Xinjiang Yili Small Loop, 10-Day 9-Night Travel Guide

🌍 Itinerary:
Day01 Shanghai - Arrive in Urumqi - Check in at The Puxi Hotel Urumqi - Dinner
Day02 Urumqi - Lunch - Anjihai Grand Canyon - Hotel check-in - Dinner - Dushanzi Grand Canyon
Day03 Dushanzi - Duku Highway - Tangbula Hundred-Mile Gallery - Lunch - Tangbula Fairy Lake - Dinner - (Depending on ticket availability) Half-day Nalati Grassland until sunset
Day04 Nalati Grassland day tour (Aerial Grassland - Lunch - Snow Lotus Valley - Internet-famous Bridge - Nomadic Family) - Dinner - Tianshan Flower Sea - Tekes
Day05 Tekes - Qiongkushitai - Lunch - 5-hour horseback ride to Kalajun Jiasagan - Kalajun Starry Sky Camp - Dinner
Day06 Kalajun - Lunch - Xiate Scenic Area - Dinner - Yizhao Highway - Yining
Day07 Yining photo shoot - Lunch - Lavender Valley - Check in at Huanghuang Village Homestay - Dinner - Jieyou Princess Lavender Farm
Day08 Huanghuang Village - Guozigou Bridge - Sayram Lake loop - Lunch - Sayram Lake loop - Dinner
Day09 Sayram Lake Pine Tree Head - Lunch - Dinner - Return to Urumqi
Day10 Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum - Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar - Lunch - Return to Shanghai

Notes:
1. Transportation
A) The main transportation to Xinjiang is by flight. Some suggest arriving in Urumqi, while others recommend starting the Yili trip from Yining. Both options work depending on your itinerary. Starting from Urumqi is perfectly fine;
B) This trip was fully chartered with a guide/driver: Brother Xiao Ma;

2. Travel timing
A) Although I traveled from June 23 to July 2, if you want to see wildflowers, you should go earlier. With Xinjiang's early summer heat this year, the grass was already turning yellow when I left. The best time for wildflowers is May;
B) For lavender viewing, go slightly earlier than my dates. Mid to late June (around the 20th) is peak bloom time in Huocheng. I only caught the tail end before harvest. Avoid the second bloom as the scale is too small;

3. Accommodation
Accommodations in Xinjiang were mixed. I've written a separate article summarizing all lodging during this trip. Please refer to my accommodation review post for details;

4. Dining
A) Xinjiang's lamb is the best I've ever had - no competition. Feel free to enjoy hand-pulled lamb, kebabs, etc. But beware of some small restaurants that might disappoint;
B) Besides lamb, Xinjiang offers many other delicacies: big plate chicken, spicy chicken, high-white salmon, cold noodle street, assorted soup - all recommended by Brother Xiao Ma. Regular readers might recall my previous food articles;

5. Itinerary
My clockwise small loop itinerary was opposite to most travelers', starting with Duku Highway and ending at Sayram Lake, with Urumqi as both starting and ending point. This is for your reference;