National Highway 217)
This route circles the Junggar Basin and visits the most representative attractions around Kanas Lake (Hemu, Colorful Beach, Ghost City, etc.). These attractions encompass lakes, forests, primitive villages, Yardang landforms, and other scenery most characteristic of Xinjiang.
If you have 6 days, you can take National Highway 216 to Koktokay on the first day and go to Burqin on the second day; (Koktokay is commonly known as "Little Kanas", featuring geological canyons and primitive forest scenery. In May 2017, it was awarded a World-Class Geological Park by UNESCO.)
Koktokay (Geological Canyon, Primitive Forest Scenery)
If you have 7 days, it is recommended to stay an extra night at Kanas Lake on top of the 6-day itinerary. You can visit Baihaba Village, which will allow you to deeply experience all the beautiful scenery of the Kanas scenic area. The itinerary will also be very relaxing, suitable for seniors and family trips. Baihaba Village is also an original village, known as the "First Village in the Northwest". Compared to Hemu Village, the scenery here is richer, not only featuring primitive natural scenery, but also the Sino-Kazakh Grand Canyon and Sino-Kazakh Boundary Marker. It was also the location for the outdoor shooting of "Dad, Where Are We Going?" in 2016.
First Village in the Northwest – Baihaba
5-Day Panoramic Tour of Yili Grassland Loop:
Day 1: Urumqi – Sayram Lake (Stay by the lake to watch the sunrise or sunset)
Day 2: Sayram Lake – Kalakun Grassland (Kalakun is divided into Kekesu Grand Canyon and East & West Kalakun Grassland. It is recommended to visit East & West Kalakun in June, and Kekesu Grand Canyon in July/August/September)
Day 3: Kalakun – Nalati (Nalati is divided into Aerial Grassland and Valley Grassland, it is recommended to visit both)
Day 4: Nalati – Bayinbrook (Swan Lake and Nine-Bend Eighteen-Turn River, best viewed in the evening)
Day 5: Bayinbrook – Duku Highway – Urumqi (Only vehicles with less than 7 seats are allowed. If there are more than 6 people, it is recommended to split into two vehicles)
Yili and Yining often confuse many people, making them think they are two places. In fact, "Yili" is a general term for a region, full name "Yili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture", and its capital city is "Yining City". The Yili region is commonly known as "Jiangnan Beyond the Great Wall", and the entire region is dominated by grassland scenery. There are five or six grasslands of various sizes, but they all have distinct styles. If you have enough time, it is recommended to choose three to four for in-depth tours. You will be amazed by the different stunning scenery each grassland brings you.
If you have 6 days, it is recommended to add Zhaosu Grassland on the second day. The rapeseed flower fields in Zhaosu are very spectacular in July;
If you have 7 days, it is recommended to add Kurduning Scenic Area on the day from Kalakun to Nalati. The scenery of snow fir in Kurduning is very unique.
Kuerdining Scenic Area
If you want to see both northern Xinjiang (Kanas Lake and Ili Grasslands) within 7 days, it is possible to take a car throughout the journey, but you will be traveling over 500 kilometers almost every day, which is truly just a cursory visit.
Another way to tour northern Xinjiang in 7 days is to use two flights, which will not be as exhausting, but some scenic views along the way will have to be sacrificed, such as the Duku Highway. The specific route is as follows:
Day 1: Urumqi – Kanas (by air)
Day 2: Kanas – Hemu
Day 3: Hemu – Burqin
Day 4: Burqin – Ghost City – Kuitun
Day 5: Kuitun – Sayram Lake – Yining
Day 6: Yining – Bayinbuluke
Day 7: Bayinbuluke – Nalati – Urumqi (by air)
"Northern Xinjiang", in the mouths of local Xinjiang people, refers to a large area, namely the region north of the Tianshan Mountains. This term used to be understood only by local Xinjiang people. In recent years, with the development of tourism, visitors to Xinjiang are no longer satisfied with just seeing the Tian Chi in the Tianshan Mountains, the Flaming Mountains and Grape Valley in Turpan, or the lake monster in Kanas on a small loop trip. More people come to Xinjiang hoping to see all the natural scenery that represents Xinjiang’s characteristics, such as lakes, forests, and grasslands. Therefore, the Kanas Lake + Ili Grasslands Grand Loop product has become increasingly popular. Kanas + Ili represent most of the natural scenery of "Northern Xinjiang" in Xinjiang.
"Northern Xinjiang", in the mouths of local Xinjiang people, refers to a large area, namely the region north of the Tianshan Mountains. This term used to be understood only by local Xinjiang people. In recent years, with the development of tourism, visitors to Xinjiang are no longer satisfied with just seeing the Tian Chi in the Tianshan Mountains, the Flaming Mountains and Grape Valley in Turpan, or the lake monster in Kanas on a small loop trip. More people come to Xinjiang hoping to see all the natural scenery that represents Xinjiang’s characteristics, such as lakes, forests, and grasslands. Therefore, the Kanas Lake + Ili Grasslands Grand Loop product has become increasingly popular. Kanas + Ili represent most of the natural scenery of "Northern Xinjiang" in Xinjiang.
8-10 Days Chartered Car Route
If you have 8-10 days, you can choose to include the two major scenic areas of northern Xinjiang (Kanas Lake and Ili Grasslands) in your plan. After all, it’s not easy to come to Xinjiang. The specific route reference is as follows:
Day 1: Urumqi – Burqin (via East Route, National Highway 216)
Day 2: Burqin – Kanas (It is recommended to stay within the scenic area)
Day 3: Kanas – Fish Viewing Terrace – Hemu
Day 4: Hemu – Colorful Beach – Habahe
Day 5: Habahe – Ghost City – Kuitun
Day 6: Kuitun – Sayram Lake – Nalati
Day 7: Nalati – Bayinbuluke
Day 8: Bayinbuluke – Duku Highway – Urumqi
If you have 9 or 10 days, you can design a slightly more relaxed itinerary, such as staying overnight at Sayram Lake or adding the Karajun scenic area. An economical itinerary for northern Xinjiang is 8 days, as this will save one day of accommodation and transportation costs. However, the best recommended itinerary is 9-10 days, as it will not be too tiring.
11-15 Days Chartered Car Route
If you have around 11 to 15 days, you can plan a small loop trip through southern and northern Xinjiang. This loop covers the most representative attractions of both southern and northern Xinjiang, and there is no backtracking throughout the journey. The specific reference route is as follows:
Day 1: Urumqi – Burqin (via East Route, National Highway 216)
Day 2: Burqin – Kanas (It is recommended to stay within the scenic area)
Day 3: Kanas – Fish Viewing Terrace – Hemu
Day 4: Hemu – Colorful Beach – Habahe
Day 5: Habahe – Ghost City – Kuitun
Day 6: Kuitun – Sayram Lake – Yining
Day 7: Yining – Karajun – Tekes
Day 8: Tekes – Nalati
Day 9: Nalati – Bayinbuluke
Day 10: Bayinbuluke – Duku Highway (Kuqa Section) – Mysterious Grand Canyon of Tianshan Mountains – Kuqa
Day 11: Kuqa – Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves – Korla
Day 12: Korla – Lop Nur Village of People – Urumqi
Lop Nur Village of People
Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves
III. Approximate Cost of Chartering a Car to Travel in Xinjiang
Chartered car costs
The cost of chartering a car to travel in Xinjiang is higher compared to other places. The reason is simple: Xinjiang has long distances and high costs.
The daily cost for a general 5-seat sedan is around 1000-1200 yuan, which includes the driver’s labor fee, fuel fee, and toll fee. It does not include the driver’s board and lodging fees. If the hotel is booked by the travel agency, the hotel and travel agency have an agreement for driver’s accommodation, some of which are free, while some only charge a bed fee of 80-100 yuan, which is quite cost-effective. This chartered car fee basically has no daily mileage limit, as long as you don’t drive at night.
The cost for a 5-seat SUV is slightly higher, around 1000-1500 yuan more per day. The general models are domestic brands like Great Wall哈弗, Huanghai黄海, Landwind陆风, or joint ventures like Hyundai现代, Kia起亚, etc.
The price for a 5-seat SUV is higher, such as the frequently used Toyota Land Cruiser, averaging around 1600-1900 yuan per day. This is also an all-inclusive price.
Ticket costs
Tickets to scenic spots in Xinjiang are relatively expensive, and most scenic spots have shuttle buses. The total cost for tickets and shuttle buses for the Kanas loop is around 900 yuan, while for the Yili Grassland loop, it is around 700 yuan. Therefore, the total cost for tickets and shuttle buses for the Northern Xinjiang loop is around 1600 yuan.
IV. Points to Note for Chartering a Car to Travel in Xinjiang
Plan your route in advance and book your hotel in advance.
Before departure, be sure to plan your itinerary first and confirm your accommodation as soon as possible. Because during the peak season in Xinjiang, it is common for accommodations ranging from inns to five-star hotels to be fully booked. Don’t have the idea of booking when you get here.
Don’t be cheap and directly rent a car from a driver
Some drivers will post private car rental information online and claim to be able to help you design your itinerary for free and book hotels, but often, they will breach the contract at the last minute or hand you over to another driver before departure.
The big hidden danger of directly renting a car from a driver is the lack of service guarantee during the trip. In case of disputes, it’s all up to your luck.
Carry your discount certificates; the discounts on tickets are quite attractive
Tickets to scenic spots in Xinjiang are expensive, but for children and the elderly, the discounts are quite substantial. Children under 1.2 meters tall are basically exempt from ticket and shuttle bus fees, while seniors over 70 years old are also exempt from tickets. Those over 65 years old enjoy a 50% or 20% discount. In addition, military disability certificates and press passes are also free.
Conclusion
With the increasingly developed transportation, you can choose to travel to Xinjiang by various buses completely on your own, or you can choose to take a train or plane directly to your destination. But as mentioned before, ‘Xinjiang’s beautiful scenery is all along the way’. If you want to truly appreciate the magnificent scenery of Xinjiang, I still recommend you choose a chartered car tour!
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Consultation hotline: 0991-8585456, 181-3962-2229