Zhengzhou to Altay/Sailimu Lake Self-Driving Trip Sharing~

First, I’m writing this to preserve my own memories, but if any friends find it helpful, that’s even better, since planning the itinerary was really a headache. D0 Flight at 9 PM the night before: Zhengzhou - transfer in Urumqi - Altay. You can get a free sleep pod at the Urumqi airport. Arrived in Altay around 8:30 PM, officially starting the Xinjiang trip~ D1 In the morning, rented a car at Altay Airport and headed straight to Kanas. Total driving time about 5 hours~ Passed through Burqin County around noon for lunch and some supermarket shopping. Arrived at Kanas around 3 PM. We stayed in Kanas New Village. After resting at the hotel, we went to Kanas Lake. D2 Left at 10 AM to visit Fairy Bay, very beautiful with morning mist and a fairy-like atmosphere~ Had lunch near the Old Village at noon and also got a border pass. Around 1 PM, went to Guanyutai for snow mountain hiking; it takes about an hour to reach the summit. Strongly recommend everyone to hike it themselves. Left at 3 PM for Baihaba, about a 30-minute drive. On the way, you’ll see the Lonely Tree 1.0 and 2.0. Checked in around 6 PM and went to watch the sunset. The sunset spot is on the hill with the Lonely Tree; just keep driving up. The sunset was stunning. Returned to Baihaba Village for dinner at 8 PM. D3 Left around 10 AM again to check in at the China-Kazakhstan border Grand Canyon for a quick visit. Left at 11 AM to return to Altay for skiing. Arrived in Burqin County again around 2 PM and had the popular spicy chicken. Reached General Mountain Ski Resort around 5 PM. Without a ski pass, bought a separate cable car ticket and danced at the top of the mountain. Went down at 7 PM. Dropped off luggage at the hotel and rented a full set of ski equipment (250 RMB per person, which I think is super worth it). Dinner at 9:30 PM. D4 Because of an afternoon flight, arrived at General Mountain Ski Resort at 10:20 AM to start my first-ever snowboarding experience as a beginner. I fell all over the place but at least managed to push straight on the heel edge after some trial and error. Rushed back to the hotel at 1:30 PM to return equipment, return the car at the airport, and catch the flight. Altay to Yining, arrived around 5 PM. After landing in Yining, rented a car and checked in. Walked to the nearby Six Star Street Scenic Area for dinner at night~ D5 Unfortunately, my husband caught a cold. After some hesitation, we decided to go to Wenquan County to get a free Sailimu Lake ticket. Left around 11 AM, passed through Horgos around 1 PM, got off to take a look, then continued driving to Wenquan County. There was a mountain road and heavy fog on the way, which was quite thrilling. Arrived at Wenquan County Lotus Pond Hot Spring at 4 PM, water temperature 38°C, perfect for the cold. The small county town had nowhere else to go, so we strolled around, ate, and rested at the hotel. D6 Sailimu Lake, here we go! Left the hotel at 7:45 AM, about 1 hour drive, arrived at Sailimu Lake’s Point General Platform at 9 AM to wait for the sunrise. After reading many guides, planned to tour Sailimu Lake clockwise but ended up driving counterclockwise, just going with the flow 🤣. It’s really beautiful, stunning to the point of numbness. Left around 4:30 PM, wanted to check out Sailimu Lake Ski Resort and wait for the sunset, but the ski resort was a disappointment—closed at 5:10 PM, so gave up. On the way back, stopped at Guozigou for a walk, then drove back to Yining City. D7 Flight day ✈️ Yining to Zhengzhou, no more details needed~