Things to do in Altay Prefecture (2025): Top nearby activities,popular attractions,itinerary planning,weather,accommodation,food,transportation,and more - all you need to know (updated August, 2025) | Trip.com
Summer Limited Edition: Jiangjun Mountain Cable Car Sunset Blind Box Awaits Your Unboxing@Jiangjunshan International Ski Resort
Fall Hiking Season Begins in Koktokay@Keketuohai Scenic District
"Along the way, it connects various landscapes such as Gobi, canyons, forests, rivers, wetlands, snow-capped mountains, grasslands, and stone forests."
M25***24:“A must-see destination in Xinjiang. While the bus ride is a bit tedious, it's worth it. Plan for two days of fun; the scenery is breathtaking. Buy a one-day pass if you're staying in the scenic area, and a two-day pass if you're staying outside. The scenic area costs 700-1000 RMB, while the outdoor areas cost 300-500 RMB. Camping is also possible.”
205***79:“Hiking through the village, you can explore the unique gardens of various guesthouses, where flowers bloom in the summer. Walking along the riverside boardwalk, be sure to climb to the observation deck for a bird's-eye view. The viewpoint also overlooks a grassland, where you can enjoy the scenery on horseback and swing.
Food and accommodation in the village are relatively expensive, so be prepared.”
Opening hours: 08:00-21:00(Tickets available until 18:30; admission ends at 18:30)
320***86:“Who's actually protecting Koktogay? This view and service are only a little over a hundred yuan, a steal, right?
And rather than calling it Koktogay, you're actually looking at the Irtysh River Grand Canyon. The expanse is quite deep, and the final point accessible to tourists is only 30 kilometers from the national border. The scenery is breathtaking.
The prices for everything in the scenic area, including food, are very reasonable. A hot milk transfer is 5 yuan, and a pot of hot milk tea at the end is only 15 yuan if two people can't finish it. Even at the dangerous rapids, staff have small stools to watch over the rapids to prevent anyone from falling in. This is very friendly and thoughtful if you're traveling with children.”
Opening hours: 09:00-21:45(Tickets available until 21:00; admission ends at 21:15)
Anonymous user:“We encountered heavy rain just as we arrived at the entrance of the scenic area on the first day, so we changed our plan to visit the Colorful Beach on the second day. In fact, the colorful stone beaches can be seen in many places, but the scenery here is better. The scenic area is not big and we can see it all quickly.”
Opening hours: 08:00-20:00 (admission ends at 20:00)
M45***68:“Although it was raining, it was still a beautiful border village. The queue for the border pass was very fast. The three people in front of me only waited for two minutes. I had read the reviews saying it was not good and was planning not to go. Fortunately, I went.”
150***35:“Why do beginners go to the Northeast? !
Beginners should go skiing in Altay General Mountain⛷
Xinjiang is not as cold as the Northeast❄️
Every day, the accumulated snow and natural snow meet and wrestle like lying in bed
Altay's ☃️ weather changes form various beautiful natural landscapes that are shocking🌈🌈🌈
There are even services! ! ! Yes, special care that is not available at home and abroad
Every 180cm tall young man next to the cable car will take the initiative to help take the snowboard
Each cable car has a tissue box for blowing your nose
The ski resort is very large and the trails are wide
The ski trails branch out into various terrains, and the park is very interesting🙃suitable🈴️every friend who likes skiing
The ski resort is divided into Area A and Area B, various coffee shops☕️various entertainment projects, hot air balloons, paragliding🪂various ski equipment stores🎿gift shops, and hotels are fully equipped.”
Anonymous user:“Ulungur Lake has good service attitude and complete infrastructure. There are many grilled fish and fruit shops, and the toilets are well-equipped. You can go out to sea by yacht. There is a giant sculpture of Nuwa mending the sky and her legendary story.”
Elanie0702:“Baisha Lake is amazing! The lake water is as clear as a mirror. When you stand there, the blue sky and white clouds are all reflected in the water. You can't tell which is the sky and which is the lake.
The snow-capped mountains surround the lake, like a silver border. In summer, green grass and wild flowers are matched, and in winter, snow covers the mountaintops. It is beautiful like a computer wallpaper whenever you come!
The most amazing thing is that the lake can "change its face" - it is dazzlingly blue on a sunny day, green like emerald on a cloudy day, ripples appear when the wind blows, and the lake surface sparkles like broken gold when the sun shines.
Sitting by the lake and eating naan can make you feel poetic. Any photo taken with your mobile phone is a blockbuster, and you don't need to edit the picture at all!
It is also very quiet here, with only the sound of wind and water, and you can forget all your worries. You will miss a lot if you don't come here. I guarantee you will exclaim "Wow" at a glance!”
chen7711:“Kanas Lake is one of the famous natural landscapes in Xinjiang, China, famous for mysterious lake monster legends, virgin forests, Tuva culture and magnificent scenery, and is a popular resort for photography, exploration and summer vacation. The following is the introduction of Kanas Lake 📍 Location Kanas Lake is located in Burqin County, Altay region, Xinjiang, belongs to the southern foot of the Altai Mountains, close to the border between China and Kazakh, Russia and Mongolia. 🏞️ The lake features lakes with an altitude of about 1,374 meters, an area of about 45 square kilometers, and the deepest 188.5 meters. It is one of the deepest freshwater lakes in China.”
lilyzhang829:“Jikepulin Ski Resort is so beautiful, the ski trails are long, and the ski tickets are very cost-effective compared to other ski resorts in China. The supporting facilities are also very complete. I like Jikepulin and I will come again.”
Where to stay
Discover the most popular places to stay in Altay Prefecture, complete with recommendations from fellow travelers and special hotel offers
M25***24:“Let's talk about the Hedi Night Market in Burqin County. I can't remember how many times I have come to this street. But in my eyes, the only street that can represent the local specialty food and snacks in Burqin County is the Hedi Night Market Street next to the Irtysh River. This is a snack street with a strong northwestern style, and it is also the wisest place to try the flavors of Xinjiang. This represents the local specialty food of Burqin County. The Old Street BBQ Restaurant is the largest place in the night market to eat authentic pike. Their pike is authentic, the barbecue is delicious, the price is affordable, and there is convenient parking around. I recommend it to everyone.”
M48***10:“The food is delicious, especially the fried pike. The service attitude is very good, the environment is quiet and comfortable, and I recommend other guests to come here to taste the specialties here, especially the fried pike.”
就是不高兴16:“I went to this restaurant for dinner last night. I chose this restaurant after reading the reviews. The restaurant is not big. There are two private rooms. There are more than 20 of us, which is just right for two tables. Based on the reviews of netizens, we ordered cold water fish, five black dishes, mutton soup, beef vermicelli pot, etc. The fish was really good, the meat was tender and not very fishy. The mutton soup was also good, with several large pieces of mutton, which was very satisfying to eat. It is worth mentioning that their clay pot rice is unanimously said to be delicious. Overall, this restaurant is really good, and it is not expensive at around 60 per person, with a high cost performance ratio.”
云卷云舒G:“After passing through Hemu Old Village and walking up the plank path to the Harden Observation Platform, the view is suddenly expansive for photography.
From the Harden Observation Platform, you can overlook Hemu Old Village and the Hemu River. From the platform, you'll see the lush greenery of the mountains, wildflowers on the meadows, leisurely horseback riders on the hillsides, and people swinging on the swings...
#SonglikeJourney #AncientTownsAndVillagesWorthVisiting #PhotographyGuide #NicheDiscovery #WhereToGoThisWeekend”
UV626:“The decoration has a strong ethnic style, and the layout, including Kazakh embroidery, ancient fur skis, and dombra, are all full of local customs.”
雪梨的地球漫步💫:“As a native of Altay, I came back to eat a lot🍽️ and was very satisfied😋! By the way, I would like to recommend what to eat in Altay city~ Friends can copy the homework when they come to travel or ski in the future!
1⃣️Rural naan pit meat: naan pit meat🍖, grilled lamb chops🍢, grilled chicken wings🍗 are all their specialties, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with plenty of juice. The authentic way to eat is to roll the naan pit meat in the grilled naan, which is very satisfying😋
2⃣️Nurguli milk tea flavor: experience the traditional Kazakh breakfast, ethnic milk tea🍵, baursak + jam/spicy sauce/ghee🥞, and the special Huldak (potato cubes and lamb cubes stewed in broth). Xinjiang lamb is really not smelly at all, you can try it with confidence!
3⃣️Habahe Big Plate Chicken: Unlike other Big Plate Chicken with boiled belt noodles, their Big Plate Chicken is served with steamed noodles, which is more chewy and has a wheat aroma
4⃣️Hehe Spicy Chicken: Their spicy chicken is super fragrant, and the spicy skin is not too spicy, recommended!
5⃣️Zhaoji Fried Rice Noodles: A nearly 20-year-old shop, fried rice noodles, fried cold noodles, fried wide noodles, fried rice cakes, plus their soul pickled cabbage 🥬, it is a must-eat shop every time I go back to Altay! 😍
6⃣️Erdaoqiao Bowamu Small Pot Pilaf: The feature is lamb chops pilaf, the lamb chops are fragrant, and it is more appetizing with side dishes such as carrots and onions, but friends outside Xinjiang may feel sick of it for the first time
7⃣️Taihua Black Mushroom Fast Food: Black mushrooms are one of Altay's specialties, taste sweet and nutritious. Their black mushroom soup rice 🍲 is super fresh, and black mushroom noodles 🍜 are also very distinctive.
8⃣️ Huiyuan Mixed Noodles: A time-honored brand in Xuedu, the second most popular delicacy on the tongue. The main dishes are fried meat mixed noodles🍝, spicy noodles🔥, and homemade mixed noodles🍜. The smooth and chewy noodles are paired with soul-stir-fried ingredients, and you can't stop eating them! You can also refill the noodles🍜
9⃣️ Real Pepper Chicken: 🍗 The pepper chicken tastes fresh and spicy, the chicken is chewy, the chicken skin is elastic and smooth, 🍖 the chicken is boneless, convenient and delicious! !
1⃣️0⃣️Hasimu Fast Food Restaurant: Specializes in Xinjiang snacks, baked buns, thin-skin buns, and lamb skewers are all worth a try👍
1⃣️1⃣️Amina Bakery: A Xinjiang specialty ethnic bakery in a small alley. Each item is very delicate and sold by kilogram. It is recommended to try a few of each🍰
1⃣2⃣️Abu Nutritious Baked Naan: Naan of various sizes and flavors, freshly baked, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a fragrant aroma🌮
1⃣️3⃣️Altay Corner Travel Bookstore: Small items are sold on the first floor, and books and coffee are read on the second floor☕️, suitable for a few friends to hang out, chat, read, and take pictures📚
1⃣️4⃣️All kinds of fruits: Xinjiang has a large temperature difference between day and night and sufficient sunshine, and all kinds of fruits🍉 are very sweet! ! The quality of any fruit shop is very good🍈
1⃣️5⃣️Others: cold noodles, rolled noodles, beef tendon noodles🍜, yellow noodle barbecue, yogurt rice dumplings, etc., are all worth a try~🍡
I am Sherry, and I continue to share practical tips on eating, drinking and having fun at home and abroad📍, come and walk around the world together [Cute]”
热腾腾的王凯:“The lady boss is very friendly. She doesn't charge customers or their lives. She quotes the price first and then writes it down in the notebook. The price is also very cheap. The taste is also good. You can tell that it is a conscientious business. So I ate two meals in this restaurant. (The friendly boss is in the photo) [Spicy Chicken] is delicious, the skin is crispy and the meat is tender. The spicy taste is very refreshing. [Red Willow Lamb Skewers] The meat is juicy and delicious. It tastes better than ordinary grilled skewers. [Stir-fried Broccoli] It is so refreshing that I ordered two pots in a row. [Nine Black] Southerners may feel spicy and salty. But this is the authentic taste. [Bai Wusu] [Kvass] is refreshing, delicious and good to drink.”
150***35:“🥘Xinjiang cuisine: Awa people's naan pit meat (Feicuwan Community Store)
📍Address: Awa people's naan pit meat, Feicuwan Community, Hongdun Road
🈺Opening hours: 13:00-16:00 18:00-24:00
🅿️Parking: Free
❄️A very famous old brand naan pit meat store in Altay
I have been recommended to you many times
I was a little disappointed when I went there
🥛The milk tea has a strong tea flavor
🥓The barbecue is very old
🐦The pigeon is also very ordinary
Even the 🐐Boiled meat in the pilaf on the street is also ordinary
I don't have the urge to go a second time, everyone should avoid it~”
M25***97:“The most famous and delicious places in the county are recommended. The areas near the riverside night market are very good. The Russian old lady barbecue and cold water fish are very famous. The environment is particularly good. The boss is warm and beautiful. She has been working in the riverside night market for decades. The Russian old lady's gawas is very famous and recommended. The Irtysh River passes by the county town. Parking is convenient around. It is a famous historical and cultural street in the county town. You must check in at the county town attractions. The riverside night market Internet celebrity barbecue street is recommended”
路上找钱:“I accidentally found this restaurant when I passed Burqin on the way to Kanas. Although it is in the main tourist food street, the taste and price are really satisfying. The barbecue follows the Xinjiang barbecue tradition, with light seasonings and the taste of lamb itself; the tiger dish is the most generous I have ever eaten; the grilled dogfish has firm and chewy meat, and the freshness of the ingredients and the control of the heat are indispensable; the pickled cabbage has already tested the chef's skills”