Bayinbuluke Grasslands, Xinjiang Province (6 days)
Camp out overnight in the beautiful high-altitude scenery of the Bayinbuluke Grasslands in northwestern Xinjiang; see Silk Road sights, big mountains, and desert while on the road to and from the grasslands.
This trip is not currently scheduled
| Day One main activities | Meet up in Korla, drive to Kuqa. |
|---|---|
| Day Two main activities | Tour Kuqa’s Grand Mosque, King's Palace, Old Town. Visit ruins of Subashi Ancient City, hike in Dakziliya Canyon, overnight in Baicheng. |
| Day Three main activities | Drive through mountains to Bayinbuluke, hikes in the grasslands, overnight near the grasslands. |
| Day Four main activities | Drive to Nalati, stopping for short hikes along the way. |
| Day Five main activities | Drive to Dushanzi, stopping for short hikes along the way. |
| Day Six main activities | Drive to Urumqi via Shihezi, stopping for a walk in the desert. Trip finishes in Urumqi. |
The Bayinbuluke Grasslands
Surrounded by the tall snow mountains of the Tianshan mountain range, the Bayinbuluke Grasslands is an area of pure green grass, snow-fed rivers, and rolling hills that is 1.5 times the size of the entirety of Beijing Municipality.
In the grasslands we’ll take an afternoon hike up to a lookout point to watch the sun set over one of the rivers that snakes through the prairie, and overnight in an area favoured by local Kazakh nomads.
Also known as the Bayan Bulak grasslands, the prairie covers part of Hejing County in the Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture. Bayingolin is the largest of China’s autonomous regions, and is actually larger in area than the neighbouring province of Gansu. The capital of Bayingolin is Korla, and it’s in Korla that our trip will begin.
Also on the trip
- Take a stroll through the narrow streets of Kuqa’s old town, visit the Grand Mosque and the King’s Palace, camp overnight near the ruined city of Subashi.
- Mongolian is the first language of some Kucheans. Want to say hello in Mongolian? Sain bain uu!
- Hike in a forested area in Kunas on the way to the small city of Nalati.
- Drive through snowcapped mountains on the way to Dushanzi.
- Hike in a desert area near Shihezi on the way back to Urumqi.
Getting to Korla, and back home again from Urumqi
You’ll meet your guides at the Korla Airport between 3-4pm on the first day of the trip.
The itinerary will finish in Urumqi on the last day of the trip, and we plan to drop you off at the Kashgar Airport around 5pm.
Please do not purchase your flights until we are able to confirm the departure of the trip.
