Live Your Best Lives
Xinjiang is extremely popular!
Since the film adaptation of "My Altay," Xinjiang's tourism boom has reached new heights! Altay has become Xinjiang's "new favorite" destination! But at the same time, those who find it difficult to choose are now scratching their heads!
There are so many beautiful and interesting grasslands in Xinjiang, how do you choose?
Yes, summer is here! The sea of flowers has arrived! Xinjiang is at its most beautiful time again!
More and more tourists are asking questions in the background:
"Any recommendations for hiking on the Xinjiang grasslands?"
"Is there any hiking suitable for beginners in Xinjiang?"
"What's the recommended time to hike on Xinjiang's three major grasslands?"
"Kalajun and Altay, how to choose?"
Okay, okay, “Choose Difficulty”, you can’t leave after reading this!
We'll compare two Xinjiang hiking routes in our system: [Northern Xinjiang Hiking: Nomadic Altay] and [Journey to the Tianshan Mountains: Kalajun], based on five dimensions: geographical location, landscape differences, cultural experience, seasonal selection, and route difficulty. You'll instantly understand which route is right for you!
If you haven’t been to Xinjiang, you don’t know how big China is.
The Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang are divided into three branches: north, central and south, and also divide Xinjiang into northern Xinjiang and southern Xinjiang.
Altay is located in the border area in the northern part of Xinjiang. It is a prefecture-level administrative region with famous attractions such as Kanas Sanwan, Baihaba, and Hemu.
Kalajun is located at the intersection of northern Xinjiang and the Tianshan Mountains, in Tekes County, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang. From a large plate perspective, Kalajun belongs to the core area of the Tianshan Mountains in the western part of northern Xinjiang and the southern part of the Ili River Valley.
I'm constantly seeing posts on Xiaohongshu about people in Xinjiang crowding into long lines for photos. While this might be a popular topic, as an outdoorsy person, you don't have to worry about the crowds you'd encounter at a scenic spot! Our hikes in Altay and Kalajun steered clear of the usual tourist routes and delved into lesser-known hidden gems.
Next, let’s take a look at the landscape focuses of these two hiking routes.
If I could describe Altay in one word, it would be "a vibrant oil painting." Li Juan's description of "snow-capped mountains reaching into the clouds and vast grasslands" perfectly captures Altay's essence. The snow-capped mountains here feel incredibly close, while the road is lined with dense spruce forests and a variety of hidden lakes. Kanas Lake is the most breathtaking, with morning mist drifting across the surface creating a fairyland-like experience.
@OldBu
Hujirt Migration Road: In summer, you can encounter the spectacle of herders migrating their cattle and sheep. Thousands of cattle and sheep flow across the grassland like black streams, and the sound of horses' hooves interweaves with the herders' shouts. If you are lucky, you can take close-up photos of the migrating team and feel the "rhythm of life" of the Xinjiang grassland.
@Cheng Yun
Kanas: The morning mist in Shenxian Bay is as ethereal as a fairyland, the S-shaped river channel in Moon Bay is like a crescent embedded in the forest, and Wolong Bay looks like a giant dragon lurking on the river surface. Kanas Lake also has its own filter color-changing ability, milky green in summer and dark green in autumn.
@Team Leader Joyful Desolate
@Team Leader Ice Blue Snow Princess
Hemu Village: Climb to the Harden Observation Deck in the early morning to watch the morning mist shroud the Hemu River, smoke rises from Tuvan wooden houses, and sunlight penetrates the birch forest, creating a "Tyndall effect." At night, the Hemu sky is ablaze with stars, and the Milky Way is clearly visible. Experience the tranquility of "God's Private Reserve."
Baihaba Village: Known as the "No. 1 Village in the Northwest", Tuvan wooden houses are scattered in an orderly manner, smoke and morning mist linger in the woods. Climbing up the hillside next to the village in the early morning, you can see the snow-capped mountains dyed with gold in the morning light, as if you have entered a secret village in a fairy tale.
@Team Leader Yixue
The keyword of Kalajun is: the most beautiful three-dimensional grassland in China, which is certified by "National Geographic China".
Enchanting "Human Grassland": The meadows here are not flat, but undulating like waves of green! When the sun shines, light and shadows flow through the gullies.
@Wenwu
The Snow Ridge Spruce Flower Sea is limited to: It is simply amazing if you come from May to July. There is a green tunnel made of Snow Ridge Spruce above your head, and the grassland is covered with a "rainbow carpet" of wild flowers, yellow nasturtiums, purple wild peas. As far as the eye can see, the mountains and fields are full of flowers. The Snow Ridge Spruce is like a dark green guard, and the soft curves of the human grassland are gilded in the sunset.
Altay has a very mysterious feeling of the border. It will pass through the Hujirt Migration Road. The migration time of herders is not fixed every year. Usually the summer migration is in June and the autumn migration is in September, which will last about 2-3 weeks.
Baihaba Village is composed of Tuvans and Kazakhs. The Tuvan wooden huts are surrounded by forests and snow-capped mountains, like a paradise.
Along the way, you'll find flocks of sheep, horses, felt yurts, and snow-capped mountains and forests, creating a nomadic landscape. You can also get up close and personal with nomadic people, stay in a Kazakh herder's yurt, and enjoy Tekes County specialties.
The flowering period of Kalajun is short, and it is only suitable from May to July every year. If you consider the cost-effectiveness, early May is the time when there are fewer people and the flowers are just beginning to bloom. For the best scenery, choose mid-June to July, which is when the sea of flowers is at its peak.
The main hiking seasons in Altay are summer (June to August) and autumn (September to early October). Summer is mainly for escaping the heat, while September is the peak of autumn colors!
At this time of year, Kanas and Hemu look like a palette overturned by God. The birch forests are a brilliant yellow, the larch trees a vibrant red, and the snow-capped mountains and lakes complement the scenery. Standing on any hillside, you can capture magazine-worthy photos. But remember to book accommodation in advance, as autumn is peak season in Altay.
@Team Leader Ice Blue Snow Princess
Altay is a low-altitude, light hiking route with a total itinerary of 7 days and 6 nights. The first and last days are gathering days, and the hiking days are divided into 3 days, from Baihaba Village → Kanas → Jadengyu → Kahe Pasture Road (exclusive for summer itineraries) → Hemu → Meilifeng Village.
The hiking distance in summer and autumn is different. The hiking distance in summer is about 60 kilometers, and in autumn it is about 40 kilometers. The difficulty level is only 4 stars (out of 7 stars), which is not difficult. It is suitable for outdoor enthusiasts aged 14-65. There is no need for camping throughout the trip. The infrastructure is relatively complete, which is very suitable for beginners.
Kalajun is a professional trekking route, which is divided into a 50-kilometer essence version and a 100-kilometer full version.
50km Highlights: The entire journey takes only 4 days and 3 nights, from Xiyangchi → West Kalajun Camp (2450m) → East Kalajun Camp (2650m) → Kizilus Pass (2920m) → Tarim Camp (1430m).
It takes a total of 4 days of hiking, and the overall difficulty is not high, only 3 stars (out of 7 stars). However, because it requires camping for 2 days, the threshold is raised to a certain extent. It is suitable for outdoor enthusiasts between the ages of 14 and 60 who have 1 day of camping experience.
100km full version: The whole journey takes 8 days and 7 nights, from Xiyangchi → Jiasagan Camp (2450m) → Dongkalajun Camp (2650m) → Kizilusidaban (2920m) → Tarim Camp (1430m) → Qiaxi Camp (1530m) → Mohur Camp (1700m).
This 5-day hike has an overall difficulty rating of 5 stars (out of 7), which is quite challenging. Most importantly, it requires 5 days of camping. Suitable for hikers aged 16-60 with at least 2 days of camping experience.
Kalajun also has a route designed specifically for outdoor novices, which is about 40 kilometers of hiking in 4 days.
The itinerary goes around the three major grasslands of Tianshan Mountains, crossing the world natural heritage Kalajun Grassland, Tangbula Grassland Fairy Lake and Xiata Ancient Road. There is no need to camp, the main focus is on in-depth play in Kalajun Grassland. The most interesting thing is that you can deeply experience the local culture and stay in a Kazakh yurt.
Choose Altay if you:
✅ Obsessed with glacial lakes and border scenery
✅ Travel light and leisurely, and can walk 10km+ per day
✅ Sufficient budget (7k+ per person)
✅ Want to take autumn blockbusters (September only!)
Choose Kalajun if you:
✅ Crazy about the sea of flowers and three-dimensional grasslands
✅ Want to travel light + camp service (full version costs 4k+ per person, and the essence version only costs 2.5k+)
✅ Short vacation (4-day essential package is enough)
✅ Travel in May-June (miss it and wait a year!)
