5-day Kanas-Hemu Loop Tour Itinerary
The 5-day Kanas-Hemu loop tour departs from Urumqi, passing through Tianshan Tianchi, Koktokay, Burqin, Colorful Beach, and arriving at Kanas Lake.
The return trip starts from Kanas, passing through Hemu Village, the World’s Devil City, Wuerhe, and Kuytun Grand Canyon, before finally returning to Urumqi. For specific itineraries, please click the link below for consultation ↓
For details, please consult: Xinjiang Tourism Xiao Guo: (same) 0991-8585456
Day1: Urumqi → Tianshan Tianchi → Koktokay
Tianshan Tianchi Scenic Area
The Tianshan Tianchi Scenic Area is located halfway up Bogda Mountain in the eastern Tianshan Mountains. It is a crescent-shaped lake on the north side of Mount Bogda in Tianshan. The scenic area centers around Tianchi Lake and includes historical relics and cultural attractions scattered around it, comprising five scenic groups and more than ten scenic spots.
The scenic area is mainly characterized by lake and mountain scenery, with landscape types including lakes, ponds, waterfalls, peaks, temples, and ruins, complemented by rich mythological legends and religious cultural connotations, making it easy to engage in water sightseeing, ancient site visits, Buddhist pilgrimage, and other tourist activities.
Within a short straight-line distance of 80 kilometers, the scenic area encompasses natural landscapes such as alpine glaciers, wetland meadows, forest gorges, lakes, mountains, and Gobi deserts. The Tianchi Lake’s water is as clear as jade, reflecting Mount Bogda. Surrounded by mountains, the slopes are covered with tall and verdant spruce and fir trees, resembling a fairyland.
Day2: Koktokay → Colorful Beach → Burqin
Koktokay Scenic Area
The Koktokay Scenic Area is located in the northeast of Fuyun County, Altay Prefecture, and is an important attraction that general tourists will visit on the Northern Xinjiang Kanas loop route. The scenic area features deep gorges, clear and transparent rivers, steep and beautiful mountains, and the environment is very beautiful.
Between the canyons, there are vast forests of birch, poplar, and pine trees. It is suitable to visit in autumn when the leaves are golden and brilliant. At this time, the tops of the mountains behind the forest also begin to accumulate snow, resembling beautiful snow-capped mountains. The mountain forests and rivers complement each other, making it an excellent choice for photography.
The Koktokay scenic area includes four parts: Koksu, Yileimu Lake, the Earthquake Fault Zone, and the Irtysh Grand Canyon. Among them, Koksu, Yileimu Lake, and the Earthquake Fault Zone are all along the way to the Grand Canyon. These three places are undeveloped scenic spots that can be briefly visited.
The Irtysh Grand Canyon is the main scenic area of the entire Koktokay, and it is the source of the famous Irtysh River in Northern Xinjiang. The scenic area is about 20 kilometers long and includes more than ten attractions such as birch forests, Shuimogou, God’s Bell Mountain, and hot springs.
Colorful Beach
Colorful Beach is a riverbank famous for its Yardang landform. Here, the north and south banks of the river are different. The hills on the north bank have unique geological features and display various colors. When illuminated by the setting sun in the evening, the colors are dazzling and magnificent.
The south bank of Colorful Beach is a dense Populus euphratica forest, which reflects beautifully in the river. Every autumn, the yellow leaves are brilliant, making it an excellent spot for photography.
The Colorful Beach scenic area is not large, and there are multiple wooden walkways and viewing platforms. You can walk along the walkways to appreciate the scenery. The best time to visit is before sunset in the evening. Due to its dry and flat terrain, there are often long golden or red sunsets here in the evening.
The rocks here have changing colors. Under the setting sun, the rocks are mainly red, interspersed with green, purple, yellow, white, black, and transitional colors, creating a beautiful and colorful scene.
Day 3: Burqin → Kanas Lake → Hemu Village
Kanas Lake Scenic Area
Kanas Lake Scenic Area is located in the dense mountains and forests of Burqin County and is one of the most famous scenic spots in Xinjiang, encompassing attractions such as Kanas Lake, Hemu Village, and Baihaba Village.
Kanas Lake fascinates people with its mysterious lake monster, color-changing water, and dazzling natural scenery. Hemu and Baihaba are both villages inhabited by local Tuvas, resembling Swiss towns and resembling a fairyland on earth.
Kanas Lake Scenic Area features exotic natural landscapes such as mountains, rivers, forests, lakes, and grasslands. It is a beautiful, rich, and mysterious lake with clear and tranquil water that often changes color with the seasons and weather.
The primitive forest surrounding the lake is a mix of spruce, fir, and Siberian larch. The sunny slopes are covered with dense grassland, and the different plant communities are well-layered. During autumn, the trees compete in brilliance, displaying a splendid array of colors including gold, crimson, and dark green.
Kanas Lake Scenic Area boasts major attractions such as Camel’s Hump Bay, Color-changing Lake, Wolong Bay, and Fish Viewing Terrace, as well as historical and cultural relics like Genghis Khan’s Mustering Platform for the Western Expedition Army and ancient rock paintings. It integrates natural scenery with the unique folk customs of the Mongolian Tuvas, making it a worthwhile visit.
Day4: Hemu Village → Devil’s City → Urho
Hemu Village
Hemu Village is located on the east side of Kanas Lake and is a small village inhabited jointly by Kazakhs and Tuvas. The houses here are all built of logs, filled with a primitive charm.
The most fascinating thing about Hemu Village is the intoxicating autumn scenery with mountains painted red. Smoke rises slowly in the autumn scenery, forming a dreamy smoke belt, resembling a fairyland. Photography enthusiasts will climb up the observation deck on the mountain next to Hemu Village in the morning to capture the morning fog over the village. Most of the panoramic views of Hemu Village are taken here.
Hemu Grassland
Hemu Grassland is located in the intermountain basin where the Kanas River and Hemu River converge. The grassland is divided into two halves by the Hemu River. The shady slope is covered with lush green grass, colorful flowers, flying bees, and dancing butterflies. The sunny slope is covered with dense, verdant forests, full of wild charm. The forests around the basin are dense and verdant, with wild animals roaming freely, creating a harmonious original ecological scene.
The Hemu River flows from northeast to southwest, and the primitive village harmoniously integrates with the vast grassland. On both sides of the river are scattered wooden houses. On the slopes, flocks of cattle and sheep graze leisurely. In the distance is a dense primitive forest, set off by blue skies and white clouds, creating a particularly tranquil atmosphere.
Karamay魔鬼城
Karamay魔鬼城, also known as Urho Devil’s City, is located in Urho District, Karamay City. Due to its location at the wind gap of the Gobi Desert, strong winds often blow here, creating huge whistling sounds between the stone pillars.
Karamay魔鬼城is very large and is a typical Yadan landform. Looking around, there are various strangely shaped hills, carved by wind and rain over millions of years, dense and staggered, resembling an ancient, yellowing castle standing tall in the vast Gobi desert.
Here, the hills have been shaped by the wind into various "buildings", some resembling the Liuhe Pagoda by the Qiantang River in Hangzhou, some resembling the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, some resembling the Pyramids of Egypt, some resembling Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and some resembling an eagle spreading its wings.
The scenery of Karamay魔鬼城is unique, and many movies have used it as a location, such as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Seven Swordsmen of Heaven and Earth".
Day5 Urho → Kuitun Grand Canyon → Urumqi
Kuitun Grand Canyon
The Kuitun Grand Canyon is located at the northern foot of Mount Tianshan and upstream of the Kuitun River. The rain and snow from Mount Tianshan and the river have eroded this flat land over the years, creating a grand canyon over 100 meters deep. The height from the bottom to the shoulder of the valley can reach 200 meters.
The walls of the canyon are nearly vertical, with cliffs everywhere along the valley. The gullies on the walls carve the valley into a石林-like shape, unique and steep. The bottom of the valley is wide and open, with gravel everywhere on the riverbank. The flowing water merges and separates, and the canal on the east side of the valley extends along the bottom, forming a beautiful picture.
After visiting the Kuitun Grand Canyon, return to Urumqi. After the tour group disbands, you can freely visit the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar. Tourists from outside Xinjiang can purchase local specialties here.
Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar
Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar is currently the largest bazaar in the country. The architectural style of the Grand Bazaar is magnificent.
Xinjiang Tourism Xiao Guo: (Same) 0991-8585456