Things to do in Xinjiang

it was a wonderful tour. I’m a foreigner not speaking Chinese but could complete the tour using translator app. Tour operator communicated beforehand and provided a bus license number so that I can ride a right bus.(there were 6 bus in front of hotel!) Also it is better to take a screen shot of your number next to your name. Roll call was done a couple of times by a number in Chinese. I exchanged We hat with a guide so that I could receive a QR code which is required for people without Chinese ID card. There are multiple options to choose from. I chose a option which includes everything. (Flying over the world, cable car and boat) Flying over the world attraction was fun. Lunch was provided with traditional dance. it was well organized tour and tour guide was excellent.

The tour brought us an amazing Xinjiang. This tour was really well-organized with details of destinations,weather,dress codes. The tour guide XiaoZhou took care of us very warmly. He introduced about the destinations in details as well as the safety warnings. He aslo gave us many recommendations and tips when we needed to by souvenirs in Urumqi.

A little over a week passed quickly. It was my first time in Northern Xinjiang, and the route included Urumqi - Altay - Kanas - Hemu - Sayram Lake. The pick-up and drop-off service was very thorough, and the accommodation arrangements were also satisfactory. Many thanks to Master Guo Jing! He is very familiar with the routes between scenic spots and cities, his driving skills are very stable, and he also reminds us to pay attention to the scenery and animals. He thoughtfully prepared snacks, yogurt, and hot water. The 7-seater car is also very comfortable, and the heated and massage seats are great for winter travel! The master's aerial photography results are also amazing! He also took care of me, traveling alone with the group, haha~ I will definitely come to Xinjiang again!

Overall, it was fantastic! It's safer to go with a tour group in the winter, as the roads ice over and are difficult to drive. Our driver, Lao Hu, was especially reliable, a seasoned driver who drove very smoothly! The itinerary included the highlights of Northern Xinjiang. The only downside was that the time in Hemu wasn't enough. I feel like you could skip the travel photography and just enjoy Hemu. Hemu is very beautiful, and you need to spend more time there. Because I wanted to spend more time in Hemu, I skipped skiing on the second day, which I regret a little. Here are some beautiful photos I took for everyone to enjoy. Xinjiang is so beautiful!

The itinerary was excellent and exceeded expectations. I especially commend the service and driving skills of our driver, Mr. Ren. I would participate in similar activities again in the future. Thanks also to my fellow travelers who made this Xinjiang trip an unforgettable memory.

I highly recommend Zhang Wei, the guide from Xinjiang Story! He's extremely reliable and took us to some amazing hidden gems that exceeded our expectations. He also proactively helped us take photos and was as caring as a friend. He was humorous and engaging throughout the trip, making it a very pleasant experience. Highly recommended!

I really can't bear to recommend this guide, Deng, to everyone! 1. Regarding driving, he's practically an AI navigation system incarnate. In the wilderness of Southern Xinjiang, where "navigation signals frequently go AWOL," he drove with the dignity of a human-powered Gaode Map—never getting lost, and the car never had any problems. 2. Regarding the itinerary, when we said things like "I'm a little tired" or "Can we stay here a little longer," or if we woke up a little late or played late, he was never impatient. Instead, he quickly adjusted and respected the wishes of the tourists—as if we were the directors and he was a super-capable, all-around production assistant. 3. As cultured people ourselves, we appreciate that Guide Deng grew up here, is well-read, and knows the geography well. He can tell you about wars and love stories from two thousand years ago at every mound of earth. I can't help but want to give him a sash that says "Excellent National Unity Explainer." 4. He's a hidden photography guru. He can take photos with your phone that feel like a "National Geographic" cover, and his drone skills are even more amazing. In front of the snow-capped mountains, he directed us: "Walk! Look back! Be natural!" The results sparked heated discussions in our social circle: "Did you hire a film crew to follow you?" 5. His finances are as transparent as the sky in Kashgar. Aside from the project fees and meals, there were no temporary additional fees throughout the entire trip. He also reminded us which places were expensive and which were cheap, ensuring peace of mind! I used to think "tour guide" was just a job, but after meeting Guide Deng, I realized—he's a living, breathing guidebook to Southern Xinjiang, a radiator in the cold plateau, a phone memory killer (so many photos!), and a responsible conscience in the travel world. If traveling in Xinjiang is a blind box, then Guide Deng is the hidden SSR item. Quickly recommend him to everyone who wants to go to Xinjiang (but don't let him get too busy, I'm afraid I won't be able to book him next time). P.S. The after-effects of coming back: every other tour guide seems "not all-around enough"; I still haven't finished organizing my phone album—all his fault for taking such great photos!

We are extremely grateful to have had Master Ma Ming Qiang 马明强 with us throughout our Xinjiang trip. He is friendly, approachable, and incredibly reliable! the kind of driver who immediately makes you feel safe and comfortable. There were days when the road was misty and visibility was low, but he remained calm, attentive, and highly professional, getting us to every destination safely. Without him, the trip would definitely not have been the same. He is also very attentive to our needs, always checking in on us and making sure we were comfortable. Every day felt fun and enjoyable because he would share stories, explain local culture, and even go the extra mile to bring us to beautiful spots we didn’t even expect. We truly appreciate his effort and his warm personality. He is honestly very very very good! highly recommended! Our Xinjiang trip was so much more memorable because of him. 👍👍🙌🙌

An absolutely fantastic trip. The scenery at Kanas, Hemu, and Sayram Lake was stunning. We saw a beautiful sunrise in Hemu, and were lucky enough to catch the sunrise and a sea of clouds at Sayram Lake for two days. The driver was young, close in age to the girls in our group, very humorous, a skilled driver, a professional at taking portraits, and the restaurants he took us to had excellent food! The members of the group were all young women, and everyone was very nice and easy to get along with. The accommodations were generally the nicer local hotels, and I especially loved the Atour S hotel we stayed at in Urumqi on the last day. Overall, it was a small group with extremely high value for the price, and I'd go again if I have the chance.