Day 1
Arrival and a relaxed start
Meet the confirmed arrival transfer and check into the arranged hotel. Use any spare time for an easy local walk and rest before the circuit.
Overnight: Urumqi
8 days / 7 nights
8-Day Kanas & Hemu Xinjiang Tour: Seasonal Routes
Compare eight-day Kanas and Hemu routes from Urumqi. Select summer, autumn or winter and review the matching stops, overnight bases and road arrangements.
Your journey at a glance
- Starts in
- Urumqi
- Ends in
- Urumqi
- Duration
- 8 days / 7 nights
- Preferred service language
- Mandarin Chinese
The quote depends on your dates, group size, room needs and agreed services. See service and quote details
Ask us to confirm the departure, group size, passport eligibility and room arrangements. An enquiry is not a confirmed booking.
Travel connections
Urumqi round trip with different seasonal stops. Confirm the selected version, road conditions and overnight bases together.
Route version
Day-by-day itinerary — Summer circuit
The summer reference stays in Hemu and Burqin; it does not use the winter overnight pattern. Confirm road access for your dates.
Day 2
Desert road, Ulungur Lake and Altay
Travel via the S21 desert road and the desert park, with an Ulungur Lake viewpoint before Jiangjun Mountain and Altay. Sunset viewing depends on conditions and arrival time.
Overnight: Altay
Day 3
Altay to Hemu
Continue to Hemu using the Ahe scenic road if open and suitable, otherwise the agreed alternative. Explore village lanes and viewpoints at a manageable pace, then stay in Hemu.
Overnight: Hemu
Day 4
Kanas Lake and the Three Bays
Leave Hemu for Kanas Lake and the Three Bays, then continue to Burqin. Scenic-area shuttle arrangements and the order of stops are confirmed for the day.
Overnight: Burqin
Day 5
Devil City to Kuitun
Travel from Burqin to the Devil City landscape and continue to Kuitun. This day involves a substantial road journey, with scenic transport and rest stops coordinated along the way.
Overnight: Kuitun
Day 6
Sayram Lake and Jinghe
Explore Sayram Lake using the confirmed lakeside route and transport, then stay in Jinghe. The extent of the lake circuit depends on access, weather and the day’s schedule.
Overnight: Jinghe
Day 7
Anjihai Canyon and Urumqi
Continue via the planned Anjihai Canyon viewpoint to Urumqi, with a Grand Bazaar visit if the day’s timing allows. Viewing areas must follow local access arrangements.
Overnight: Urumqi
Day 8
Departure from Urumqi
Check out and use the agreed airport or station transfer. This final day is for departure; an extra sightseeing day or additional night needs a separate arrangement.
Overnight: Departure; no overnight stay in this itinerary
Overnight bases: Urumqi → Altay → Hemu → Burqin → Kuitun → Jinghe → Urumqi
Day-by-day itinerary — Autumn poplar circuit
Uses the summer overnight pattern with an autumn fifth-day alternative. Confirm the departure and leaf conditions.
Day 1
Arrival and a relaxed start
Meet the confirmed arrival transfer and check into the arranged hotel. Use any spare time for an easy local walk and rest before the circuit.
Overnight: Urumqi
Day 2
Desert road, Ulungur Lake and Altay
Travel via the S21 desert road and the desert park, with an Ulungur Lake viewpoint before Jiangjun Mountain and Altay. Sunset viewing depends on conditions and arrival time.
Overnight: Altay
Day 3
Altay to Hemu
Continue to Hemu using the Ahe scenic road if open and suitable, otherwise the agreed alternative. Explore village lanes and viewpoints at a manageable pace, then stay in Hemu.
Overnight: Hemu
Day 4
Kanas Lake and the Three Bays
Leave Hemu for Kanas Lake and the Three Bays, then continue to Burqin. Scenic-area shuttle arrangements and the order of stops are confirmed for the day.
Overnight: Burqin
Day 5
Devil City and autumn poplar scenery
The autumn alternative adds the Baiyang River Canyon poplar area to the Devil City travel day before Kuitun, when access and seasonal conditions permit. Confirm the final stops rather than assuming peak colour.
Overnight: Kuitun
Day 6
Sayram Lake and Jinghe
Explore Sayram Lake using the confirmed lakeside route and transport, then stay in Jinghe. The extent of the lake circuit depends on access, weather and the day’s schedule.
Overnight: Jinghe
Day 7
Anjihai Canyon and Urumqi
Continue via the planned Anjihai Canyon viewpoint to Urumqi, with a Grand Bazaar visit if the day’s timing allows. Viewing areas must follow local access arrangements.
Overnight: Urumqi
Day 8
Departure from Urumqi
Check out and use the agreed airport or station transfer. This final day is for departure; an extra sightseeing day or additional night needs a separate arrangement.
Overnight: Departure; no overnight stay in this itinerary
Overnight bases: Urumqi → Altay → Hemu → Burqin → Kuitun → Jinghe → Urumqi
Day-by-day itinerary — Winter snow circuit
A separate winter itinerary with nights inside Kanas and Hemu and near Sayram Lake. Road access, snow activities and lake ice need confirmation; summer photographs are destination references only.
Day 1
Arrival and a relaxed start
Meet the confirmed arrival transfer and check into the arranged hotel. Use any spare time for an easy local walk and rest before the circuit.
Overnight: Urumqi
Day 2
Winter desert road to Altay
Travel along S21 via the Kelameili desert park to Jiangjun Mountain and Altay. Cableway access and any evening entertainment depend on operation; night skiing is optional and separately arranged.
Overnight: Altay
Day 3
Winter Kanas and village overnight
Travel through the Kanas river valley to the Three Bays and the lake, then stay in Kanas village. Snow, mist and ice vary; visit only the areas open under local arrangements.
Overnight: Kanas village
Day 4
Kanas to snowy Hemu
If conditions allow, view morning mist before travelling to Hemu. Explore Hemu Bridge and Haden viewpoint with distant Meili Peak scenery. Bonfire or stargazing activities depend on the evening’s conditions.
Overnight: Hemu
Day 5
Hemu to Karamay
Leave time for the village morning before the road journey to Karamay via the oilfield landscape. Any skiing detour is optional and must fit the confirmed route and travel time.
Overnight: Karamay
Day 6
Winter Sayram Lake
Travel to Sayram Lake and explore permitted viewpoints before staying nearby. A full lake circuit or snow activity is only arranged if access, weather and your quote allow.
Overnight: Sayram Lake area
Day 7
Sayram morning and return to Urumqi
Return to permitted lakeside viewpoints for morning light if suitable, then travel back to Urumqi past the Tianshan landscape. Blue ice and sunrise are possibilities, not guaranteed experiences.
Overnight: Urumqi
Day 8
Departure from Urumqi
Check out and use the agreed airport or station transfer. This final day is for departure; an extra sightseeing day or additional night needs a separate arrangement.
Overnight: Departure; no overnight stay in this itinerary
Overnight bases: Urumqi → Altay → Kanas village → Hemu → Karamay → Sayram Lake area → Urumqi
Choose and prepare this route
Who this route suits
Choose this northern Xinjiang route for Kanas and Hemu. The season changes the sequence and overnight bases. It is not a single fixed circuit with different photographs.
Arrival, sightseeing and transfer days
The route starts and ends in Urumqi. Keep the return to Urumqi separate from departure arrangements. Review each selected version before booking hotels, particularly the Kanas and Hemu nights.
Compare your alternatives
Winter visits Kanas before Hemu in the listed schedule; summer and autumn place Hemu earlier. Use one complete version, with weather-related changes confirmed for your dates.
Services to confirm in your quote
Final hotels, tickets, transfers, meals and guide services are itemised in your confirmed quote.
Planned arrangements
- The reference small-group circuit includes a supplier-driven vehicle and the listed overnight pattern. The driver offers basic assistance rather than full guiding inside every attraction. Hotels, meals, admissions and transfers are confirmed item by item.
Separate costs and optional arrangements
- Travel to and from the starting and ending cities, personal spending, single-room supplements and any meals or optional activities not listed in the confirmed quote.
- Scenic shuttle buses, cableways, optional activities, unlisted meals and any separately quoted transport are checked individually. A named vehicle or hotel is not guaranteed until confirmed in your quote.
Confirm for your quote
- Choose a seasonal version rather than combining all its stops. Road openings, foliage, snow and lake ice vary; no particular natural phenomenon is guaranteed.
Consultations are available in Chinese and English. On-tour service is mainly in Mandarin; other guide languages depend on the itinerary and confirmed quotation.
Along the journey
These photographs show the destinations, not a promise of included stops or seasonal conditions. Green landscapes do not represent the winter itinerary.
Questions about this trip
How do I get a quote?
Send your travel dates, party size, room needs and preferred travel style. We will confirm the route, language, services and separate costs before quoting. This page does not show live availability.
Can I change the itinerary?
Private trips can be adapted to your interests and arrival plans. Shared groups follow their confirmed itinerary; changes to hotels, stops or pace need to be agreed separately.
Where does the Kanas circuit start and finish?
Meet and finish in Urumqi.
How do seasonal overnight bases differ?
Summer, autumn and winter versions have different daily stops and overnight bases; winter includes Kanas village and Hemu.
What needs confirming after selecting a Kanas version?
Confirm the selected version, accommodation category and driver or guide services in your quotation.
Can I combine all seasonal highlights?
Not as the published eight-day route. Different seasons have different conditions and sequences; extra stops require a separately agreed plan.
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Need a car, a guide, or both?
Request standalone car and driver, a private guide, or a driver-guide in Beijing, Xinjiang, Chongqing, Chengdu, Yunnan and Shanghai. Tell us the route and language you need; availability and scope are confirmed in your quote.
