8-Day Xinjiang Tour with Ili River Valley

When you land in Urumqi, your personal tour guide will be waiting for you in the arrivals area and will be ready to transfer you to your hotel.

Drive from Urumqi to Sayram Lake. Enjoy a nice walk along the plank path on the bank of the lake and sit on the glassy land dotted by little wildflowers. Feel the breeze, perhaps carrying some of the "last tears" from the Atlantic Ocean.

Admire the spectacular scenery of Guozigou — 'Fruit Valley'. The great highway project and towering Guozigou Bridge traverse the deep gorge and add to the magnificence of the valley views.

Drive from Sayram to Tekes via Huocheng. Stop at Huocheng for the romantic lavender vistas.

Visit the most beautiful grassland in the Ili River Valley — Kalajun. Enjoy strolling on the "green blanket" with colorful flowers. The dark green forest and snowy peaks may make you feel like you are walking in an oil painting. Ride a horse to experience the life of Kazakh herdsmen, if you like.

Explore Tekes Town in the late afternoon, which is built according to the shape of a bagua (an Eight Trigrams grid). A city with excellent fengshui and concentric octagons of roads, you will be surprised that this is a town without traffic lights. Walk around the Lijie Street. Take some interesting pictures in front of old walls painted with classical Xinjiang artwork.

Drive from Tekes to Zhaosu, the hometown of Sky Horses. We will head to Zhaosu Wetland Park, which is a paradise of the "sky horses" and some species of rare birds. The highlight of touring the park is witness the horses runing in the river. Every summer, a breathtaking spectacle unfolds as local herders guide their horses to the shallows of the river. These majestic creatures come to drink, bathe, and frolic in the cool water.

You will explore a best-kept secret of the Heavenly Mountains on day 6. Enjoy the amazing scenery of an ancient path that connects the south and north zones of the Tianshan Range for centuries.

You will take a shuttle bus with enjoyable scenery along the way. Then change to a golf cart for the rest of route. If you would like to go hiking instead of taking a golf cart, the distance of hiking is 13 km, which is suitable for experienced hikers. At the end of the route, a panorama of snow-capped peaks dominates the view ahead.

Head north through the Heavenly Mountains to Yining, capital of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture.

Explore the Kazanqi District of Yining City, an area rich in Uyghur culture, where the residential houses are painted blue or green and have other traditional Uyghur ethnic features.

Embark on a charming journey through the village aboard a horse-drawn carriage. Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of cultures with traditional songs, dances, and folk shows. You will be treated with some local special pastries and seasonal fruits.

Your guide and driver will escort you to Yining Airport to catch your flight to your next destination.