13 Day Private Car Tour of Northern and Southern Xinjiang Gourmet Theme. Experience Local Specialty Snacks Across the Region with Detailed Cost Breakdown for the Entire Journey Recommended Itinerary and Pricing
Contact Manager Yang Jia at phone number 13325559266 or WeChat 13325559266 to send your itinerary and receive a quote.
[13-Day Customized Food Tour Across Northern and Southern Xinjiang:A Culinary Wanderer’s Guide to Xinjiang on the Tip of Your Tongue]
🌄 Detailed Introduction to Itinerary or Destination
Xinjiang’s food map is like a vibrant painting, stretching from the grassy pastures of Northern Xinjiang to the oasis towns of Southern Xinjiang, with tantalizing culinary secrets hidden in every corner. This 13-day itinerary takes ‘food’ as its central theme, connecting the unique flavors of Urumqi, Yili, Kanas, Korla, Kashgar, and other places. It covers classic dishes such as roasted stuffed buns, pilaf, big plate chicken, roast whole lamb, nang pit meat, la tiao zi (hand-pulled noodles), and spicy sheep trotters, while also incorporating traditional dietary cultural experiences of various ethnic groups, making the journey a profound exploration for the taste buds.
The itinerary design balances geographical span with culinary density: Northern Xinjiang focuses on grassland pastoral flavors, while Southern Xinjiang emphasizes oasis agricultural culture. Scenes such as bazaar (market) visits, home kitchen experiences, and night market food hunts are interspersed along the way, avoiding a superficial ‘checklist’ style of dining. Throughout the trip, a 7-seat business vehicle or SUV is used for customized transportation, allowing flexible arrangements for meal times and locations, ensuring that every meal can be enjoyed at its best time to savor authentic flavors.
📅 Simple Itinerary
[Days 1-2:Urumqi – The Starting Point of Culinary Delights]
Morning:Arrive in Urumqi, check into a hotel near the Grand Bazaar, explore the International Grand Bazaar on foot, and sample street snacks such as roasted stuffed buns, yogurt zongzi (glutinous rice dumplings), and roasted eggs.
Lunch:Visit ‘Ailijiang Nang Pit Meat’ in Lingguan Lane to experience freshly roasted nang pit meat paired with kavas (honey beer).
Afternoon:Visit the Xinjiang Museum to learn about the dietary cultural history of various ethnic groups. In the evening, head to the Xingfu Road Night Market to try spicy sheep trotters, noodle lung, and yellow noodle grilled meat.
[13-Day Customized Food Tour Across Northern and Southern Xinjiang: A Culinary Wanderer’s Guide to Xinjiang on the Tip of Your Tongue]Next Day:Drive to Heavenly Lake on Tianshan Mountain. On the return trip, stop in Fukang City to taste Chaiwobu spicy chicken.
[Days 3-5:Yili Valley – A Feast of Grassland Flavors]
Day 3:Head to Yining along the S101 National Defense Highway, stopping at a Shihezi cold noodle shop along the way to enjoy Shihezi cold noodles paired with grilled meat.
Day 4:Explore the Kazanqi Folk Tourism Area, take a horse-drawn carriage through the old town of various ethnic groups, and learn to make narin (hand-pulled horse meat noodles) in a home kitchen.
Day 5:Travel to Nalati Grassland, experience the hospitality feast of local people in their homes, and taste baursak (fried dough), mare’s milk wine, and dried meat.
[Days 6-8:Kanas – The Dietary Secrets of the Tuvans]
Day 6:Cross the Junggar Basin and sample grilled dogfish (cold-water fish) and kavas at the Burqin Night Market.
Day 7:Venture deep into the Kanas Scenic Area, savor milk skin, butter tea, and hand-pulled lamb in a Tuvan wooden house, and participate in making ‘horton’ (traditional Tuvan noodles).
Day 8:Head to Hemu Village, enjoy fresh milk tea boiled with freshly squeezed milk in the morning mist, paired with baursak and naturally grown blackcurrant jam.
🌄 Detailed Introduction to Itinerary or Destination[Days 9-11:Korla – The Flavors of Oasis Agriculture]
Day 9:Head south along National Highway G218 and enjoy Yanqi spicy noodle拌面 (spicy noodle stir-fry) in Hejing County.
Day 10:Visit the Korla Fragrant Pear Orchard and enjoy fragrant pear stewed chicken and roasted stuffed buns paired with rose petal jam tea in the orchard.
Day 11:Travel to the Lop Nur Village to experience red willow grilled meat and Lop Nur grilled fish in the desert, and listen to stories about the dietary culture of the Lop Nur people.
[Days 12-13:Kashgar – The Classic Station of Western Regional Cuisine]
Day 12:Fly to Kashgar, check into a homestay near the old city, stroll through the Craftsmen Bazaar in the evening, and sample pot meat, roasted pigeon, and fig jam nang.
Day 13:Join a food walking tour of Kashgar’s old city, led by a local guide to visit a century-old tea house, a clay pot roasted stuffed bun shop, and hidden stalls at the night market. Enjoy pigeon soup noodles and thin-skinned stuffed buns for lunch at a restaurant beside the Id Kah Square. Depart in the afternoon according to your flight schedule.
💰 Price Description (Reference for 2026)
Customized transportation costs for the entire trip (including driver, fuel, and tolls):
Xinjiang’s food map is like a vibrant painting, stretching from the grassy pastures of Northern Xinjiang to the oasis towns of Southern Xinjiang, with tantalizing culinary secrets hidden in every corner. This 13-day itinerary takes ‘food’ as its central theme, connecting the unique flavors of Urumqi, Yili, Kanas, Korla, Kashgar, and other places. It covers classic dishes such as roasted stuffed buns, pilaf, big plate chicken, roast whole lamb, nang pit meat, la tiao zi (hand-pulled noodles), and spicy sheep trotters, while also incorporating traditional dietary cultural experiences of various ethnic groups, making the journey a profound exploration for the taste buds.7-seat business vehicle:Approximately 18,000-22,000 yuan per vehicle (13 days, approximately 4,500-5,500 yuan per person when split among 4 people)
SUV:Approximately 15,000-18,000 yuan per vehicle (13 days, approximately 7,500-9,000 yuan per person when split among 2 people)
Catering costs (per person):
An average of 80-120 yuan per person for daily main meals (including special feasts), with an average of 30-50 yuan per day for snacks, totaling approximately 1,400-2,200 yuan over 13 days.
Admission tickets and experience fees:
Heavenly Lake on Tianshan Mountain 155 yuan, Kanas 230 yuan (including shuttle bus), Nalati 135 yuan, Lop Nur Village 40 yuan, totaling approximately 560 yuan per person; special projects such as home kitchen experiences and local family visits cost approximately 300-500 yuan per person.
Total budget reference:
Economy (4 people sharing a vehicle):Approximately 7,000-9,000 yuan per person
Comfort (2 people in a customized vehicle):Approximately 12,000-15,000 yuan per person
The itinerary design balances geographical span with culinary density: Northern Xinjiang focuses on grassland pastoral flavors, while Southern Xinjiang emphasizes oasis agricultural culture. Scenes such as bazaar (market) visits, home kitchen experiences, and night market food hunts are interspersed along the way, avoiding a superficial ‘checklist’ style of dining. Throughout the trip, a 7-seat business vehicle or SUV is used for customized transportation, allowing flexible arrangements for meal times and locations, ensuring that every meal can be enjoyed at its best time to savor authentic flavors.(Prices may fluctuate based on season, vehicle type, and catering standards, and are subject to contract or on-the-day confirmation)
📝 Registration Method
You can register through Xinjiang Pathfinder International Travel Agency by providing your name, contact information, travel dates, and number of people. Customer service manager Zhang Jing will assist with itinerary customization and contract signing.
💡 Fee Description and Service Description
Fees include:Customized transportation for the entire trip, driver services, 12 nights of accommodation (comfortable hotels/characteristic homestays), admission tickets included in the itinerary, and guidance for special dining experiences.
Fees do not include:Round-trip major transportation, personal expenses, and optional items outside the itinerary.
Service guarantees:24-hour emergency contact, changes to dietary preferences during the itinerary, and assistance in handling unexpected situations.
Specifics are subject to actual consultation and contract signing. Reasonable changes to the itinerary can be made upon mutual agreement.
✨ Itinerary Highlights
📅 Simple ItineraryIn-depth Food Exploration:Avoid tourist restaurants and explore community old shops and home kitchens with a local guide to unlock hidden menus.
Cultural Immersion Experience:Understand the life wisdom of various ethnic groups through dietary customs, such as ‘serving meat to guests’ and ‘never leaving home without nang’.
Flexible Dining Arrangements:Reserve 2-3 hours each day for independent food hunting, allowing you to choose restaurants based on energy levels and interests, avoiding the limitations of fixed group meals.
Seasonally Adapted Design:Focus on fresh grassland meat and dairy products from June to August, highlight melons, fruits, and roast whole lamb from September to October, and increase warm stomach soups and nang pit delicacies in winter.
⚠ ⚠️ Precautions
Xinjiang cuisine tends to be oily and heavy in flavor. Those with sensitive stomachs are advised to bring digestive medications;
Dining options may be limited in some scenic areas, so it’s advisable to bring snacks;
There is a large temperature difference between day and night in some areas of Southern Xinjiang, so warm clothing is necessary;
Respect the dietary taboos of various ethnic groups (e.g., pork is prohibited among Uyghurs, and donkey meat is prohibited among some other groups);
The itinerary involves mountain road driving, so those prone to motion sickness should prepare medications in advance.
Consult customer service manager Zhang Jing at Xinjiang Pathfinder International Travel Agency for the latest departure dates and availability information for 2026. Let this food journey become the most vivid way to get to know Xinjiang!
Contact Manager Yang Jia at 13325559266 or WeChat 13325559266 to send your itinerary and receive a quote.
