2025｜12-Day Northern Xinjiang Itinerary — Must-Try Travel Photography in Urumqi

In my heart, Xinjiang, Tibet, and Inner Mongolia are must-visit destinations in a lifetime. This time, I set off for Xinjiang! I spent three months piecing together travel tips, finding a reliable travel agency for car rentals, and planning the itinerary. Finally, on July 26, we successfully boarded a Cathay Pacific midnight flight to begin our journey.

Here’s the 12-day Northern Xinjiang loop itinerary👇🏼
Day 1: Hong Kong ➜ Urumqi
Day 2: Tian Shan Tianchi (Heavenly Lake) ➜ S21 Desert Highway ➜ Beitun
Day 3: Ahe Highway ➜ Yunxiao Peak ➜ Hemu Village
Day 4: Kanas
Day 5: Kanas Three Bays Hiking
Day 6: Sayram Lake
Day 7: Sayram Lake Loop ➜ Lavender Fields ➜ Yizhao Highway ➜ Zhaosu
Day 8: Xiata ➜ Tekesi
Day 9: Tianshan Flower Sea ➜ Qiongkushitai
Day 10: Jinghe
Day 11: Urumqi
Day 12: Return to Hong Kong
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Day 1: Urumqi (Car rental starts on Day 2)
We arrived at Urumqi’s new airport, Tianshan International Airport, at around 7 a.m. This airport, newly opened in April this year, greeted us with a sky painted in the orange hues of sunrise, making me even more excited! 😆

📸 Travel Photography at Grand Bazaar
Since it was still early, we visited the Grand Bazaar and took some travel photos in traditional ethnic costumes. For a group of four, the discounted price was CNY 325 per person. You’ll find plenty of people offering travel photography services in the Grand Bazaar, with most charging around CNY 399 for a single person, including costumes, makeup, and photography. Take your time to compare options, as some shops offer exclusive costumes or unique shooting locations.
Although travel photography in Xinjiang is a must-try, I personally felt this particular studio was more of a production-line service. The four of us were taken to the same spots, and even the poses were identical 😂. However, this studio does have an exclusive indoor shooting area upstairs, which others need to pay extra to access. Overall, I wasn’t very satisfied and wouldn’t recommend it. 🙅🏻♀️

🏨 Urumqi Jianguo Puyin Hotel
The hotel is very new and clean, with a minimalist Chinese-style design. The rooms are spacious, but I have to say, I really dislike smart toilets. They flush automatically as soon as you sit down, which drove me crazy (and it only got worse with subsequent accommodations, as all the smart toilets behaved the same way!). Although the hotel is a bit far from the city center, it’s very close to the airport. If you’re staying for just one day like I did, it’s a good choice.

🥢 Bazaar House Xinjiang Cuisine
The dishes here are innovative and visually appealing, with a good balance of flavors. The most surprising dish was the lamb skewers, which had pineapple sandwiched in the middle. The pineapple balanced out the greasiness of the lamb and neutralized its gamey taste. Highly recommended!

I’ll continue to update the itinerary details gradually, hoping to provide more references for those curious about Northern Xinjiang. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or share your own Xinjiang travel experiences! 😎