As for the best time to visit, it depends on your purpose. If it’s purely for sightseeing and leisure, you can visit from late June to early September. During this period, Kanas boasts green waters and lush mountains, with pleasant scenery. However, there are many tourists in July and August, making it somewhat crowded. Besides that, it doesn’t greatly affect sightseeing. Just avoid peak hours or take it slow.
If the purpose is photography or experiencing rare and spectacular scenery, then the best time to visit is from September to early October. This is when Kanas showcases its autumn scenery, with forests painted in layers of colors, resembling Swiss scenery but with a unique northern Xinjiang charm. The only drawback is that the diurnal temperature variation is even greater than in July and August, so it is important to stay warm. At this time, most visitors to Kanas are photography groups. Although there are still many people, the scenery offers a different charm and is worth visiting.
To be more specific, after October each year, until May of the next year, Kanas is covered in heavy snow. In June, Kanas is adorned with mountain flowers, and there are few tourists. However, the diurnal temperature variation in the mountains is large, and it sometimes snows. I encountered this in 2009.
July and August are the peak seasons in Kanas, and they also coincide with the summer vacation for domestic schools. The number of tourists is extraordinary, with crowds of people almost every day. Queuing for tickets, queuing for shuttle buses, queuing to play, everything requires queuing. So, although the weather and scenery are good in July and August, the large number of tourists is also a headache.
In September, the weather in Kanas begins to turn cold, and it enters autumn after the 20th. Therefore, visiting Kanas after the 20th is when the autumn scenery is beautiful. However, the timing of autumn varies each year and sometimes occurs a few days later. Starting from September, tourists gradually decrease until after October 15th. Basically, after mid-October, heavy snow begins to block the mountains. After that, there are basically no tourists.
Xinjiang Tourism Consultation: (Same) 0991-8585456
