4.23 Urumqi Tianshan Tianchi Spring Outing Day Trip

4.23 Urumqi Tianshan Tianchi Spring Outing Day Trip ☀️ The weather was especially nice, and Tianchi (Heavenly Lake) was beautiful. The mountains were a bit bare this season, but they had their own unique charm. I saw online guides for both full-day and half-day trips when taking notes, but worried about arriving too late, so I chose to complete it in one day. ———timeline——— 🚙 8:05 Boarded at You Da Hotel, then departed for the scenic area 🚙 10:10 Arrived at the first stop: Fei Lan Tian Xia (Flying View) I hadn't planned for this originally, but when choosing my tour I selected the direct shuttle to the scenic area (no vehicle changes), which was 37 yuan more expensive than tours with transfers. I thought if the weather changed, I could leave extra clothes in the car. However, the guide called a day before saying there weren't enough people for a group, so it changed to a regular tour. I could either get a refund for the difference or visit Fei Lan Tian Xia. I didn't want to bother with the refund so I joined the activity. The 7D experience was decent, just too short. It's basically an extended version of Disney's Soarin'. Worth it for 30 yuan since it's only about 10 minutes, but definitely not worth it if priced at 100 yuan. 🚙 10:35 Back to the bus continuing to the scenic area 🚙 10:52 Arrived at the main entrance, guide bought tickets, security check, then transferred to the green shuttle buses 🚙 11:25 Visited the Kazakh Folk Custom Park. I didn't participate in the activities, just wandered around the perimeter. The trees were still a bit bare but beautiful. Felt like searching for Korok seeds in Zelda! You can grab some food and use the restroom here. Time passed quickly. 🚙 12:20 Gathered and headed to the actual Tianchi. Sit on the right side to see Little Tianchi and the "Queen Mother's Foot Basin" 🚙 12:50 Reached the shuttle bus terminal, walked to Haibei Visitor Center (there's a 10 yuan scenic shuttle, but unnecessary as it's a short walk) 🚙 13:01 Reached the lakeside, guide explained the routes, then we dispersed to explore 🚙 I debated but decided to take the cable car for 220 yuan (since I was already there). 100 yuan for the shuttle (minibus) and 120 yuan for the cable car, including a meal. The shuttle ride was about 9 kilometers with many curves, taking around 15 minutes 🚙 13:40 Reached the top via cable car. It's a bit overpriced for just 6-7 minutes, but climbing would be quite tiring as it's very steep 🚙 Then started climbing to the second platform, which was quite exhausting. From there you can see the snow-capped Bogda Peak and the full view of Tianchi up close 🚙 After finishing, took the cable car down and the shuttle back to the lake area 🚙 Had a meal at the Haibei Visitor Center, included with the cable car ticket. Eight options to choose from - I had "Gang Gang Rou" with three large pieces of lamb 🚙 Then strolled around, took photos at Tianchi, and walked toward the Queen Mother Temple where you can see the "Sea-Calming Needle" (a 600-year-old tree) 🚙 5:20 Gathered and walked back to the shuttle station (10 minutes) 🚙 Took the shuttle back, about 40 minutes 🚙 Changed to the coach at the parking lot and returned to Nanhai Mingzhu Hotel, dispersing around 7:30 ❤️ I was lucky to see a little squirrel today, but only managed to photograph its behind while hurrying to catch up with the guide