July in Xinjiang will definitely refresh your imagination of summer!
The beauty of Xinjiang is half hidden in the secret realms of Northern Xinjiang.
It's truly worth visiting once in a lifetime!
Flying over 3000+ kilometers from Guangzhou, everywhere there feels like a dream.
Grasslands, lakes, canyons, highways, stunning landscapes—
every frame captured looks like a movie 🎬
Sharing my 8-day Northern Xinjiang loop itinerary, only 4k per person!
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🚗 Itinerary:
D1: Guangzhou ➠ Urumqi
As the transit hub of Xinjiang, Urumqi is recommended to stay for half a day or a full day. It’s really great for food, shopping, and photography!
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D2: Urumqi ➠ Tianshan Tianchi ➠ S21 Desert Highway ➠ Altay City
A 1.5-hour drive from Urumqi takes you to the legendary "Queen Mother of the West’s Jade Pool" - Tianshan Tianchi.
Then head to Altay City, passing through Burqin and the S21 Desert Highway, crossing the Gurbantunggut Desert. The spectacular and breathtaking views on both sides of the highway!
Don’t forget to climb to the top of the Camel Hump Scenic Area to see the night view. I really fell in love with Altay’s blue hour…🌃
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D3: Altay City ➠ Kanas
Morning stroll in Altay city center:
✔️ Five Hundred Li Style Street ✔️ Altay’s Corner Travel Bookstore
✔️ Corner Little Travel Café ✔️ Kuran River
Arrive in the afternoon at the divine backyard - Kanas, which includes Guanyuatai, Sanwan, Kanas Lake, and Baihaba. Spend half a day visiting Kanas Lake and Guanyuatai. I also found a lesser-known spot with a stunning view of Kanas Lake, just a few hundred meters from the Kanas Visitor Center towards the bridge!
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D4: Kanas ➠ Huyanghe City
Morning tour of Kanas’s three bays: Fairy Bay, Moon Bay, and Wolong Bay. The most beautiful bay is Moon Bay, where you can capture the full S-shaped curve up close! The hiking trail from Moon Bay to Wolong Bay is also amazing!
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D5: Huyanghe City ➠ Around Sailimu Lake ➠ Guozigou Bridge ➠ Yining
The blue of Sailimu Lake is breathtaking. Kele Yongzhu and Songshutou are the best photo spots. In the evening, pass the spectacular Guozigou Bridge and arrive in Yining City.
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D6: Yining ➠ Nalati
Nalati is known as the crown of the Ili grasslands! The aerial grassland is the essence of Nalati!
🍃 The best photo spots are at nomadic homes. The popular bridge is there too, but you may need to queue for half an hour. You can continue walking up from the popular bridge for fewer people and more beautiful scenery!
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D7: Nalati ➠ Tangbula ➠ Duku Highway ➠ Urumqi
Depart from Nalati to Duku Highway, passing Tangbula, with grasslands and streams on both sides, full of beautiful scenery. Not far from the Qiaorma Service Area, we discovered a hidden gem - the Kashgar River S-bend, stunning and free!
This highway, known as "China’s most beautiful highway," shows four seasons in one day, passing through canyons, Blue Heart Lake, waterfalls, grasslands, and snow-capped mountains—super beautiful!
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D8: Urumqi ➠ Guangzhou
On the return trip, you can still explore Urumqi. For food, visit Hetian Second Street, which is lively at night! For shopping, go to Jinquan Mall, and for specialties, visit Hongshan Dried Fruit Market.
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✨ Travel tips:
🔸 Xinjiang has large temperature differences between day and night and is dry, so bring windproof jackets, sunscreen, and moisturizing products.
🔸 Xinjiang is vast, so it’s recommended to rent a car or self-drive. Driving every day can be tiring, so this time I tried a group tour for the Northern Xinjiang loop and unexpectedly found a treasure small group "Shouju Qu Na’er." It’s a flexible and free 6-person small group with peers, pure play for 8 days, only 4k+ per person with great cost performance!!