Tianshan Tianchi National Park å¤©æ± - scenic with prismatic splendor. Tickets are approximately Â¥140. Buses leave from the north end of People's Park every morning at 9:00. It will give you a wonderful experience of Chinese tourism with your time micro-managed by the tour guides. The bus costs Â¥130 with another Â¥140 for entrance to the park. This gives you lunch of a sort and a visit to a yurt village as well as to Heavenly Lake.
Nan Shan åå±± - Picturesque mountains south of Urumqi. In summer the valleys are populated with Kazakh Yurts, which accept travellers for Â¥50-100 per night including food. Excellent for hiking and horseback riding. Cheap buses Â¥8-25 leave for the area throughout the day from the bus station south of People's Park Renmin Gongyuan. Particularly recommended is Juhua Tai èè±å°, chysanthemum terrace, with plenty of food and sleeping options along with mountain pastures filled with alpine flowers.
Number One Glacier ä¸å·å°å· - Located in the far south of Nan Shan is this fast disappearing glacier, the first in China to be thoroughly researched. The area is in the higher peaks in the Nan Shan range over 4200 m/14,000 ftand boasts spectacular views along with few tourists. The glacier can be reached after first taking the Nan Shan bus to Hou Xia å峡, Â¥12.6, and then finding a driver in the town to take you to the glacierÂ¥150-200 one way, about an hour. Several kilometers from the glacier are Kazakh families that rent their yurts to tourists for Â¥20. Polo fried rice, bread, kebabs and tea are also available for about Â¥15 or so. Coming back, you should be able to hitch a ride for free with trucks returning to town from a nearby mine.
Heart of Asia Monument - South of Urumqi is a monument supposedly marking the center of the Eurasian landmass, underscoring just how far from the ocean you really are.
