Yili Loop Itinerary｜8 Days & 7 Nights Leisurely Journey to the Jiangnan Beyond the Great Wall

🌍 Must-Visit Spots in Yili, Xinjiang
✅ Narat Grassland: One of the world's four great valley grasslands, featuring snow-capped mountains + wildflowers + streams—the aerial grassland is breathtakingly beautiful.
✅ Sayram Lake: A 60 km lakeside drive with sailing, swan interactions, and S-curve reflections of snow mountains 📸.
✅ Yizhao Highway: Open only 3 months a year! Thrilling mountain roads offering views of grasslands, glaciers, and canyons in a single day.
✅ Zhaosu Wetland: The spectacle of "Heavenly Horses Bathing in the River" is awe-inspiring.
✅ Tekes City: The world's largest ancient city with a Bagua (Eight Trigrams) layout—a mysterious town with zero traffic lights.
✅ Guozigou Bridge: Xinjiang's No. 1️⃣ highest bridge.

🗺️ 8 Days & 7 Nights In-Depth Loop

Day1️⃣｜Beijing - Yining
💃 Yining Six-Star Street: Russian-style colorful houses + handmade ice cream 🍦.
🏠 Stay: Six-Star Street

Day2️⃣｜Yining - Narat
💃 Valley Grassland: Ancient Wusun relics + horseback riding in the forest.
💃 Panlong Valley: A prime spot for hairpin-turn photography.
🚗 Cross-city drive: 3h｜🏠 Stay: Narat

Day3️⃣｜Narat
💃 Aerial Grassland: Grass sliding, hiking through snow-capped mountains and flower fields.
📌 Must-visit: Nomadic Family｜🏠 Stay: Narat

Day4️⃣｜Narat - Ku'erdening
💃 Secret Snow Ridge Spruce Forest 🌲.
🚗 Cross-city drive: 3h｜🏠 Stay: Ku'erdening

Day5️⃣｜Ku'erdening - Qiaxi - Tekes
💃 Qiaxi Grassland: Pastures + spruce forests.
💃 Tekes: Ride the Ferris wheel to see the Bagua-patterned streets.
🚗 Cross-city drive: 3h｜🏠 Stay: Tekes

Day6️⃣｜Tekes - Zhaosu - Sayram Lake
💃 Zhaosu Wetland: Watch the "Heavenly Horses Bathing in the River" gallop.
💃 Yizhao Highway: Baishi Peak viewpoint + Wild Wolf Valley.
🚗 Cross-city drive: 5h｜🏠 Stay: Sayram Lake

Day7️⃣｜Sayram Lake - Guozigou - Yining
💃 Lakeside drive + photograph swans at Kuleyongzhu.
💃 Distant view of Guozigou Bridge.
🚗 Cross-city drive: 2.5h｜🏠 Stay: Yining

Day8️⃣｜Yining - Beijing

🍖 Xinjiang Cuisine
1️⃣ BBQ: Naan pit-roasted lamb, grilled lamb chops, lamb skewers, baked buns.
2️⃣ Noodle soups: Hand-pulled dough slices, lung noodles.
3️⃣ Ice cream.
4️⃣ Naan bread.

🌟 Follow 🐷 me to unlock more hidden routes! Yining City · Yili