Brilliant Northern Xinjiang | 12-Day Tour of Xinjiang Ili + Altay
5 reviews
Departing from Ürümqi
Altay Prefecture
- 🌿 12-Day Light Luxury Tour of Northern Xinjiang Panorama ✨
- Self-driving into five major core scenic spots
- 💎 Relaxed Itinerary｜No early starts or rushing, leisurely explore the essence of Northern Xinjiang
- 💎 Professional Leader｜Familiar with desert, grassland, and Tianshan road conditions
- 💎 Quality Accommodation｜Atour series + scenic view windows + high-end luxury glamping
- 💎 Immersive Experience｜Desert scenery, grassland fun, and intangible cultural heritage handicrafts all covered
What to expect
Itinerary Overview
- Day 1: Departure City to Urumqi [Atour Series Four-Diamond Hotel]
- Day 2: Urumqi to S21 Desert Expressway to Karamay Sand Mountain Park to Altay [Five-Diamond Hotel] [Approx. 500KM drive, approx. 8H]
- Day 3: Altay to Ahe Highway (open arrangement) to Tongba Forest to Toleihaiti Grand Grassland to Hemu [Scenic Area Accommodation] [Approx. 220KM drive, approx. 5H]
- Day 4: Hemu to Most Beautiful Morning Mist [Free Activity] to Kanas Lake to Kanas [Scenic Area Accommodation] [Approx. 100KM drive, approx. 3H]
- Day 5: Kanas to Kanas Three Bays to Karamay [Four-Diamond Hotel] [Approx. 450KM drive, approx. 8H]
- Day 6: Karamay to "Sayram Lake Shore" Naan Cafe Afternoon Tea to [Self-drive 270° Lake Tour of Sayram Lake] to Hike Songshutou to Sayram Lake Sunset to Sayram Lake East Gate [Scenic Area Four-Diamond Accommodation] [Approx. 440KM drive, approx. 6H]
- Day 7: Second Entry to Sayram Lake to Guozigou Bridge to [Lavender Fields - Flower Season Arrangement] to Yizhao Highway (open arrangement) to Zhaosu [Mountain Garden Villa] [Approx. 450KM drive, approx. 8H]
- Day 8: Zhaosu to [Self-drive Xiata Ancient Road] to Overlook Muzart Glacier to Tekes [Four-Diamond Hotel] [Approx. 300KM drive, approx. 5H]
- Day 9: Tekes to [Self-drive Kuerdening] to Nalati Cloud Pasture to Grassland Folk Live to Light Travel Photography to Naan Making Workshop to Pottery Handicraft Making to [Chinese Aesthetic Dining Table] to Nalati [4-Circle Tuoye Camp 180° Large Window View]
- Day 10: Nalati [Self-drive Nalati Sky Grassland] to River Valley Grassland + Panlong Valley Road (open arrangement) to Tangbula [Taoli Fengyue Manor] [Approx. 100KM drive, approx. 2H]
- Day 11: Tangbula to [Self-drive Mengket Ancient Road] to Hundred-Mile Gallery to Duku Highway North Section to Urumqi [Near Grand Bazaar Four-Diamond Hotel] [Approx. 500KM drive, approx. 9H]
- Day 12: Urumqi to Departure City
- If Duku Highway is not open:
- Day 11: Tangbula to Wuwei Expressway to Cross Tianshan Victory Tunnel to Urumqi [Near Grand Bazaar Four-Diamond Hotel] Foreign Guests Can Register with Confidence
- The Chinese tour leader will use a mobile translation app for communication.
- Due to policy reasons, if the Duku Highway is not open, foreign guests on Day 11 will need to take a car from Nalati to Yining, then transfer to a train back to Urumqi, with an on-site supplement of 300 CNY per person.
Goodbye to large crowded groups~ 2-6 person small groups now available | Solo travelers can share rooms and waive single supplement, making your journey super worry-free with companions.
270° around Sayram Lake, from Qingshuitan to Xihai Grassland, embracing the tenderness of the Atlantic Ocean; watching the sunrise dye the golden waves in the morning, and admiring the sunset melting into the lake's colors in the evening.
Drive into the five core scenic areas, no need to queue for shuttle buses, relaxed itinerary | Refuse to get up early and rush, slowly explore the essence of Northern Xinjiang
Live amidst scenery and fireworks, Hemu/Kanas Scenic Area large window accommodation, zero distance from morning mist and starry sky
Deep Kanas: Ascend the 1068-step Fish-Viewing Platform to overlook the panorama, and dream a dream of snow-capped mountains and lakes in the deep mountains of Northern Xinjiang.
Rich Cloud Ranch Experience: Grassland Folk Song Live - Light Travel Photography (6 photos) - Archery Competition - Cute Sheep Herding Interaction - Intangible Cultural Heritage Naan Bread Making - Earthenware Pottery Experience - [Chinese Aesthetic Dinin
Follow the 5A travel photography leader and unlock a different world!"-"Not all leaders are 'gold medal' leaders--professional, safe, and a travel butler who understands you.
Superb Experience: N'Café by Sayram Lake・"Sayram Blue" Limited Special Drink・Naan Coffee Afternoon Tea
Luxury 1+1 first-class 7-seater car, with super large space, seat massage and footrest, everyone can enjoy the scenery by the window.
Quality selection, high-end travel: The nights in Northern Xinjiang will never disappoint. Either sleep amidst the wild scenery or enjoy the comfort of high-end accommodation. Every night is a "scenery blind box" full of surprises!
Reviews
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Review for: 2-4人越野车团
Our driver, Yang Wei, was absolutely fantastic! Incredibly and super good!!! He helped us carry all sorts of luggage, drove very steadily without any discomfort along the way, took us to clean restrooms, and on top of the itinerary, he told us where the scenery was less crowded and more beautiful. He took very nice photos for us and, knowing we were from Guangdong, quietly adjusted the playlist to be more youthful and Cantonese. On the last day, he even remembered our coffee preferences and bought us coffee (touched TUT) and drinks! He took care of us along the way in a subtle and thoughtful manner. We are truly very, very grateful! The overall itinerary was well-arranged, and all the items mentioned in the order were fulfilled. There was a mistake with the accommodation one night by the local travel agency, but they provided compensation. We hope that future communication can be more careful.
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Review for: 2-4人越野车团
The driver and guide were attentive and responsible, drove steadily and safely, recommended delicious restaurants, and the overall itinerary was well-organized and compact. The accommodations in Hemu and Sayram Lake exceeded expectations 👍👍👍
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Review for: 2-4人越野车团
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!
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Review for: 2-4人越野车团
Huge, huge praise for our team leader Yang Shiyu!! He drives steadily, and on the winding roads of Northern Xinjiang, it felt reassuring to be in his car. He's enthusiastic and always helps anyone who needs a hand without a word. He reminds people to bring a jacket or pack some snacks, showing his thoughtfulness in the small details. Chatting with him makes long drives less boring. When we encounter beautiful scenery, he proactively spends more time there and patiently helps everyone find the best angles for photos. I'm so happy to be in his group, and I'll come again next time!~
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Review for: 2-4人越野车团
This Xinjiang trip went very smoothly and beautifully. Thanks to Master Mao Mao and Xiao Re housekeeper for their thoughtful care along the way. Master Mao Mao has superb driving skills and takes great-looking photos. He helped us solve various problems along the way. Thank you for your hard work. This trip was very happy, and we will continue to choose our team for future trips.
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Good to know
- Precautions, please read carefully
- I. Vehicle Qualifications: Our agency strictly selects commercial vehicles with legal operating qualifications. All vehicles have passed annual inspections and regular safety checks. We do not accept requests for specific vehicle models. Xinjiang transportation regulations stipulate that operating vehicles cannot travel more than 600 kilometers per day. If the mileage exceeds 600 kilometers, the driver will face huge fines of 20,000-100,000 yuan/revocation of business license. Therefore, for daily travel activities outside the itinerary plan, we recommend that you arrange taxis, ride-hailing services, or other transportation yourself. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
- II. About Group Mates: This itinerary is a national group tour for 2-6 people (2 people to start/6 people maximum). Due to the random grouping nature, we cannot screen information such as age, gender, and region of group mates in advance. Special reminder: For tourists with special requirements for the social environment, we recommend choosing a customized charter service.
- III. About Single Room Supplement: Single registrants need to pay a single room supplement.
- IV. About Accommodation: As Xinjiang is still an underdeveloped area, hotels are very different from those in inland areas, especially in scenic spots, where only cleanliness can be guaranteed. Even so, it is still difficult to find a room during peak season. Most hotels do not have triple rooms. This product does not accept children sharing a room alone, nor does it accept adult tourists with children sharing a room; if you are traveling alone with children, you must pay the single room supplement before departure or register the child as an adult, and the corresponding ticket discount difference will be refunded locally.
- V. About Changing Seats: Carpooling is not chartering. To ensure fairness of the itinerary, seats must be rotated daily!
- VI. Driver-Guide Service: Due to the driver's limited education level, they cannot provide professional explanations, and for safety reasons, they may not be able to interact with everyone when concentrating on driving. Please understand, group mates, and prepare your travel guides in advance.
- VII. About Price: This route is a national scattered group tour, and prices vary from place to place. Prices also vary depending on the registration time, the peak/off-peak status of the day's schedule, and different booking channels/platforms. Once you accept our price and join the group, regardless of whether it is high or low, our agency will not accept price complaints. Please understand.
- VIII. About After-Sales Service: During the tour, if you have any needs or suggestions, please contact the housekeeper or team leader, and we will provide assistance as soon as possible. To ensure that service quality issues can be handled promptly and properly, if no objections are raised during the trip and feedback is given after returning to the group, our agency will not accept any complaints after the end of the group.
- IX. Group Registration for More Than Six People: We will allocate guests to two independent vehicles (each vehicle being an independent small group) based on actual capacity. Each vehicle may have independent itinerary rhythms or differences in intermediate stops. Forcibly requiring parallel action will interfere with the experience plans of other teams and even lead to overall itinerary delays. Therefore, we cannot promise coordinated action between vehicles. Please understand. Those who mind, please charter a group.
- X. This product defaults to using standard rooms, and the cost only includes the cost of a single bed for one person. As hotel king-size beds are generally reserved for direct sales, if tourists who need a king-size bed need to pay a single room supplement, please inform us proactively. Our agency will try its best to arrange it but cannot guarantee it. Please understand.
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