8-Day Intensive Itinerary in Ili, Xinjiang｜Independent Travel Guide

Quit my job at the end of June and headed to Ili before the July peak season. Not too crowded, prices didn’t rise, and the whole trip was done by public transport plus carpooling. Didn’t join any tour groups; here’s the guide I made for everyone’s reference～ 🚗 About Transportation: Not as hard as imagined Although Xinjiang’s attractions are far apart, public transportation is quite convenient. We used public transport for the first four days. There are many minibuses outside the stations, and you can also ask the homestay owners in advance to help arrange carpooling (they have groups to help find passengers). 🍜 Daily Itinerary 🌟Day 1 Urumqi → Bole After landing, I first had a bowl of mixed noodles, very filling and satisfying with carbs. In the afternoon, took the high-speed train to Bole. Some friends chose to take the night train and sleep on the way to Bole. The police officer outside Bole station was super handsome and carefully helped us with directions—tough and purely handsome. Tried the local lamb skewers and apricots, which were amazing—the best apricots I’ve ever had. 🌊Day 2 Sailimu Lake: It’s recommended to take the shuttle directly to Songshutou; no need to stop much at the smaller spots before it. Online says it takes 40 minutes to reach the summit, but it wasn’t that easy in reality. We walked slowly, and it took 3 hours round trip. Legs were a bit sore, but the view from the top was really good and very photogenic! 🪟Day 3 Yining → Tekesi: A bit tired after hiking, so this day was just strolling around two city areas. Tekesi is very comfortable, the city is small with no traffic lights, and drivers yield to pedestrians. Personally, I think Lijie Street is better to walk around than Six Star Street, less commercialized. 🐎Day 4 Kalajun Grassland: Horse riding experience was nice You can ride horses at Xianhuatai and Falconry Platform. The horse team is well managed and safe. Prices are more reasonable than Inner Mongolia. Walking slowly on the grassland, feeling the breeze, it’s quite relaxing. 🌱Day 5 Qiaxi Grassland: Qiaxi’s scenery is quite concentrated and beautiful, but having just been to Kalajun the day before, seeing a similar grassland was less surprising. I recommend choosing Kalajun first; 2-3 grasslands are enough. 🌲Day 6 Last-minute Route Change: Originally planned to go to Nalati, but after hearing from the driver that Mengketu Ancient Road has fewer people, we changed the plan. Definitely not disappointed; the scenic area was not crowded, almost no signal, so you can quietly enjoy the scenery—very pleasant. The whole car ticket is 200 yuan. The downside is the basic facilities are average, the road going up to the hot springs is hard to drive, and horse riding is a bit risky. The scenic area is more suitable for self-driving or renting a car; it’s inconvenient without a vehicle. Day 7 Tangbula → Duku Highway → Dushanzi Grand Canyon The advantage of having a car is being able to stop anytime to enjoy the view. No need to buy a ticket to enter Dushanzi Grand Canyon; just take photos from outside. Day 8 Wrapping up in Urumqi: The Xinjiang Museum opens at 10 am, so you can go a bit later. You can stroll around the Grand Bazaar, buy some local specialties, and remember to bargain! Xinjiang fruits are cheap and delicious, so show off a bit. Apricots, peaches, and Hami melons are quite sweet. Personally, I’m not a big fan of the old Han melon; the green-skinned ones taste better than the yellow-skinned ones.