10-Day Northern Xinjiang Private Tour: Desert Highways, Kanas, Grasslands, and Lakes

Welcome to Urumqi, the gateway to Xinjiang. Upon arrival, your driver will meet you at the airport or railway station and transfer you to your hotel in Urumqi or Changji.

The rest of the day is at leisure for you to rest and prepare for the journey ahead.

After breakfast, depart Urumqi and travel north along the scenic S21 Desert Highway, crossing the vast landscapes of the Junggar Basin. The route offers striking views of desert plains, open horizons, and the dramatic emptiness that defines much of northern Xinjiang.

Along the way, enjoy views of Ulungur Lake, one of the region’s notable inland lakes, before continuing to Haishang Mogui City. This distinctive landscape combines lakeside scenery with dramatic wind-eroded formations, creating one of the most unusual and photogenic settings in northern Xinjiang.

After the visit, continue to Beitun for the night.

After breakfast, travel to Wucaitan (Five-Colored Beach), where vividly colored landforms rise above the banks of the Erqis River. The contrast between river, rock, and open sky makes this one of the most visually distinctive stops in the region.

Continue onward to Hemu Village, one of the most picturesque settlements in northern Xinjiang. Surrounded by birch forests, rivers, grasslands, and distant mountains, Hemu is famed for its wooden houses and quiet frontier atmosphere.

After the visit, transfer to Jiadengyu or Heiliutan for the night.

Today, enter the celebrated Kanas Scenic Area, one of the most iconic destinations in Xinjiang. Explore the famous Three Bays—including Shenxian Bay, Moon Bay, and Wolong Bay—as well as the beautiful Kanas Lake, whose forested shores and mountain backdrop give the area its legendary appeal.

With its alpine scenery, changing light, and deep sense of remoteness, Kanas is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful natural landscapes in China.

After the visit, leave the scenic area and transfer to Urho or Karamay for the night.

After breakfast, continue southward and begin traveling along the northern section of the Duku Highway, one of Xinjiang’s most scenic mountain roads. As the journey progresses, the landscapes shift dramatically from dry plains and open road scenery to river valleys, mountain slopes, and greener alpine terrain.

Arrive in Nalati Town in the evening and check in at your hotel.

After breakfast, enjoy an in-depth visit to Nalati Grassland, one of the finest alpine grassland landscapes in the Ili River Valley. Broad meadows, forested slopes, distant snow peaks, and open skies combine to create one of northern Xinjiang’s most celebrated pastoral settings.

Later, continue toward Yining. During the flowering season, a stop may be arranged at a local lavender field or plantation area, where the purple fields add a different visual charm to the journey.

Overnight in Yining.

After breakfast, travel to Sayram Lake, often called the “last tear of the Atlantic.” Surrounded by mountains and grasslands, the lake is admired for its clear blue waters, highland scenery, and wide-open sense of space.

Take time to enjoy the lake views before continuing eastward. Depending on the overall pace of the tour, overnight stay will be arranged in Kuitun or Changji.

After breakfast, visit Heavenly Lake (Tianchi), one of Xinjiang’s most famous natural attractions. Set amid the mountains of the Tianshan range, the lake offers a graceful combination of still water, forested slopes, and high mountain scenery.

After the visit, return to Changji or Urumqi for the night.

After breakfast, travel to Turpan, where the landscapes and atmosphere differ markedly from those of northern Xinjiang. Here, arid basin scenery, oasis settlements, and Silk Road heritage create a distinctive desert-region character.

Visit the Flaming Mountains, famous for their red sandstone ridges and intense summer heat, and continue to the Karez irrigation system, an ingenious ancient water project adapted to the harsh dry climate of the region.

After the tour, return to Urumqi or Changji for your final night.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport or railway station for your onward journey.

Your journey concludes today, leaving you with unforgettable memories of northern Xinjiang’s desert highways, mountain lakes, forests, grasslands, and vast open landscapes.