How to get to Xinjiang

Transportation System in Xinjiang

Flight
Xinjiang boasts the greatest number of airports and the longest air routes of all the provinces and autonomous regions of China. There are 12 airports in Xinjiang available for the domestic and international flights. But most of tourists from overseas prefer change the flights in other cities when they travel to China, such as Shanghai, Beijing, Xian, Guangzhou and Sichuan Province. Urumqi is the capital city of Xinjiang and the Urumqi International Airport is one of China's six major airports with flights to West Asian and European countries.  Centered on Urumqi, domestic air routes radiate out to Lanzhou, Xi'an, Beijing and Shanghai. 

Railway
Travel to Xinjiang Autonomous Region by train is a popular way by tourists. It's an economical way to visit Xinjiang and you can enjoy the Xinjiang’s most beautiful sceneries. There are lots of train stations operate in Xijiang, high speed train are also available in some cities. It has a developed railway system as Xinjiang is one of the biggest provinces in China. The railway system in Xinjiang as below:

1) Lanxing High Speed Rail Line, it is one of the high speed rail line in China with a total length of 1,776km. This line is connecting Lanzhou with Urumqi and is the longest high-speed rail in western China. It is the first long-distance high-speed line in West China connecting Lanzhou, the capital city of Gansu Province, with Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang. The high-speed line is routed to Qinghai Province from Lanzhou after which it runs in a north-west direction across the Qilian Mountains to connect the Hexi Corridor at Zhangye in the Gansu Province. The rail line passes via Hami and Turpan in the Xinjiang province before it terminates at Urumqi.

2) Northern Xinjiang Railway, it is the extending railway of Lanzhou Xinjiang Railway with a total length of 456KM. It connects Urumqi and Alataw Pass. Alataw Pass is the second Asia-Europe continental bridge and out of the gateway to China. There are 36 stations along this rail line.

3) Southern Xinjiang Railway, it is a railway between Turpan and Kashgar in Xinjiang. The railway is 1,446 km in length and runs along the southern slope of the Tian Shan mountain range, connecting all major cities and towns of the northern Tarim Basin. The railway extends along the ancient Silk Road, passing through the Tianshan Range and to the north of the world-renowned Taklimakan Desert. 

Highway
Nowadays, the total length of the highway in Xinjiang is over 5,100 kilometers. Highways have now been extended to all counties and prefectures together with 90% of towns and villages. The network of road in Xinjiang is comprised seven national highways and 62 regional trunk highways links Urumqi at its hub with Gansu and Qinghai provinces in the east, the Tibet Autonomous Region in the south and the Central Asian countries in the west. You can travel to Xinjiang from nearby region such as west part of Gansu province or north part of Tibet. There are lots of highways in Xinjiang known as the "The most beautiful highway" in China. You can enjoy the charming scenery if you take bus or self-driving to Xinjiang.

How to travel to Xinjiang from other cities

Xian to Xinjiang Popular Tourist Cities

Xian –Urumqi

1.Travel from Xian to Urumqi by air
There are over 10 direct flights are available from Xian to Urumqi which takes around 3 hours.Airlines flying from Xi'an to Urumqi including Shandong Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, Jiangxi Air, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, Urumqi Airlines, Tianjin Airlines, Hainan Airlines, China Express Airlines. You will arrive at Urumqi Diwopu International Airport if you travel from Xian to Urumqi by flight. 

Diwopu International Airport:It is located in Diwopu, 16KM northwest of Urumqi city center. And it is the main airport serving the city of Urumqi in China. Urumqi Airport has two passenger terminals. URC Airport is a hub for Urumqi Air.

2. Travel from Xian to Urumqi by train

There is no high-speed train runs from Xian to Xinjiang directly. You can take the normal speed trains to get in Urumqi, it takes 24-33 hours from Xian train station to Urumqi train station. It’s a long journey but you can enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way. Except the normal train, you can transfer by high speed train in Lanzhou or Xinning, it’s a good option for those who travel with a budget and want to save times.

1) Types of Train Seats & Price
Hard Seats: CNY 278.5;
Hard Sleeper: CNY471.5;
Soft Sleeper: CNY747.5

2) Info about Xian & Urumqi Railway Station
Xian Railway Station: It is located on No. 151, North Huancheng Road, Xincheng District, Xian. Founded in June 1935 and located in downtown, is railway hub in northwest of China, as well as one of eight major railway hubs in China. 

Urumqi Railway Station: It is located on 1 North 6th Gaotie Road, Economic and Technological Development Zone, Toutunhe District. It is 13 kilometers to the Diwopu Airport. In addition, this station is 12 kilometers to the Urumqi South Railway Station. You can take bus No. 909, 301, 5302, 5305, BRT 5 to get in the downtown of Urumqi.

Xian –Turpan

1.Travel from Xian to Turpan by air
There is only one direct flight from Xian Xianyang International Airport to Turpan Jiaohe Airport which operated by Eastern Airlines Company. Please kindly note the flight from Xian to Turpan is not available daily. You should make your travel plan according to the flight schedule. Normally, it takes 4 hours from Xian to Turpan by air.

2.Travel from Xian to Turpan by train
There are many T, Z, K Trains run between Xian and Turpan, it takes 22-30 hours from Xian Railway station. There are two railway stations in Turpan, which are Turpan Railway station & Turpan North Railway Station. There is no direct high-speed train from Xian to Turpan, you need to transfer to high-speed trains in Lanzhou or other cities in Gansu to get in Turpan. High speed trains will arrive at Turpan North Railway Station.

1)Types of Train Seats & Price
Hard Seats: CNY 263.5;
Hard Sleeper: CNY446.5;
Soft Sleeper: CNY704.5;

2)Info about Xian & Turpan Railway Station
Xian Train Station: It is located on No. 151, North Huancheng Road, Xincheng District, Xian. Founded in June 1935 and located in downtown, is railway hub in northwest of China, as well as one of eight major railway hubs in China. 

Turpan Railway Station: It is located Daheyan Town, Gaochang District, Turpan. Turpan Railway Station merely runs the slow trains to cities such as Urumqi, Kumul, Lanzhou, Xian, Hohhot and so on. 

Turpan North Railway Station: At Northwest of Turpan, 500m south of the Jiaohe Airport. The North Station is about 14KM away from downtown area which is much closer in distance compared with the Turpan Railway Station. Travelers can take the bus No. 202 to downtown. By taxi, it would be around 20 to 30 minutes and cost about CNY 30.

Xian – Kashgar

1.Travel from Xian to Kashgar by air
There are direct flights from Xian Xianyang International Airport to Kashgar International Airport, it takes around 5 hours from Xian to Kashgar. Kashgar as the westernmost city in China and it was an important city along the ancient silk route. Many people travel from Xian to Kashgar directly. 

2.Travel from Xian to Kashgar by train
Train is not a popular way for tourists travel from Xian to Kashgar. It’s a normal speed train with a very long distance and there is only one train runs daily, it takes around 38 hours from Xian Railway Station to Kashgar Railway Station.

1)Type of train seats & price
Hard Seats: CNY 365;
Hard Sleeper: CNY615;
Soft Sleeper: CNY976;

2)Info about Xian & Kashgar Railway Station
Xian Train Station: It is located on No. 151, North Huancheng Road, Xincheng District, Xian. Founded in June 1935 and located in downtown, is railway hub in northwest of China, as well as one of eight major railway hubs in China. 

Kashgar Railway Station: It is located northeast of Kashgar city and is the the main railway station of Kashgar, Xinjiang, and the westernmost railway station in China.

Beijing to Xinjiang Popular Tourist Cities

Beijing –Urumqi

1.Travel from Beijing to Urumqi by air
There are many direct flights from Beijing to Urumqi which take around 3-4 hours. Most flights depart from Beijing Capital International Airport to Urumqi.

Diwopu International Airport: It is located in Diwopu, 16KM northwest of Urumqi city center. And it is the main airport serving the city of Urumqi in China. Urumqi Airport has two passenger terminals. URC Airport is a hub for Urumqi Air.

2.Travel from Beijing to Urumqi by train
There are two trains travelling from Beijing to Urumqi daily. They are Z69 and Z179. They both depart from Beijing West Railway Station and arrive at Urumqi Railway Station. It takes about 34h-41h to travelling between these two cities.

1)Types of Train Seats & Price
Hard Seats: CNY 317;
Hard Sleeper: CNY536;
Soft Sleeper: CNY849

2)Info about Beijing & Urumqi Railway Station
Beijing West Railway Station: It is located on No.19, Guanglian Lu, Fengtai District, Beijing. It is one of the largest railway stations in Asia. Trains departing from Beijing West leave for destinations to the Central South China, South China, Southwest China and Northwest China.

Urumqi Railway Station: It is located on 1 North 6th Gaotie Road, Economic and Technological Development Zone, Toutunhe District. It is 13 kilometers to the Diwopu Airport. In addition, this station is 12 kilometers to the Urumqi South Railway Station. You can take bus No. 909, 301, 5302, 5305, BRT 5 to get in the downtown of Urumqi.

Beijing –Turpan

1.Travel from Beijing to Turpan by air
There is no direct flight from Beijing Capital Airport to Turpan Jiaohe Airport. The quickest flight takes 5h 15m and has one stopover.

2.Travel from Beijing to Turpan by train
There are two trains from Beijing to Turpan daily, the same trains from Beijing to Urumqi. The trains leave from Beijing West Railway Station to Turpan North Railway Station, Z69 takes 29 hours from Beijing and Z179 takes 36hours to get in Turpan.

1)Types of Train Seats & Price
Hard Seats: CNY 299.5;
Hard Sleeper: CNY507.5;
Soft Sleeper: CNY802.5;

2)Info about Beijing & Turpan Railway Station
Beijing West Railway Station: It is located on No.19, Guanglian Lu, Fengtai District, Beijing. It is one of the largest railway stations in Asia. Trains departing from Beijing West leave for destinations to the Central South China, South China, Southwest China and Northwest China.

Turpan North Railway Station: At Northwest of Turpan, 500m south of the Jiaohe Airport. The North Station is about 14KM away from downtown area which is much closer in distance compared with the Turpan Railway Station. Travelers can take the bus No. 202 to downtown. By taxi, it would be around 20 minutes and cost about CNY 30.

Beijing – Kashgar

1.Travel from Beijing to Kashgar by air
There is one direct flight from Beijing Capital International Airport to Kashgar Airport. It takes around 6.5 hours from Beijing to the westernmost city in China. Airlines flying from Beijing to Kashgar include Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Air China, China Express Airlines.

2.Travel from Beijing to Kashgar by train
Train is not as convenient as flight from Beijing to Kashgar. There is no direct train runs from Beijing to Kashgar, it takes over 40 hours from Beijing to Kashgar and lots of transfer.

Shanghai to Xinjiang Popular Tourist Cities

Shanghai –Urumqi

1.Travel from Shanghai to Urumqi by air
There are many direct flights from Shanghai to Urumqi which operated by China Southern Airlines, Juneyao Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Xiamen Airlines, Spring Airlines, Urumqi Air, Hainan Airlines. It takes around 5.5 hours from Shanghai to Urumqi by flight. The flights depart from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and Shanghai Pudong International Airport to Urumqi Diwopu International Airport.

2.Travel from Shanghai to Urumqi by train 
There are two direct trains from Shanghai Railway Station to Urumqi Station, which are Z40 & Z304. The journey takes about 40 hours to travelling between these two cities.

1)Types of Train Seats & Price
Hard Seats: CNY 385.5;
Hard Sleeper: CNY649.5;
Soft Sleeper: CNY1029.5;
Advanced Soft Sleeper: CNY1911.5;

2)Info about Beijing & Urumqi Railway Station
Shanghai Railway Station: It is located on No. 303, Moling Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai. 5km to the Bund (about 20 minutes’ driving), 5km to Shanghai Museum (about 15 minutes’ driving), 7km to Yuyuan Garden (about 20 minutes’ driving), 10km to Lujiazui (about 25 minutes’ driving).

Urumqi Railway Station: It is located on 1 North 6th Gaotie Road, Economic and Technological Development Zone, Toutunhe District. It is 13 kilometers to the Diwopu Airport. In addition, this station is 12 kilometers to the Urumqi South Railway Station. You can take bus No. 909, 301, 5302, 5305, BRT 5 to get in the downtown of Urumqi.

Shanghai –Turpan

1.Travel from Shanghai to Turpan by air
There is no direct flight from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport to Turpan Airport. The quickest flight takes 8h 55m and has one stopover. If you choose Turpan as your first destination in Xinjiang, you need to transfer in Urumqi or Lanzhou, then fly into Turpan.

2.Travel from Shanghai to Turpan by train
The trains Z40 & Z304 from Shanghai to Urumqi will cross Turpan city, you can take these trains from Shanghai directly to reach Xinjiang. The journey takes about 40 hours to travelling between Shanghai and Turpan.

3)Types of Train Seats & Prices
Hard Seats: CNY 372;
Hard Sleeper: CNY627;
Soft Sleeper: CNY994;
Advanced Soft Sleeper: CNY1848;

4)Info about Shanghai & Turpan Railway Station
Shanghai Railway Station: It is located on No. 303, Moling Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai. 5km to the Bund (about 20 minutes’ driving), 5km to Shanghai Museum (about 15 minutes’ driving), 7km to Yuyuan Garden (about 20 minutes’ driving), 10km to Lujiazui (about 25 minutes’ driving).

Turpan North Railway Station: At Northwest of Turpan, 500m south of the Jiaohe Airport. The North Station is about 14KM away from downtown area which is much closer in distance compared with the Turpan Railway Station. Travelers can take the bus No. 202 to downtown. By taxi, it would be around 20 to 30 minutes and cost about CNY 30.

Shanghai –Kashgar

1.Travel from Shanghai to Kashgar by air
You can take flight to Kashgar from Shanghai but with a stopover, the fastest journey takes around 8 hours from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. Airlines flying from Shanghai to Kashgar include China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Xiamen Airlines. The price for the air tickets based on the day and time that you book your flight. After analyzing data from all airlines, the best days to book flights from Shanghai to Kashgar are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.

2.Travel from Shanghai to Kashgar by train
There is no direct train from Shanghai to Kashgar. 

How/Where to buy train tickets in China
There are several ways to book train tickets in China, such as buy at ticket office once you at train station, book at China Railway’s official website, ask a travel agency or your hotel to help you to book, we highly recommend book the train tickets online on your own (www.trip.com), it’s very easy to operate and the credit card payment is accept. We suggest book the train ticket in advance in case they are sold out. We can help you to book train tickets as well, feel free to send you request via email. We will book the train ticket once we received the payment and delivery to your designated place.

How to board & get off train
China has one of the biggest and busiest rail networks in the world, and trains link almost every town & city. Chinese trains are a safe, comfortable & cheap way to travel around China, and a Chinese train journey is an experience in itself.

Step 1: When you arrive at train station, you should go through the security check and ticket check before entering the station hall. The vaild passport is required when the ticket is being checked. 

Step 2: Find your waiting room according to your train tickets. Or you see details of your waiting room from the LED screen. For soft-seat ticket holders there are special soft-seat waiting rooms. 

Step 3: Check-in: passengers should go through the correct check-in point to have their tickets checked and board from the platform. 

Step 4: Boarding: please make sure to get in the right carriage. The conductor will also check your ticket to see if you are in the right carriage.

Step 5: Find your seat/berth and put your bags in the overhead luggage rack or under the seats/berths. A train usually stops briefly at stations along the way so passengers should not leave the carriage until their final destination. 

Step 6: Check out and leave the station: when you arrive at your destination, please take all your belongings. Keep your train tickets since it is required when you get off the train.

Travel within Xinjiang

How to travel from Urumqi to Turpan

By train
Taking high speed train to travel to Turpan is the best way from Urumqi city, it takes around 1 hour. There are many bullet trains between Urumqi and Turpan daily, you can take train from Urumqi railway station to Turpan north railway station. All the high speed trains arrive in Turpan north railway station. The normal speed train takes around 2 hours.

1. Type of Seats & Price
1) Bullet Train
1st Class Seat: CNY82; 2nd Class Seat: CNY51.5
2) Normal Speed Train
Soft Sleeper: CNY153.5; Hard Sleeper: CNY115.5; Hard Seat: CNY24.5

2. Recommended Trains for Urumqi Turpan Tours
Urumqi -- Turpan
D2706 (10:10/11:05): Depart from Urumqi Railway Station to Turpan North Railway Station
D8802 (08:32/09:30): Depart from Urumqi Railway Station to Turpan North Railway Station

Turpan --Urumqi
D8813 (18:16/19:13): Depart from Turpan North Railway Station to Urumqi Railway Station
D8817 (21:29/22:30): Depart from Turpan North Railway Station to Urumqi Railway Station

By Bus
Turpan is close to Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang. The distance between two cities is about 160KM. Urumqi has lots of bus station, you can take bus from Urumqi Nanjiao Bus Station to Turpan city. It takes around 2 hours by bus. There are two bus routes operated from Urumqi to Turpan. One bus trip starts at 08:40, then every half hour, ends at 19:20, while the other one starts at 09:00, then every 20 minutes, and ends at 19:30.

How to travel from Urumqi to Kashagr

By Flight
Flying between Urumqi and Kashgar is going to be the fastest mode of transportation. It also offers spectacular views of both the Tianshan Mountains and the Taklamakan Desert. There are more than 15 flights per day both ways between Kashgar and Urumqi and it takes right at 2 hours to complete the journey. The flights depart from Urumqi Diwopu International Airport to Kashgar International Airport. Most of tourists prefer travel to Urumqi by flight.

By Train
Taking train from Urumqi to Kashgar also is a cultural experience. It is also a great way to see the southern Xinjiang countryside. There are usually about 7 trains per day between Urumqi and Kashgar for a route that takes from 18-22 hours depending on the train you choose. While high-speed trains are being built at an unbelievable pace in China – and there’s even a high-speed train in Xinjiang – the Urumqi-Kashgar route is still only serviced by the standard trains. Urumqi now has two train stations and it is possible to use both of them for trains that go to/from Kashgar. Taking a train is cheaper than flying and it’s relaxing. Not only does it give you a chance to mingle with local people, it also offers some beautiful desert and mountain scenery along the way.

Type of Seats & Price
Hard seats: CNY 177.5
Hard Sleeper: CNY304.5
Soft Sleeper: CNY 376.5

By Bus
There are hourly buses that depart from Urumqi to Kashgar and Kashgar to Urumqi and the journey lasts anywhere from 24-30 hours depending on traffic and security checkpoints. To get to the proper bus station in Urumqi since there are multiple bus stations in Urumqi. The buses depart from Urumqi Nanjiao Bus Station, it’s a busy place with lots of buses. In Kashgar, the appropriate bus station is on the east side of town next to the train station. It’s a simple bus or taxi ride from the center of town.