Northern Xinjiang Travel Guide — the wild north of Xinjiang - Kanas lakes, Hemu villages, the Sayram mirror and the grassland loops of the Tianshan
Northern Xinjiang (Beijiang) is the classic wild loop of the Silk Road's far west - the turquoise lake of Kanas under the Altai snow, the log villages of Hemu and Baihaba on the Kazakh border, the rainbow cliffs of Wucaitan above the Ertix River, and the great grassland arcs of Sayram Lake, Nalati and Bayanbulak on the northern flank of the Tianshan. The 11-day ring from Urumqi - out through Burqin and the Altai, back over the Sayram pass and the Yili valley - is one of China's great road trips, with yurts, horse treks, Kazakh banquets and a frontier check-post for the passes. This guide carries the ticket prices, shuttle and bus fares, guesthouses and phones taken from the field guide, so you can plan it yourself or have our team arrange it end to end.
