11 Days Best Xinjiang Landscape Tour to Kanas & Sayram Lake

Day 1 Urumqi Arrival

Highlights: Urumqi airport/train station pick up and hotel check-in

Welcome to Urumqi , the capital city of Xinjiang Autonomous Region. Meet your tour guide and driver at the airport/train station, then transfer a short while to the downtown of Urumqi. Check in to your hotel. The rest time is free for you to relax. Feel free to ask for recommendations of places to go from your guide.

How to get to Urumqi ? Currently, you can take flights to Urumqi from Beijing (about 4 hours), Xian (about 3.5 hours), Shanghai (about 5.5 hours), Guangzhou (about 5 hours), Chengdu (about 3.5 hours), etc., or high speed trains from Turpan (about 2 hours), Dunhuang (about 4.5 hours), Lanzhou (about 11 hours), Xining (about 9.5 hours), etc.

Free time idea: 1. Red Hill Park which is regarded as the symbol of Urumqi. It is the most popular place for the locals to relax and gather. For travelers, it is a great place to experience folk culture and local living style. Finding a higher location in the park, you are rewarded a pleasant panoramic view of Urumqi city; 2. Erdaoqiao Grand Bazaar, a great place to enjoy a leisure stroll and purchase some snacks, souvenirs, etc.

Day 2 Urumqi – Burqin (B, L)

Highlights: Today's highlight: Rainbow Beach (Riverside)

Today after breakfast, drive about 520 km (about 6 hours) to Burqin which is the nearest county from Kanas. Don’t have to worry getting bored by the long driving, because the landscape alone the road is beautiful and changeable, and you will stop by the spectacular Rainbow Beach (Riverside) where stones were weathered into many vivid shapes like soaring hills, deep valley, criss-cross streets, tower, etc. After thousands years of geological changing, the “beach” has been painted into different colors – red, yellow, green, white…, presenting you a gorgeous scene especially when the golden lights of sunset shine on the riverside.

Stay over the night in Burqin County.

Day 3 Burqin – Hemu (B, L)

Highlights: Today's highlight: Hemu Village, Tuva Family Visit

After breakfast, drive about 170 km (about 3.5 hours) to Hemu Village where you will stay over tonight.

Hemu Village is an important part of Kanas Scenic Area. It is one of the most beautiful villages in China, a magic place where you can get rid of the hustle and bustle and immerse yourself in the creation of photography. The villagers are Tuvas who is a branch of Mongolian. The ancestors of Tuvas are believed to be solders of Genghis Khan. Currently, there are about 2000 Tuvas people living in Hemu and other two nearby villages – Baihaba and Kanas. Their houses are made of wood entirely without any steels and cements, and they still keep the old traditions of nomad living, Tibetan Buddhism, festival, etc. Small population, old-fashioned wooden house, exotic ethnic culture and wild surrounding forests all make Hemu Village a peaceful and primitive place. You will visit a local Tuva family to find out what’s their living like, and get treated with local snacks, fruits and drinks prepared by the hosts. Sometimes, you can even a race chance to see Tuvas playing music and dancing. The rest is free for you to relax and exploring surrounding. Sunset here is fabulous. You can walk up to a higher hill to appreciate the sunset in the golden sunlight. The vast golden birch forests and green grasslands surround the peaceful village, together appear charming colors like an oil painting.

Day 4 Hemu – Kanas Lake (B, L)

Highlights: Hemu Village Sunrise, Kanas Lake, Taiga Trail Hiking

Get up early to catch the incredible sunrise which is also the MUST photo to be shot. When the sun rises and shines onto the mist curling up the villages, it is the moment to take one of the best pictures in your lifetime. To shoot the sunrise, you need to walk along the plank road to the high places on the mountains near to the village. After the sunrise, go back to your hotel to have breakfast. The rest time is free for you to experience anything you are interested in – hiking, horse riding, or just taking rest.

After lunch, you will be transferred to Kanas Scenic Area where you will spend about two days so that you won’t miss out all the highlights. Kanas Lake Scenic Area is a perfect place for family resort, leisure sightseeing and photography in all seasons. It includes Kanas Lake, Three Bays and Fish-watching Tower, three separate scenic areas. In Mongolian, Kanas means “beautiful, rich and mysterious”. It is definitely what it is like. Today we will explore Kanas Lake area. Take a park bus directly to the lakeside of Kanas where a leisure hiking awaits you. There is a 5-kilometer-long plank road following the eastern lake shore of Kanas to the deep wild forest. It is a scenic and relaxing experience as well as a good way to escape from the tourist crowds. You will walk through Siberian spruce forest, Wall of Root Carving, Taiga moors and reach at Tuluke Rock Painting at the end of the plank road, then return the same way.

Optional Kanas Lake Cruise – if you want to explore deeper area of Kanas, you can join the Cruise Program. The sightseeing ship sails to the heart area of the lake, then return to the lake shore, lasting about 45 minutes. Tell your guide if you get interested.

After the lake tour, take a park bus back to your hotel. The rest time is your own to relax.

Day 5 Kanas Three Bays (B, L)

Highlights: Kanas Three Bays, Kanas Lake Panoramic View from Fish-watching Tower

Today you are going to explore the famous Three Bays – the essence of Kanas Scenic Area. Kanas River wriggles in valleys, and creates three zigzag bays with beautiful names – Recumbent Dragon Bay, Moon Bay and Celestial Bay . The water here is crystalline, gentle and lovely. Along the two sides of the three bays are forests with alternate colors of green, yellow and golden, changing with the seasons. The trees, sky and clouds together project in the river, and appear a colorful reflection. Looking far into the distance, you can see the imposing Altai Mountains Range.

The visiting of the Three Bays can be interesting and relaxing. If you are lucky, you will see the illusory mist floating on the Kanas River in the early morning. You can walk on the well-paved plank road to the sightseeing platforms to enjoy the tranquil landscape, then walk from one bay to the next, or take park bus to save energy.

After the Three Bays exploration, keep traveling to Fish-watching Tower – the highest location of Kanas Scenic Area. En route take stops to visit Yazehu (Duck Moor Lake) , a butterfly-lake lake, and Dianjiangtai where Genghis Khan once paraded his troops. The Fish-watching Tower is located at 2056 meters on a mountain at the outlet of Kanas Lake. One needs to walk about 1000 steps up to reach the tower, but the rewarding is handsome – a panoramic view of Kanas Lake , and stretching eyesight to the snow mountains of the Friendship Peak (4374m).

After the lake tour, take a park bus back to your hotel. The rest time is your own to relax.

Day 6 Kanas – Karamay (B,L)

Highlights: Wu’erhe Ghost City (Yardang Landform)

Have breakfast in your hotel, then drive to Karamay (about 460km/7 hrs), the city where the Ghost City locates in. It is the wealthiest city in China because of oil production.

During the driving journey, you will take an excursion around sunset time to visit Wu’erhe Ghost City which is actually a jaw-dropping Geopark of wind-eroded Yardang Landform. It got its name from the sound of the howling wind when it passes through the rock formations. This area was a huge freshwater lake during the Cretaceous period about 100 million years ago. There used to lush plants growing on the lakeshore and many ancient animals living in the lake, such as Urhe Stegosaurus, Plesiosaurs, Dinosaurs, Junggar Pterosaurs, etc. Wu’erhe Ghost City was praised as the " No. 1 of the Three Most Beautiful Yardang Landform Geoparks in China " by China National Geographic because of its 5 kilometers long Yardang rock formations. Some of them look like the Liuhe Pagodas in Hangzhou, Temple of Heaven in Beijing, Pyramids of Egypt, and Angkor Wat in Cambodia, etc. Many great movies have been filmed here including the most famous “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon”. You will ride a sightseeing train to transfer between the sites. Getting off the train, it is available to walk around the rock formations to take photos. Opposite side of the geopark are many pumpjacks which are drilling oils.

Accommodate in Karamay city.

Day 7 Karamay – Sayram Lake (B, L)

Highlights: Today's highlight: Sayram Lake

Today, you are heading to Sayram Lake which is about 445 km (5 hours' drive) from Karamay City. The rest time after arrival is free for you to relax around the lake.

Sayram Lake (2,073m) or Sailimu Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes, as well as the largest and highest alpine lake in Xinjiang. It is about 20 km long from east to west, 30 km wide from north to south, covering an area of about 454 sq kilometers. The lake is the farthest place that the warm air of the Atlantic Ocean can reach, hence the romantic name “the last drop of the tears of the Atlantic”.

Accommodation notice: staying a night around Sayram Lake allows you to spend more time enjoy the landscape, sunset and sunrise, but please note the choices of the hotels around Sayram Lake is limited. Only some basic guesthouses and yurts are provided. Cleanness is guaranteed, but hotel amenities are usually the basic standard. If you prefer a better accommodation, you can stay your night in Bole city which is about 85 km (1.5 hrs' drive) from Sayram Lake.

Day 8 Sayram Lake – Tekes (B, L)

Highlights: Today's highlight: Sayram Lake

Today, you will have more than a half day to explore the natural charm of Sayram Lake . What makes Sayram Lake outstanding is its dark blue water and variety of ecosystem. In the bright days, the reflection of the blue sky makes the blue color of the water even darker like a giant diamond. Around the Sayram Lake is pleasant natural view stacked by vast grassland, flourishing alpine trees and lofty ranges of snow mountains. You can also find some yurts of local Mongol and Kazakh families lining at the lake shore. So please be prepared for the numerous photo opportunities. The visit of Sayram Lake is mainly about walking along the paved trails on the lake shore. Biking around the lake is also available (with extra cost). Let your guide know if you want to do the biking.

Say goodbye to Sayram Lake, and drive about 270 km (about 4 hrs) to Tekes County for accommodation. Tekes is a small historical town constructed by the shape of Chinese Ba Gua (eight tri-grams), which has a strong atmosphere of Taoism.

Day 9 Tekes – Karajun Grassland – Tekes (B, L)

Highlights: East Karajun Grassland, West Kaljun Grassland, Kuokesu Grand Canyon

Get up early for breakfast so that you can get to Karajun Grassland before the tourist groups. Located only about 26 km (about 40mins’ drive) from Tekes County, Karajun is a rare grassland wonder which is greatly different from those vast and plain grasslands in Inner Mongolia. With an altitude of 1305-3957 meters, it is a typical natural prairie of alpine & flower meadow, 89 kilometers from east to west, 32 kilometers from north to south. In the early 1980s, experts and officials from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations visited here, and after assessment, they considered it to be one of the few first-rate natural pastures in the world because the coverage rate of pasture occupies 90%-100% of the grassland, the height of the grass layer is 65-100 cm, and the grass yield and stocking capacity are among the best in the world.

You will visit East Karajun Grassland , West Kaljun Grassland and Kuokesu Grand Canyon which are the core areas of the whole area. There will be park bus, cable car and boat to connect the scenic areas. Of course you will have a lot opportunities of hiking during the visit as Karajun Grassland is really vast.

After the grassland exploration, drive back to Tekes County for accommodation.

Day 10 Tekes – Kuitun City (B, L)

Highlights: Highlights of today: Dushanzi Grand Canyon

Today you will drive about 600 km (about 8 hrs) to Kuitun city for accommodation, and visit Dushanzi Grand Canyon which is only about 40km from Kuitun City. The river of melted snow water flowed down from Tianshan Mountains into the Dushanzi plain, curved the plain like a sword and created a 200-meter-deep canyon. The river beds at the bottom of the canyon is 100400 meters wide, while the widths of the shoulders of the canyons from one side to another are unbelievable 800m1000m. Standing along the cliff side of the canyon, one can look down upon on the river winding in the canyon, also stretch eyesight from the vast plain to the towering snow mountains of Tianshan. It is truly a visual feast. (To enrich travelers’ experience, there are some outdoor activities are held in the scenic area, such as glass bridge, rope bridge, archery, etc. These activities need extra costs if you want to try.)

Accommodate in Kuitun city.

Day 11 Kuitun – Urumqi Departure (B, L)

Highlights: Urumqi airport/train station drop off

After breakfast, drive about 240 km (about 3 hrs) to Urumqi to catch your flight/train to next destination. Your memorable Xinjiang tour ends.

What’s Included

• Professional licensed English-speaking guide
• Admission tickets for all attractions listed in the itinerary
• Accommodation as listed in the itinerary
• Necessary vehicle transfers as listed in the itinerary
• Airport (and train station) pick up and drop off
• Luggage Transfers: between airports (railway station) and hotels
• All meals as listed(“B” for Chinese and Western breakfast buffet in your hotel; “L” for Chinese Lunch in local restaurant; “D” for Chinese dinner in local restaurant.)
• Accident insurance
• Our service charge, including tour planning, handling, operational and communication charges.

Not Included

• China visa
• Personal expenses
• Accommodation not listed in the itinerary
• Single Room Supplement
• Tourist sites which are not listed in the itinerary
• Recommended optional activities
• Excess Baggage Charges
• Optional tips to guides, drivers, etc. Our tours are equipped with local English and Chinese guides at each destination, and in a few cities, multilingual guides in German, Spanish, French, and other languages are available (e.g., in popular tourist cities like Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai). They are not only warm and friendly but also knowledgeable and well-informed.
• Upon arrival, a patient and punctual guide will meet you at the exit with a sign and then guide you to explore the city at your own pace. They will provide professional explanations and introductions, showcasing the local culture, history, customs, and authentic local life. Throughout the trip, they are not only meticulous and professional guides but also helpful travel companions, dedicated to ensuring you explore the city in a comfortable and elegant way. Make your trip unforgettable! Choose our private group tours or small group tours for a comfortable, relaxing, and worry-free experience!
• Group tours mean you’ll travel by tour bus to various attractions within the same city. Groups are typically 2-16 people, and we’ll arrange vehicles with 5-38 seats depending on the group size. Our buses are spacious and comfortable, with ample luggage space. For transportation between the two locations, we’ll arrange domestic flights (economy class) or high-speed trains (second class, usually no more than 6 hours). A local driver will pick you up at the airport/train station and escort you to your hotel.

Pricing Note

Final pricing is tailored to your travel dates, party size, hotel preferences and confirmed services. Your proposal will clearly list every included and excluded item.

Travel Tips

Pack comfortable walking shoes and clothing suited to the season. Keep your passport available on travel days, and tell your planner about mobility or dietary needs before departure.

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