Into Li Juan’s Altay Winter Scenery, Boutique Small Group Tour, Visit Tuvan Villages for an Authentic Winter Experience
Xinjiang travel customized vehicle service for a comfortable trip, a licensed fleet with itineraries customized to your wishes. Consultation hotline landline: 0991-8866234. Xinjiang Pathfinder International Travel Agency. Custom consultation Manager Zhang Jing phone: 181-3962-2233 (copy and add as friend for detailed consultation on Xinjiang travel itineraries and prices)
Step into a fairytale world clad in silver and white:Altay Winter Tuva Culture In-Depth Experience Tour
【Route Highlights:The Blend of Ice and Snow Wonderland and Millennia-Old Culture】
When the cold wind of northern Xinjiang carries the first snow of the Altai Mountains, Altay’s winter scroll slowly unfolds. This is not only the poetic land of “pastoral songs dancing with wind and snow” in Li Juan’s writings, but also a living museum of Tuva culture preserved intact in northern China. In the winter of 2026, Xinjiang Pathfinder International Travel Agency launches the “Ice and Snow Tuva” boutique small group tour, taking you across forests and snowfields to visit the three major Tuva villages of Hemu, Kanas, and Baihaba, experience traditional activities such as horse-drawn sleds, snowfield hunting, and khoomei performances, and feel the supreme purity at minus 30°C.
I. Core Experiences of the Route
Snow Realm Wonderland:Keketuohai International Ski Resort
As a high-quality 5S-level ski resort, Keketuohai has a vertical drop of 1,350 meters and 23 ski runs of all difficulty levels, among which the 9.7-kilometer-long “Gem Avenue” runs through the forests and snowfields. The snow season here lasts up to 200 days, with powder snow 1.5-2 meters thick, as fluffy as flour, suitable for both ski beginners and veteran players. The 2026 snow season is expected to open in mid-October. The resort has upgraded its cable car system and facilities, providing one-stop services such as ski equipment rental and instructor guidance.
Millennia-Old Tuva Culture:Exploration of Three Major Villages
Hemu Village:Known as “a private plot of one’s own,” in winter the roofs of the wooden houses are covered with snow like buttercream cakes, and cooking smoke curls up in the morning mist. It is a photography paradise for shooting starry skies and morning mist. Visitors can stay in traditional wooden houses, experience khoomei performances and kumis brewing, and participate in snowfield horseback riding or horse-drawn sled parades.
Kanas Lake:In winter the ice layer on the lake is up to 1 meter thick. You can ride a snowmobile across the ice and visit the Tuva wooden house clusters by the lake. The elderly in the village will demonstrate traditional bow-making and tell the legend of the “lake monster.”
Step into a fairytale world clad in silver and white: Altay Winter Tuva Culture In-Depth Experience TourBaihaba Village:The “First Village in the Northwest” on the China-Kazakhstan border, requiring an advance permit. In winter there are few tourists here. You can follow a licensed hunting guide to experience snowfield hunting (using traditional bows or crossbows), and at night sit around the stove listening to Tuva elders play the “Chuur” (a reed pipe instrument).
Ice and Snow Fun:Full Coverage of Featured Activities
Snowmobile Crossing:Speed across the ice of Kanas Lake or the Hemu valley and feel the speed and passion.
Horse-Drawn Sled Parade:Ride traditional transportation of all ethnic groups through the rime-covered forests, observing traces of wild animals along the way.
Starry Sky Photography:Hemu Village has very little light pollution, and the Milky Way is clearly visible in winter. The travel agency provides professional photography guide services.
II. Simple Itinerary Reference (5 Days 4 Nights)
Day 1:Altay Airport Pickup—Hemu Village
Transportation:Customized vehicle from Altay Xuedu Airport to Hemu Village (about 3.5 hours), passing along the edge of the Gurbantunggut Desert and viewing snow-covered birch forests.
Activities:Check in to a Tuva wooden house in the afternoon, attend a khoomei performance and kumis tasting in the evening, and shoot starry skies at night.
Accommodation:Featured wooden house in Hemu Village (with floor heating and bathroom).
【Route Highlights: The Blend of Ice and Snow Wonderland and Millennia-Old Culture】Day 2:Hemu In-Depth Experience
Morning:Hike to the Hemu viewing platform to photograph the morning mist and experience a horse-drawn sled parade.
Afternoon:Participate in a Tuva family visit and learn to make milk curd and traditional bows.
Dinner:Taste a cold-water fish banquet and dried meat pilaf.
Day 3:Hemu—Kanas Lake
Morning:Take a 1-hour drive to the Kanas scenic area and transfer to a snowmobile to cross the ice.
Afternoon:Visit Kanas Tuva Village and tour the village museum to learn about Tuva history.
Accommodation:Wooden house in Kanas Old Village (forest view from the window).
Day 4:Kanas—Baihaba
Morning:After obtaining the permit, take a 1.5-hour drive to Baihaba Village.
When the cold wind of northern Xinjiang carries the first snow of the Altai Mountains, Altay’s winter scroll slowly unfolds. This is not only the poetic land of “pastoral songs dancing with wind and snow” in Li Juan’s writings, but also a living museum of Tuva culture preserved intact in northern China. In the winter of 2026, Xinjiang Pathfinder International Travel Agency launches the “Ice and Snow Tuva” boutique small group tour, taking you across forests and snowfields to visit the three major Tuva villages of Hemu, Kanas, and Baihaba, experience traditional activities such as horse-drawn sleds, snowfield hunting, and khoomei performances, and feel the supreme purity at minus 30°C.Afternoon:Experience snowfield hunting (3 hours) and visit Tuva log architecture.
Evening:Attend a bonfire party and listen to Chuur performances.
Accommodation:Wooden house in Baihaba Village.
Day 5:Baihaba—Altay Airport Drop-off
Morning:Free time or visit the Altay Regional Museum (free, closed on Mondays).
Afternoon:Return to Altay by customized vehicle and be dropped off at the airport.
No worries about traveling across northern and southern Xinjiang. Professional customized vehicle service for customized independent travel. Xinjiang Pathfinder International Travel Agency landline hotline: 0991-8866234. Dedicated customer service manager Zhang Jing phone: 181-3962-2233 (same number on WeChat, can be added)
III. Price Description (Reference Range)
Group Tour Cost:4,280-6,880 yuan/person (including accommodation, transportation, tickets, and some meals; specifics subject to the contract).
Cost Includes:
I. Core Experiences of the Route4 nights of featured wooden house accommodation (2 nights in Hemu, 1 night in Kanas, 1 night in Baihaba).
Full-journey customized vehicle cost (7-55 seat models available, including fuel, tolls, and parking fees).
All-area pass for Kanas + Hemu + Baihaba (375 yuan/person).
Costs of experience activities such as snowmobiles and horse-drawn sleds.
Professional guide service and basic insurance.
Cost Does Not Include:
Personal meals (except simple meals included in the itinerary).
Costs of optional items such as skiing.
(For single applicants, we will do our best to coordinate room sharing; special circumstances require negotiation).
IV. Vehicle Recommendations and Quotes
Snow Realm Wonderland: Keketuohai International Ski Resort7-seat business vehicle:1,100-1,500 yuan/day (suitable for small groups of 3-6 people, spacious, suitable for family travel).
14-seat converted to 7-seat luxury business vehicle:1,500-2,400 yuan/day (1+1 seat layout, high comfort, suitable for business or high-end clients).
38-seat coach:1,800-2,800 yuan/day (suitable for large teams, cost-effective).
These quotes are all reference vehicle prices; specific vehicle prices are subject to customer service quotes!
V. Registration Method and Service Description
Registration Channels:You can register through Zhang Jing, customer service manager of Xinjiang Pathfinder International Travel Agency, who provides itinerary consultation, departure date reservation, and contract signing services.
Service Commitment:
No shopping stops are arranged throughout the entire journey; hidden consumption is refused.
Led by professional local guides with smooth communication who do not arbitrarily change the route.
24-hour emergency response to cope with sudden weather or road conditions.
As a high-quality 5S-level ski resort, Keketuohai has a vertical drop of 1,350 meters and 23 ski runs of all difficulty levels, among which the 9.7-kilometer-long “Gem Avenue” runs through the forests and snowfields. The snow season here lasts up to 200 days, with powder snow 1.5-2 meters thick, as fluffy as flour, suitable for both ski beginners and veteran players. The 2026 snow season is expected to open in mid-October. The resort has upgraded its cable car system and facilities, providing one-stop services such as ski equipment rental and instructor guidance. Formal travel contracts are provided to protect tourists’ rights.
Cost and Service Description:
Prices may fluctuate with departure dates; the contract confirmation shall prevail.
Reasonable changes to the itinerary may be made by mutual agreement (such as due to weather or policy reasons).
Specifics are subject to actual consultation and signing.
VI. Pre-Departure Tips
Document Preparation:Valid ID, permit (Baihaba requires advance processing), discount documents (such as student ID).
Clothing and Equipment:Thick down jacket, thermal underwear, snow boots, windproof face mask, high-SPF sunscreen, sunglasses.
Medication Suggestions:Stomach medicine, cold medicine, frostbite ointment, motion sickness medicine.
Other Items:Thermos, power bank, a small amount of cash (some wooden houses do not support mobile payment).
Altay’s winter is the whisper between wooden houses and snowfields, the resonance between khoomei and the wind. Follow Xinjiang Pathfinder International Travel Agency, cross the forests and snowfields, unlock the millennia-old cultural code of the Tuva people, and let this ice and snow journey become an unforgettable memory of your life!
For Xinjiang travel, choose Pathfinder International Travel Agency. Customized vehicle travel is worry-free and reliable. Landline: 0991-8866234 Customer service manager Zhang Jing phone: 181-3962-2233
