Discover Northern Xinjiang’s breathtaking alpine lakes, towering canyons, and nomadic Kazakh culture. From Heavenly Lake to Kanas, from Hemu Village to Sayram Lake – this 12-day adventure delivers deep experiences and great scenery across the most spectacular landscapes of Western China
Airport pickup, hotel check-in, free time to explore Xinjiang’s vibrant capital
Upon your arrival at Urumqi Diwopu International Airport, you will be met by your guide and transferred to your comfortable hotel. The rest of the day is yours to relax and acclimatize to the rhythm of Xinjiang’s vibrant capital. Stretch your legs with a walk along the colorful streets, sample local cuisine at a nearby restaurant, or simply rest after your journey. Urumqi, the gateway to the ancient Silk Road, offers a fascinating blend of modern Chinese culture and Central Asian influences.
🚗 Driving distance: ~25 km (airport to hotel)
⏱️ Driving time: ~40 minutes
🏨 Overnight in: Urumqi
🛏️ Hotel: Yilite Hotel (4-star)
🍽️ Meals included: No meals included
Visit Heavenly Lake (Tianchi) in the Tianshan Mountains, then drive to Fuyun County
After breakfast, depart for the majestic Heavenly Lake (Tianchi), cradled in the eastern Tianshan Mountains. Spend several hours exploring this stunning alpine oasis, surrounded by snow-capped peaks and verdant forests. The crystal-clear blue waters reflect the surrounding peaks, creating a scene of serene beauty that has inspired poets and travellers for centuries. After enjoying lunch near the lake, you continue your journey eastward, driving to Fuyun County for your overnight stay. The drive takes you through ever-changing landscapes, from alpine meadows to desert fringes.
🚗 Driving distance: Urumqi → Heavenly Lake → Fuyun: ~400 km
⏱️ Driving time: ~5–6 hours
🏨 Overnight in: Fuyun
🛏️ Hotel: Local 3-star or best available
🍽️ Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Visit Koktokay Scenic Area and Rainbow Beach (Wucaitan) at sunset
Your day begins with a visit to the Koktokay Scenic Area, a unique geological wonderland of granite mountains, rivers, and forests. This UNESCO-listed geopark features towering rock pillars, rushing waterfalls, and pristine lakes tucked between dramatic peaks. After several hours of exploration and a local lunch, you travel towards Burqin. The highlight of the late afternoon is a visit to Wucaitan (Rainbow Beach), where surreal, multi-hued rock formations glow brilliantly in the sunset light. The contrast between the colorful cliffs, the winding Irtysh River, and the distant desert creates an unforgettable spectacle.
🚗 Driving distance: Fuyun → Koktokay → Burqin: ~280 km
⏱️ Driving time: ~4–5 hours
🏨 Overnight in: Burqin
🛏️ Hotel: Burqin Friendship Hotel (4-star or local equivalent)
🍽️ Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Drive through breathtaking mountain landscapes to Hemu Village, then continue to Jiadengyu
Today’s journey takes you through breathtaking landscapes as you wind along zigzagging roads lined with towering pine trees en route to the idyllic Hemu Village. This remote Tuva village, with its traditional wooden cabins and smoke curling from chimneys, feels like stepping into a fairy tale. Arriving around lunchtime, you have the afternoon to immerse yourself in the tranquility of this wooden village. A gentle hike up to the viewing platform rewards you with a panoramic vista of the village nestled in the valley below, surrounded by golden birch forests and grazing horses. Later, you drive to Jiadengyu, the gateway to Kanas, for your overnight stay.
🚗 Driving distance: Burqin → Hemu → Jiadengyu: ~180 km
⏱️ Driving time: ~3–4 hours
🏨 Overnight in: Jiadengyu
🛏️ Hotel: Jiadengyu Resort or local boutique guesthouse
🍽️ Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Explore Kanas Lake, hike along turquoise waters, visit Moon Bay, Dragon Bay and Fairy Bay
After breakfast, take a shuttle bus into the Kanas Lake Scenic Area, often described as the most beautiful lake in China. Spend the day immersed in its legendary beauty, hiking along the turquoise river, and perhaps taking a boat cruise on the lake itself. According to local legend, the lake is home to mysterious “water monsters” — though most visitors are simply captivated by its pristine alpine beauty. On your return journey, you stop to admire the picturesque bays: Moon Bay, shaped like a crescent moon; Dragon Bay, with its dragon-like sandbar; and Fairy Bay, where morning mist creates an ethereal atmosphere. In the evening, you drive back to Burqin for the night.
🚗 Driving distance: Jiadengyu → Kanas → Burqin: ~150 km
⏱️ Driving time: ~2–3 hours (excluding exploration)
🏨 Overnight in: Burqin
🛏️ Hotel: Burqin Friendship Hotel (4-star)
🍽️ Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Explore the otherworldly Wuerhe Ghost City (Yadan Landscape), then drive to Kuitun
Departing Burqin after breakfast, you head south to the Wuerhe Ghost City, a vast desert landscape of wind-eroded rock formations that create an eerie, otherworldly atmosphere. This classic example of a “Yadan” landscape — named for the Uyghur word meaning “steep bank” — features towering rock pillars, sculpted arches, and hollow gullies that produce haunting whistling sounds when the wind blows. After exploring this natural marvel for a few hours, you continue your drive to the city of Kuitun, arriving in the evening for your overnight stay.
🚗 Driving distance: Burqin → Wuerhe → Kuitun: ~320 km
⏱️ Driving time: ~4–5 hours
🏨 Overnight in: Kuitun
🛏️ Hotel: Kuitun Haizhou Hotel (4-star)
🍽️ Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Visit Sayram Lake (“last tear of the Atlantic Ocean”), cross Guozigou Bridge, explore Liuxing Street in Yining
Travel westwards towards Yining (also known as Ghulja), with the day’s centerpiece being the breathtaking Sayram Lake. Known as the “last tear of the Atlantic Ocean,” this high-altitude alpine lake receives its moisture from Atlantic currents that travel across Europe and Central Asia, making it the final destination of their long journey. The lake’s impossibly blue waters shift from turquoise to sapphire depending on the light. You have the opportunity to drive along its shores, stopping at scenic viewpoints. You also marvel at the impressive Guozigou Bridge, one of China’s highest and most scenic bridges, as you traverse the Tianshan pass. Arrive in Yining by dinner time and spend the evening exploring the vibrant, hexagonal layout of Liuxing Street (Six Star Street), a beautifully preserved district with colorful Uyghur homes, cafes, and gardens.
🚗 Driving distance: Kuitun → Sayram Lake → Yining: ~340 km
⏱️ Driving time: ~4–5 hours
🏨 Overnight in: Yining
🛏️ Hotel: Yining Grand Hotel (4-star)
🍽️ Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Ascend to Narat Kongzhong Grassland (“grassland in the sky”) and experience Kazakh nomadic culture
Following breakfast, your journey continues to Narat, arriving around lunchtime. In the afternoon, you ascend to the Narat Kongzhong Grassland, aptly named the “grassland in the sky.” Perched at an elevation of over 2,000 metres (6,500 feet), this vast alpine pasture seems to float above the surrounding valleys. Here, you can soak in sweeping vistas of lush, rolling pastures dotted with white yurts and grazing horses. You learn about the traditional nomadic culture of the Kazakh people who call this high plateau home — their eagle-hunting traditions, felt-making craftsmanship, and warm hospitality. Take a walk across the flower-strewn meadows, or opt for a short horseback ride (available locally) to fully experience the freedom of the steppe.
🚗 Driving distance: Yining → Narat: ~250 km
⏱️ Driving time: ~3–4 hours
🏨 Overnight in: Narat
🛏️ Hotel: Narat Air Grassland Hotel (4-star or local equivalent)
🍽️ Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Cross the Tianshan Mountains via the new highway, traverse China’s longest mountain tunnel, view Bayinbulak Grassland
Today’s drive is an epic journey back to Urumqi via a new highway that cuts through the heart of the Tianshan Mountains — a route that has only recently opened to travellers, dramatically reducing what was once a two-day journey. You traverse China’s longest mountain tunnel, burrowing deep beneath snow-covered peaks, and enjoy spectacular views of the Bayinbulak Grassland, the country’s second-largest grassland and a vital wetland habitat for migrating swans. The landscape shifts dramatically as you descend from alpine tundra to the more arid basin surrounding Urumqi. You arrive in Urumqi in the late afternoon, completing a memorable trans-mountain crossing that showcases the sheer scale and diversity of the Tianshan range.
🚗 Driving distance: Narat → Urumqi via Tianshan crossing: ~500 km
⏱️ Driving time: ~7–8 hours (including scenic stops)
🏨 Overnight in: Urumqi
🛏️ Hotel: Yilite Hotel (4-star)
🍽️ Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch (packed lunch provided due to remote route)
Discover the Turpan Depression – Karez Well system, Flaming Mountain and Emin Minaret
Depart for the Turpan Depression, one of the lowest (154 metres below sea level) and hottest places in China — summer temperatures can exceed 50°C (122°F), making it known as the “Land of Fire.” After arriving and having lunch, you spend the afternoon exploring the region’s fascinating history and unique geography. Your visits include the ancient Karez Well irrigation system, a 2,000-year-old engineering marvel of underground channels that brings glacial meltwater to the oasis, preventing evaporation in the searing heat. Next, ascend the fiery red slopes of Flaming Mountain, made famous by the classic Chinese novel “Journey to the West,” where the red sandstone seems to shimmer with heat. Finally, admire the Emin Minaret (also known as Sugong Pagoda), a towering 44-metre (144-foot) symbol of local Islamic architecture, built in 1777 with a distinctive ribbed brick design.
🚗 Driving distance: Urumqi → Turpan: ~200 km
⏱️ Driving time: ~2.5–3 hours
🏨 Overnight in: Turpan
🛏️ Hotel: Turpan Oasis Hotel (4-star)
🍽️ Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Step back in time at Jiaohe Ancient City, then experience Urumqi International Grand Bazaar
In the morning, step back in time as you explore the Jiaohe Ancient City, a remarkably well-preserved ruined city built on a cliff plateau between two rivers. Founded over 2,300 years ago, Jiaohe was a thriving Silk Road hub until its destruction by the Mongols in the 13th century. Unlike most ancient cities built from the ground up, Jiaohe was carved from the top down — streets, houses, and temples were excavated from the natural rock. After your visit, you return to Urumqi. Your final afternoon is free to experience the vibrant atmosphere of the International Grand Bazaar, one of the largest bazaars in the world. Here you will find everything from hand-woven carpets, intricate Uyghur hats, and dried fruits to traditional musical instruments and jewellery — a perfect place for last-minute souvenir shopping and immersing yourself in the lively local culture.
🚗 Driving distance: Turpan → Jiaohe → Urumqi: ~220 km
⏱️ Driving time: ~3–4 hours
🏨 Overnight in: Urumqi
🛏️ Hotel: Yilite Hotel (4-star)
🍽️ Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Private transfer to Urumqi Diwopu International Airport for your departing flight
At the appointed time, you will be transferred to Urumqi Diwopu International Airport for your departing flight. As you leave this vast and spectacular region, you carry with you the memories of turquoise alpine lakes, towering red canyons, warm Uyghur hospitality, and the timeless landscapes that have made Xinjiang a crossroads of civilizations for thousands of years. We wish you a safe and pleasant journey home — and hope to welcome you back to Central Asia’s most fascinating destination again soon.
🚗 Driving distance: Hotel → Urumqi Airport: ~25 km
⏱️ Driving time: ~40 minutes
✈️ Departure: Urumqi Diwopu International Airport
🍽️ Meals included: Breakfast (depending on flight time)