2 Days Urumqi Independent Tour

Prepare to get up early today. After your breakfast, catch tourist bus No.313 from the South Park (Nan Gong Yuan, No. 1689 South Xinhua Road) to our first destination, the Heavenly Mountain Safari Park. The bus operates every 10 minutes from 12:00 to 24:00. The journey each way will take about an hour and costs CNY3.50 per person.

Located 25 kms east of Urumqi city, the safari park covers an area of 63 sq kms (24.3 square miles) and is home to 1,147 animals of 69 species. Many rare species live happily there. The park is divided into eight sections, including African savannah, desert, alpine region, carnivores, waterfowl lake, bird world, walking area and service area. The sightseeing cart take visitors through the first four sections with a brief stop at each. The ride costs CNY30 per person and the entrance fee CNY70 each.

After the visit, return to downtown for your lunch. Then take a taxi or either one of the busses no.27, 74 or 202 to the Vineyard (Pu Tao Yuan). Visitors who missed the Grape Valley in Turpan will find this one a perfect substitute. If you come in August, you will enjoy a luxury feast of various kinds of sweet grapes.

For your accommodation in Urumqi, you could choose the suitable hotel near Urumqi South Station or Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar.

You will spend the whole day in the town today. The first stop is the largest Mosque in Urumqi, the Grand Shaanxi Mosque, also called the Grand East Mosque, located in No. 10 Yong He Zheng Alley, Heping Road. It differs from other mosques in Xinjiang in that the building is not of typical traditional Islamic structure of minarets and domes, but rather in a typical Chinese palace style prevailing during the Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1911) dynasties. There are painted pillars, rising tile roofs, and carved beams.

Out of the Great Mosque from the south gate, walk towards west for about 50 m and turn left to Jianzhong Road, turn right to Xinshi Road after 200 m. Walk west for about 130 meters to Jiefang South Road. Head southward for 240 meters and turn right to Longquan Street. The Xinjiang Min Jie Folk Custom Museum appears on your right hand side. Here, you could not only experience the history of Xinjiang, but also come to know the local customs and culture. You may either have lunch at the Snacks Street outside the museum. Do not miss popular foods like roast Uygur cake, roast mutton, kebab, and Xinjiang rice.

The next stop is Xinjiang International Bazaar. Head towards southwest to south alley of Longquan Road, walk about 380m and turn left to Tianchi Road. You could find Xinjiang International Bazaar about 500m away. It is the largest bazaar in the world integrating Islamic culture, architecture, business trading, entertainment and restaurant business. The 80-meter high Silk Road sightseeing tower here is a famous landmark of Urumqi with the entry tickets of CNY50 per person. On the fifth floor of this tower, you can have a panorama view of the whole city and also view the Mt. Bogda. In the afternoon, you will be marveled at the different kinds of local delicacies and exquisite handicrafts.