Xinjiang 11-Day Self-Driving Tour Itinerary Sharing

The 11-day self-driving tour in Xinjiang concluded perfectly, covering a total distance of 3000 kilometers, including the full version of the Yizhao Highway and the Duku Highway, with breathtaking scenery along the way. On the first day, we landed at Urumqi Diwopu Airport at 10 PM and picked up the self-driving car. On the second day, we visited the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum to see the Loulan Beauty. It is recommended to book a guide in advance. In the afternoon, we went to Tianchi Lake in the Tianshan Mountains, took the cable car to Ma Ya Mountain, and climbed to the third platform to see a different view from below. On the way back, we saw a big wild boar with four or five little wild boars running through the forest, which was very cute. We returned to Urumqi to stay overnight and visited the Grand Bazaar in the evening. On the third day, we set off from Urumqi and arrived at Anjihai Grand Canyon at noon. Walking along the edge of the cliff, there was a bottomless abyss beneath our feet. We drove from the top of the canyon along a small road to the bottom, where the scenery was different. If the car is in good condition, you can drive deeper, where there are landforms similar to Dushanzi Grand Canyon, but you must return the same way. From Anjihai, we drove on the highway to Sayram Lake and stayed at a hotel by the lake. On the fourth day, we toured Sayram Lake. Although the flowers by the lake were not as good as in previous years, the lake was still beautiful. The most impressive thing was a slope opposite a pavilion at Sayram Lake, covered with succulents, which is not seen in other grasslands. We took a boat ride on the lake at Dianjiangtai, enjoying some candied fruits and a cup of tea, which was very leisurely and comfortable. At Swan Lake, we encountered a family of six swans and fed them some biscuits. One swan pecked my leg, mistaking the flowers on my skirt for food. After leaving Sayram Lake, we crossed the Guozigou Bridge to the Lavender Farm in Huocheng. There is a restaurant by the farm that makes delicious barbecue and whitefish. After checking in at the lavender farm, we drove to Horgos to visit the fifth-generation national gate. We stayed in Yining overnight. On the fifth day, we set off from Yining and drove along the Yizhao Highway to the Xiata Ancient Trail National Forest Park. The Yizhao Highway is beautiful, a condensed version of the Duku Highway, and worth driving. We passed by the Zhaosu Wetland Park. If you catch the Tianma Bathing River performance, you can stop and watch it. Unfortunately, we missed the performance time. After entering Xiata by shuttle bus, we rode horses to the deepest part of the Xiata Ancient Trail, where there were wildflowers everywhere, and we were very close to the snow-capped mountains. The sunset cast a unique golden-red glow on the snow-capped mountains. On the way out of Xiata, we saw three cute marmots by the roadside. We stayed in Tekesi overnight. On the sixth day, we set off from Tekesi to the Kalajun Grassland. This grassland is divided into grassland and canyon scenic areas. You can buy a joint ticket or separate tickets. Personally, I think the best scenery in Kalajun is at the third stop, which is best seen on horseback as walking is too tiring. The canyon is where you can see the Human Body Grassland, which looks like four reclining beauties if you look closely. We stayed by the Nalati Grassland overnight. On the seventh day, we planned to visit the Nalati Grassland, but it started raining, so we changed our plan and drove to Kuqa via the Duku Highway. We stopped along the way to enjoy the scenery, experiencing four seasons in one journey. We also rode horses freely on the grassland for a while, costing 80 yuan per hour. The highland mangoes in the Bayinbuluke area are not sweet and not recommended. We originally planned to visit the Tianshan Mysterious Grand Canyon, but it was raining when we passed by, so we didn't stop and went straight to Kuqa. The scenery at the checkpoint at the end of the Duku Highway is beautiful, and you can go up to the viewing platform to see the unique landforms of southern Xinjiang. In the evening, you can watch performances and visit the night market in Kuqa. On the eighth day, we set off from Kuqa and stayed in Bayinbuluke overnight. In the morning, we visited the Kuqa Palace and the old street, which were not very interesting, and we quickly finished the tour. Then we drove back along the Duku Highway to visit the Mysterious Grand Canyon, which is worth seeing. It is recommended to use camels for the round trip. We passed by Dalong Pool, took a photo outside, and didn't go in. Then we headed straight to Bayinbuluke to watch the sunset. The Bayinbuluke Wetland Grassland is very beautiful, especially at sunset. Although we didn't see the Nine Suns in a Row, we did see four, five, and six suns. After watching the sunset, we slid down the grass, which was very fun. On the ninth day, we set off from Bayinbuluke to visit the Nalati Grassland, drove along the Duku Highway to Tangbula, and stayed in the Tangbula Hundred Mile Gallery overnight. We couldn't book the self-driving ticket for the Nalati Grassland, so we chose the route to the Sky Grassland, going all the way to the top of Snow Lotus Valley. There wasn't any stunning scenery, but we encountered hail and ran down. This scenic area was very crowded, and the traffic outside was terrible. On the tenth day, we woke up to find the camp we stayed in was beautiful, with wildflowers outside the window and beautiful snow-capped mountains in the distance, which was very healing and made up for the disappointment of the previous day. In the morning, we visited the Hundred Mile Gallery to the Fairy Lake scenic spot. The round trip on horseback was a bit long but not monotonous, with cows, sheep, and horses grazing leisurely along the way, and occasionally fat marmots popping out, which were very cute. When we arrived at Fairy Lake, we found it truly fairy-like. After visiting Fairy Lake, we drove along the Duku Highway to Dushanzi, passing by the Hashilegen Ice Daban, where we stayed for over an hour, played in the snow, and had some food. We stayed in Dushanzi overnight. On the eleventh day, we woke up naturally and visited the Dushanzi Grand Canyon. The scenery in the entire scenic area is not as good as Anjihai, but there are many amusement facilities, and the high-altitude tightrope walking performance is very exciting. The glass bridge is worth a visit. After visiting Dushanzi, we returned to Urumqi Diwopu Airport, returned the car, and flew back home.