2026 Special Train Tour to Xinjiang Detailed Cost Breakdown for Altay + Kanas Full Itinerary Recommended Routes and Pricing
Contact Manager Yang Jia at phone number 13325559266 or WeChat 13325559266 to send the itinerary and quotation.
New National Train Special: Explore Xinjiang in 2026:A moving scenic route through northern and southern Xinjiang 🌄
Detailed introduction to the route or destination
Xinjiang, a land that covers one-sixth of China’s territory, is a magnificent tapestry woven with natural wonders and cultural heritage. In 2026, the New National Train Special, designed with the concept of a ‘moving scenic route,’ connects the精华 (best) attractions of northern and southern Xinjiang into a single line, allowing tourists to experience the transition from desert and gobi to snow-capped mountains and grasslands at a leisurely pace on the train. The train features customized carriage designs, with 4-person compartments equipped with bathrooms, charging ports, and observation windows. While traveling at night, passengers can gaze at the flowing starry sky and gobi outside the window, and wake up to find themselves at the foot of snow-capped mountains in the morning.
The train route covers iconic attractions such as Flaming Mountain in Turpan, the ancient city of Kashgar, the aerial grasslands of Nalati, the lakes and mountains of Kanas, and the village of Hemu in Altay. In 2026, the Xinjiang Railway Department, in collaboration with local cultural and tourism authorities, optimized the route by adding the ‘Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway’ section, which traverses the edge of the Taklimakan Desert, allowing tourists to observe the ecological transition between desert and oasis up close. Additionally, the train adds an ‘Ahe Highway’ itinerary in the Kanas section. This scenic highway, which just opened in 2025, connects the primeval forests of the Altai Mountains with the Tuvan wooden houses in Hemu Village, and is hailed as a train alternative to the ‘most beautiful self-drive route in Xinjiang.’
Simple Itinerary
According to the latest 2026 itinerary provided by Xinjiang Trailblazer International Travel Agency, the New National Train Special offers two versions: ‘Budget Enjoyment’ and ‘Luxury Enjoyment,’ both starting and ending in Urumqi with a total duration of 14 days. Below is the specific itinerary:
🚂 New National Train • 14-Day Northern and Southern Xinjiang Special (Budget Enjoyment) Brief Itinerary:
Day 1:Departure Location – Urumqi
New National Train Special: Explore Xinjiang in 2026 – A Moving Scenic Route through Northern and Southern Xinjiang 🌄Day 2:Urumqi – Turpan (Flaming Mountain, Karez Wells, Aydingkol Lake) – Hotan
Day 3:Traverse the Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway – Cele – Kunlun Mountain Grand Canyon – Hotan
Day 4:Hotan – Tuancheng – Aidelaisi Silk – Yuetegan Ancient City – Hotan Night Market
Day 5:Hotan (by special train) – Kashgar – Baisha Lake – Karakul Lake – Kashgar
Day 6:Kashgar – Kashgar Ancient City – Hetian Jade Exhibition Hall – Tongrentang – Xiangfei Garden – Kashgar – Kuqa
Day 7:Kuqa – Kizilya Grand Canyon – Restan Street – Kuqa (by special train) – Kuitun/Yining
Day 8:Kuitun/Yining – Nalati Town
Day 9:Nalati Town – Nalati – Kekedala
Day 10:Kekedala – Lavender – Sayram Lake – Jinghe – Beitun
Detailed introduction to the route or destinationDay 11:Beitun – Kanas – Colorful Beach – Burqin
Day 12:Burqin – Hemu – Beitun – Urumqi
Day 13:Urumqi – Tianshan Tianchi – Xinjiang Colored Cotton Base – Urumqi
Day 14:Urumqi – Departure Location
🚂 New National Train • 14-Day Northern and Southern Xinjiang Special (Luxury Enjoyment) Brief Itinerary:
Day 1:Departure Location – Urumqi
Day 2:Urumqi – Karez Wells – Grape Manor – Flaming Mountain – Turpan – Cele
Day 3:Traverse the Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway – Cele – Kunlun Mountain Scenic Area – Hotan
Xinjiang, a land that covers one-sixth of China’s territory, is a magnificent tapestry woven with natural wonders and cultural heritage. In 2026, the New National Train Special, designed with the concept of a ‘moving scenic route,’ connects the精华 (best) attractions of northern and southern Xinjiang into a single line, allowing tourists to experience the transition from desert and gobi to snow-capped mountains and grasslands at a leisurely pace on the train. The train features customized carriage designs, with 4-person compartments equipped with bathrooms, charging ports, and observation windows. While traveling at night, passengers can gaze at the flowing starry sky and gobi outside the window, and wake up to find themselves at the foot of snow-capped mountains in the morning.Day 4:Hotan – Tuancheng – Aidelaisi Silk – Yuetegan Ancient City – Hotan Night Market
Day 5:Hotan – Kashgar – Karakul Lake – Baisha Lake – Kashgar
Day 6:Kashgar – Kashgar Ancient City – Travel Photography – Kuqa
Day 7:Kuqa – Tianshan Secret Grand Canyon – Southern Section of the Duoku Highway – Bayanbulak – Nalati Town
Day 8:Nalati Town – Nalati Scenic Area – Lavender Garden – Kekedala
Day 9:Kekedala – Huiyuan Ancient City – Sayram Lake – Bole/Shuanghe
Day 10:Bole/Shuanghe – Guai Shi Yu – Ancient Road Hot Spring – Jinghe – Beitun
Day 11:Beitun – Ahe Highway – Hemu Scenic Area
Day 12:Hemu – Kanas – Colorful Beach – Beitun – Urumqi
The train route covers iconic attractions such as Flaming Mountain in Turpan, the ancient city of Kashgar, the aerial grasslands of Nalati, the lakes and mountains of Kanas, and the village of Hemu in Altay. In 2026, the Xinjiang Railway Department, in collaboration with local cultural and tourism authorities, optimized the route by adding the ‘Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway’ section, which traverses the edge of the Taklimakan Desert, allowing tourists to observe the ecological transition between desert and oasis up close. Additionally, the train adds an ‘Ahe Highway’ itinerary in the Kanas section. This scenic highway, which just opened in 2025, connects the primeval forests of the Altai Mountains with the Tuvan wooden houses in Hemu Village, and is hailed as a train alternative to the ‘most beautiful self-drive route in Xinjiang.’Day 13:Urumqi – Tianchi – Colored Cotton Technology Park (Medicinal Diet Health Hotpot) – Urumqi
Day 14:Urumqi – Departure Location
Price Description
The prices for the 2026 New National Train Special are divided into two tiers based on service standards, with specifics subject to the contract:
Budget Enjoyment Version: Departures on May 11, June 19, July 2, July 28, and September 4. Upper bunk in a 4-person compartment on the national train: 5980 yuan/person; lower bunk: 6980 yuan/person. The product includes accommodation in locally comfortable hotels, groups of approximately 40 people, excludes admission tickets, and offers full-service one-stop tour guide services.
Luxury Enjoyment Version: Same departure dates as the Budget Enjoyment Version. Upper bunk in a 4-person compartment on the national train: 14800 yuan/person; lower bunk: 15800 yuan/person. The product includes 3 nights in five-star hotels + 4 nights in four-diamond hotels + 1 night in a wooden house in the Hemu Scenic Area + 1 night in a four-diamond hotel (homestay) in Nalati, with groups not exceeding 26 people. It offers full-service one-stop tour guide services and includes complimentary ‘Red Hat’ luggage handling services at Urumqi Station.
Prices may fluctuate based on the departure date and are subject to the contract signed by both parties.
Registration Method
The simple itinerary can be booked through Xinjiang Trailblazer International Travel Agency. For specific departure dates and availability information, please contact Zhang Jing, the customer service manager at Xinjiang Trailblazer International Travel Agency.
Fee Description and Service Description
Fees Include:Special train compartment fees, hotel accommodations during the itinerary (Luxury Enjoyment Version includes characteristic wooden houses), tour guide services, and some meals (such as the medicinal diet health hotpot at the Colored Cotton Technology Park).
Fees Exclude:Admission tickets (to be purchased by tourists themselves or commissioned to the travel agency for booking), personal expenses, (single registrants will do their best to coordinate shared rooms; special circumstances require separate negotiation).
Service Description:The special train is equipped with an onboard doctor to provide basic medical support; hotel room types are subject to actual arrangements, and reasonable itinerary changes can be made through mutual agreement; specifics are subject to actual consultation and contract signing.
Other Practical Information
Transportation:The special train adopts a ‘train follows people’ model, eliminating the need for tourists to frequently transfer to buses and reducing travel fatigue; for certain sections (such as the Ahe Highway), local sightseeing buses are required, with fees included in the Luxury Enjoyment Version.
Seasons:May-June is ideal for viewing lavender and wildflowers on the grasslands in Yili; July-August is the best period for viewing Kanas and Nalati; September offers the autumn colors of Hemu and poplar forests.
Policies:Xinjiang’s scenic areas implement a real-name reservation system, and the travel agency will assist tourists in making advance reservations for admission tickets; in case of policy changes (such as temporary visitor limits), mutually agreed-upon替代 (alternative) attractions of the same level can be visited.
The charm of the New National Train Special lies in its ‘slow travel’ approach, allowing tourists to truly immerse themselves in Xinjiang’s geography and culture. As the train crosses the sand dunes of the Taklimakan, as the morning mist clears to reveal the village of Hemu outside the window, as the blue of Sayram Lake shimmers in the sunlight—these moments will make you feel that all the waiting and trekking were worth it.
Contact Manager Yang Jia at phone number 13325559266 or WeChat 13325559266 to send the itinerary and quotation.
