12-Day Essence Tour of Northern Xinjiang

Some say that when it comes to traveling in Xinjiang: you go to Northern Xinjiang for the scenery and Southern Xinjiang for the culture. This saying summarizes it well, but it's not accurate. Northern Xinjiang boasts incredibly beautiful natural landscapes, with grasslands, forests, canyons, deserts, Gobi, Yardang landforms, and hills, definitely the ceiling of natural scenery in China. Southern Xinjiang is home to a large number of ethnic minorities, with many ancient buildings and historical sites well-preserved, making it a great place to appreciate cultural heritage and understand the history of the Western Regions. However, Northern Xinjiang also has a rich cultural landscape, such as the International Grand Bazaar, the ancient city of Gaochang, Tuyugou, and more. Southern Xinjiang also has stunning natural scenery, such as the Taklamakan Desert, Tarim Poplar Forest, White Sand Lake, and Mustagh Ata, etc. Day1 From various places to Urumqi Day2 Urumqi - Heavenly Lake of Tianshan - Fuyun Day3 Fuyun - Keketuohai - Five-Color Beach - Burqin Day4 Burqin - Return to Kanas Scenic Area Day5 Kanas - Return to Hemu Scenic Area Day6 Hemu - Urho Ghost City - Karamay Day7 Karamay - Sayram Lake - Guozigou - Yining Day8 Yining - Kalajun Grassland - Tekes Day9 Tekes - Nalati Grassland - Nalati Day10 Nalati - Return to Bayanbulak Grassland - Bayanbulak Day11 Bayanbulak - Return via Duku Highway - Urumqi Day12 Urumqi - Various places