Southern and Northern Xinjiang Grand Loop: Here's How to Explore It

1⃣ How to distinguish between Southern and Northern Xinjiang? Xinjiang is divided by the Tianshan Mountain range. Areas north of Tianshan are considered Northern Xinjiang, while areas south of Tianshan are Southern Xinjiang. 🔺 Northern Xinjiang: Known for its stunning landscapes, including snow-capped mountains, glaciers, lakes, grasslands, and forests. 🔺 Southern Xinjiang: Famous for its cultural richness, featuring deserts, Gobi landscapes, ethnic customs, and highland scenery. 2️⃣ How many days are needed to explore the loops in Southern and Northern Xinjiang? ✅ Ili Loop: 5-6 days ✅ Northern Xinjiang Grand Loop: 8-10 days ✅ Kashgar Loop: 3-6 days ✅ Southern Xinjiang Grand Loop: 5-7 days ✅ Southern and Northern Xinjiang Grand Loop (for a more detailed exploration): 10-16 days While Southern Xinjiang is known for its cultural heritage and Northern Xinjiang for its natural beauty, combining both regions into one trip can be challenging. The months of June to August are considered the best time to embark on the Southern and Northern Xinjiang Grand Loop! 🎄 If you can only visit Xinjiang once this summer, this grand loop will be more than enough. ✨【Quick Itinerary Overview】 D1: From various cities to Urumqi D2: Urumqi - Tianshan Tianchi (Heavenly Lake) - Altay D3: Altay - Ahe Highway - Hemu Scenic Area D4: Hemu - Kanas Scenic Area - Burqin D5: Burqin - World Devil City - Kuytun D6: Kuytun - Sayram Lake - Jinghe D7: Jinghe - Duku Highway - Nalati D8: Nalati - Nalati Grassland - Bayinbuluke Scenic Area - Bayinbuluke D9: Bayinbuluke - Southern Section of Duku Highway - Mysterious Grand Canyon of Tianshan - Kuqa D10: Kuqa - Tianshan Tomur Scenic Area Grand Canyon - Alar D11: Alar - Tarim Desert Highway - Hotan D12: Hotan - Kashgar Old Town D13: Kashgar - White Sand Lake Scenic Area - Kashgar Ancient Stone City - Tashkurgan D14: Tashkurgan - Panlong Ancient Road - Karakul Lake Scenic Area - Kashgar D15: Kashgar - Return to various cities