Since Xinjiang occupies one-sixth of China’s territory and its attractions are relatively scattered, a series of tourist trains for visiting Xinjiang by train have been launched, and the Tianshan Tourist Train has emerged accordingly. The “Tianshan” Tourist Train is a high-quality special tourist train built with a full investment of 3 million yuan by China Railway Urumqi Group Co., Ltd. The Tianshan Tourist Train focuses on the mode of “the train moves with people, and stops when people play”. The train operates while tourists rest at night and arrives at attractions for sightseeing during the day. The schedule for the operation of the Tianshan Tourist Train throughout the year in 2025 has been released. Tourists who wish to take the Tianshan Tourist Train are welcome to consult the official train manager: Yang Jia 133 2555 9266 (copy and add as a friend for free consultation and to request detailed route information). I. Highlights of the Tianshan Tourist Train:
The “Tianshan” Tourist Train focuses on the travel mode of “the train moves with people, and stops when people play”. Its routes cover major tourist cities in Xinjiang, such as Urumqi, Beitun, Yining, Turpan, Kucha, Aksu, Kashgar, as well as multiple scenic spots including Tianshan Tianchi, Kanas, Sayram Lake, Nalati, and Kashgar Old Town. It connects multiple attractions into a route, allowing tourists to take in snowy mountains, plateaus, lakes, deserts, gobies, oasis, grasslands, villages, and other geographical and cultural landscapes.
The Tianshan Tourist Train attracts numerous tourists with its unique features and high-quality services:
All sleeper carriages: Soft and hard sleeper configurations are provided throughout the journey to ensure that passengers can rest comfortably during the trip.
One carriage, one scene: The carriages are decorated with a theme of "one carriage, one scene," using high-quality fabrics to create a warm and comfortable travel environment.
Multiple carriage types: Including bar carriages, multi-functional leisure carriages, dining carriages, etc., equipped with karaoke and other audio-visual entertainment facilities to make the journey more comfortable for passengers.
All-inclusive service: It provides Urumqi departure and return train tickets, full-board meals, luxury hotel accommodations, air-conditioned tourist buses, excellent tour guide services, etc., truly realizing a worry-free journey from start to finish.
Scenic spots along the route: The Tianshan tourist train passes through a rich variety of scenic spots, fully showcasing Xinjiang’s geographical features of "three mountains and two basins," including Tianshan Tianchi, Kanas, Sayram Lake, Nalati, Kashgar Old Town, and other scenic spots. II. Tianshan schedule plan:
The Tianshan tourist train operates based on the principle of departing in the evening and arriving in the morning, with a total journey time of 14 days, covering the peak tourist season from May to October. The specific schedule is as follows:
May 2025: May 9th, May 22nd
June 2025: June 4th, June 17th, June 30th
July 2025: July 13th, July 26th
August 2025: August 8th, August 21st
September 2025: September 3rd, September 16th, September 29th
October 2025: October 15th
A total of 13 trains are expected to operate throughout the year, ensuring that tourists can enjoy high-quality travel experiences during different tourist seasons. III. The Tianshan tourist train passes through numerous scenic spots, covering the main tourist cities and highlights of both southern and northern Xinjiang. Below is a brief introduction to some of the scenic spots:
Tianshan Tianchi: Located in Fukang City, Xinjiang, it is a natural scenic area centered around a high-mountain lake. The lake water is clear, surrounded by snow-capped mountains, creating a mysterious and magnificent landscape. Tianchi is not only an important tourist attraction in Xinjiang but also a great destination for locals to relax and unwind.
Kanas: Located in the middle section of the Altay Mountains in Xinjiang, it is a comprehensive scenic area featuring glaciers, lakes, forests, grasslands, pastures, rivers, ethnic customs, and rare flora and fauna. Kanas Lake is famous for its unpredictable lake monsters, mysterious water monster legends, and picturesque lakeside scenery.
Sayram Lake: Known as the "last tear of the Atlantic Ocean," it is Xinjiang’s highest and largest alpine lake with beautiful scenery. The lake water is crystal-clear, surrounded by snow-capped mountains, making it one of Xinjiang’s important tourist attractions.
Nalati Grassland: Located in Xinjiang’s Xinyuan County, it is a subalpine meadow botanical zone and one of the world’s four major river valley grasslands. The grassland offers picturesque scenery and a pleasant climate, making it a famous pasture and tourist attraction in Xinjiang.
Turpan: It boasts not only the famous Flaming Mountain but also scenic spots such as Grape Valley. The Flaming Mountain is named for its red sandstone that glows under the blazing sun, while Grape Valley is renowned both at home and abroad for its high-quality grapes.
Kashgar Old Town: Kashgar Old Town is a national 5A-level tourist attraction with high historical, cultural, and architectural art value. The buildings within the old town are mainly made of earth, wood, brick, and stone, with unique styles, making it one of the most representative Islamic-style ancient cities in western China.
Tianshan Grand Canyon: This is a tourist attraction integrating natural scenery, grassland forests, and human landscapes. The canyon boasts beautiful scenery and pleasant views, making it one of Xinjiang’s important tourist attractions. IV. Configuration of the Tianshan Train
Carriage Types: The ‘Tianshan’ scenic train uses 25G air-conditioned carriages, with luxurious and comfortable configurations including hard sleeper carriages, soft sleeper carriages, deluxe sleeper carriages, bar carriages, multi-functional leisure carriages, and dining carriages.
Decoration Style: The interior decoration of the carriages is exquisite, with each carriage individually decorated according to its characteristics. High-quality fabrics are used for bed linens, and luxury carpets are laid in the corridors, creating a warm and elegant travel environment. The soft decorations in some carriages also uniquely showcase Xinjiang’s folk customs, deeply integrating Xinjiang’s natural scenery with cultural folklore through hangings, decorations, and other graphic and textual means.
Facilities and Services: The train is equipped with various modern facilities such as high-quality furniture, separate dry and wet bathrooms, intelligent temperature control systems, safes, etc., ensuring a safe and comfortable travel experience for passengers. Additionally, the train specially features a bar car, entertainment car, leisure area, children’s entertainment area, wellness and massage area, etc., providing tourists with leisure and entertainment, wine tastings, small gatherings, and other services, bringing a comprehensive travel experience. V. Overview of the Tianshan Scenic Train Itinerary
Departure: Urumqi
Destination: Kashgar
Itinerary Duration: 14 Days
Main Attractions: Tianshan Tianchi, Kanas, Sayram Lake, Nalati Grasslands, Flaming Mountain, Kuqa Grand Canyon, Kashgar Old Town, Karakul Lake, and other detailed arrangements for the Tianshan scenic train itinerary.
Day 1: Departure – Urumqi
Day 2: Urumqi – Tianshan Tianchi – Urumqi – Beitun
Day 3: Beitun – Kanas – Jiadenyu
Day 4: Jiadenyu – Hemu – Beitun – Kuitun
Day 5: Kuitun – Duku Highway – Nalati – Yining
Day 6: Yining – Sayram Lake – Khorgos Port – Yining – Turpan
Day 7: Turpan – Kuqa
Day 8: Kuqa – Grand Canyon – Kuqa王府 (王府 should be translated as Mansion) – Aksu
Day 9: Aksu – Shenmu Garden – Kashgar
Day 10: Kashgar – Karakul Lake – Kashgar
Day 11: Kashgar – Hotan
Day 12: Hotan – Urumqi
Day 13: Urumqi
Day 14: Return Trip