How to Spend 3 Days in Shanshan - A Complete Itinerary for Shanshan

Day 1 | Morning

Kumtag Desert

Ticket Price: 30 RMB

Recommended Length of Stay: 3-4 Hours

Location: Shanshan, Turpan, Xinjiang, China

“Kumtag” means “Sand Mountain” in the Uyghur language. The Kumtag Desert is formed by the tempestuous winds from Tianshan's Qijiaojing Wind Gap and the Dabancheng Wind Gap. After a long journey, the sand that has been carried in the wind collides and deposits in the Kumtag area, forming a desert with various sand dunes. The Kumtag Desert has been developed into a scenic area integrating scientific research, investigation, exploration, sand sports and desert tourism. Looking south from the old town of Shanshan, the golden desert rolls endlessly into the horizon. For thousands of years, the desert and the oasis have coexisted like royal lovers.

Reviews from Real Guests:

暖暖: Very beautiful desert on the edge of the city! After entering the park, take a tour bus to the central area, in addition to the magnificent desert view, you can also ride a camel, take a single glider, and you can slide sand! Very fun!

Day 1 | Afternoon

After finishing the tour at Kumtag Desert, you can head to Tuyugou, the most worth visiting place around the corner.

Tuyugou

Opening Hours: Open from 10:00am-8:30pm

Ticket Price: 30 RMB

Recommended Length of Stay: 0.5-0.5 Days

Location: Tuyugou, Shanshan, Turpan, Xinjiang, China

Tubugou Scenic Area is located about 55 kilometers southeast of Turpan, Xinjiang, and is a Tubugou Township, Shanshan County. The scenic area is mainly composed of four parts: Tubugou Grand Canyon scenery, Tubugou Thousand Buddha Cave, Tubugou Huojia Mumaza and Tubugou ancient village. Tupugou Scenic Area is the confluence of many religious historical cultures in the western region with mysterious colors. Tupugou Mazha Village, which has been named "China's famous historical and cultural village", is a relatively old village in Xinjiang, more than 1700 years old, and still preserves ancient folk customs. The ancient earthen buildings in the village still shine with the light of "yellow clay culture".

Day 1 | Evening

Looking for a bed nearby after finishing your journey at Tuyugou? Ruoshui Hotel is one of your top choices.

Ruoshui Hotel

The Ruoshui Hotel provides a great place for travelers to relax after a busy day. Visitors to Shanshan will find that the Ruoshui Hotel is a fantastic accommodation choice.

From the hotel, Shanshan North Railway Station is just 8km away. With multiple attractions nearby including Dongda Monastery, Shanshan County and 庫木塔格沙漠景區露營基地-夜遊沙漠, guests will find plenty to keep themselves occupied.

This hotel makes a great place to kick back and relax after a long day of sightseeing. For those driving themselves, parking is provided on site.

According to our trusted guests, the facilities at this hotel are first-rate. For guests traveling with families, this hotel is consistently one of the most popular choices.

Day 2 | Morning

Tuyugou Mazha Village

Opening Hours: Open 24 hours

Ticket Price: 30 RMB

Recommended Length of Stay: 2-3 Hours

Location: Shanshan, Turpan, Xinjiang, China

Tuyugou Mazha Village is located in the South Valley of the Tuyugou Grand Canyon. It is a traditional village. Tuyugou Mazha Village belongs to the climate zone south of the Flame Mountain. It is an ancient historical and cultural village with cultural and natural landscapes, Buddhist culture and Western culture. It has a history of more than 2,600 years and is a typical village pattern reflecting the cultural background of eastern Xinjiang. Representative, showing the traditional features of "ancient villages, ancient dwellings, ancient alleys, and ancient trees". When the weather is hot, the villagers sleep on the roof of their homes, following the habit of their ancestors. After nightfall, the stars in the sky here are shining, and you can clearly see the Milky Way, like thousands of diamonds all over the sky. From time to time there are meteors across the sky, just like a scene in a cartoon.

Reviews from Real Guests:

Trip.com User: I want to come here slowly, and I can meet the old buildings and the people who still live there. The children here are cute, away from their mobile phones, playing outside and feeling nostalgic.

Jovanna1125: Tuyugou Village is about 60 km to the east from Turpan. You can rent a taxi to drive that place, it is around 350 rmb per day. Very convenient. The place is very beautiful.

Day 2 | Afternoon

After finishing the tour at Tuyugou Mazha Village, you can head to Tuyugou Grand Canyon, the most worth visiting place around the corner.

Tuyugou Grand Canyon

Ticket Price: 50 RMB

Recommended Length of Stay: 2-3 Hours

Location: Lushan County, Turpan City, about 47 kilometers east of Turpan CityLushan County, Turpan City, about 47 kilometers east of Turpan City

The Tupugou Grand Canyon is 8 kilometers long and about 1 km wide. The flame mountain is cut longitudinal from north to south. The colored mountain rock is clearly visible. The nature's magical work is amazing and amazing. The peak of the flame mountain is located in the canyon. Tupugou Grand Canyon is a mysterious place, not only with strange stone phosphorus, valley crisscross valley scenery, but also Tupugou thousand Buddha cave, Tupugou Maza (tomb burial); There are not only Islamic architecture style Muslim temples, but also Tibetan Buddhist temples, not only the Muslim in the northwest region, "Oriental wheat plus", but also Buddhist in the mind of the "holy place", every year many Muslims, Buddhists come to worship and worship. The magnificent valley, long history, rich cultural implication, ancient Uygur village integrated into one, constitute the mysterious, unique, strange scenery.

Reviews from Real Guests:

SmithHouse: We loved visiting this place. The rock formations are unbelievable. Hold onto your hat in the cars as some drivers are fast and won’t stop to get your hat back!

Trip.com User: beautiful!

Day 2 | Evening

Don’t forget to book Mercure Hotel Turpan Downtown in advance, because all the tourists head to Tuyugou Grand Canyon love staying at it.

Mercure Hotel Turpan Downtown

Located at the south side of Shuiyun Square in downtown Turpan, the Huozhou Hotel (Huozhou Dajiudian) is close to museum and surrounded by an artificial lake. About a 45-minute drive will see guests at the Tulufan Railway Station and this hotel have good location from where guests can find restaurants and a short walk to the bazaar and close to Qingnian Road (a very nice promenade covered with grape plants).

This Turpan hotel features deluxe rooms and executive suites, all of which are equipped with TVs having channels speaking minority language, air conditioners and in-room safes.

As for dining, the breakfast was entirely Chinese, with a large variety of Halal food. Guests expecting to find an international one maybe feel a little disappointed here.

Business guests can make full use of conference and audio-visual equipment which is suitable for meetings and other events. Business center is also available.

When it comes time to relax, guests can unwind in the sauna, sing their heart out in the karaoke rooms or just play a game in the chess and cards rooms.

Day 3 | Morning

Sha Mountain Park

Opening Hours: Open from 10:00am-7:00pm

Ticket Price: 30 RMB

Recommended Length of Stay: 2-3 Hours

Location: Shanshan, Turpan, Xinjiang, China

Shashan Park is a rare desert in the world that can be in close contact with the city, and it is also a scenic spot alongside Tianchi Lake and Bosten Lake. The Kumtag Desert, covering an area of 2,500 square kilometers, is located at the southern end of the old city of Shanshan, Xinjiang. Standing in the city, you can see the magnificent and magnificent scenery of the golden desert. By car, you can reach the scenic spot in more than 10 minutes. Facing the vast desert, the sand is yellow, the sky is blue, the clouds are light and the wind is clear, which makes the tourists from the city broaden their horizons and feel at ease. Step into Kumtag and come to the paradise of tourists and explorers! Look at the Kumtag Desert and take pictures of the magnificent sand sea landscape. Explore the depths of the great desert, and fresh desert surfing is waiting for you! Ride the desert expedition car through the sand sea, glide and shuttle in the sand valley. Walk into Kumtag with the wind and let you enjoy the desert scenery while feeling the thrill. Sliding down from the sand slope, dancing with the sand, listening to the sound of the sound of the sand. On the hunchback, you can feel the visual impact and spiritual shock of the golden waves of the desert.

Day 3 | Afternoon

After finishing the tour at Sha Mountain Park, you can head to Loulan Winery, the most worth visiting place around the corner.

Loulan Winery

Opening Hours: 10:30-19:00

Ticket Price: 30 RMB

Recommended Length of Stay: 2.0-3.0 Hours

Location: No. 1 Loulan Jiuye Road, Shanshan County, Turpan City (Shuangshui Mill Horticultural Plant)

Turpanloulan winery scenic spot was built in 1976, covering 590 mu, is a comprehensive wine theme manor which combines grape cultivation, wine production trade, wine culture experience, leisure vacation, sightseeing tour, dining, conference and entertainment. Loulan winery scenic spot is located in the east of Shanshan County, Turpan Basin, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. In 77 B.C., Han Zhaodi Liwei Tujuan was king, changed Loulan State to Shanshan; This famous Silk Road is to be long-winded, absorbing the sound, color and pattern of the world around the world, giving birth to Loppo region with its distinctive and unique Loulan culture. Shanshan this land still shines with extraordinary glitter today, Loulan winery scenic area also has unique tourism resources and deep cultural heritage. In 2011, Loulan winery carried out the Turpan area ancient native building structural transformation, officially upgraded to Loulan winery; In 2013, the winery was built into a brewing center with fermentation area, wine storage area, filling area and finished product library. The whole filling line adopts advanced wine production technology and produces high quality wines with national wine industry standard. In 2014, Loulan Cultural Center, Loulan Reception Center, Oak barrel wine cellar, Underground wine cellar, Brandy workshop, etc. were completed; in 2015, Loulan Castle was built, including Loulan Wine Museum and Loulan Hotel. Loulan winery scenic spot will "Silk Road" culture and "Loulan" civilization into the development of Loulan winery, full-scale and promote Shanshan County tourism construction and development.

* All reviews in the blog are machine-translated.