3-Day Ili Kazak Prefecture Tour: Blue Old Town, Heavenly Lake Sayram & Vast Nalati Grassland

3-Day Ili Kazak Prefecture Tour:Sayram Lake and Narat Sky Grassland (Relaxed pace,immersive experience)

1. Tour Highlights:

2. Itinerary Overview: 

Day 1: Hazanqi Folk Tourism Area + Six Star Street

Kazanchi Folk Tourism Area: 

Known as the "Blue of Ili," this Uyghur old town features blue alleys, colorful doors and windows, and traditional courtyards. A horse-drawn carriage tour is recommended; it's relaxing and you can listen to the driver tell local stories.

Liuxing Street:

A distinctive street built in 1934, designed by a German engineer. Its hexagonal, radiating shape has earned it the nickname "Little Bagua City." A must-try is Gulandam ice cream.

Day 2: Sayram Lake Tour + Guozigou Bridge Viewpoint

Sayram Lake Tour: 

Warm, moist air currents from the Atlantic Ocean travel eastward for thousands of kilometers, finally stopping in the embrace of the Tianshan Mountains, transforming into a final, glistening teardrop—Sayram Lake. It is also the highest (2071 meters) and largest alpine cold-water lake in Xinjiang.

① A Breathtaking Blue: 

The blue of Sayram Lake cannot be fully captured by a camera. On a sunny day, the lake displays varying shades of blue—a transparent turquoise nearby, and a deep indigo in the distance. Sitting quietly by the lake for a while, you'll see the sunlight, cloud shadows, and wind painting a picture on this blue expanse, changing every second.

② The Lakeside Ring Road

—A 90-kilometer Scenic Corridor The most classic way to experience Sayram Lake is by touring the area around the lake. There are over a dozen viewing platforms along the lake, allowing you to disembark at different points: **Pine Tree Top:** Climb to the top for a panoramic view of the lake, which resembles a giant sapphire nestled between the Tianshan Mountains.

S-Curve Road (near the South Gate):** A popular spot for photos; the road winds along the lake, with snow-capped mountains and azure waters in the background—every snapshot is a masterpiece.

Swans Enjoying the Water:** If you're lucky, you might encounter wild swans gracefully swimming on the lake.

Commanding Platform:** Genghis Khan once reviewed his troops here; standing here, you can almost hear the hoofbeats of the Mongol cavalry from eight hundred years ago.

③ Scenic Views in All Seasons

Summer (June-August):** Wildflowers bloom along the lake, creating a sea of ​​golden, pink, and white blossoms against the azure water.

Autumn (September-October):** The lakeside grasslands turn golden, and the distant snow-capped mountains are covered in the first snow, creating the richest color palette.

Winter (December-February):** The lake freezes over, forming a spectacular "blue ice wonder"—ice bubbles, cracks, and ice pushes—like a scene from another planet.

④ A Culinary Taste of Sayram Lake

The lake is home to a unique cold-water fish—the whitefish—which can only thrive in pristine, unpolluted alpine lakes. Try steamed or grilled whitefish; its flesh is tender and subtly sweet.

Guozigou Bridge Viewpoint:

The Guozigou Bridge is a double-tower, double-cable-stayed steel truss bridge spanning the Guozigou Gorge, with the bridge deck 200 meters above the valley floor. Known as "Xinjiang's First Bridge," it is a vital link between the Ili River Valley and northern Xinjiang.

① A Perfect Blend of Engineering and Nature

Standing on the viewing platform, you can see the bridge resembling a silver dragon gracefully soaring across the green gorge. It doesn't disrupt nature; instead, it becomes part of the scenery—the bridge towers, cables, gorge, snow-capped mountains, and forests create a perfectly balanced picture.

② A Breathtaking View of the Tianshan Canyon

Guozigou itself is a stunningly beautiful canyon. The viewing platform, situated at a high vantage point, offers a panoramic view of the entire Guozigou Valley: snow-capped spruce mountains rise on either side, a winding stream flows through the valley floor, and distant snow-capped peaks appear and disappear in the mist. The bridge, like a silver ribbon, connects all of this.

③ A Free Visual Feast

This viewing platform is completely free. A brief stop on your way back to Yining will provide you with an unforgettable experience.

④ Different Weather, Different Atmosphere

Sunny Day: Under the sunlight, the bridge glitters silver, and the valley is lush and green.

Cloudy Day: Enveloped in mist, the bridge towers appear and disappear, like a "sky bridge" suspended between the Tianshan Mountains.

Sunset: The setting sun paints the snow-capped mountains gold, and the bridge's outline stands out clearly in the twilight.

Day 3: Narat Sky Grassland

Narat Sky Grassland

Narat Sky Grassland is located in the heart of the Tianshan Mountains at an altitude of 1800-2400 meters, hence its name "Sky Grassland." It's not a flat meadow, but a three-dimensional landscape of undulating hills, forests, meadows, and snow-capped mountains.

① World-Class Grassland Landscape

Narat, along with Hulunbuir Grassland and Bayinbuluke Grassland, is known as one of the "Three Great Grasslands of China" and one of the four major grasslands in the world. Its uniqueness lies in its "three-dimensionality": The lowest level consists of winding streams and valleys; the middle level is undulating meadows covered with wildflowers; the upper level is towering spruce forests, like soldiers in formation; and the very top is the perpetually snow-capped Tian Shan Mountains.

② The Core Area of ​​the Sky Grassland—A Stage for Nomadic People

Take a shuttle bus to the Sky Grassland, where you will see:

Sky Platform: The first glimpse of the Sky Grassland, a breathtaking view

Sky Pasture Platform: The best vantage point for framing the grassland and snow-capped mountains together

Nomadic People: This is the summer pasture of Kazakh herders, where you can experience horseback riding. Galloping at the foot of the snow-capped mountains is the most direct way to experience grassland culture.

③ Kazakh Nomadic Culture

Nalati is the ancestral home of the Kazakh people. In summer, they drive their cattle and sheep here, and white yurts are scattered across the grassland like mushrooms. You can: Visit a yurt: Step into a yurt, enjoy a bowl of steaming hot milk tea, and listen to the host recount their nomadic life.

Taste: Kazakh milk tea + baursak (fried pastry) and hand-pulled mutton.

Watch: If you're lucky, you might even witness traditional activities like "girl chasing" and "goat grabbing."

3. Pricing & Practical Information：

3.1. The Fee Includes

• Attraction entrance fees:[Sayram Lake entrance ticket and lake tour, Narat Scenic Area entrance ticket + round-trip shuttle bus to the Sky Grassland + cable car (one way)]

• English-speaking tour guide (3 days).

• Local transportation (based on the number of participants, with one seat per person guaranteed).

• Car expenses during the tour, including a local driver (3 days).

3.2. The Fee Does Not Include

• Additional expenses due to force majeure such as traffic delays, strikes, weather, aircraft or equipment failure, flight cancellations or rescheduling;

• All personal expenses and any other expenses not mentioned in the fee inclusions;

• International airfare is not included;

• Visas on arrival are not included;

• Meals, alcoholic beverages, and other personal expenses are not included;

• Expenses incurred by the traveler;

3.3. Child Policy

Please contact customer service if you are traveling with children.

3.4. Tips: Before You Go - Essentials

1. Visa: Make sure your passport and Chinese visa are valid.

2. Cash & Payments: While mobile payments are popular, please bring some cash (RMB). We strongly recommend setting up Alipay and linking your international credit card; this will solve 95% of payment issues.

3. Internet: Purchase a Chinese data SIM card or activate international roaming in advance. Download a VPN (such as Astrill or ExpressVPN) if you need to use Google, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc.

4. Translation App: Download Google Translate or Microsoft Translate. Their "Live Chat" and "Camera Translation" features are lifesavers.

5. Maps APP.