I had a great time in Taxkorgan County and I'd like to share my travel tips with you.

Preparation:
Apply for a border pass in advance. You can apply at a police station in Kashgar, or at the service area of the glacier park in Shufu County or Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture. Bring a down jacket or a thick coat, an oxygen tank, and some Coca-Cola to help with altitude sickness.

Itinerary:
Day 1:
Rent a car in Kashgar and drive to Taxkorgan County. Along the way, you'll pass by Oytagh Glacier Park, White Sand Lake, Muztagh Ata, and Tashkurgan Wetland. The scenery is stunning, with herds of cattle and sheep grazing in the pastures, and the ice-blue rivers formed by the melting glaciers. Although the grass starts to turn yellow in autumn, it has its own charm. Try to minimize the time spent on the road and arrive in Taxkorgan County before dark. After arrival, try the local yak hot pot and then check in to a homestay to rest.

Day 2:
Get up at around 8:00 in the morning, pack up, and set off for Khunjerab Pass. Remember to bring warm clothes because it's cold in Taxkorgan County in the morning. There are many pastures along the way and it takes about an hour to get there. The altitude of the national gate is high but you may not experience altitude sickness. You can take photos of the altitude monument, the No. 7 boundary monument, and the national gate. It's enough to spend about an hour there.
In the afternoon, return to Tashkurgan Wetland and enjoy the beautiful view of yaks grazing leisurely at the foot of the snow-capped mountains and the winding stream in the middle of the yellow-green grassland from the viewing platform.
Finally, go to Muztagh Ata and take a shuttle bus at the visitor center. If you want to go to the glacier after getting off the bus, you can choose to ride a horse (CNY 100 for a single trip and CNY 200 for a round trip). If you're not physically fit or have altitude sickness, it's not recommended to walk there, otherwise, you may feel uncomfortable like me. I overestimated myself. Although the scenery was amazing when I walked up there, I felt a headache, dizziness, and weakness after walking down the mountain.

Tips: Coca-Cola can help with altitude sickness to some extent. You can bring more when you go to high-altitude areas.

Post by matthiasdante79 | Sep 21, 2024