Xinjiang travel guide · Xinjiang travel guide · Southern and Northern Xinjiang travel photography · Golden October
Xinjiang Tourism Consultation: (Same) 0991-8585456
Poor itinerary planning directly affects the overall travel experience. An unreasonable schedule can be exhausting and may even cause you to miss beautiful scenery. There are now various travel guides online, and reading them may cause confusion. Everyone who comes to Xinjiang has a different travel purpose and season, so the travel guides they write may differ and may not be suitable for us.
Due to work, I have to customize hundreds of itineraries every year. In fact, there are only three major routes in Xinjiang, but depending on the season, the number of days for the trip, and individual needs, these three routes can be combined into various itineraries. Every year, I personally take these routes again, and I have even visited some scenic areas almost every month on average. Based on my experience, I provide a reference for everyone.
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Xinjiang Tourism Consultation: (Same) 0991-8585456
Before choosing a route, it is necessary to understand Xinjiang’s landform features.
"Three mountains sandwiching two basins" is a description of Xinjiang’s landform. Looking at the map, the Altai Mountains are in the north, the Kunlun Mountains are in the south, and the Tianshan Mountains stretch across the middle, dividing Xinjiang into northern and southern halves. The northern part is the Junggar Basin, and the southern part is the Tarim Basin. It is customary to call the area south of the Tianshan Mountains Southern Xinjiang and the area north of it Northern Xinjiang, while Turpan and Hami are referred to as Eastern Xinjiang.
Xinjiang tourist routes
Xinjiang’s tourist routes are also formed based on its landform features, including the Northern Xinjiang loop route, Yili-Tianshan loop route, and Southern Xinjiang loop route.
Suitable seasons for traveling in Northern Xinjiang:
From June to September is the peak tourist season in Northern Xinjiang, especially during the summer months of July and August, as well as the golden autumn of Kanas (mid-September to National Day). This period is the peak for traveling along the Northern Xinjiang loop route. If you have flexible time, it is recommended to visit Kanas in September or October. (It’s simply a paradise on earth)
After mid-September is the most magical season for Kanas in Northern Xinjiang. At this time, Northern Xinjiang is rich in colors. If you want to experience autumn, this place will definitely fulfill all your yearnings for autumn.
From late December to February is the best season to admire snow in Northern Xinjiang. Describing Kanas’ snowy scenery as a fairy tale world of ice and snow is by no means an exaggeration. Winter tourism in Xinjiang has only started to be promoted in recent years, and self-driving is allowed into Kanas Scenic Area in winter. Currently, there aren’t many visitors in winter, making it cost-effective.
Reference Itinerary for Northern Xinjiang Loop:
D1, Urumqi – Tianshan Heavenly Lake – Fuyun
D2, Fuyun – Colorful Beach – Burqin
D3, Burqin – Kanas
D4, Kanas – Hemu
D5, Hemu – Wuerhe Devil City – Wuerhe
D6, Wuerhe – Dushanzi Grand Canyon – Urumqi
The reference itinerary is suitable for any month and does not represent all attractions in Northern Xinjiang. Some attractions have obvious seasonal characteristics and can be increased or decreased according to the travel time. There are many other niche attractions in Northern Xinjiang that are highly recommended, such as the ten-thousand-mu dry farmland in Mulei, Mulei Populus Euphratica Forest, Silicified Wood Dinosaur Park, S318 on the western route, and Alataw Pass. These places have very few tourist groups. If you don’t want to take some conventional routes and have enough time, these routes are highly recommended.
Introduction to Southern Xinjiang Loop
Types of Landscapes:
Gobi, Desert, Canyon, Yardang Landform, Ancient City, Folk Customs, Snow Mountain Plateau, Desert, Populus Euphratica, Lake
Main Attractions of Southern Xinjiang Loop:
Kuqa Tianshan Grand Canyon, Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves, Wensu Grand Canyon, Kashgar Old Town, Pamir Plateau, Hotan, Desert Highway, Taklamakan Desert, Populus Euphratica Forest Park
Suitable Travel Seasons in Southern Xinjiang:
Southern Xinjiang can be visited throughout the year. From the end of March, the apricot blossoms bloom on the Pamir Plateau, and a small 5-day loop can be arranged. July, August, and September are the seasons of fragrant fruits in Southern Xinjiang and also the peak tourism season. This is the best travel season. If you want to see Populus Euphratica, you must arrange your time in October. The Populus Euphratica Forest along the Tarim River in Xinjiang starts to turn yellow in mid-October. It is a paradise for photography.
Reference Itinerary for Southern Xinjiang Loop:
D1, Urumqi – Duku Highway – Tangbula
D2, Tangbula – Bayanbulak
D3, Bayanbulak – Big and Small Dragon Lakes – Kuqa Tianshan Grand Canyon – Kuqa
D4, Kuqa – Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves – Wensu Grand Canyon – Aksu
D5, Aksu – Kashgar
D6, Kashgar – Kashgar Old Town – Kashgar
D7, Kashgar – Baishahu Lake – Karakul Lake – Tashkurgan
D8, Tashkurgan – Yingjisha
D8, Yingjisha – Hotan
D10, Hotan – Desert Highway – Kuqa
D11, Kuqa – Luntai Populus Euphratica Forest Park – Luntai
D12, Luntai – Urumqi
Summary:
July, August, and September are the peak tourism seasons in Xinjiang. During this time, the whole region of Xinjiang is suitable for tourism. If you are coming for the first time, it is recommended to choose Kanas in Northern Xinjiang. If your trip lasts for more than 10 days, you can choose Kanas in Northern Xinjiang + Yili Loop + Turpan. If you want to experience the most beautiful scenery in Xinjiang, the Yili Loop is recommended in April, May, and June. At the end of September, Kanas in Northern Xinjiang is recommended. The best time to appreciate snow in winter is from the end of December to early February. The best travel time in Southern Xinjiang is in September and October.
Xinjiang Tourism Consultation: (Same) 0991-8585456