Altay Travel Guide
Mother Nature has truly worked her magic in magnificent Altay. This untarnished expanse of glorious nature is at the northernmost tip of Xinjiang, which is located in northwestern China. The prefecture borders with the People's Republic of Mongolia, Kazakstan and Russia, and covers an area of 11.76 ten thousands square kilometres. The city has beautiful natural environment, pleasant climate, and unique Kazakh folk customs.
It is a common question for the tour operators like us.
Kanas Lake is one of the most beautiful natural sceneries in China with alpine mountains, rivers, forests and grasslands. The forests, named Taiga forests, are dominated by straight and tall fir and pine trees, which grow by the Kanas Lake, giving it some hints of mystery.
Located near Kanas Lake in Burqin County, Hemu Village boasts a picturesque natural landscape. Many might have already heard of the serene beauty of Kanas Lake, but here in Hemu Village, the green grassland, boundless forest and misty snowcapped mountains welcome you to a hidden Chinese fairyland.
One of Altay's most stunning features is Grassland Rock City ( Caoyuan Shicheng ). This geological wonder is 60 square kilometres of granite rock formations, a product of tectonic movement and wind erosion. With just a touch of imagination, you'll realize they're quite life-like!
Keketuohai National Geopark is a collection of stunning landscapes and geological wonders. Yileimu Lake, in the shape of "8", is a blue sapphire on this land of miracles.
Rainbow Beach, also known as Wucaitan, is the marriage of multiple colours caused by different minerals in rocks and a large area of poorly consolidated rock surfaces grooved by wind erosion has created the unique beauty of Yardang terrain in Xinjiang.
Altay is an important section of the ancient prairie Silk Road. With advantageous geographical conditions and fertile mountain prairies, here are pregnant in ancient civilizations Archaeologists have found a Paleolithic site by the northern bank of the Ertix River, which verifies That as early as 8000 9000 years ago, there began to have human activities here. It is said that in the Altay Mountains there are 72 valleys and in each of them there is found gold. For this reason, here was also called "the golden road".
Xinjiang Kanas Airport built close to a world-renowned scenic spot in Xinjiang, and it is a seasonal airport ( Available from 10th June to 7th Oct ) that serves Burqin County and the nearby tourist destination Kanas Lake in Xinjiang.
2. Sun Protection: In some mountainous areas and high altitude areas, you still need to do some sun protection measures.
3. Border Defense Pass: To get to Kanas Lake, you must apply for a border defense pass at the Border Defense Brigade of Burqin County Armed Police.
It is a common question for the tour operators like us.
What to Visit in Altay?
Altay boasts everything from glaciers to grasslands, from canyons to desert dunes, so there's a lot to explore!Kanas Lake is one of the most beautiful natural sceneries in China with alpine mountains, rivers, forests and grasslands. The forests, named Taiga forests, are dominated by straight and tall fir and pine trees, which grow by the Kanas Lake, giving it some hints of mystery.
Located near Kanas Lake in Burqin County, Hemu Village boasts a picturesque natural landscape. Many might have already heard of the serene beauty of Kanas Lake, but here in Hemu Village, the green grassland, boundless forest and misty snowcapped mountains welcome you to a hidden Chinese fairyland.
One of Altay's most stunning features is Grassland Rock City ( Caoyuan Shicheng ). This geological wonder is 60 square kilometres of granite rock formations, a product of tectonic movement and wind erosion. With just a touch of imagination, you'll realize they're quite life-like!
Keketuohai National Geopark is a collection of stunning landscapes and geological wonders. Yileimu Lake, in the shape of "8", is a blue sapphire on this land of miracles.
Rainbow Beach, also known as Wucaitan, is the marriage of multiple colours caused by different minerals in rocks and a large area of poorly consolidated rock surfaces grooved by wind erosion has created the unique beauty of Yardang terrain in Xinjiang.
Climate and Weather of Altay:
Altay Prefecture has a continental climate of the cold temperate zone, with dry and hot summers, severe cold in winters, little precipitation, sufficient sunlight, large temperature differences between day and night. The annual average temperature is 0.7℃—4.9℃, the extreme minimum temperature is -51.5℃, and the extreme maximum temperature is 42℃. The average annual precipitation in the plain area is 131-223 mm, the frost-free period is 123-152 days, and the annual sunshine hours are 2829-3045 hours.Annual Temperature of the Year/℃ ( High-Low )
| Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | May. | Jun. |
| -12/-22 | -10/-22 | -4/-17 | 15/1 | 19/7 | 25/12 |
| July | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. |
| 27/16 | 27/15 | 19/5 | 9/-2 | -1/-12 | -12/-21 |
History of Altay:
Altay is an important section of the ancient prairie Silk Road. With advantageous geographical conditions and fertile mountain prairies, here are pregnant in ancient civilizations Archaeologists have found a Paleolithic site by the northern bank of the Ertix River, which verifies That as early as 8000 9000 years ago, there began to have human activities here. It is said that in the Altay Mountains there are 72 valleys and in each of them there is found gold. For this reason, here was also called "the golden road".How to Get to Altay?
There are two ways to travel to Altay: Flights, and Trains.Go to Altay By Air:
Altay Airport is located in the southwest of Altay City, 11.5km from the urban area. There are daily flights to Urumqi, China Southern Airlines has two flights a day, Tianjin Airlines and Hainan Airlines have one flight on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.Xinjiang Kanas Airport built close to a world-renowned scenic spot in Xinjiang, and it is a seasonal airport ( Available from 10th June to 7th Oct ) that serves Burqin County and the nearby tourist destination Kanas Lake in Xinjiang.
Go to Altay By Train:
There is no train service in Altay City, so you can only take a train from Urumqi to Beitun Railway Station, which takes about 12 hours, and then drive to Altay ( about 1 hour ).Altay Travel Tips:
1. Temperature: Altay has a large temperature difference between day and night, even in July and August, you still need to take some warm clothes, trainers, slippers, gastrointestinal medicine, cold medicine, anti-inflammatory and painkillers.2. Sun Protection: In some mountainous areas and high altitude areas, you still need to do some sun protection measures.
3. Border Defense Pass: To get to Kanas Lake, you must apply for a border defense pass at the Border Defense Brigade of Burqin County Armed Police.
