7-Day Hiking in the Eastern Tianshan Mountain

Upon arrival in Urumqi, please check in at the hotel in Shayibake District. You could take the airport shuttle bus Line 1 to Red Hill station and then walk or take the taxi to your hotel. Or you could choose the subway Line 1 based on your hotel location. Relax for the rest of the day.

Today, you will set out for the Heavenly Lake (1,980 m), a small alpine lake surrounded by lush spruce forests and snow-capped mountains. Don't forget to bring warm clothing; it is much colder here than in the city. You can hike along the lake to get to the other end and set up camp.

The most convenient way is to take the tourist bus from People's Park or Red Hill Park. The ticket is about CNY70 per person. Or you could take the shuttle bus from North station to Fukang Station with the ticket of CNY15 per person and connect the bus to the Heavenly Lake at a cost of CNY5 per person. The whole trip takes about 2 hours.

Start the day early to begin your hike to Bogda Peak (5,445 m). You will hike through forests and meadows for 5 to 6 hours, arriving at Dapingtai (3,200 m from Tianchi), where you will spend the night in the camp.

The 4th day will be the hardest day of this hike. You will reach the Base Camp at Bogda Peak (3,800 m). As you make your ascent, the surrounding scenery will change gradually from dense forests to rocky hills. You will approach the snowline and the peak 6-7 hours from the start of the trek. At the Base Camp, you will have the full view of Bogda Peak. When you see the magnificent view, you could feel all will worth it. Stay overnight here.

Today, you will see the huge glaciers, under which are a large area of ice lake with ice floating on the lake. It is also the main water source of this area. Although the altitude is only 3,800m here, it formed the large scale of glaciers in Bogda Peak with its unique climate. During the hike, you will see Saussurea involucrate (also named snow lotus), a rare plant indigenous to the region. Please wrap up early today to prepare for a long hike tomorrow.

You will leave the base camp today. Continue to trek south along a valley facing other peaks in the mountain range. As you descend, you will return to the forest and finally arrive at Tianshan meadow to camp for the night.

This exciting hike will end today. Get out of the Heavenly Lake scenic area, get back to Urumqi in the same way. You may also extend the tour to Turpan, which is one of the lowest spots in the world as well as the hottest and driest in China. It's an entirely different world from where you spent the past days.