September in Kanas, encounter a golden fairy tale.

Xinjiang·Kanas 5 Days 4 Nights In-Depth Guide | Budget 6000 RMB | Autumn Legendary Route
📍 Route: Urumqi → Burqin → Kanas → Hemu Village → Five-Color Beach → Urumqi
🗓️ Duration: 5 days 4 nights (Recommended late September to early October: peak autumn colors)
💰 Total Budget: About 5850 RMB (per person)
🚗 Transportation: Flight + carpool/car rental + shuttle bus
📌 Style: Nordic secret realm × Alps on the map of China × Tuva culture

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🍁【Trip Highlights】
- Enjoy the three bays of Kanas Lake (Shenxian Bay, Moon Bay, Wolong Bay) alone in the morning mist
- Climb to the top of Guanyu Terrace to overlook the jade-green lake and snow-capped mountains panorama
- Stay in century-old wooden guesthouses in Hemu Village, open the window to see snowy pine forests, wake up to curling cooking smoke
- Hike along the shore of Kanas Lake, passing through golden larch forests
- Capture the sunset at Five-Color Beach, with Yadan landforms and the Irtysh River’s stunning light and shadow
- Experience Tuva culture: listen to the Chuur flute, drink milk tea, gather around the fire for night talks
- Taste the flavors of Northern Xinjiang: Burqin grilled dogfish, hand-pulled meat, baursak, dried horse sausage

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🗓️ Detailed Itinerary

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Day 1: Arrive in Urumqi → Fly to Burqin (or Beitun) → Stay in Burqin
- ✈️ Transportation:
- Fly nationwide to Urumqi (Reference price: round trip 2800-3500 RMB from Beijing/Shanghai/Guangzhou)
- Transfer: Urumqi Diwopu Airport → Burqin Five-Color Beach Airport (small route, 1.5h)
- Flight reference: CZ6817 / G52875, ticket price about 600-800 RMB (book in advance)
- Total flight budget: 3800 RMB (round trip)
- 🚖 Taxi from airport to Burqin town (about 50 RMB)
- 🏡 Accommodation: Burqin Qipan Guesthouse or Fairy Tale Border City Hotel
- Price: 400 RMB/night, Russian-style small town, charming night view
- 🍽️ Dinner: Burqin Riverside Night Market
- Must-eat: grilled dogfish (perch), dried meat pilaf, kvass (about 60 RMB per person)

✅ Total Day 1 cost: about 4300 RMB (flight 3800 + accommodation 400 + meals 60 + transport 50)

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Day 2: Burqin → Kanas Scenic Area → Stay in Kanas Village
- 🚙 Morning: Carpool/car rental departure (recommended 4-person off-road carpool, about 300 RMB per person)
- Distance: Burqin → Kanas Scenic Area entrance (about 200 km, 4 hours)
- Scenery en route: grasslands, river valleys, birch forests alternating
- 🎫 Afternoon: Enter Kanas Scenic Area (ticket + shuttle bus: 230 RMB)
- Tour route:
1. Shenxian Bay: morning mist shrouds, golden birch reflections like a painting (best in September)
2. Moon Bay: S-shaped jade river, check in at the “Flying Dragon in the Sky” stone monument
3. Wolong Bay: shaped like a giant dragon, can hike the boardwalk for aerial shots
- 🏡 Accommodation: Kanas Old Village wooden guesthouse (recommended “Snowland Family” or “Tuva Family”)
- Price: 500 RMB/night, kang bed-stove + fireplace + Tuva style, simple but original ecology
- 🍲 Dinner: homestyle dishes at guesthouse (hand-pulled meat, milk tea, baursak, about 60 RMB per person)
- 🌌 Night: starry sky without light pollution, shoot the Milky Way (if weather permits, possible aurora colors!)

✅ Total Day 2 cost: about 1100 RMB (carpool 300 + ticket 230 + accommodation 500 + meals 60)

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Day 3: Climb Guanyu Terrace + Lakeside Hiking → Hemu Village
- 🌅 Early morning: Guanyu Terrace (requires shuttle bus + climbing 1068 steps)
- Cost: shuttle bus 30 RMB (included in ticket), overlook full view of Kanas Lake from the top
- Photo spot: platform facing the lake center, snow mountains + blue water + golden forest, legendary composition
- 🍂 Morning: free hiking along Kanas Lake shore (free)
- Recommended route: walk 2 km along the lake from the village, few people, beautiful scenery, larch forest like an oil painting
- 🚙 Noon: carpool to Hemu Village (about 80 km, 2.5 hours)
- Cost: carpool about 200 RMB per person
- 🏡 Accommodation: Hemu century-old wooden guesthouse (recommended “Hemu Mountain Villa” or “The Watcher”)
- Price: 600 RMB/night, some with viewing balconies facing snow mountains
- 🍽️ Dinner: guesthouse custom meal (dried horse sausage fried rice, yogurt dumplings, milk tea, about 70 RMB per person)
- 🌃 Night: climb Hemu viewing platform (free), see the whole village lights + starry Milky Way

✅ Total Day 3 cost: about 1000 RMB (carpool 200 + accommodation 600 + meals 70 + shuttle bus 30)

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Day 4: Hemu Morning Mist + Village Stroll → Five-Color Beach Sunset
- 🌫️ 6:00 AM: climb Hemu viewing platform (can ride horse 100 RMB/person or hike 30 minutes)
- Watch morning mist rise from the valley, wooden house cooking smoke curling, called “China’s most beautiful morning mist”
- 🏘️ Morning: free stroll in Hemu Village
- Photo spots: Hemu Bridge, birch forest, small wooden houses, Tuva small church
- Experience: chat with Tuva elders, listen to Chuur flute performance (can book experience class 150 RMB)
- 🚙 Noon: carpool back to Burqin (about 150 km, 3 hours)
- Cost: carpool about 200 RMB per person
- 🌇 Evening: Five-Color Beach sunset (ticket + shuttle bus: 50 RMB)
- Irtysh River flows through Yadan landforms, rocks show red, yellow, orange, purple colors under sunset
- Golden photo time: 18:30-19:30 (autumn sunset about 19:40)
- 🏡 Accommodation: Burqin Qipan Guesthouse (same as Day 1)
- Price: 400 RMB/night

✅ Total Day 4 cost: about 900 RMB (carpool 400 + ticket 50 + accommodation 400 + meals 50)

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Day 5: Burqin → Fly back to Urumqi → Return home
- ✈️ Morning: Burqin Airport → Urumqi (flight about 1.5h, ticket 600 RMB)
- 🚖 Taxi or subway to airport/train station in city
- ✈️ Return home

✅ Total Day 5 cost: about 700 RMB (flight 600 + transport 100)

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💰 Total Budget Summary (per person)
| Item | Cost |
|------|------|
| Round-trip flights (including small route) | 3800 RMB |
| Carpool fees (3 segments) | 700 RMB (300+200+200) |
| Accommodation (4 nights) | 1900 RMB (400+500+600+400) |
| Tickets + shuttle buses | 310 RMB (Kanas 230 + Guanyu Terrace 30 + Five-Color Beach 50) |
| Meals (5 days) | 250 RMB (50 per day) |
| Other experiences | 150 RMB (Chuur flute experience) |
| Total | About 5850 RMB |

> 💡 Money-saving Tips:
> - If budget is tight within 5000 RMB:
> - Take the bus (Urumqi → Burqin, about 12h, ticket 300 RMB), save 1200 RMB on airfare
> - Stay in dorm hostels (Kanas/Hemu about 200 RMB/bed), save 800 RMB
> - If you want to upgrade:
> - Rent a private 7-seat SUV (about 5000 RMB for the whole trip), more freedom
> - Add a helicopter tour over Kanas Lake (1680 RMB/person/10 minutes), worth the price!

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📸 Travel Blogger Insider Tips
1. Best photography times:
- Kanas three bays: 6:30-8:00 AM (morning mist + backlight)
- Hemu morning mist: 6:00-7:00 AM (around sunrise)
- Five-Color Beach: 18:30-19:30 (most vivid sunset side light)
2. Clothing suggestions:
- September-October temperature: 15°C daytime, -5°C at night, bring a windbreaker + light down jacket + fleece
- Shoes should be non-slip, boardwalk often has dew and fallen leaves
3. Pitfall warnings:
- Food inside scenic areas is expensive, bring your own snacks (chocolate, beef jerky)
- For carpool, use official platforms or guesthouse recommendations, sign agreements to avoid being left behind

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🌲 Conclusion
6000 RMB for a 5-day 4-night Western Region fairy tale journey.
You wake up in the morning mist of Kanas,
Fall asleep under the starry sky of Hemu,
Walk through China’s most Swiss-like autumn,
Hear the thousand-year flute sound of the Tuva people.
Kanas is not just a landscape,
It is a poem written into your heart.