Xinjiang Travel Xiao Guo: (same) 0991-8585456
1. Pre-trip information
Xinjiang, located in the northwest of China, accounts for one-sixth of the country’s total land area and is the largest province in China, bordering eight countries including Russia, Mongolia, India, and Kazakhstan.
① “Large”: Friends who have traveled to Xinjiang will not deny one point, that is: traveling in Xinjiang is really tiring because Xinjiang is extremely large! (Just how big is Xinjiang? I roughly calculated that Beijing + Shanghai + Jiangsu + Zhejiang + Guangdong = Xinjiang’s area ÷ 4) The distance between scenic spots in Xinjiang is measured in hundreds of kilometers, and the tourist attractions are very scattered. Sometimes, it often takes more than ten hours by car or train to travel from one city to another or from one scenic spot to another. Moreover, some scenic areas cover nearly 100 square kilometers and can only be toured by shuttle buses. Therefore, almost more than one-third of the time spent traveling in Xinjiang each day is on vehicles. Friends who want to travel to Xinjiang must be psychologically prepared to sit in a car for long periods. It is worth mentioning that the scenery along the roads in Xinjiang is indeed beautiful, and sometimes the most beautiful scenery is on the way.
② “Dry”: Xinjiang is located in the middle of the Eurasian continent, and such a geographical location determines that marine moisture is difficult to reach. Urumqi is even the city farthest from the ocean in the world. Therefore, the climate in Xinjiang is relatively dry overall, with low air humidity. For friends from the eastern coastal areas, especially the southeast, it is indeed a bit difficult to adapt. So, be sure to do a good job of hydrating and moisturizing when traveling to Xinjiang. If you plan to visit Hotan Prefecture and the Taklamakan Desert, you should also take measures to prevent wind and sand.
2. Travel time:
(1) July-August: You can still see fields of flowers everywhere and vast, lush grasslands, making the mountainous areas a great summer retreat. At this time, the grasslands welcome the Nadamu Festival and the Tianma Festival. However, lavender has already been harvested, and fruits and vegetables start to ripen from mid-August.
(2) September-October: It is the most beautiful harvest season in Xinjiang, with pleasant weather, a true golden autumn season with fragrant fruits and vegetables. Autumn’s Kanas is recognized as having the most beautiful autumn scenery in China, while the poplar forests in southern Xinjiang are also dyed with the colors of golden autumn, and fruits and vegetables are also in the harvest season. However, these two months are also the peak tourist season in Xinjiang, with corresponding increases in prices and attraction ticket prices.
3. Choice of travel mode
In my personal opinion, the order of preference for traveling to Xinjiang should be:
Group self-driving > Group chartered car > Solo self-driving > Group free-and-easy travel > Solo free-and-easy travel > Package tour
1. Self-driving: You have freedom in travel time and don’t have to rush to catch scheduled buses every day. If you see beautiful scenery on the road, you can stop to enjoy it anytime. More than one-third of the expenses of traveling in Xinjiang are spent on transportation, and the highway tolls in Xinjiang are not high, which can save you a lot of money. You can also rest in the car when you are tired.
2. Grouping: Xinjiang is not a place suitable for solo travel. Firstly, Xinjiang’s meals come in large portions, like the famous Xinjiang-style chicken with potatoes, which even the medium-sized portion is too large for fewer than three people to finish. If you want to eat well and diversely in Xinjiang, grouping is better. Secondly, in some places in Xinjiang, there are no buses, and there are no scheduled buses directly to attractions. Sometimes if you miss the scheduled bus or public transportation, you can only charter a car. If you share a ride with others, you may have to wait for the driver to pick up more passengers, wasting a lot of time. If the timing is awkward and you can’t find enough people to share a ride, you will have to bear the high cost of chartering a car. So grouping can also share transportation expenses and reduce transportation costs. Of course, traveling in groups is also safer.
① Group self-driving: High degree of freedom, time-saving, and economical. The cost of renting a car and driving together is not much more expensive than taking daily scheduled buses. It would be even better if you drive your own car to Xinjiang.
② Group chartered car: Group self-driving is similar to group chartered car, but the difference is that when you charter a car, you also hire a driver. This way, you don’t have to drive for long periods and can enjoy the scenery in peace. Moreover, chartered car drivers are familiar with nearby attractions and can take you to beautiful places or even act as your tour guide. However, if you charter a car, you will have to cover the driver’s meals and accommodation expenses, which will cost more than self-driving.
③ Solo self-driving: The benefits of self-driving are as mentioned above. If you are alone, no one will share the travel expenses with you, but you will have more freedom, and if you are traveling on a budget, you can even sleep in your car.
④ Group Freestyle Travel: You can share the costs of food and transportation, making the expenses a little lower, and it is also more interesting. Of course, the premise is that this person shares the same values as you :) However, it is difficult to hitchhike if you are traveling in a group.
⑤ Solo Travel: There are many inconveniences, and it is difficult to save money on food and transportation. It can be extremely lonely for those who are not good at striking up conversations. However, traveling alone gives you more freedom and a deeper experience. It depends on personal preference!
⑥ Group Tour: Xinjiang is not suitable for group tours. Group tours have time constraints, and the scenic areas in Xinjiang are large. The one or two hours that the tour guide gives you are actually not enough for in-depth and comprehensive viewing. There are even fewer opportunities for you to interact with locals and deeply experience the true Xinjiang culture. Therefore, this is not a recommended method.
5. Travel Routes
The classic travel itineraries in Xinjiang are generally divided into the Eastern Route, Western Route, Northern Route, and Southern Route.
If you want to travel the Grand Circle Route of Xinjiang, the general order is: Northern Route → Western Route → Southern Route → Eastern Route
High degree of freedom, time-saving, and economical. The cost of sharing a rented car among a group is not much more expensive than taking scheduled buses every day. It’s even better if you drive your own car to Xinjiang.
Traveling by carpooling is similar to chartering a car, except that when you charter a car, you also have a driver. This way, you don’t have to drive for long periods and can enjoy the scenery quietly. Moreover, the drivers are familiar with nearby attractions and can take you to beautiful places or even act as your tour guide. However, if you charter a car, you have to cover the driver’s meals and accommodation expenses, which will cost more than self-driving.
If you plan to rent a car, here is a recommended car fleet. You can fetch the contact information if needed:
Xiao Guo: (same) 0991-8585456
Below are four classic itineraries listed for you, each including famous and beautiful scenic spots. You can choose based on personal preferences, budget, and time:
① Northern Route (Altay Prefecture as the main area): 7-8 days
a. Urumqi – Koktokay – Burqin – Jiadenyu – Hemu – Kanas Lake – Baihaba – Khabarovsk County – Colorful Beach – Burqin
Or: b. Urumqi – Koktokay – Burqin – Colorful Beach – Khabarovsk County – Baihaba – Kanas Lake – Hemu – Jiadenyu – Burqin
PS: Altay Region Trekking Route:
a. East Route Trekking: 3-4 days
Jiadengyu – Halfway Inn – Hemu Village – Black Lake – Kanas
b. West Route Trekking: 4 days
Kanas – Tubiek – Shuanghu – Naren Ranch – Baihaba
② West Route Tour (Mainly Yili Region): 8-9 days
Burqin – Urho (Ghost City) – Sayram Lake – Guozigou Bridge -霍尔果斯Port – Yining – Zhaosu – Tekes – Karajun – Qiongkushitai – Nalati – Bayinbrook
PS: Qiongkushitai – Karajun Trekking Route: 2-3 days
Qiongkushitai Village – Camping Platform – Flower Platform – West Karajun
③ South Route Tour (Southern Xinjiang Folk Custom Route): 9-10 days
Bayinbrook – Duku Highway – Kuqa – Kashgar – Hongqilafu Port – Tashkurgan County – Taxkorgan – Kashgar – Hotan – Minfeng – Desert Highway – Korla – Urumqi
④ East Route Tour: 4-5 days
Urumqi – Tianshan Tianchi – Urumqi – Turpan – Shanshan – Hami
For details, please contact: Xinjiang Tourism Xiao Guo: (same) 0991-8585456