2025 Kizilsu Prefecture Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in October)

🚕 Getting There - hire a private car from Kashgar ancient city - lots of interesting places to stop on the way. about 3 1/2 hours from Kashgar 🏔 Attractions - beautiful views of the lake and snow capped mountains at an altitude of 3645 meters. You can ride a horse or llama for 100rmb an hour if you like. Ticket entry costs 40rmb and there are parking and restroom facilities 🛖 Hotels - I did not see any but I heard that it’s possible to stay in a yurt in the village across the lake 🍽 Food & Restaurants - There are some simple spots to buy chuar and drinks 📿Shopping - There are stones and beaded jewelry for sale

Xinjiang Uygur wonderful take long time come here but very beautiful #lovechina #chefrangsima #scenicspotguide #travelinspiration#holidayvacation

When it comes to Kizilsu, most people might first think, "Isn't it a remote and desolate border area in Xinjiang?" But once you dive deeper, you'll discover that this place is home to some of Xinjiang's most pristine and breathtaking landscapes! Whether you're an outdoor adventure enthusiast or a fan of ethnic culture, Kizilsu offers a unique Xinjiang style that you can capture in an instant. 🚗 If you're looking to relax or experience a cultural shock, this route should definitely be on your travel list! 🔥 Highlights of this trip: Covering the essence of Kizilsu, including the magical Pamir Plateau, majestic glaciers and snowy mountains, towns rich in ethnic culture, as well as hidden culinary delights and authentic local lifestyles. For transportation, you can fly directly to Kashgar or take a train to Atushi and then transfer by car. This route is perfect for self-driving or carpooling exploration. 🌄 Must-Visit Attractions 1. Pamir Plateau Must-visit: Known as one of the "Roof of the World," the plateau boasts endless blue skies and snow-capped mountains stretching to the horizon. Along the way, you'll find primitive villages and experience the warm hospitality of the Tajik people. It's recommended to start in the morning when the lighting is particularly beautiful—a paradise for photography enthusiasts! 2. Kongur Glacier (Kongur Peak) 📍 Address: Near Kongur Village, Akto County Opening Hours: Open all year round Practical Tips: Even in summer, the temperature is cool, so be prepared for wind and sun protection, as well as significant temperature differences between day and night. At the foot of the mountain, some small shops sell hot milk and "Nang" (stuffed pilaf bread), offering a truly authentic Xinjiang experience! 3. Atushi City Features: The capital of Kizilsu Prefecture, known for its Uyghur markets, ethnic handicrafts, and streets lined with dried fruits. Be sure to visit People's Square along the way to experience the lively atmosphere of the local morning market. 4. Pamir Tajik Folk Village 📍 Address: Within Tashkurgan County Opening Hours: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM Activities: Experience Tajik weddings, ethnic singing and dancing. The folk museum has guides, and you can interact with locals to learn about traditional cuisine and even pick up a few Tajik phrases—super fun! 5. Aitigaer Mosque (Kizilsu Branch) 📍 Address: Aitigaer Road, Atushi City Opening Hours: 5:00 AM - 8:00 PM Suggested Visit Time: Avoid peak prayer times; mornings or afternoons are less crowded, allowing you to fully appreciate the ancient architectural beauty. 🍽️ Food Recommendations - Must-try local "Atushi Kebabs" paired with yogurt, and don't miss the street-side dried fruits (especially dried apricots and raisins). In summer, a cup of homemade hot milk is a delightful surprise! - Near Kongur Village, you can enjoy the most authentic Nang and grilled lamb. For lunch, the Tajik Folk Village offers a local specialty pilaf that's highly recommended. 🚗 Travel Tips 1. Self-driving in Kizilsu offers more flexibility, whether navigating city streets or heading to the Pamir Plateau. The Sichuan-Tibet-style mountain roads provide breathtaking scenery. If you don't drive, you can book train or long-distance bus tickets on trip.com, and taxis are also convenient within the city. 2. Many scenic spots have high-altitude climates, so prepare sunscreen, sunglasses, and jackets, and bring plenty of water! Some areas have weak mobile signals, so downloading offline maps is advisable. 3. Photography Tips: Afternoon and dusk offer the best lighting. Don't miss capturing the sunset at Kongur Glacier and Pamir Plateau. 📱 Practical Travel Tips for Kizilsu - Some scenic spots require ID checks, so have your ID ready in advance. - In folk villages and mosques, respect local customs; women should avoid overly revealing clothing. - The main ethnic groups are Tajiks and Kyrgyz. When interacting, smile more, listen more, and speak less. Learning a few local greetings will win you favor. Kizilsu will exceed your expectations of Xinjiang. Whether it's the natural wonders or cultural richness, it's worth taking your time to explore!

#chinatravel Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture is one of those places that totally flies under the radar, but wow, it’s amazing. Tucked away in the far west of Xinjiang, it’s packed with epic mountain views, super cool culture, and a totally laid-back vibe that makes you want to stay forever. The landscapes here are next level, snow capped peaks, wide valleys, and these dramatic skies that look straight out of a painting. I explored near the border areas and everything just felt raw and untouched. Definitely not your average tourist stop. What really stood out though was the local Kirgiz culture. The people were incredibly warm and welcoming, and I got to try some traditional food (hello, fresh naan and yak milk tea). The whole area has this peaceful, grounded energy that’s hard to explain but so easy to feel. If you’re into off-the-beaten-path adventures and want a deeper cultural experience, Kizilsu is where it’s at. Wild beauty, kind people, and serious soul. Loved every second.

Embraced by the snow mountains of the Pamir Plateau Chance encounters with National Highway 314, falling in love with cold white ice peaks This is the Oytagh Glacier 🏔️ · Spruce and pastures nurture the free winds of the China-Pakistan Highway Wild horses and herdsmen graze in the distant dreams of Southern Xinjiang 🌙 · Such a land, Gives birth to poetry and lifts dreams With glacier waterfalls descending from the sky With clear breezes sweeping through meadows and forests 🍃 ... 📍【One-day Route Guide around Kashgar】 Kashgar - Oytagh Glacier Park - Oytagh Red Mountain - Kashgar

Aoyitak Glacier is located 50 meters west of National Highway 314 in Akto County, Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture. Immersed in the glacier park during the silver winter, trees, mountains, and glaciers are all covered in vast white snow, resembling a real-life Chinese landscape painting, making one feel as if they are in a dreamlike fairyland draped in silver. Surrounded by the snow-capped mountains of the Pamir Plateau, Aoyitak Glacier Park is encircled by mountains on three sides, with steep snow peaks, intersecting glaciers, and dense forests. It combines grandeur, uniqueness, elegance, serenity, and danger, integrating natural ecology and cultural historical landscapes, and is known as the 'First Ecological Landscape of the Western Regions.'

October in Xinjiang is enchanting. The trip that had been planned for nearly a year finally kicked off during this long holiday. Following the local guide, we traveled far and wide, witnessing the most beautiful scenery bestowed by nature, feeling the magnificence of our motherland's mountains and rivers, filled with mysterious anticipation, and reaping the surprises of exploration. This is what true travel really means.

Karakul Lake, also known as Karakul Lake, is a high mountain moraine lake located in the west of Akto County, Xinjiang, China. There are many snow-capped mountains and glaciers around Karakul Lake. There is Muztagh Ata Peak in the south and Kongur Peak in the northeast, which are the base camps for climbing Muztagh Ata Peak.

Put on the Kirch girl's felt hat wearing a minority flower skirt riding a handsome camel or Ze Ma Yang whip at the Karakule Lake Yuan Wang Mu Shita The shadow of Gefeng I, completely integrated into this piece of heaven and earth "Kara Kule" means "Black Lake" in Kirgiz, a typical glacier lake, located in Kezhou, Xinjiang Subas village in Blumkou Township, Akto County, distributed on both sides of the China-Brazil Highway, with an elevation of over 3,600 meters. With the change of seasons and light, the color of the lake changes accordingly. When the weather is fine, the lake is green or blue; when the sky is dark, the lake is black, so it has the reputation of color-changing lake. The shadow of the "Father of the Snow Mountain" Muztag Peak in the lake, the Kunlun and the beautiful Lake Karakul, showing the power and beauty, becoming the eternal on the Pamirs. Travel tips: Drive from Kashgar, pass 314 National Road, pass Baisha Mountain (Baisha Lake), arrive at Blumkou Township and you can reach Kahu (191 km from Kashi). Kahu is a must-see attraction to Tashkurgan (Ta County) and is well worth punching. Dressing: Kahu is a high-altitude area with climate change, even if it is needed in the summer, if you want to live in the Kirgiz herdsmen at night, you need to bring thicker clothes. can also participate in a two-day tour of the two-day tour of Tas County in Kashgar.

Along the road from Kashgar to Tashkurgan, if you have the best scenery, the most beautiful scenery is the beautiful plateau lake Karakuri. The plateau holy lake is dazzling in the mountains, the lake is rich in water, the cattle and sheep are in groups, and the beautiful pastoral style. If you come here from the plains, there may be a slight altitude sickness, because the Kalakuli Lake is 3,600 meters above sea level and is a rare plateau lake in the world. Together with the support of the glacier's father, Muztag, it has become a particularly bright pearl. This lake means "black" in the Kirgiz language, and the white snow-capped mountains make it magical and beautiful. In addition, there are often Kirgiz herders stationed there, forming an exotic landscape. If the weather is fine, the holy snowy mountains in the distance, the long grassland on the lakeside, are clearly reflected in the lake, the scenery is very beautiful, picturesque and intoxicating. Around the lakeside, there are some yurt-style dwellings. If you have enough time, you can go there and experience the local ethnic customs. You can make a visit to the nomadic people on the plateau lake, enjoy the beautiful scenery, taste the food, and enjoy the rare world. Pure heaven.

After returning to Ta County again, we began to go back. The road to go back is finally cleared! ! ! Let us see the Tasmania to Kashgar. This road is totally different when we come. Mustatag Peak (located at the junction of Akto County and Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, at an altitude of 7509 meters (a total of 7546 meters in the mountaineering community). It is located on the western edge of the Tarim Basin, southeast of the East Pamir Plateau. Surrounded by Muztag Peak, Gonggeer Peak and Gonggeer Jiube Peak, the Three Mountains stand like the Qingtian Yuzhu, standing on the beautiful Pamir Plateau and becoming the symbol and representative of the Pamirs. The glaciers hanging upside down are like the silver beers floating on the chest, the head of the mountains, so they have the reputation of "the father of icebergs." More people come here to experience the Muztag peak with the devout of the pilgrims. The lakes and mountains of Karakul Lake are in harmony with each other, or the deep cultural heritage of the bottom of the Kalekule Lake is hidden under the Muztag Mountain. Mustatag is a rounded fault block mountain with its main peak At an altitude of 7509 meters, the terrain is high and the climate is cold. The whole year is dominated by solid precipitation, which is very conducive to the development of glaciers.

Lake Karakul is a plateau lake, and is located at the foot of the Mustag and Gongger Ice Peaks in the Blumkou Township on the Pamirs Plateau in Akto County, in the same place as Lake Blencoule. The distance between the two is only ten kilometers. However, the scenery of the two lakes is quite different. Krakule Lake has many grassy birds, beautiful scenery, and the legend of the water monster, which adds a touch of glamour to the attraction. Kala Kule Lake is located at the foot of the Muztag Mountain. When there is no wind, the lake is horizontally like a mirror. It is here that we have encountered about 3, 4 cars and tourists who come here like us during the apricot season. Among them are friends from Vietnam, Wenzhou, and Shanghai, and everyone is full of praise for today's weather. When the weather is good, you can see the reflection of the lake reflecting the Muztag Peak, very beautiful.

Muztag, the Uighur language means "the father of the glacier." The legendary Muztag and Chogori are originally connected. The glacier princess on the Muztag Peak falls in love with the Snow Mountain Prince of the Jogori Peak. The Jade Emperor opened two snow mountains to preserve the dignity of the heavens and broke the lovers. The glacier princess was heartbroken and tears flowed into the river. This tear turned into a glaciers of Muztag. Karakuri means Black Sea, an alpine ice-cold ice lake. The water surface is reflected in the mysterious and mysterious Muztag Peak, snow-capped, landscape and color, and the scenery is very charming. For thousands of years, Karakuri Lake has been lying peacefully under the snow peaks. It seems that the charming girl leans on the arms of the heroes. The lake is full of unpredictable and original scenery. Usually, the original scenery. Clean and clear, when it rains, the lake immediately becomes like a black lead. Locals say that Karakuri Lake, at an altitude of 3,600 meters, is the mirror of the two peak dressings. The camels, horses and yurts on the lake are clearly reflected in the lake. ,Beautiful lake, mountain snow and white, all the colors are harmoniously coexisting in the southwestern part of Xinjiang, the colorful Pamir, a melodious Tajik folk song gently floats...