Northern Xinjiang 9-Day Tour | Kanas + Hemu + Sayram Lake + Nalati + Bayanbulak + Duku Highway 9 Days 8 Nights Group Tour

Welcome to beautiful Xinjiang! After airport pickup, you will be transferred to the hotel to rest, and then enjoy free time. If time permits, you may visit recommended attractions on your own (separate vehicle use not included). 【Warm Tips】 1. Xinjiang is very large, and the drive between attractions is long. Travel is very physically demanding, so please prepare some food or snacks for unexpected needs 2. Keep your mobile phone reachable before departure. The butler or driver will contact you in advance.

06:30-08:30 The driver will pick you up at each group member's hotel in turn at the time agreed upon the night before 08:30-14:00 After leaving Urumqi, drive all the way north along the highway across the vast expanse of northern Xinjiang 14:00-15:00 Around noon, pass through the oil city of Karamay, where a self-arranged lunch will be scheduled in due course. Recommended are simple Xinjiang-style meals such as banmian (mixed noodles) and pilaf 15:00-20:00 After lunch, continue on the road, passing at times through the Gobi desert, at times across grasslands, with wind turbines visible outside the windows 20:00-21:00 In the evening, head to [Five-Colored Beach], a peculiar river beach of the Irtysh River, which flows into the Arctic Ocean. The south bank features lush trees and grasslands, while the north bank is a brilliantly colored Yardang desert. Each side of the river has its own wonders, and it is known as God's overturned palette 21:00-22:00 After sightseeing, return to Burqin County town. After checking in at the hotel, enjoy free time. Recommended to visit the night market and taste specialty cold-water fish, grilled mutton skewers and other local snacks, paired with beer or kvass. [Warm Tips] 1. Morning pickups are scattered across hotels and take a long time, so please wait for the vehicle on time as agreed 2. Today's driving distance is long; it is recommended to prepare snacks and drinking water 3. Tourist vehicles are monitored by GPS speed control throughout the journey, with a maximum driving time of 4 hours, after which a 20-minute rest stop is mandatory. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation for safety 4. There are many mosquitoes at Five-Colored Beach Scenic Area. Please prepare mosquito protection when visiting, fully equipped with floral water, insect repellent spray, hat and scarf 5. At the Burqin night market, it is advisable to agree on prices before ordering 6. Tomorrow you will stay inside the scenic area. Tonight, please sort your luggage: pack essentials in your carry-on backpack, and put other unnecessary items in your suitcase to be temporarily left on the vehicle.

08:00-12:00 Get up early and drive to Kanas. After entering the Altai Mountains, outside the window are grasslands and giant rocks 12:00-14:00 Arrive at the Jiadengyu Ticket Center, buy tickets, and transfer to the shuttle bus to enter [Kanas Scenic Area]. As the scenery gradually improves, you can enjoy dense forests. Passing Wolong Bay, the outline of the small island in the river resembles a lying stegosaurus; at Moon Bay, overlook a huge footprint left in the crescent-shaped river bend; at Shenxian Bay, the water sparkles like shimmering pearls; at Yazhe Lake, waterbirds such as wild ducks and swans can often be seen 14:00-15:00 Arrive at the Kanas Transfer Center, where restaurants nearby are available for lunch 15:00-20:00 After lunch, enjoy free time. At the Kanas Transfer Center, you can choose to visit in two directions: one route leads to the Kanas Lakeside Pier (no extra charge, about 10 minutes by car one way); you can stand by the lake to see the beautiful lake surrounded by mountains, or buy a boat ticket at the pier to go boating on the lake; the second route leads to Fish Watching Platform (separate ticket required, 20 yuan/person, about 30 minutes one way); the shuttle bus goes to the mountainside, then walk up 1,068 steps to stand at the highest point of Kanas and take in the panoramic view of the entire lake and distant mountains 20:00-21:00 After the tour, gather at the Transfer Center at the agreed time and go to Jiadengyu Hotel to rest. After the crowds recede, listen to the waves of pine trees, watch weary birds return to their nests, and at night enjoy the brilliant starry sky. [Warm Tips] 1. There are many mountain roads today; tourists prone to carsickness should prepare medicine in advance 2. When there are large numbers of visitors in the scenic area, queuing for shuttle buses may take about 1-2 hours. Remember to sit on the left side of the shuttle bus to see more beautiful scenery.

10:00-11:00 After breakfast, gather at Jiadengyu 11:00-14:00 Head to [Hemu Scenic Area]. The beautiful scenery along the mountain road is endless, and you can stop at safe viewpoints to take photos 14:00-16:00 Transfer to the shuttle bus at the scenic area ticket office to enter. Upon arriving at Hemu Village, go to the wooden cabin to check in and have lunch 16:00-20:00 After putting down your luggage, you have free time to explore. Instagram-worthy photo spots include the birch forest, Hemu Bridge, Hemu River, and the road running through the village. You can check in at Hemu Bridge, stroll through the birch forest by the river, wander through the ancient village, or find a corner suitable for relaxing on a leisurely afternoon—rustic wooden cabins, warm sunshine, rare beautiful scenery, a cup of coffee, and so on~ Take a brief moment to unwind and enjoy this leisurely time. [Warm Tips] 1. Large temperature differences between morning and evening in mountainous areas 2. After mid-September, there may be snowfall in mountainous areas, and traffic police controls may affect the itinerary. Please prioritize safety and cooperate with the driver.

07:00-09:00 Beautiful scenery is left for those who rise early. Before sunrise, walk up to the viewing platform to see the 【Panorama of Hemu】. The primitive village slowly awakens from sleep, and you can capture the beautiful scenery in your camera 11:00-13:00 Leave Hemu by vehicle and head south all the way to Urho; along the way, go to Burqin to enjoy lunch on your own 14:00-15:00 Lunch at your own expense. Recommended simple Xinjiang-style meals such as mixed noodles and pilaf 15:00-19:00 In the afternoon, when the sun is no longer scorching, arrive at 【Urho World Devil City】 19:00-20:30 After purchasing tickets, transfer to a special small train to enter for sightseeing. The open carriages are convenient for taking photos. Following the audio guide, you can view from afar shapes resembling an eagle spreading its wings rushing toward you, some resembling a heavenly dog gazing at the moon with remarkable likeness, and some resembling the Titanic, spectacular to behold 20:30-22:00 After touring Devil City, head to Urho/Karamay to check in at the hotel. After enduring two nights of wooden cabins with poor conditions, check in at the hotel to rest and relieve fatigue 【Warm Tips】 1. In mountainous areas, the temperature difference between morning and evening is large. When climbing the viewing platform in the morning, wear thick clothes, and be careful of slippery steps 2. Devil City has a dry climate. During the visit, pay attention to sun protection and hydration. In case of strong winds, the scenic area will stop receiving visitors. For your safety, please cooperate 3. Today's dinner and accommodation time are relatively late, so please prepare snacks and drinking water in advance

08:00-14:00 After breakfast, drive all the way west. The vehicle will pass through vast fertile farmland and you can also see the expansive desert 14:00-15:00 When passing near the Wutai Service Area in Jinghe County, have lunch. Recommended to try the specialty mixed stew soup 15:00-16:00 After passing Bortala, enter a climbing highway of several dozen kilometers. At the top of the slope, a blue lake appears—that is the beautiful [Sayram Lake]. The blue of the lake water attracts everyone, yet it cannot be seen through at a glance. You must tour around the lake to get close to it 16:00-19:30 After purchasing tickets at the ticket station, take a business van for a self-driving tour around Sayram Lake, allowing more freedom for photos. Stops along the way offer views of the alpine lake scenery 19:30-22:00 After the Sayram Lake tour, drive into the Fruit Valley. The spectacular [Fruit Valley Bridge] winds through the mountains like a giant dragon. The vehicle passes through tunnels and onto the high bridge, with scenery changing at every turn as you drive through the Fruit Valley. After leaving the Fruit Valley, the view suddenly opens up. Continue to Yining city hotel and check in upon arrival. [Warm Tips] 1. Today's driving distance is long. There are service areas on the highway, so it is recommended to bring an appropriate amount of snacks and drinking water 2. Inside Sayram Lake Scenic Area, visitors uniformly take the scenic area shuttle bus; the driver cannot accompany you. If you need a chartered vehicle tour, an additional fee must be paid to the driver 3. The Fruit Valley Bridge is on a highway and stopping is not allowed at will. The driver will slow down as much as possible for you to take photos and videos

08:00-13:30 Depart Yining by car in the morning for Nalati; upon arrival, have lunch in the town 14:30-17:00 Enter 【Nalati Sky Grassland Scenic Area】 to sightsee, enjoy the grassland scenery, experience the nomadic lifestyle, and optionally pay to try horseback riding, galloping across the vast grassland; if the Sky Grassland cannot be visited due to rain, it will be adjusted to the River Valley Grassland 17:00-18:30 Head to Bayanbulak 18:30-21:00 Enter 【Bayanbulak Grassland】 by self-driving business car to sightsee; the grassland rises and falls with the hills, presenting a spectacular scene like green waves and sea billows. Among the many waters, Swan Lake is the most famous—this is China's first swan nature reserve, where swans, wild geese, terns and other waterfowl can often be seen; at the famous Nine Bends and Eighteen Turns, at sunset you can see the wonder of nine suns reflected in the river bends. Afterward, head to the hotel to rest. 【Warm Tips】 1. For paid horseback riding on the grassland, be sure to contact a legitimate horse team, follow the horse handler's instructions, and pay attention to safety 2. When touring the grassland, there are many mosquitoes, so you must bring long sleeves, long pants, a hat, a gauze scarf, floral water and essential balm; be sure to take protective measures.

08:00-13:00 Today we travel along the [Northern Section of the Duku Highway], cutting through the Tianshan Mountains and experiencing the charm of this scenic highway, a veritable monument in the history of Chinese road-building, known as the "Road of Heroes"; along the way there are vast, beautiful grasslands, towering cloud-shrouded snow-capped mountains, a 100-meter snow shelter corridor, and endless beautiful scenery and photo opportunities. 13:00-14:00 At midday we arrive at the Qiao'erma Service Area for lunch. The martyrs' cemetery here holds the spirits of the 168 soldiers who sacrificed their lives building the Duku Highway, and it is also where the story of "People Who Moved China" figure Chen Jungui, who guarded his comrades' graves for over thirty years, is told. You may choose to pay your respects according to your own feelings. 14:00-19:00 Afterwards we continue along the highway through high mountains and deep valleys, and after leaving the mountain roads we pass through the Dushanzi urban area. 19:00-22:00 We return to the expressway and travel smoothly back to Urumqi, where the tour disbands, bringing a pleasant Northern Xinjiang journey to an end. [Special Notes on the Duku Highway] The Duku Highway is affected by seasonal weather and is only open from June to the end of September each year. Even during the open period, rain, snow or landslides may cause temporary road closures. During closure and control periods, we can only take a detour back; the additional vehicle costs, fuel costs and driver service fees are all borne by the travel agency, with no further charges to tourists and no refunds of any kind. Additional food and accommodation costs, train tickets or plane tickets incurred by tourists due to force majeure factors such as road closures must be borne by the tourists themselves. [Warm Tips] 1. The Duku Highway is a mountain road with fairly good conditions, but it has many curves and narrow sections and easily causes motion sickness, so please prepare motion sickness medicine in advance. 2. Stopping at will is not allowed on mountain roads; the driver will make appropriate photo stops at safe viewpoints. 3. The Duku Highway reaches altitudes of over 3,000 meters, so please prepare thick clothing in advance as temperatures drop. 4. Because the Duku Highway is subject to weather conditions, as a rule it is only passable from June to mid-September each year. In case of special weather, the local traffic control department will impose road closures to ensure safety. If the road is closed, the Duku Highway cannot be used and we can only take a detour back to Urumqi, which will increase both driving distance and time. Option 1: return along National Highway G218 via Hejing County. Option 2: if National Highway G218 is also closed, we can only return via the Narat and Yining direction, and it will be impossible to reach Urumqi that day. You may fly from Narat Airport, or leave the tour by plane or train in Yining. As road closures are force majeure factors, any train or plane ticket costs incurred must be borne by the tourists themselves; if you need to return by vehicle the next day, food and accommodation costs for that day are at the tourist's own expense.

After breakfast, airport transfer will be arranged according to flight time. Happy times always pass quickly, and the day has come for us to say goodbye. We hope this short trip to Xinjiang leaves you with beautiful memories, and we look forward to meeting you again~ 【Warm Tips】 1. Please confirm that your belongings are packed and carried completely to avoid causing yourself trouble due to omissions. 2. Guests with afternoon or evening flights, please complete check-out procedures before 14:00 Beijing time. Any additional charges incurred due to late check-out will be at your own expense (be sure to check your belongings again before leaving the hotel, and do not leave anything behind in the hotel).