16-Day Itinerary for Ili + Southern Xinjiang + Duku Highway

Northern Xinjiang: The area north of Tianshan, mainly Altay and Ili regions, is primarily known for its natural scenery. Southern Xinjiang: The area south of Tianshan, mainly including Aksu, Hotan, and Kashgar, is primarily known for its cultural attractions. Travel Tips for Xinjiang: It is generally recommended to land at Urumqi Diwopu Airport, which has many flights. Choose according to your actual situation. Due to the large temperature difference between day and night in Xinjiang, it is advised to bring warm clothing. Xinjiang has strong ultraviolet radiation, so be sure to protect yourself from the sun. 4 Xinjiang is quite dry, so bring skincare products and moisturizers. 5 Some people may experience altitude sickness in the area around Taxkorgan in Kashgar. It's usually sufficient to bring an oxygen bottle there; other places generally do not have this issue. —— Itinerary: Day 1 Warm Home—Urumqi Day 2 Urumqi—Sayram Lake Day 3 Sayram Lake—Lavender Base—Kazanqi Folk Culture Village—Ili Day 4 Ili—Yining-Zhaosu Highway—Xiate Ancient Trail—Zhaosu Day 5 Zhaosu—Qiongkushitai—Tekes Day 6 Tekes—Kalajun Grassland—Kuokesu Grand Canyon—Xinyuan Day 7 Xinyuan—Nalati Grassland—Bayinbuluke Day 8 Bayinbuluke—Duku Highway—Small and Large Dragon Pools—Tianshan Mysterious Grand Canyon—Kuqa Day 9 Kuqa—Taklamakan River Bund—Tarim River Bridge—Shaya Devil's Forest—Aral Day 10 Aral—Desert Highway—Jiaohe Ancient City—Hotan Day 11 Hotan—Yarkand Prefecture—Yerqiang Khan Mausoleum—Kashgar Day 12 Kashgar Old City—Id Kah Mosque—Century-Old Teahouse Day 13 Kashgar—White Sand Mountain—White Sand Lake—Karakul Lake—Tashkurgan Day 14 Taxkorgan—Pamir Ancient Trail—Bandier Lake—Golden Grassland Stone City—Taxkorgan Day 15 Tashkurgan—Oytagh Red Mountain—Oytagh Glacier Park—Kashgar Day 16 Kashgar—Warm Home Precautions Xinjiang has a time difference of about two hours from mainland China, and Urumqi is one of the cities furthest from the sea in the world. In Xinjiang, lamb skewers are not called lamb skewers but roasted meat; chili peppers are called 'lazi', onions are called 'piya', and potatoes are called 'yangyu'. Xinjiang's climate is very dry, so remember to bring your sunglasses, lip balm, sunscreen, body lotion, hydrating face masks, and a thermos.