2025 Qiemo Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in May)

When the blue of Sayram Lake meets the autumn hues of Kanas, every snapshot becomes wallpaper-worthy. In Xinjiang, see the whole world in a single day: 🏔️ "The Atlantic's Last Tear" Sayram Lake: Summer wildflowers explode like spilled paint, while winter's blue ice rivals Lake Baikal. 🌄 Kanas "God's Back Garden": September's golden forests and misty Fairy Bay will steal your breath (Kanas Monster photos sold separately). 🏜️ Taklamakan Desert Highway: Cross the "Sea of Death" and shoot interstellar-style photos at N39° coordinates. Foodie's Paradise, Carnivore's Mecca: 🍢 Night Market Kings: Hotan's juice-bursting baked buns and red willow skewers longer than your phone. 🍈 Fruit Ninjas: Turpan grapes sweeter than first love, Korla pears dripping with juice. 🥘 Carb Overload: Big Plate Chicken with belt noodles soaking up sauce, pilaf hiding lamb chop surprises. Cultural Knockout: 🕌 Kashgar Old City Opening Ceremony: Watch Uyghur elders dance Meshrep, sip tea in century-old cafes with rawap melodies. 🎪 Bayinbuluke Grassland: Chase nine sunsets on horseback (the same winding track from "Pegasus"). 🛣️ Dushanzi-Kuqa Highway: Experience four seasons in one day on this time-limited Central Asian scenic route. Xinjiang's Quirks: ⏰ 10pm sunsets (just switch to Xinjiang time). 📏 "Kilometers" feel like provinces (a county trip = cross-country travel). 👯♂️ Square dances feature Uyghur "Black Walking Horse" (neck twists may cause backaches). Survival Guide: ⚠️ Journey Alert: Attractions are hours apart (pack neck pillows and snacks). ⚠️ Sun Protection Kit: Sunglasses + scarf + SPF50+ (UV rays don't play nice). ⚠️ Stomach Prep: Yogurt zongzi/kvass/grilled pigeon will assault your taste buds. Xinjiang – Where All Complaints Meet Their Match: "Too big to explore" → "Coming back for more!" "Ate too much" → "Diet starts tomorrow!" (Visual Overload: Sayram Lake swans/Kanas morning mist/Duku Highway hairpin turns/Uyghur dance performances)

Embark on an exciting 5-day tour of Aksu and Bayingolin! Savor authentic Xinjiang cuisine and treat your taste buds. Our professional driver and photographer will take you to designated Trip Moments spots, capturing stunning aerial drone shots and historical sites. Plus, you'll receive all the original photos. Come and unlock your Xinjiang adventure! -------------------- 🚗Itinerary: Day 1: Arrive in Korla City, also known as Pear City, and enjoy our private airport transfer service. Our travel consultants are available 24/7 to answer any questions you may have. Day 2: Explore the Kuqa Grand Canyon National Geopark and marvel at the wonders of nature -> Tianshan Mystery Grand Canyon, where you can appreciate the canyon's depth and grandeur -> Visit the Subash Buddhist Temple ruins and trace the footsteps of history -> Finally, head to the Kizil Caves and experience the charm of Buddhist culture. Day 3: Stroll through Kuqa's old city and experience the local customs -> Kuqa Wangfu (Kuqa Royal Palace), where you can learn about the palace's history and stories -> Tarim Populus Euphratica Forest Park, where you can admire the beautiful golden poplar forest -> Cross the Tarim Desert Highway and feel the vastness of the desert -> Arrive at the Tarim River and enjoy the tranquility by the river. Day 4: Continue along the Tarim River and explore the river's mysteries -> Arrive at Huludao (Gourd Island) and enjoy the island's natural scenery and tranquility. Day 5: Depart from Korla, with a private transfer to the airport. Take home wonderful memories and return to the warmth of your home. Qicheng Travel looks forward to your next wonderful encounter. Goodbye! 📸This itinerary also includes a taste of Xinjiang's special cuisine, so you can enjoy a feast! At the same time, the driver doubles as a photographer for designated Trip Moments spots/aerial drone photography. You'll receive all the original photos taken at carefully selected locations, helping you unlock historical site shots and create unforgettable memories! -------------------- Must-see attractions: - 🏞️Tianshan Mystery Grand Canyon: Stroll through the canyon, where the reddish-brown mountains are as dazzling as flames, and the strange peaks and rocks display a variety of shapes, as if you are in a mysterious fairyland. - 🕌Kuqa Wangfu (Kuqa Royal Palace): This place brings together the rich Uyghur and Qiuci cultures, with colorful scenery, allowing you to appreciate different ethnic customs. - 🍂Tarim Populus Euphratica Forest Park: Here, you can enjoy the beauty of the desert and the south of the Yangtze River. The poplar forest is magnificent and magical, as if telling a thousand-year-old story. -------------------- Travel essentials: 🎒Aksu-Bayingolin packing list 👕 **Clothing**: The temperature in Aksu-Bayingolin in March is moderate, but the temperature difference between day and night is large. It is recommended to bring light down jackets, windproof coats, and long-sleeved T-shirts or thin sweaters. You can choose jeans or casual pants, which are both warm and easy to move around in. 🎩 **Accessories**: Don't forget to bring a sun hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen to resist the strong ultraviolet rays. In addition, a pair of comfortable hiking shoes or sneakers is also essential, allowing you to explore the beautiful scenery with ease. 📂 **Documents**: Be sure to bring your ID card, driver's license, student ID, and other valid IDs with you, as well as Xinjiang's health code. Be sure to prepare in advance so that you can pass through the checkpoints smoothly. 🔋 **Electronic equipment**: Mobile phones, power banks, and data cables are good helpers for travel, and cameras can capture the beautiful moments of the journey. Remember to bring headphones to enjoy music without disturbing others. 💊 **Emergency supplies**: Band-aids, motion sickness medicine, cold medicine, and other commonly used medicines should be prepared in case of emergency. If you are worried about altitude sickness, you can prepare relevant medicines in advance. -------------------- Aksu-Bayingolin trip, a close combination of beautiful scenery and culture! Don't miss it, come and experience it! Like 👍 and save 🌟, and share it with more travel partners!

Woke up around 11 AM in Minfeng County. The hotel we stayed at had a Sichuan restaurant downstairs, the food was delicious, Ken said it was the best meal we've had in days; the restaurant was very clean, including the restroom, which was a stark contrast to what we experienced in the Tibetan area. At 1:40 PM, we were ready to leave Minfeng County. We took a brief look at the county, surrounded by farmland, with grapevines at the farmhouse doors, lush trees, and many roadside stalls selling fruits. Couldn't help but sigh: Xinjiang and Tibet are so different! Today we are going to cross the desert highway, destination: Kuqa. Oh, the temperature difference is so big! Yesterday we had hats, scarves, and gloves all on, today it's sunglasses, t-shirts, and sandals. What is the desert highway like? Is it a road in the desert? The section of the desert highway we are taking is about 560 kilometers, then we will switch to the Tuhe Expressway and drive another 100 kilometers to reach Kuqa. Shortly after getting on the desert highway, we encountered a gravel road. At first, Ken didn't say anything, but after a while, he couldn't help but ask: Is it going to be like this all the way? Of course not! After a while, the road condition became smooth again. I took over driving, and Ken started flying the drone. Photos 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 were taken by the drone. To be honest, the desert highway is much more monotonous compared to the uninhabited area we passed the day before. Around 7 PM, it was still very bright, we passed by Tazhong Oilfield's Tazhong Town. We learned that the desert highway was initially built for the Tazhong Oilfield. I suggested to Ken that we should stop here for the night and complete the second half of the desert highway tomorrow. About 3 kilometers from Tazhong Town, we saw the desert landscape house in photo 7. Out of curiosity, we drove into the side road to take a closer look at the house, but it seemed just average. The owner even dug a swimming pool in the desert, which was... a bit awkward. The room rate was over 800. Tazhong Town has restaurants and small supermarkets. The hotel we stayed at was newly built in 2024, with a large courtyard surrounded by buildings. There were quite a few guests, and they even provided us with free breakfast. The room conditions were excellent, clean, and tidy, which was quite a surprise. Dinner was lamb skewers and Xinjiang noodles. We chatted a bit with the girl who took our order at the restaurant. She told us that in the desert, as soon as the sun sets, mosquitoes 🦟 come out, very large mosquitoes, and their bites cause big swellings. It gave me the creeps, especially since I was wearing short sleeves today! We quickly went back to the hotel to rest. Tomorrow we continue our journey.

Today we started our journey through the Taklimakan Desert. A road that goes through the desert is considered a half-uninhabited area. 📅 Tour route: The first stop is Luntai County. The hometown of white apricots. The second stop is the 0km boundary marker of the Tarim Desert Oil Highway. One of the check-in points on the Desert Highway. 🚗Self-driving tips: There were very few vehicles on the whole day, but there were quite a few checkpoints. Traffic police at each checkpoint will check the cars one by one, remind drivers to pay attention to the speed and remind passengers to fasten their seat belts. After entering the desert highway, pay attention to the sand on the ground. If you are not driving an off-road vehicle, try to avoid driving on the sand. ⛱️Must-see attractions: 📌【Tarim Desert Oil Highway·0km Boundary Monument】 The boundary marker is located at the beginning of the desert road and is easy to miss. There are many poplar trees near the starting point of the desert highway, and there is a water well house every 4 km on the road. CNPC staff deliver supplies to the staff of the water well house once every half a month. 📝Short story: Before entering the desert highway, we bought a watermelon🍉. In the afternoon, we found a Shuijingfang restaurant on the desert highway to open the watermelon and invited the staff to eat with us. After eating, the staff collected the watermelon rinds and prepared to pickle them and use them as a dish. This shows how scarce the supplies were for them as they stayed on the desert road. 🏨Accommodation tips: It is not recommended to stay on the desert highway. You can stay in Luntai County, get up early the next day, and cross the desert highway in one day. 💗Other tips: 1⃣️Today's total journey was 517km, and we only drove half of the desert highway; 2⃣️The accommodation conditions of the hotel in the tower are really poor and not recommended; 3⃣️There is a Northeastern dumpling shop in the tower, the taste is very good👍; 4⃣️There is almost no mobile phone signal on the desert highway, but you won’t get lost because there is only one road and you can just drive along it.

🍁In the golden autumn of October, the leaves of the poplar trees in Qiemu County turn yellow with the wind, presenting the most beautiful scenery of the year at this moment. 🗒️Travel Guide 🕛Time: The leaves start to turn yellow from the end of September, and October is the best time to enjoy the view. 📍Route: 🚞Take a train to Qiemu Station, ✈️fly to Qiemu Yudu Airport, 🚗drive along G315. ⚠️Note: 🏜️The desert area has a dry climate, remember to stay hydrated! 🍂Autumn is already a low-temperature period, bring warm clothes! 🏔️The highland has thin air, bring oxygen as needed on the road! 🍁Late autumn belongs to the poplars. 🎈The vast poplar forest in the Tuogebulake Poplar Forest Scenic Area makes people feel like they are in a golden world. 🎈The poplars on both sides of the Tati Poplar Forest road are particularly spectacular, and you can take great photos 📷 without going to the scenic area. 📎Check-in 🍜Qiemu's red dates, lamb, garlic, and Xinjiang's special delicacies are all worth tasting. 🏛️Qiemu Museum, Tuohulak Manor, and Zagunluk Ancient Tombs are worth checking out. 🏕️Accommodation Although Qiemu is large in area, the county town is not big. For convenience, it is best to choose accommodation in the county town. Highly recommended 【Qiemu Guest House】‼️‼️ 1️⃣Qiemu Guest House has a high rating, making it an excellent choice for both business trips and holiday travel 👍 2️⃣Located at 297 Silk Road West, in the county town, it is very convenient. It is very close to attractions such as the museum and People's Park, and only a 15-minute drive to the airport and train station. 3️⃣The hotel has comprehensive facilities, including a free laundry room, a large conference hall, and large private dining rooms to meet various needs of guests. 4️⃣Professional and thoughtful service, with a large outdoor parking lot, can easily accommodate large tour groups and park buses. Afternoon tea with yogurt and nuts, and the restaurant's Xinjiang specialties make guests feel satisfied 🥰 ⚠️As the top hotel in Qiemu, the accommodation environment is naturally comfortable and hygienic, with excellent heating, softened hot and cold water, and spacious rooms for a comfortable stay. ✨✨Cross the desert, come to Qiemu to find the poplars, and feel the tenacity and beauty of life‼️

Xinjiang Grand Loop Day 12, from Ruoqiang to Qiemo County, ready to start the thousand-mile crossing of the Sea of Death - Taklamakan Desert, staying at the best hotel in the county - Qiemo Welcome Hotel. The hotel is at the intersection, a standalone building with a very spacious parking lot, convenient for self-driving travel. Opened for a year in '23, the facilities are also very new, indeed the best choice in Qiemo, and the price of just over 200 with breakfast is very reasonable. However, it's worth noting that this hotel has many guests who leave early, and the breakfast is quite simple and not replenished, so if you go after 9 o'clock, there's only the bottom of the dishes left. If you want to have breakfast, try to go early. There are a few hot dishes, porridge, steamed buns, etc., as the main food, no noodle stall, quite simple so I won't write separately. The hotel lobby is double-height with a left and right orientation, the floor is shiny, and both the stone materials and chandeliers are quite luxurious. There are rest areas designed on both sides of the lobby, the public area is roughly equivalent to brands like Courtyard by Marriott and Holiday Inn, about 4-star level. The room facilities are also very new, but there is a strong peculiar smell when opening the door, well, a unique ethnic scent of the Northwest, those who know, know. Changing to another room did not significantly improve it, which is actually rare in Xinjiang, so be cautious if you mind. To the left of the entrance is a mini bar and wardrobe, to the right is the bathroom, free water from Nongfu Spring, equipped with 4 packs of domestic tea bags, luggage rack, TV cabinet, standard office desk, sofa and small coffee table by the window, all of these are nice, but the basic rooms do not come with a mini-fridge, so if you need something chilled, you can book a higher room type. Aside from the smell, there are no problems with room cleanliness, and the shower area is also quite spacious, it's just that the toilet area is a bit cramped. Overall, it's worth the price and is indeed the best choice in Qiemo.