The Xinjiang travel guide for October 1st mainly includes two routes: northern Xinjiang and southern Xinjiang, each with unique natural scenery and cultural characteristics.
Northern Xinjiang Route
The northern Xinjiang route starts from Urumqi. You can arrange the following itinerary:
Day 1: Departing from Urumqi, take the S21 Desert Highway, pass by Ulungur Lake, enjoy the sunset at Colorful Beach, and stay the night in Burqin.
Day 2: Departing from Burqin, you can choose to first visit Kanas Three Bays, then head to Kanas Lake, and stay the night at Jiadengyu Hotel; or pass over the Hemu Bridge to reach Hemu Village, watch the sunset, and stay the night in a log cabin in Hemu Village.
Day 3: If you went to Hemu Village the previous day, watch the sunrise and morning mist in Hemu in the morning; if not, go there this day. Afterwards, visit attractions such as Kanas Lake, and continue to stay at Jiadengyu Hotel or proceed to other arranged accommodations for the night.
Day 4: Depart from Jiadengyu or Burqin, visit the Urho World Devil City, admire the Populus Euphratica Forest, and stay the night in Karamay.
Subsequent days: You can arrange to visit Dushanzi Grand Canyon or Anjihai Grand Canyon, or choose to visit attractions such as Sayram Lake, and finally return to Urumqi to end the trip.
Northern Xinjiang attractions also include Kanas (rated as one of the top ten most beautiful autumn scenes by Chinese National Geography), Hemu (a quaint village with sunrises and morning mist resembling a fairy tale world), Sayram Lake (known as the ‘last tear of the Atlantic Ocean’), and more.
Southern Xinjiang Route
The southern Xinjiang route is equally exciting. Here is a suggested itinerary:
Day 1: Upon arrival in Urumqi, you can first check into the hotel and then choose to visit Grand Bazaar and Hetian Second Street to taste special local cuisine such as roast whole lamb, hand-grabbed rice, and mutton skewers.
Day 2: Head to Kashgar, an important city in southern Xinjiang. In Kashgar, you can visit Kashgar Old Town and experience the unique charm of the autumn old town.
Day 3 and beyond: You can arrange to visit attractions such as the Tarim River Populus Euphratica Forest (the leaves turn yellow around October each year, forming a sea of gold), Baisha Lake (a small desert lake surrounded by dunes, with water as green as jade), and the盘龙 Gulong Ancient Road (driving on the Gulong Ancient Road allows you to appreciate the magnificent natural scenery along the way).
The best time to visit southern Xinjiang is from September to November. Southern Xinjiang at this time is as beautiful as if it has come out of a painting.
Precautions
Transportation: Xinjiang has a vast territory with distant distances between attractions. It is recommended to plan your itinerary in advance and book transportation.
Weather and Clothing: The weather in Xinjiang in October varies greatly. It is recommended to prepare clothing according to the specific itinerary and weather conditions. You may need to wear a coat, thin down jacket, or windbreaker for warmth at night.
Cuisine: Xinjiang boasts a rich variety of cuisine. Besides the roast whole lamb, hand-grabbed rice, and mutton skewers mentioned above, there are also special dishes like big plate chicken, naan, and lagemen noodles worth trying.
Hope this Xinjiang travel guide for October 1st can provide useful references for your trip!