Resourcefully rich and ethnically diverse, this province attracts many adventurous travelers, keen to discover something about the western China.

Xinjiang contains the driest, hottest and coolest spots in China. The longest inland river, the Tarim River is here; the lowest area, the Aidin Lake in the Turpan Basin and the largest desert in China can also be found in Xinjiang.

Xinjiang is famous for the Silk Road. The ethnic groups such as Kirghs, Kazakhs, Tajiks, Hui, Mongols and Daur all inhabit here. Though a great part of the province is covered by vast expanses of deserts and mountains, Xinjiang cultivate extremely sweet fruits.

The Tianshan Mountain range divides Xinjiang into two parts. Urumqi, Yining and Hami are in the north of Tianshan and Turpan, Kashgar and Hotar are in the south. The landscape is incredibly diverse, and as you travel across the province the scenery changes from desert to lush green Alpine hills in one hour, and to valleys and Turkish settlements in the next.

Chinese Net Friends' Warnings:

Pay attention to the time zoo! Beijing time here means that the sun doesn't rise until 09:00 and it is still light at midnight in the summer months. When making travel arrangements, be sure to check which time zone is being used or you could get caught out!

Xinjiang has a desert climate with very little rainfall. The best time to visit this province is in the autumn, when the days are long, the sky clear and temperatures more bearable than in the heat of the summer.

Situated in the heart of the desert and the furthest city in the world from the ocean, temperatures here tend to be very extreme. Winters are VERY cold and summers, extremely HOT. The average rainfall in Xinjiang is about 6 inches, although this does vary according to the region. Generally speaking, winter temperatures in northern Xinjiang are higher than those in the south of the province. In the coldest month (January), the average temperature is more than 20 degrees below. The average temperature in the so called 'oven' of Turpan in the hottest month (July) is above 33 degrees.

Winter here falls between November and April although there is a strong sun all year round. Realistically, the only way to prepare for travelling in this region is to be ready for all eventualities. Be SURE to take sunblock and always carry plenty of drinking water, even in the cooler months. Also take warmer clothes for the nights and winter here, when the drop in temperatures can be quite severe.

The most convenient place to begin a tour of Xinjiang is Urumqi, the provincial capital, which has easy access to most of China's major cities. For details please refer to the Transportation Overview.

Day 1: Take bus to Heaven's Lake, and spend the night here. Stay overnight in Urumqi.

Day 2: In the morning take the bus to Turpan (3 hours). Visit by minibus/car or by bike Emin Minaret, Jiaohe Ruin, Baizeklik Thousand Buddha Caves and Grape Valley. Stay overnight in Turpan.

Day 3: Visit Gaochang Ruin, Astana Graves, Flaming Mountains. Take bus back to Urumqi in late afternoon. Stay overnight in Urumqi.

Day 4: City tour of Urumqi in the morning, visit Red Mountain, Minority People's Museum. Take late flight to Yinin. Stay overnight in Yinin.

Day 5: Take bus to the Fruit Valley, visit Fruit Valley and return. Stay the night in Yinin.

Day 6: Take bus to Sayram Lake, visit the lake and back. Stay in Yinin.

Day 7: Take early flight to Kashgar (about 1 hour). Visit Abakh Hoja Tomb and the Id Kah Mosque. Stay overnight in Kashgar.

Day 8: Take bus to Lake Karakuri and the Muztagata Mountain and back. Stay in Kashgar.

(Optional day: If you happen to be at Kashgar on Sunday, you can visit the Kashgar Grand Bazzar.)

Day 9: Return to Urumqi, finishing the tour.

Transportation to and from Xinjiang is fairly developed and mainly focuses on Urumqi as the major hub for traffic to the region. Flights to and from Urumqi are the most convenient method of accessing the region. Browse our transport sections for Urumqi, Kashgar, Turpan, and Yining for more detailed transport information.

By plane:
From Urumqi, daily domestic connections to Beijing, Guangzhou and other major cities are available as well as daily connections to Kashgar. Some international flights (not all daily) to Moscow and Islamabad, are also available.

By train:
This is the best way to travel east into the rest of China. To and from Urumqi, you'll find direct trains to Beijing, Shanghai, Lanzhou, Xi'an and Chengdu. Express trains to take a few days. Trains to and from Beijing take around 44 hours, and to and from Shanghai takes around 48 hours. We strongly recommend taking hard or soft sleeper trains. Anyone on a budget who tries taking a train to Urumqi with a hard seat will quickly discover that the extra few RMB spent on a sleeper ticket are good value for money.

By road:
The best way to get around in Xinjiang is by bus as the highway system is relatively good. In most of Xinjiang, foreigners are charged artificially jacked up foreigner prices which can be as much as 200% of the original. If you purchase tickets at the bus stations, then you may be charged a more reasonable 'official' price.

If you don't plan to join a tour group in Urumqi, transport around the region can be awkward. Public buses are infrequent and it is sometimes worth considering hiring a car or a jeep to tour about the area if your budget will stretch to it.