How to Self-Drive in Xinjiang for 12 Days: A Guide for Beginners

is very large, so large that it makes you question your life. The distances between attractions here are all measured in hundreds of kilometers, and it often takes more than ten hours to drive between them. Therefore, for self-driving travel, the preferred option is to hire a car. If the number of people is large, consider self-driving.

Rental car options in Urumqi are numerous, with daily rental prices ranging from 70-200 yuan.

12-Day Self-Driving Itinerary:

01: Meeting in Urumqi

02: Urumqi———

03: ——

04: — Half-day Tour

05: —

06: ——

07: —— Half-day Tour—

08: —World Devil City

09: ——

10: —

11: —

12: —

Best Driving Season:

July-October is the best time, other times can also be visited, such as March-April to see peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, and the recently revived grasslands. June is the best time to appreciate rapeseed flowers in the Ili region, and the most beautiful time is mid-June. July-August is the best time for summer vacations, and in mid-August, many fruits are ripe, so if you are a foodie, you will have a good time. September-October is the harvest season in Xinjiang, with fragrant fruits and vegetables, and the poplar forests also come to join in the fun, which is the peak season for tourism, but various consumption will also increase.

Consumption Level:

Everyone who has been to Xinjiang feels a sense of it, that is, the consumption level here is not low. Of course, in addition to the price of fruits here being affordable, other price levels are comparable to those in North China. In Xinjiang, a bowl of mixed noodles costs 20-25 yuan, a whole roasted lamb costs 150 yuan per kilogram, and approximately 800 yuan for one lamb. If you eat at a tourist attraction, it will be even more expensive, and a meal of 60-100 yuan is a normal thing. In Xinjiang, in addition to eating, another expensive thing is tickets. Many attractions have ticket prices of more than 150 yuan, and if you take a shuttle bus, the cost may be 200-300 yuan. If you want to buy local specialties to take home, the prices in the Ili region are relatively cheaper.

Xinjiang Self-Driving Precautions:

1. The temperature difference in Xinjiang is large, so when self-driving, you must prepare warm clothes, even in summer, when going out at night, you need to wear sweaters.

2. The roads in Xinjiang are very long and straight, and the cars here generally drive very fast. When entering pastoral areas, you must slow down. If you hit a cow or sheep, you will have to pay compensation.

3. If you rent a car for self-driving, you must rent with 4 people together, one person cannot persevere. Four people take turns driving is the right way. If you have the financial ability, it is recommended to rent a jeep, the daily rental cost is 500-600 yuan, if you rent for 15 days, 4 people will rent together, it will be around 1800-2300 yuan.

4. Xinjiang's goods are sold by the kilogram, so don't take the price as your guide, don't take a pound and leave, remember, the marked price is per kilogram.

5. It is recommended to bring some cash to Xinjiang, there are banks in major cities, and some places also support WeChat and Alipay, but if the signal is not good, you can only use cash.

6. Although China uses Beijing time for scheduling, Xinjiang's time is still 2 hours behind mainland China.

7. Xinjiang's security checks are very strict, some places even have multiple checks, and the frequency of checking ID cards is very high, you must bring your ID with you.

8. You must bring medicine for diarrhea, because the water in Xinjiang is alkaline and hard, many people will have diarrhea after drinking it.

9. Xinjiang's climate is very dry, so it is not recommended to wear contact lenses.

10. Xinjiang has many accidents, so when self-driving, you must buy insurance, especially when going to dangerous places.

11. You can also ride horses in Xinjiang, and the horses in the Ili region are the best, you can ride a horse for an hour for 50 yuan, you can bargain.

12. Xinjiang self-driving accommodation is the biggest problem, except for Urumqi and Kaktar City, which have modern hotels, the accommodation in other places is very simple, without air conditioning, and the price is very high, generally above 3 digits, some are close to 4 digits, if you go to more remote places, there may not even be residents, let alone hotels and guesthouses, so it is recommended that you bring your own tent.

Food Recommendations

(Ma Lai Jiu – Horse Milk Wine)

Not only is it a specialty of Inner Mongolia, but it is also found in Xinjiang, but horse milk wine is made by fermenting horse milk, and if you are about to drive, don't drink it. However, you can drink it before going to bed in the hotel, and the taste is very good.

(Da Pan Ji – Big Plate Chicken)

Big Plate Chicken is a local specialty in Xinjiang, and you can find it in any restaurant in major cities. The cost is about 70-150 yuan, and a big plate of chicken is usually enough for 3 people to eat, and the big plate of chicken is made with a whole chicken and a lot of potatoes and chili peppers, with Xinjiang's unique spices added, and the taste is very good, and a plate of big plate chicken is usually enough for 3 people to eat.

(Kao Yang Rou Chuan – Grilled Lamb Skewers)

Grilled lamb skewers are a staple food in Xinjiang, and they cut lamb into pieces and string them on iron skewers. They are usually grilled with charcoal, and some places use wood. The cost is 3-10 yuan per piece.

(Shou Chu Fan – Hand Grab Rice)

Hand Grab Rice is similar to fried rice, it can also be called a mixed rice, and it is a lunch in Xinjiang. It is difficult to find, so you must go to the store at noon to eat it. The cost is about 20-30 yuan.

(Nang – Flatbread)

The diameter of the largest naan is 40-50cm, which is a staple food for self-driving travel, and the price is about 5 yuan.

(Kao Quan Yang – Whole Roasted Lamb)

Whole roasted lamb is made with lamb under 2 years old, which tastes good when roasted, and is popular in Xinjiang. The cost is 150 yuan per kilogram, and if you have a large group of people self-driving, you can buy one whole lamb as road food, about 800 yuan for one lamb.

(Nai Cha – Milk Tea)