Self-driving in Northern Xinjiang! 8 Days Without Staying in Hotels (with Locations)

Sharing this Northern Xinjiang RV self-driving guide, also useful for camper vans. I have to say, the restrooms in Karamay are the cleanest I've ever seen, bar none.
Itinerary overview: Urumqi (car pickup) → Karamay → Burqin → Baihaba → Kanas (return to Baihaba for overnight) → Hemu → Altay → Urumqi (car return), about 1500 kilometers in total, driving 3-5 hours daily. Since this is a reverse route, there are fewer cars, and I found driving an RV for the first time quite easy.
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📅 Daily itinerary and overnight locations
Day 1: Urumqi → Karamay (about 400 km, 4.5 hours)
Overnight spot: Karamay Jinlong Lake No.3 parking lot. There are over 2,000 parking spaces here with complete restroom facilities. In the evening, you can stroll around Jinlong Lake Park and enjoy the night view of the city's green lung.
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Day 2: Karamay → Burqin (about 300 km, 4 hours)
Overnight spot: Burqin Riverside free campsite. Just across the Ertis River from the county town, it can accommodate nearly a hundred RVs and self-driving vehicles for camping. Close to the riverbank night market, convenient for buying ingredients and experiencing local culture.
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Day 3: Burqin → Baihaba (about 150 km, 3 hours)
Overnight spot: Baihaba New Village parking lot. Located halfway up the village hill, it offers a panoramic view of the entire village. Known as the "Northwest's First Village," Baihaba is very quiet at night with a starry sky free of light pollution, perfect for shooting the Milky Way.
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Day 4: Baihaba → Kanas (about 30 km, 1 hour)
Entering Kanas from Baihaba has shorter queues. The highlight of Kanas is the three lakes; the viewing platform lines are very long, so it’s recommended to ride a horse round trip, only about 200 yuan.
Overnight spot: Return to Baihaba New Village parking lot. (Stay one night if you want to see the morning fog)
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Day 5: Baihaba → Hemu (about 120 km, 3 hours)
Strongly recommend taking the newly opened Tiejia Highway.
Overnight spot: Near Hemu Tourist Service Center or designated parking areas next to guesthouses like Hemu Yun Zhu Mountain Residence. Convenient for going to Harden Viewing Platform early next morning to watch the sunrise and morning fog.
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Day 6: Hemu day tour
- Early morning: Head to Harden Viewing Platform to watch the sunrise; Hemu Village in the morning fog is a classic scene.
- Daytime: Beautiful Peak Village is highly recommended, it’s stunning (I wrote about Beautiful Peak Village in my previous post).
- Overnight spot: Same as the previous night.
Day 7: Hemu → Altay (about 350 km, 5-6 hours)
Start the return journey. The Ahe Highway rivals the Duku Highway; be sure to play in the snow at the mountain top. Don’t be like me, playing for an hour just because I saw a little snow halfway up the mountain.
Overnight spot: Highway service area near Altay
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Day 8: Altay → Urumqi (about 500 km, 6-7 hours)
Full day return trip. If time permits, you can stop by Karamay Beautiful Desert Park for some fun.
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This 8-day no-hotel RV self-driving guide lets you truly sleep on the earth and use the starry sky as your quilt, deeply experiencing the autumn beauty of Altay. All overnight spots have restrooms (except Jinlong Lake No.3, all are 24 hours), but only Jinlong Lake No.3 offers showers. If you have enough time, it’s recommended to visit Qibarsilik; the village committee allows overnight stays, has toilets, and you can shower at midnight.