5–8 days
Northern Xinjiang: Kanas, Hemu & Turpan (5–8 Days)
The definitive northern loop: Heavenly Lake, the rainbow shores of the Irtysh, Kanas Lake's impossible blues, …
Day by Day
Day 1
Arrive Urumqi
Airport pickup and an easy landing day: the International Grand Bazaar's naan ovens and dried-fruit mountains, then a night-market dinner. Urumqi sits at a gentle 800 metres — no altitude worries.
Day 2
Heavenly Lake
Day trip to Tianchi: boardwalks and an optional cruise on the glacier-blue lake beneath 5,445-metre Bogda Peak. Back to Urumqi for the night.
Day 3
North to Burqin
Fly or drive north toward the Altay mountains (flying saves ~600 km of highway). Sunset at Wucai Tan 'Rainbow Beach', where wind-carved badlands burn red and violet over the Irtysh River.
Day 4
Kanas Lake
The Kanas valley in full: the three famous river bends — Crouching Dragon, Moon Bay, Fairy Bay — then the lake itself stretching toward Siberia. Overnight near the park.
Day 5
Hemu Village
Pre-dawn drive to the Hemu viewing hill for the classic morning: mist, woodsmoke and golden light braiding over Tuvan log cabins. Afternoon return to Burqin.
Day 6
The Long Road West
A big travel day south then west via Karamay to Sayram Lake — desert, wind farms and the Tianshan wall growing on the horizon. Arrive for the lake's famous late-day light.
Day 7
Sayram Lake & Guozigou
A slow morning on the shore of Xinjiang's largest alpine lake — 458 square kilometres of improbable blue at 2,000 metres — then down through the soaring Guozigou canyon bridge to Yining for the night.
Day 8
Nalati Grassland
East into the Ili valley to Nalati: alpine meadows rolling to the snowline, Kazakh herders moving flocks between yurts, horses everywhere. Optional riding for any skill level.
Day 9
Bayinbuluke
One of the world's great high grasslands: the Swan Lake wetlands and the nine-bend river that catches the sunset in a chain of silver loops — the region's most famous photograph, earned at 2,400 metres.
Day 10
The Duku Highway
North along the fabled mountain road that stitches the Tianshan together — hairpins, canyon walls and the red rock of Dushanzi Grand Canyon at the far end. One of the most spectacular drives in China, full stop. Overnight back toward Urumqi.
Day 11
Turpan
The Silk Road day: the 2,000-year-old raw-earth city of Jiaohe, the ingenious Karez underground channels, the Flaming Mountains and the grape valley — all 154 metres below sea level. Return to Urumqi.
Day 12
Departure
A last bazaar errand or lazy morning, then airport drop-off. If your flight is late, Urumqi's museum (home of the famous Tarim mummies) fills the gap perfectly.
Route notes: The Duku Highway opens roughly June to early October; outside that window we reroute via the expressway and the loop still works. Distances are serious — several 300–500 km days — which is exactly what a dedicated driver is for. September combines golden Kanas with mild grassland weather but books out early; hotels and the Burqin flights are things we help arrange.
What's Included
Included (per day)
- Private car & professional driver
- Fuel, highway tolls & parking
- Driver's meals & accommodation
- Route planning & WhatsApp support
Not included
- Your hotels (we'll suggest & help book)
- Attraction tickets & your meals
- Optional English-speaking guide
- Flights / trains to the start city
Good to Know
How does multi-day pricing work?
One transparent day-rate per car covers the vehicle, driver, fuel, tolls, parking and the driver's own room and meals. You pay for exactly the days you use — no hidden 'empty return' charges.
Can we change the route mid-trip?
Within reason, yes — that's the point of a private journey. Linger an extra hour at a viewpoint, swap an afternoon, add a village your guidebook flagged: agree it with your driver and our team and the plan bends.
