Ili : Abundant Grasslands, the Nomads' Home

Explore Ili with this comprehensive travel guide. Located in north Xinjiang, Ili is known for abundant sunshine and its vast grasslands, such as Nalati, Tangbula, Kalajun, Zhaosu Grassland, and it is said that you cannot truly know the beauty of Xinjiang without visiting Ili. It is nestled between the Borokonu Mountains, running northwest to southeast, and the Harketau Mountains, stretching northeast to southwest. Its landforms form a natural westward trumpet-shaped opening, which maximally absorbs warm and moist air currents from the Atlantic Ocean, creating the unique climate of the "Central Asian Wet Island". Majestic mountains, vast grasslands, green Guozigou National Forest Park, the best horses in China, and purple lavender gardens in Huocheng County compose the marvelous scenery of Ili. The full name of Ili is Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, home to Kazakhs. Living by water and grass, Kazakhs have strong grassland nomadic cultural characteristics.

Ili belongs to the cold-temperate zone, with a semi-arid continental climate. Summer is hot, with green and lush trees. Children play and swim naked in the ponds, while cool winds blow gently at night. Autumn in Ili always arrives in a hurry and leaves quickly. Beautiful things in life are often fleeting, yet they fill our hearts with longing.

Best Time to Ili (April–October)

April to October is the best time to visit Ili, here is a chart for you to get information of Ili seasonal temperature and guides in these months.‌

Tips: There is a large temperature difference between day and night. So be sure to pack a warm coat or jacket, as it will be useful in mountainous areas and at night. In summer, ultraviolet radiation is strong, so please bring a sun hat, sunglasses or sunscreen to protect your skin.

Why Visit Ili, Top Reasons to Explore Ili Grasslands and Unique Kazakh's Nomadic Life

• Photogenic Natural Landscapes

Ili has a great number of grasslands, including Nalati Grassland, Tangbula Grassland, Kalajun Grassland, Zhaosu Grassland, Kurdening, and so on. It is truly a paradise of grasslands. Some grasslands nestle against snow-capped mountains, while others border deserts. Some are bold and epic like a sharp blade, while others are gentle and graceful like a fair beauty.

June is the peak blooming season of lavender in Ili. Vast fields of lavender stretch and spread from the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, with pieces of purple slowly merge into a purple river with a mysterious fragrance woven into dreams. The flower language of lavender is "waiting for love", which is why many young couples come here to take wedding photos, hoping for eternal love and vows.

The beauty of Ili is beyond words, with the interplay of light and shadow with stunning natural landscapes. Only by taking pictures can this breathtaking beauty be captured and frozen in time. Every few steps in Ili, you will constantly want to reach for your camera without thinking.

• Top Hiking Routes

There are two types of hiking routes in Ili, suitable for people with different physical abilities and interests. The first type is the grassland stroll, mainly around vast grasslands and summer flower seas. It is suitable for families, photo lovers, and hiking beginners, with relatively low difficulty. For example, on the Kalajun Grassland, a single-day hike covers about 8-12 kilometers, and you can save energy by using the scenic shuttle bus. On the back mountains of Qiongkushitai, trails are unmarked, allowing for free exploration. You can walk along the wooden path of the Tangbula Hundred-Mile Gallery, with gentle slopes and viewing platforms along the way.

The second type is the ancient trail crossing, such as the Xiata Ancient Trail, Mengkte Ancient Trail, and Wusun Ancient Trail. Some sections require extra caution. Take the Xiata Ancient Trail as an example, you can start from the Xiate hot spring area, follow the river valley toward the snow-capped mountains. The longest one-day hike can reach Xianhuatai (close to the glacier), covering 12-15 kilometers round-trip. The highlight is the stunning visual shock facing Tomur Peak, the highest peak of Tianshan Mountains.

8 Days Xinjiang Wusun Ancient Road Trekking Adventure Yili-Aksu 8 Days (over 300+ Booked) View Details

Key tips: 

1. The best time for hiking is from June to September each year. 

2. Weather often changes abruptly in the afternoon, so it is recommended to set off early in the morning and take the first shuttle bus. 

3. Deep crossings are high-risk and must be organized by professional teams.

• Ethnic Customs and Food

Ili is short for the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, where generations of Kazakhs have lived. Every year the mass seasonal migration of Kazakh herdsmen (from free grazing in summer transfer to the grazing land in Winter) has become a special landscape. The history of the Kazakh nation is written in these repeated migrations. Just like the grand seasonal migration, Kazakh dances are passionate and unrestrained, and women's clothes are bright and colorful.

Ili's food brings together the best dishes from many ethnic groups. Its most famous ones include pilaf, baked buns, narin, milk tea, ice cream, horse meat, smoked sausages and stuffed noodles. Baursak is highly recommended. It is crispy, fragrant, fried but not greasy. Besides, smoked horse sausage and air-dried beef are easy to carry, so you can buy them as specialties to take home.

Top Ili Attractions

• Nalati Grassland 

The River Valley Grassland and Sky Grassland are two zones of Nalati Grassland, located at the eastern end of the Ili River Valley. Once you set foot in Nalati, the scenery before your eyes will take your breath away. The towering snow-capped mountains and pine forests around make it look like Switzerland, while the rolling sea of grass may remind you of Tuscany, Italy. Wildflowers sway across the grassland, and graceful horses graze leisurely beside the yurts. Kazakh herders have lived here for generations. The seasonal migration carries the life and hope of the Kazakh people. In summer, they raise sheep, cattle and horses on the vast grasslands. In winter, the animals are driven to warmer places.

• Tangbula Grassland

There are a few distinct scenic spots in Tangbula Grassland. Its main attraction, the Tangbula Hundred-Mile Gallery, is open to the public for free. Here you can see flowing springs and waterfalls, clear streams, the unique Arslang Stone Forest, and spectacular sunsets. Snow-capped mountains are reflected in the quiet, deep alpine lakes. With warm, refreshing hot springs and a clear blue sky, every moment spent here is truly delightful.

• Kalajun Grassland

It is located in Tekes County within the Ili River Valley of Xinjiang. In the Kazakh language, Kalajun means a vast, dark and fertile grassland, which concisely describes the splendor and magnificence of this land. The endless grassland stretches far into the distance like an immense green velvet blanket. When the weather gets warm and flowers bloom, it transforms into a sea of blossoms. Standing on the Flower Platform, the view before you is truly astonishing. Wildflowers cover the mountains and plains in full bloom, with red as fire, pink as peaches, and white as snow.

• Zhaosu Grassland

Walking into Zhaosu Grassland is like stepping into a vast dreamland. With yellow, pink, blue and purple wildflowers stretch far across the grassland, the varied and vibrant colors of the grassland playfully catch your eye, and your imagination might be lost in the colorful scenery. Thanks to its unique geography and climate, the area stays cool and free from intense heat in summer. Grassland stone men, Wusun ancient tombs, and rock paintings are the three wonders of Zhaosu Grassland, which seem to tell us what happened here in the past. 

• Xiata Valley

It is located in Zhaosu County, close to the main peak of Tianshan Mountains and Tekes River, running through Zhaosu Grassland. It is a famous tourist attraction for its mountain passes, ancient ruins, ethnic customs, and natural landscape. Xiata Ancient Trail, also known as "Tang Monk Ancient Trail", because the Tang Dynasty monk Xuanzang once passed through this trail on his journey to India. It used to be the main transportation route from Ili to southern Xinjiang, and also the most precarious and famous ancient pass on the Silk Road. Drive more than 20 kilometers away from the valley to Muzart Glacier, which does not melt all year round. It is an unbelievable scene to see crystal thick ice stands still in summer, with the thickest ice layer reaches 20 meters. When parts of the glacier break off, the sound is breathtaking yet uniquely spectacular. Without doubt, it is an ideal summer resort. 

• Guozigou Valley (Fruit Valley)

Guozigou Valley gets its name from the abundance of wild fruits. Known as "No. 1 Scenery in Ili", it is located 40 kilometers northeast of Huocheng County and lies on the essential route of the Urumqi-Ili section of National Highway 312. At its northern end, where the valley exits, lies the famous Sayram Lake. It boasts beautiful scenery and spectacular, unique landscapes.

• Huocheng County (Lavender Gardens)

In Huocheng County, there are many lavender gardens. For an example, Princess Jieyou Lavender Garden is located in Qingshuihe Town of Huocheng County, it used to be an important town on the ancient Silk Road. It shares a very similar geographic location, climate and soil environment with the world-famous origin of lavender - Provence, France. The garden covers 220 acres; large patches of purple lavender are so fascinating as if they were woven by fairies row upon row, attracting photographers and lovers. The flower language of lavender is "waiting for love", with an intoxicating fragrance. It also made the depressed Princess Jieyou, who married the king of Wusun for political reasons, became cheerful and brave to take the responsibility of uniting the Wusun and Han Dynasty.

• Tekes Bagua City

This city is located in Tekes County, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. It is famous for its bagua (eight trigrams) layout with a magical maze-like 64-hexagram street distribution without a single traffic light, yet traffic runs smoothly. It is also the only city in China without traffic lights. In 2001, the city was awarded as the world’s largest bagua city by Guinness World and listed as a national historical and cultural city in 2007. In Chinese history, in 105 BCE, Princess Liu Xijun of the Han Dynasty was married to the king of Wusun in this region, one of the earliest recorded political marriages in history. Today, the bagua city is another name for Tekes County.

• Liuxing Street (Six-star Street)

Liuxing Street gets its name from its unique hexagonal street layout. Here you can find not only colorful traditional ethnic minority dwellings, but also many specialty shops and delicious local food. On the old street, some residential houses have been turned into distinctive stores. There are Uyghur homemade ice cream and camp-style restaurants and coffee shops. Blue Wall is a popular snack shop online, mainly selling noodle lung, a traditional Uyghur dish made mainly from sheep's internal organs.

How to Get to Ili

• By Flight: 

Ili has three airports, but the convenient one is Ili Yining International Airport, a civil 4C airport with flights to inside cities and outside ones such as Beijing, Tianjin, Xi'an, Chengdu, Nanjing, Guangzhou, and other important cities. However, there are currently few direct international flights to Ili. You can transfer in Urumqi and then fly to Ili, or fly to Urumqi first and then take a train to Ili.

• By Train:

There are several railway stations in Ili. The top choice is Yining Railway Station, which is only 5 to 10 km from the urban area. Public transport and taxis are accessible, and it has various options for accommodation, dining, car rentals, and shuttle buses to surrounding counties. It is the most convenient starting point for traveling elsewhere in the region. If you are visiting Huocheng county specifically for lavender fields, you can also choose Huocheng Railway Station, which is located in the county center and close to the lavender fields.

Transportation Suggestions

There are public buses, taxis, and ride‑hailing services in Yining city, but they are limited between counties and scenic spots across Ili. So renting a car is the best way to get around. Car rental services are also available on our website. For more details, please see Xinjiang Car Rental.

Ili Accommodation

As a popular destination in Xinjiang, Ili offers a wide variety of accommodation choices and most of the tourist attractions in Ili have complete hotel facilities. The hotels provide delicious food and drinks, with refined interior design details. Take my personal experience for an example, I stayed at a grassland hotel when I visited Nalati Grassland. It was extremely quiet at night, as if everything outside had come to a standstill. The following hotel information is for your reference.

Longxing International Hotel / Wenzhou International Hotel / Yining Beauty Hotel / Tianyuan International Hotel

Ili Maps You Might Need