11-Day Northern Xinjiang: Kanas & Sayram Lake

Explore Northern Xinjiang’s stunning landscapes with a guided tour to Kanas and Sayram Lakes. Discover Hemu village’s charm. Book your adventure today.

Duration: 11 days
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights

Urumqi Arrival

Urumqi - Welcome to Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, renowned as the most distant major city from any ocean globally. Celebrated as a traveler’s haven, it features breathtaking natural landscapes, a rich cultural legacy, and distinctive local customs. Upon arrival, guests will be transferred to their…

What's Included
  • Private transportation
  • Entrance fee listed in the itinerary
  • Breakfast
  • 2 bottles of water each person for daily use
  • 7 nights 4 Star Hotel (2 persons shared one room)
What's Not Included
  • Lunch and dinner throughout the itinerary
  • Person expense and tips for the guide and driver
  • Some activities such as boating, camel riding, culture show etc.
  • flight arrive and leave from Urumqi
  • Guide Service
Additional Information

This 11-day Classic Northern Xinjiang Tour features the breathtaking Kanas Nature Reserve, a haven for photography enthusiasts. Delight in a walking tour of Hemu, celebrated as China’s most beautiful village. For nature admirers, the scenic Sayram Lake is an essential stop in Northern Xinjiang.

  • Private transportation with excellent air conditioning
    -…
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(7 Ratings)
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Luisagl1829qr
Sep 23, 2025
Great tour ! - Our September 2025 tour with Silk Road Group was flawless and exceeded all expectations. Every detail was perfectly planned, allowing us to simply relax and enjoy. Our guide, John, was a standout—deeply knowledgeable, approachable, and thoroughly dedicated to our safety and comfort. We also extend our thanks to Leah and Lesley for their prompt and caring support with every query. The gift of dried fruit was a thoughtful personal touch. It's evident that the entire team is passionate about their work. This was more than a vacation; it was a truly unforgettable experience. We highly recommend Silk Road Group without reservation.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
726nhann
Sep 11, 2025
Amazing 11-Day Tour of North Xinjiang - Just returned from an incredible 11-day tour through North Xinjiang, and it exceeded all expectations. The landscapes were stunning—from the crystal-clear Kanas Lake to the vast grasslands and deserts. Each day brought something new and unforgettable. The cultural experiences were just as enriching. We met warm and welcoming locals, stayed in traditional yurts, and enjoyed delicious regional food. The tour was well-organized, with a perfect mix of sightseeing and free time. Our guide was knowledgeable and truly passionate about the region. Highlights included horseback riding with Kazakh herders, sunrise over Kanas Lake, and stargazing under clear skies. If you're looking for adventure, culture, and natural beauty, North Xinjiang is a must-visit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Quest01064614382
Sep 5, 2025
Xinjiang North - Have just completed the north Xinjiang tour and we truly enjoyed the amazing time we spent on the road. Saw beautiful sceneries in places like heavenly lake, Hemu, kanas, danshuzi Grand Canyon, lake Sayram and Narati grasslands. The trip was made enjoyable and fun with the small group that we are with. It was made better with our tour lead John who was professional, patient, helpful and generous. He provided much information to help us enjoy the trip even more. He brought us to restaurants for meals and generously bought for us local fruits for desserts. Also thanks for Mr Zhang who drove us kilometers upon kilometers to get us to the attractions. Overall, a great trip with great people. Thanks
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fredleeyh
Jul 7, 2025
Memorable, wonderful & adventurous Xinjiang - John, our English speaking tour leader, has brought us through a very memorable, wonderful and adventurous journey in Northern Xinjiang. It ranges from the hottest city of Turpan and tasted the freshly squeezed grape juice, the 4-wheel roller coaster drive in Kumutage Desert, scenic Kanas nature reserves, Hemu mountain peak, Tianshan mountain range+Heavenly lake, to our end point in Urumqi. John is very knowledgeable and experienced in briefing us in his fluent English about the places we visited and attentively taking care of our needs throughout especially in such extreme weather conditions. More impressively, he is very skillful in his photo taking and has been tirelessly using his mobile to take very nice photos and videos in multiple combinations (group, 2 by 2, 1 by 1) for us at perfect spots and sites avoiding the large tourist crowds 😉 and thus saving time for us to cover more places. At the same time, a thumbs up to Alim (in Turpan) and especially Mr Pan (小潘) for the rest of our journey. Even though they do not speak a lot (hardly 20 words in a day!!) they are awesome, safe and diligent drivers bringing us to many beautiful places in Xinjiang. While we are ending our journey in Urumqi, we are not only bringing along with us the nice memories of our trip, we are also truly appreciative and thankful of John's leadership in enabling us to have a wonderful and safe tour of the rest of the beautiful Xinjiang. All the best John !!!! Keep up the good job and joy you are bringing everyone. Hope we may meet again in our next trip in the near future (may be Southern Xinjiang 😂).
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Grandtour03743606651
May 31, 2025
Nature, Comfort & Freedom – A Perfect Xinjiang Escape - Our first journey to Xinjiang was simply unforgettable. This region is a visual masterpiece—where snow-capped mountains meet crystal-clear lakes, vast grasslands stretch endlessly, and every turn brings a new postcard-perfect view. 📸 Must-Visit Highlights: • Heavenly Lake (Tianchi) – Surrounded by towering peaks, the serene lake offers stunning alpine scenery. • Sayram Lake – A shimmering blue lake set against dramatic snow-capped mountains. So peaceful and picturesque. • Kanas & Hemu Villages – Traditional wooden homes and dense pine forests make this one of the most charming areas we visited. • Naraty & Kalajun Grasslands – Endless green meadows with distant mountains—perfect for photography and soaking in nature. A highlight was horseback riding in Naraty, where we experienced the freedom and serenity of the grasslands firsthand. • Colorful Bay & Ghost City – Surreal rock formations and desert landscapes that feel like stepping onto another planet. 🚗 Comfortable & Flexible Travel: We traveled in a spacious 7-seater vehicle—ideal for 3 people. There was plenty of legroom and space for our luggage, making the long drives much more comfortable. The car was clean and well-maintained, which made a real difference, especially on scenic routes. For attractions like Sayram Lake and Naraty, having the self-driving option was a huge plus. It allowed us to skip long queues at the park entrances and gave us the flexibility to explore at our own pace—a major benefit in such vast natural areas. 🍽 Food: The local cuisine was a treat—lamb skewers, hand-pulled noodles, and fresh naan were just a few of our favorites. Each meal was full of flavor and variety. 🧑‍✈️ Tour Support: Our guide and driver were exceptional—professional, warm, and attentive. The travel agency did a fantastic job customizing our trip and booking comfortable, high-quality accommodations that fit our needs. 🌤 Weather: Cool, clear, and surprisingly pleasant throughout. The fresh air and blue skies made every day feel refreshing. ⸻ Xinjiang far exceeded our expectations. It’s a place where natural wonders, comfort, and thoughtful travel planning come together seamlessly. Whether you’re riding horses across open plains, admiring crystal-clear lakes, or simply enjoying the ride, it’s a journey you won’t forget. 📍 Highly recommend this destination for nature lovers, photographers, and anyone looking for a well-rounded and scenic adventure.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lightpacker308286
May 31, 2025
Enjoying viewing Sayram Lake and had local ice cream in Liuxing Street - In a late May Friday morning, we a group of seniors visited Sayram Lake. Having visited the Visitor Center, we stopped by Santai’s Post Station (三台驛站). Then we viewed a group of white swans. We also visited Princess Jieyou Lavender Garden in Huocheng County. Enjoying learning informative knowledge in the lavender museum. We then visited Liuxing Street night market that located in Yili Xinjiang is a fascinating place. Enjoying had local ice cream in Liuxing Street
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Navigator18352969420
May 29, 2025
An Unforgettable North Xinjiang Trip! - Thanks to Lesley for arranging this amazing trip. There were so many breathtaking sceneries along the way: Heavenly Lake, Kanas Nature Reserve, Sayram Lake, Guozigou Bridge, Kalajun grassland, Naraty grassland and many more…Also, the accommodations were mostly comfortable. In addition, each member of our group was very friendly, which brought good experience to the trip. We enjoyed so many delicious Xinjiang foods together. Lastly, the excellent experience couldn’t be achieved without our tour guide A.J. He is very knowledgeable and experienced in arranging the schedule and kept everyone informed. He is a great tour guide!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $1,980
up to 4 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).