Northern and Southern Xinjiang via the Duku Highway, June–September — 17 Days

After breakfast, visit the Karez, one of the three major water conservancy projects in ancient China (the tour lasts for no less than 30 minutes). It is a special irrigation system in desert areas and is common in Turpan, Xinjiang, China.

Visit [Flaming Mountain] (the tour lasts for no less than 40 minutes). In midsummer, the mountain is under the scorching sun, and the hot air rises. The ocher-red mountain looks like a burning fire.

Visit [Grape Valley] (the tour is no less than 1 hour), named after its abundant grapes, and is a tourist attraction in Turpan City.

Take the [Dahe Zhinan Express] special train from Turpan to [Kashgar] in the evening.

After breakfast, go to [Tajik Home Visit] (not less than 1 hour), Tajik is an ethnic minority in China. The race belongs to the Europa Indo-Mediterranean type. "Tajik" is the self-proclaimed name of this nation, which means "Crown". The Tajiks have their own language, which belongs to the Pamir branch of the Iranian language family of the Indo-European language family. Due to frequent ethnic exchanges, many Tajiks in Xinjiang are fluent in both Uyghur and Kirgiz languages, and generally use Uyghur.

Go to [Baisha Lake] (about 2.5 hours’ drive, no less than 1 hour tour). On both sides of Baisha Lake stand the Gonggeer Jiubie Peak in the distance. Such beautiful scenery makes the snow-capped mountains and lakes that have been sleeping for thousands of years appear more pure and quiet.

Return to Kashgar (about 3 hours’ drive) and check into the hotel

Visit the [Old Town of Kashgar] (a tour of not less than 40 minutes), then visit the [Mosque] located on the west side of Id Kah Square in Kashgar City (a tour of not less than 40 minutes), which is an Islamic mosque, and visit [Xiangfei Garden] (a tour of not less than 40 minutes), which is a typical Islamic building complex and the mausoleum of Islamic saints.

Take the [Dahe Zhinan Express] special train from Kashgar Station to [Kuqa].

Arrive in Kuqa early and go to [Tianshan Mysterious Grand Canyon] (the drive is about 1.5 hours, the tour is no less than 1.5 hours), pass [South Section of Duku Highway], and check in [Duku Highway Terminal Monument]. Surrounded by the mountains at the southern foot of Tianshan Mountain, the Tianshan Mysterious Grand Canyon is a bright pearl on the golden tourism route of the ancient Silk Road. Hundreds of millions of years of geological movement, wind and rain have eroded the reddish-brown rocks, creating countless strange peaks and rocks here, winding canyons, and mountains of various shapes. Peaks reach into the sky, there are ditches within ditches, and valleys within valleys.

Drive to Bayin (about 3.5 hours’ drive) and check into the hotel

After breakfast, visit [Bayinbuluke Grassland] (tour no less than 3 hours), the second largest grassland in China, second only to the Erdos Grassland in Inner Mongolia. Bayinbuluk means "rich spring" in Mongolian. The grassland is flat and has abundant water and grass. It is a typical grass meadow and one of the important animal husbandry bases in Xinjiang.

Then go to Nalati via [Middle Section of Duku Highway] (about 1.5-2 hours drive). Duku Highway refers to the section of National Highway 217 from Xinjiang Dushanzi to Kuqa. It is an important trunk line connecting northern and southern Xinjiang. It shortens the original distance between northern and southern Xinjiang by nearly half. It can be called a monument in the history of Chinese highway construction.

Arrive in Nalati and check into the hotel.

After breakfast [Nalati Prairie-River Valley Grassland] (about 3 hours by car, no less than 3 hours of tour), also known as "Gongnaisi" grassland, which means "White Sun Slope" in Turkic language, has been an important pasture since ancient times. Under the majestic snow-capped mountains, wild lilies, tulips, red poppies, and purple sage bloom from the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain...

Return to Yining and go to the internet celebrity check-in spot [Liuxing Street]. Stepping into Liuxing Street, you can encounter different scenes everywhere, such as the bright "Ili Blue", the melodious sound of accordion, cheerful singing, the sweet smell of Liba, the mellow aroma of coffee, and the aroma of cumin mixed with barbecue...

Check into the hotel at the end of the trip

After breakfast, go to [Horgos Port] (about 1.5 hours’ drive, no less than 40 minutes of tour). This place was an important post station on the North Road of the Ancient Silk Road during the Sui and Tang Dynasties. The "Sino-Russian Ili Treaty" made it a trading port between China and Russia. You can view the boundary monuments and trade centers between the two countries.

Then go to Sayram Lake, the pearl inlaid in the West Tianshan Mountains (about 2 hours’ drive, no less than 2.5 hours of sightseeing), where mountains surround the place, and the water and sky complement each other. Wild flowers are everywhere in spring, green grass in summer, horses galloping, cattle and sheep like clouds, and yurts dotted; the lake is surrounded by green mountains, with towering pines and cypresses at the foot of the mountain, the mountainside is covered with clouds and mist, and the sky and water are the same color, like a poetic picture full of majesty and clarity.

Return to Yining (about 2.5 hours’ drive) and take the [Dahe Zhinan Express] special train to [Beitun].

Arrive in Beitun early, and after breakfast go to Kanas Scenic Area, known as the "Wonderland on Earth" (about 4 hours' drive, no less than 5 hours of sightseeing), transfer to the scenic area shuttle bus, and enter the lake area to enjoy the vast expanse of blue waves, reflections of the peaks, and snow-capped mountains. Along the way, you can enjoy the scenery of the Burqin River Valley, the colorful river banks, the original white birch forest, Kanas forest style, Wolong Bay, Moon Bay, Shenxian Bay, Yaze Lake and many other beautiful scenery.

Overnight stay in Jiadengyu or Burqin.

Go to [Hemu Scenic Area] (visit no less than 1.5-2 hours). Hemu is an ancient Tuva village. It retains the original Tuva residence and lifestyle. It has a unique architectural style. The houses are all made of logs, which is very original. The scenery around the village is very beautiful, with Hemu River, grassland, birch forest and other natural scenery.

Visit [Colorful Beach] (approximately 2 hours’ drive, no less than 40 minutes tour) to see its unique Yadan landform: undulating ravines and dressing-style sloping beaches, colorful and gorgeous.

Drive to Beitun (about 2 hours’ drive) and take the [Dahe Zhinan Express] special train to [Urumqi].

Arrive in Urumqi and drive to Heavenly Lake of Tianshan (about 2 hours by road, with a visit of at least 2.5 hours). See how the mountain vegetation changes with elevation and look out towards Bogda Peak. The landscape evokes four seasons in one day. Fed by snowmelt and nearly 100 metres deep, the lake reflects snowy peaks and surrounding spruce forests.

Then go to the [Grand Bazaar] (about 2 hours’ drive, no less than 1 hour’s tour). There are cultural, creative, cultural tourism and intangible cultural heritage product areas, “international fashion” blocks and food blocks.