Xinjiang Apricot Blossom Season 10-Day Tour | April Yili & Nalati

Upon arrival in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, our driver will wait for you at the exit of the airport with a sign, and the car will be used exclusively for your transportation, so that you can be safely sent to the hotel at the first time. This city at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains has been a major town on the Silk Road since ancient times, and is also the farthest city in the world from the ocean.

Upon arrival, it is recommended to adjust to the time difference and slowly get used to the rhythm of Xinjiang. As night falls, you may choose to go to the street food stalls or tea houses on your own to feel the fireworks of the city.

➤ Urumqi

• The name means "beautiful pasture" and it is a modern city with a multiethnic culture.

• In the city, there are famous attractions such as Red Mountain Park, Xinjiang Museum, and the International Grand Bazaar.

★ Thoughtful Reminders

• There is a big temperature difference between day and night in Xinjiang, so bring a thin jacket with you.

• When you first arrive in Xinjiang, avoid overexertion and a greasy diet, and take plenty of rest and hydration.

After breakfast, depart from Urumqi and travel west along the northern slope of Tianshan Mountain. As the cityscape gradually fades away, the view turns to the vast Gobi and distant snow-capped peaks, officially entering the Northern Xinjiang landscape zone.

Arrive at Dushanzi Grand Canyon. This is a canyon landscape formed by the erosion of rivers and wind erosion over a long period of time, with clear stratigraphy and colorful rock walls, presenting the geological evolution of the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains in its entirety. The canyon is deep and wide, with steep cliffs and a majestic atmosphere, making it one of the most representative natural landscapes in the northern border.

In the afternoon, continue to Jinghe County, along the way, we can see the Gobi, grassland and distant mountains intertwined with the scenery, and in the evening arrived at the hotel to rest.

➤ Dosanja Grand Canyon

Located on the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains, this important canyon geomorphologic area has a clear stratigraphic structure and shows a strong sense of the scale of the earth, making it a classic site for understanding the geological environment of the northern border.

After breakfast, you will go to Sailimu Lake, an alpine lake in the western part of the Tianshan Mountain Range. With the gradual increase in altitude, the grassland and snowy peaks unfold one by one, and the lake surface shows a distinctive blue color under the light.

Sailimu Lake, which is made up of glacial meltwater and precipitation, is one of the highest and largest alpine lakes in Xinjiang. Historically, this area was an important passage area along the Northern Silk Road, and was therefore honored as "the last tear of the Atlantic Ocean". The lake is surrounded by snowy peaks and the grassland along its shore is vast, making the landscape pure and open.

Today, we will arrange a complete tour around the lake to appreciate the changes of the lake and the surrounding natural environment from different directions. In the afternoon, we will leave the lake and go to Yining, the core city of the Yili River Valley, and check in to the hotel.

➤ Lake Sailimu

A representative alpine lake in the western part of the Tianshan Mountains, with clear water, snowy peaks, grasslands and lake shores together form one of the most symbolic natural landscapes in the northern border.

After breakfast, we will go to Daxigou Apricot Blossom Valley, which is the representative scenic spot of Ili River Valley in spring. This is a long history of wild apricot forest distribution area, due to the mild climate, abundant water, naturally formed a considerable scale of apricot blossom valley.

Every spring, apricot blossoms bloom along the mountain slopes, a sea of pinkish-white flowers spreads over the meadows, and the snow-capped peaks of Tianshan Mountain stand quietly in the distance, constituting the most representative spring landscape of the Ili River Valley. The apricot blossom forests are also part of the grazing life of the local Hassak people, where natural scenery and ethnic culture are intertwined.

In the afternoon, return to downtown Yining and proceed to [Yining Six Star Street]. Six Star Street, named after its radial street structure, is one of the most representative old neighborhoods in Yining. The street has long been a place of multi-ethnic settlement, showing the history of Yili's urban development and the integration of ethnic groups.

➤ Daxigou Almond Blossom Gully

An important apricot blossom distribution area in the Ili River Valley, where the sea of flowers, meadows and snowy peaks are intertwined in spring, displaying the softest natural scenery of Ili.

➤ Ining Six Star Street

Famous for its unique street pattern, the Old Town is an important place to learn about Ireng's multi-ethnic daily life and the city's history.

After breakfast, we will go to the Nalati Grassland at the eastern end of the Ili River Valley. Nalati means "the first place to see the sun" in Hassak language. With its open terrain and abundant water and grass, Nalati has been an important nomadic area since ancient times.

Grasslands and river valleys are interspersed with rich geomorphic layers, and the snowy peaks of the Tianshan Mountains in the distance and the meadows in the near distance reflect each other, presenting one of the most representative grassland landscapes in the Ili River Valley. This grassland is not only a natural landscape, but also carries the longstanding nomadic culture and lifestyle of the Kazakh people.

In the afternoon, leave Narathi and head to Xinyuan County to check in and prepare for the next day's trip into the forests and apricot blossom areas of the Ili River Valley.

➤ Narathi grasslands

It is a typical representative of Tianshan mountain grassland, combining meadows, river valleys and snow peaks, and is an important symbol of the Ili River Valley's natural and humanistic aspects.

After breakfast, we will depart from Xinyuan and go to one of the most representative natural landscapes of the Ili River Valley in spring, namely, Türgen Apricot Blossom Valley. Due to the gentle terrain and mild climate, Turgen area naturally produces large-scale wild apricot forests, which are the most densely distributed and well-preserved apricot blossoms in the Ili region.

In spring, apricot blossoms bloom along the mountain slopes and valleys, and the sea of pinkish-white flowers and the meadows and snowy peaks of the Tianshan Mountains in the distance contrast with each other, forming an open and soft spring scene in Ili. This is also the area where the Kazakhs have been herding livestock and living for generations, where natural landscape and nomadic culture have long coexisted.

Horseback Riding in the Almond Blossom GrasslandsThe tour is led by local herders on horseback along the almond blossom meadows, allowing guests to experience the natural scale and rhythm of the Ili Grassland and the Almond Blossom Valley in a traditional pastoral way.

Afterwards, we will continue our journey and visit the "Chafuqi Sea" along the way. This is one of the important waters of the Ili River Valley, the lake is vast, surrounded by gentle terrain, the lake and the surrounding grasslands, mountains reflect each other.

Then you will enter the Chaxi Forest Park, which is located in the middle part of the Tianshan Mountains, and is an important area for the transition from grassland landscape to forest landscape in the Ili River Valley. The park is dominated by spruce forests, with meadows and streams distributed among the forests. The ecology is well-preserved, presenting the original appearance of mountain forests in the Tianshan Mountains.

Arrive in the town of Kuldning in the evening and check in for the night.

➤ Almond Blossom Gully in Türgen

One of the largest natural apricot forests in the Ili region, the sea of flowers in spring is intertwined with grasslands and snowy peaks, showing the most representative spring scenery of Ili.

➤ Chasi Forest Park

It is an important protected area of the Tianshan mountain forest, showing the natural geomorphological characteristics of the transition from grassland to forest.

After breakfast, we will go deep into the Kuldning Forest. Located in the middle part of the Tianshan Mountains, it is one of the well-preserved primitive forests in Xinjiang. The forest is dominated by spruce, which is old and densely distributed, with meadows and streams interspersed between the forests, forming a stable and multi-layered mountain ecosystem.

Due to the closed terrain and less human interference, Kuldning has long maintained a pristine state, and is regarded as an important area for understanding the forest ecology of the Tien Shan mountains. From the vast grassland to the dense forest in the past few days, the journey has made a significant transition in terms of landscape and feeling.

In the afternoon, go to the town of Tekes. Tekes is located in the hinterland of the Ili River Valley and has been an important farming and herding community since the Qing Dynasty. The town's streets are planned in a radial pattern, originating from the overall design ideas of the modern urban construction period, emphasizing clear traffic routes and concentrated living functions, and still retaining its complete structure.

Today's Tekes, combining traditional farming and herding culture with modern urban life, is an important site for understanding the lifestyle of the residents of the Ili River Valley and the history of urban development.

➤ Kurdish forests

Located in the middle part of the Tianshan Mountains, the Kuldning Forest is one of the more well-preserved mountain forest ecosystems in Xinjiang. With spruce forests as the mainstay, the forest structure is stable and maintains a pristine condition for many years, presenting the typical appearance of natural succession in the Tianshan Mountains.

➤ Town of Tx.

The town of Tekes is one of the most important settlements in the Ili River Valley, with a complete urban pattern and clear street planning, reflecting the practical considerations of transportation, life and management during the development of modern Xinjiang towns. The town has long been a space for multi-ethnic people to live together, and is a representative place for observing the social structure and daily culture of the Ili River Valley.

After breakfast, leave Tekes and return to Yining, the core city of Yili Valley. Since the Qing Dynasty, Yining has been the garrison of the Yili Generals and is one of the important political, economic and cultural centers of Xinjiang.

In the afternoon, go to "Silk Road Light Tourism Town". This area is a cultural and tourism space developed in recent years. The overall design integrates the historical elements of the Silk Road with modern public space concepts, presenting the cultural extension and transformation of Yining as a Silk Road node city in modern times.

➤ Silk Road Lights Tourist Towns

A cultural and tourism area that combines the cultural imagery of the Silk Road with modern urban planning, showcasing the contemporary cityscape of Yining.

Depending on the flight time, you will go to Yining airport and take a domestic flight back to Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang. Yining to Urumqi is a long distance by land, so if you travel by car, it will take a whole day and the trip will be very intensive. By choosing to arrange inland flights for this tour, we can effectively shorten the moving time, preserve the physical strength and rhythm of the latter part of the journey, and make the overall itinerary more balanced.

Upon arrival in Urumqi, proceed to the International Grand Bazaar. Since ancient times, Xinjiang has been an important relay for Silk Road merchants and travelers, and the Grand Bazaar continues the historical form of multi-ethnic trade and exchange. The Grand Bazaar is a continuation of the historical form of multi-ethnic trade and exchange. It integrates the cultural elements of Uyghurs, Kazakhs and Han Chinese, reflecting Xinjiang's trading traditions and interactions with ethnic groups as a Silk Road node city.

➤ International Bazaar (Urumqi)

The Urumqi International Bazaar is one of the most representative bazaars in Xinjiang. Its function is not only to trade commodities, but also to carry the history of trade culture and multi-ethnic exchanges from the Silk Road period to the present day, and it is an important place to understand the culture of the city of Xinjiang.

➤ In addition to the Grand Bazaar, you can also choose from the following attractions on your own:

• Red Hill ParkThe city's landmark, Urumqi, offers a breathtaking view of the city and the Tianshan Mountains.

• Xinjiang MuseumThe collection of Loulan cadavers and Silk Road artifacts is not to be missed by history buffs.

• Erdaoqiao MosqueThe building is typical of Islamic architecture, and shows the religious culture of the region.

• Friendship Road Shopping District: Modern shopping area with restaurants and malls.

We will transfer you to the airport according to your flights and end this unforgettable trip to the northern part of Xinjiang. From the snowy peaks of the Tianshan Mountains to the pastoral songs of the grasslands, from Lake Salimu to the Kanas, to the city of Urumqi, the magnificent and delicate scenery of Xinjiang will become unforgettable memories for a lifetime.

➤ Urumqi AirportThe most important aviation hub in western China, with routes to both domestic and international destinations.
➤ Xinjiang MemoryThe tourists may leave behind different moments in their minds - the morning mist of Wo Mu, the blue of Lake Salimu, or the crowds at the Grand Bazaar.