Blossoming Ili

Dining: None | Accommodation: Urumqi Hotel

Take a flight to Urumqi on the same day. After arrival, you will be picked up and transferred to the hotel. If time permits, you can enjoy a free city walk after arrival to explore the memories of the city.

Recommended iconic scenic spot in Urumqi - Hongshan Park, a must-visit destination for most tourists coming to Urumqi.

【Tastes of Urumqi】Upon arriving in Xinjiang, everyone is eager to indulge in the long-craved exotic cuisines of the Western Regions. Urumqi is the culinary center of Xinjiang, where you can taste authentic local delicacies including grilled lamb skewers, whole roasted lamb, pilaf, pulled noodles, naren, horse sausage, rice sausage, lung noodles, stir-fried rice noodles and more. Embark on a grand feast for your taste buds! If possible, do experience the charm of Wusu Beer. Delicious as Wusu Beer is, please drink moderately!

Dining: Hotel breakfast | Accommodation: Jinghe/Bole Hotel

After breakfast, we will depart by bus to explore the 【Dushanzi Grand Canyon 】. Sculpted by nature over hundreds of millions of years, it is a silent witness to the earth's long history. Every gully and rock here tells stories of tremendous geological changes. With its magnificent and grand scenery, the Dushanzi Grand Canyon unfolds an unparalleled natural picture scroll. Steep cliffs rise vertically on both sides of the canyon, and the colorful rock layers, illuminated by sunlight, resemble nature's most gorgeous color palette. Looking up from the valley floor, the sky is narrowed into a thin strip. The intertwined feelings of shock and insignificance make people deeply admire the marvelous craftsmanship of nature.

Dining: Hotel breakfast | Accommodation: Huanghuang Village (Huayu Homestay) / Huocheng Hotel

After breakfast, we will drive to 【Sayram Lake】, known as "the last tear of the Atlantic Ocean". Upon arrival, we will start the fascinating lakeside tour of Sayram Lake (admission ticket and shuttle bus included). It is surrounded by endless snow-capped mountains and vast grasslands. The lake is quiet and profound, just like an extremely luxurious sapphire.

During the trip, we will also arrange professional 【Travel and vehicle photography】for you. We will capture your beautiful encounter with Sayram Lake through the lens, and create exclusive viral-style on-the-road travel photography videos for this tour group, so that every frame can become an everlasting memory.

We bid farewell to Sayram Lake and head to the artistic 【Huanghuang Village】. Here, you will take part in the【Lavender Handicraft Research and Creation Experience】(complimentary activity), where you can personally make one-of-a-kind lavender sachets or small ornaments to bring the fragrance of Ili back home with you.

In the evening, we have prepared a lively self-service BBQ for you (venue and equipment provided free of charge, while ingredients are at your own expense). Everyone can sit around, taste the delicious food grilled by yourselves, and share the joys of the journey.

After dinner, you may go aboard the 【Eye of Ili River Valley Ferris Wheel】 (complimentary activity), overlook the brilliant night scenery of the Ili River Valley from high altitude, and embrace this unique romance.

Dining: Hotel breakfast | Accommodation: Xinyuan/Narat Hotel

After breakfast, we will bid farewell to Huanghuang Village and embark on today's dual self-driving journey. First, we will drive to【Qiaxi Grassland】 (admission tickets and self-driving permits included, with a general visiting duration of 1 to 2 hours). Hailed as a "three-dimensional painting of grasslands", it allows you to drive through the scenic area personally. You will witness endless grasslands stretching like green carpets to the horizon, with cattle and sheep scattered across the landscape, as if stepping into a flowing oil painting.

Afterwards, we will continue our self-driving tour deeper into 【Ku'erdening】 (admission tickets and self-driving permits included, with a general visiting duration of about 2 to 3 hours). Our vehicle will travel along winding forest paths, flanked by towering fir trees reaching for the sky. Sunlight filters through the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The chirping of birds and rustle of mountain winds blend together, offering you an immersive experience of the tranquil scenery where snow-capped mountains stand beside spruce forests, and letting you explore the primitive beauty and pristine serenity unique to this hidden gem.

Throughout the self-driving trip, you will take in the boundless vastness of grasslands and the profound seclusion of forests. Finally, we will arrive at Xinyuan or Narat and check into a homestay with rustic wilderness vibes, bringing a perfect end to today's self-driving adventure.

Dining: Hotel breakfast | Accommodation: Narat Hotel

After breakfast, we will take a bus to 【Narat Grassland】, one of the world's four great grasslands (admission ticket and shuttle bus for the aerial grassland included, with a general visiting duration of about 4 hours). We will transfer to the shuttle bus for sightseeing. Stepping into Narat is like walking into a dream forgotten by time. The grassland stretches endlessly toward the sky like a green velvet blanket. Every blade of grass is nourished by sunlight and dew, swaying gently in the breeze and singing an ancient, melodious ode to life.

Amid the vast expanse of Narat Grassland, we have specially arranged a distinctive 【Wild Afternoon Tea】 for you as a complimentary activity. On the open grassland, delicate tablecloths will be laid out with Xinjiang-style pastries, fresh fruits and beverages. You can slowly savor tranquility and comfort amid the picturesque scenery. Warm sunlight falls softly on you, with herdsmen’s yurts and leisurely cattle and sheep in the distance. The air is filled with the fresh fragrance of grass and earth. At this moment, all weariness fades away, leaving only a profound integration with nature.

Dining: Hotel breakfast | Accommodation: Urumqi Hotel

After breakfast, we will drive to the 【Duku Highway】 (if open to traffic). Known as "China's Most Beautiful Highway", the Duku Highway boasts breathtaking scenery. Stretching 561 kilometers from Dushanzi District in Karamay City in the north to Kuqa City in Aksu Prefecture in the south, it crosses the Tianshan Mountains and connects northern and southern Xinjiang, making it a genuine scenic thoroughfare. It features diverse landscapes along the way, ranging from grasslands and snow-capped mountains to canyons and lakes. Scenes of all four seasons unfold along the route, and every step presents a stunning picture.

There are several viewing spots along the route for parking and photography. Among them, the【Hashigten Daban】, located between Dushanzi and Qiaerma at an altitude of about 3,400 meters, is the highest pass on the Duku Highway. There is a 340-meter-long tunnel at this pass, with a parking lot and viewing platform on its northern side, where visitors can admire the surrounding snow-capped mountains that remain covered in snow all year round. The Hashigten Daban is not only a convergence of natural landscapes but also an important milestone in the history of China's highway construction. Many soldiers lost their lives during the construction of the Duku Highway, endowing this road with profound historical significance and cultural value.

Kind Reminder: If the Duku Highway is closed, we will take a detour via the Tianshan Victory Tunnel.

Dining: Hotel breakfast | Accommodation: None

According to your return flight schedule, we will arrange a vehicle in advance to take you to Urumqi Tianshan International Airport.