Twelve days is the difference between seeing Xinjiang on a map and actually driving it. The north-south loop below is the one I hand to first-timers who want the mountains and the desert both, without spending half the trip in the car.
A 12-day Xinjiang route that runs from Urumqi south through the Tian Shan, across the Tarim Basin, and up into the Pamir before flying back is the most complete single trip the region allows. It covers the grassland north, the Silk Road oases of the south, and the high Pamir in one continuous line, and it is sized so that no single driving day exceeds what a rested driver should attempt. This is a loop that returns you to Urumqi by air rather than by a punishing 1,450 km backtrack, which keeps the daily distances honest.
The shape of the route
The loop runs down the eastern corridor, across the south, and into the Pamir, then flies back. Days one and two are Urumqi and the nearby Tian Shan. Day three pushes east to Turpan on the G30. Days four through seven descend the southern Tarim corridor via Korla, Kuqa, Aksu and on to Kashgar. Days eight through ten are Kashgar and the Pamir Highway to Tashkurgan. Days eleven and twelve hand the car back in Kashgar and fly to Urumqi for departure. The genius of flying the last leg is that it removes the longest, most monotonous drive in the region and leaves you fresh for the flight home. The distances below assume a standard car from Urumqi, and the railway-plus-rental pattern we cover for the northern and southern legs works just as well if you would rather not drive the whole line.
- Urumqi + Tian Shan for the first two days
- East to Turpan, then south down the Tarim corridor
- Kashgar as the southern hub, Pamir as the high point
- Fly back from Kashgar instead of driving 1,450 km north
Days 1-3: Urumqi, Tian Shan and Turpan
Land in Urumqi, take a day to sort the car and the altitude, and make a short run to Tianchi, the lake at about 1,900 metres on the flanks of Bogda Peak, roughly 110 km out and back. Day three is the G30 east to Turpan, about 190 km and two hours of easy divided highway. Turpan is the lowest, hottest, most historically layered stop on the trip: the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, the Flaming Mountains, and the ruined cities of Jiaohe and Gaochang. It is also where the time-zone quirk bites hardest, because in high summer the sun is still up at 21:00 local and restaurants run on that rhythm, so a mid-afternoon arrival leaves you plenty of evening. Our note on local time is worth reading before you build tight connections here.
- Tianchi lake at ~1,900 m, ~110 km round trip
- G30 east to Turpan, ~190 km, about two hours
- Jiaohe and Gaochang ruins, Bezeklik caves
- Sun stays up past 21:00 local in summer
Days 4-7: down the Tarim corridor
From Turpan the route follows the G3012 south and west. Korla is about 330 km and a natural first night, sitting where the northern Silk Road meets the Tarim. Kuqa the next day, about 260 km, is the gateway to the Kizil Grottoes, the oldest Buddhist cave art in the region, and to the dramatic canyons of Tianshan Grand Canyon just outside town. Aksu follows at roughly 260 km, a workmanlike oasis town that breaks the drive, and then the long run to Kashgar of about 460 km closes the corridor. This is where you learn the discipline of the desert highway: fuel up early, carry water as safety equipment, and treat the checkpoints as routine rather than friction. Our distance-and-timing guide lays out how to size each leg so you are not arriving in the dark.
- Korla ~330 km, the Tarim gateway
- Kuqa ~260 km, Kizil Grottoes and Tianshan canyon
- Aksu ~260 km, a practical fuel-and-sleep stop
- Kashgar ~460 km, the southern hub reached
Days 8-10: Kashgar and the Pamir
Spend a full day in Kashgar old town before the high country: the Id Kah Mosque, the Abakh Hoja mausoleum, and the Sunday bazaar if your timing lands on a weekend. Then take the G314 south toward Tashkurgan, roughly 190 km to Karakul Lake at about 3,600 metres, with Muztagh Ata rising behind it. The Pamir permit is required for foreign travellers beyond the checkpoint at Opal, so arrange it in Kashgar before you leave. Day ten pushes on to Tashkurgan near the Pakistan border at about 3,100 metres and returns the same day or the next. This is the most physically demanding stretch, both for altitude and for the condition of the road, so keep the driving days short and the water close. The dedicated Kashgar-to-Pamir itinerary covers the permit and the overnight options in more detail.
- Kashgar old town needs a full day
- G314 to Karakul Lake ~190 km, ~3,600 m
- Pamir permit required beyond Opal checkpoint
- Tashkurgan at ~3,100 m, near the Pakistan border
Days 11-12: hand back and fly north
Return the car in Kashgar and take the roughly two-hour flight to Urumqi rather than the long drive. Book the rental to end in Kashgar from the start, because a one-way drop-off from Urumqi to Kashgar is either refused or priced at thousands of RMB, while two separate rentals with a flight between them costs less and avoids the repositioning fee entirely. Keep the final Kashgar day light so a delayed Pamir return does not eat your departure buffer. If you would rather not fly, the train is a long comfortable sleeper, but it costs you a full extra day that the loop above does not have. Either way, end the trip in Urumqi with one buffer night before your international flight.
- Return the car in Kashgar, do not drive north
- Flight to Urumqi is about two hours
- Two rentals beat one expensive one-way drop-off
- Keep one buffer night before flying home
What to book before you leave
Three bookings make or break this route. The Pamir permit, applied for in Kashgar, needs your passport and a couple of working days, so do not treat it as same-day. The Kashgar car rental, because the southern fleet is smaller, should be fixed well ahead in July and August. And the return flight from Kashgar sells out in peak season, so lock it before you drive south. Beyond those, anchor your overnight stops in real towns with hotel inventory and let the small settlements be fuel and lunch, because the registration rule is more flexible in cities than in county inns. Book the characterful guesthouses for Kashgar and Urumqi, and default to a recognised chain on the long southern transit days.
- Pamir permit: apply in Kashgar, allow a few days
- Kashgar rental: book early, the fleet is small
- Return flight: sells out in peak season
- Anchor nights in towns, not villages
| Days | Leg | Approx. distance |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Urumqi, Tianchi | About 110 km round trip |
| 3 | Urumqi to Turpan (G30) | About 190 km |
| 4 | Turpan to Korla (G3012) | About 330 km |
| 5 | Korla to Kuqa | About 260 km |
| 6 | Kuqa to Aksu | About 260 km |
| 7 | Aksu to Kashgar | About 460 km |
| 8 | Kashgar old town | In town |
| 9-10 | Kashgar to Pamir (G314) | About 190 km each way |
| 11-12 | Fly Kashgar to Urumqi | About 2 hours by air |
Practical takeaways
- Fly or train back from Kashgar; do not drive the 1,450 km return.
- Apply for the Pamir permit in Kashgar at least two days early.
- Book the Kashgar rental and return flight before you drive south.
- Keep the final Kashgar day light as a delay buffer.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I drive the whole 12-day loop and return to Urumqi by car?
- You can, but it adds a roughly 1,450 km drive back north that most people find monotonous and tiring after the Pamir. Flying or taking the sleeper train from Kashgar back to Urumqi is the standard solution and keeps the daily distances on the loop honest.
- Do I need a permit for the Pamir part of this route?
- Yes. Foreign travellers need a Pamir permit to pass the checkpoint at Opal south of Kashgar, and it is best arranged in Kashgar with your passport a couple of days ahead. Without it you will be turned back at the checkpoint, so treat it as a before-you-leave booking.
- Is 12 days enough to drive both north and south Xinjiang?
- It is enough for a single continuous line, which is what this route is. It is not enough to also loop the far north through Yining and Sayram Lake plus the south, so choose the north-south line described here or a northern loop, not both, unless you have eighteen days or more.
- What is the longest single driving day on this itinerary?
- The Aksu to Kashgar run is the longest at about 460 km, which is a full but reasonable day with a fuel stop in between. Every other leg is 330 km or less, which leaves margin for checkpoints, road works and a long lunch.