Narat National Forest Park Travel Guide: Read Before You Go

Hey, everyone! Narat is a must-visit destination for tourism in Xinjiang. It's like a fairyland, and every photo you take is a stunning masterpiece 📸. But if you want to have a good time, it's important to do your research in advance. Here's my experience to share with you 👇 🏞️ Scenic Area Introduction Narat Tourist Scenic Area is a national 5A-level scenic spot, known as the "Green Island of the Tianshan Mountains" and "Green Homeland". Grasslands, forests, snow mountains, and rivers are perfectly integrated here, and the scenery is breathtaking. It is also a must-pass place on the northern route of the ancient Silk Road, with a profound historical and cultural heritage~ 💰 Ticket Information 🎫 Ticket: CNY 95/person 🚗 Self-driving ticket: CNY 300/person (Self-driving allows you to freely enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way, highly recommended! But you need to make an appointment in advance) 🚌 Shuttle bus ticket: The price varies for each route. The Air Grassland is CNY 40/person, the River Valley Grassland is CNY 24/person, the Snow Lotus Valley is CNY 60/person, and the Panlong Valley Road is CNY 40/person. Tickets are valid for 48 hours and can be used for secondary entry. 🕙 Opening Hours 9:30–20:00, ticket sales stop at 19:00. It is recommended to enter the scenic area earlier in the morning. The light is good, the photos are super beautiful, and you can avoid the peak of people. 🚗 Transportation ✈️ Plane: You can fly to Xinyuan Narat Airport first, and then take a taxi or bus to the scenic spot, which takes about 1 hour. 🚂 Train: First go to Yining City, and then transfer to a special line car or bus, which takes about 3 hours. 🚍 Bus: There are direct buses from Yining to Narat or Xinyuan County, and then transfer to another bus. 🚗 Chartered car/self-driving: It takes about 11 hours from Urumqi and about 3 hours from Yining. The scenery along the self-driving route is super beautiful, and you can stop to take pictures at any time, but pay attention to long-distance driving safety. 🗺️ Travel Route ✅ Air Grassland Line: Visitor Service Center → Tianjie Platform → Air Grassland Line → Nomadic Family. Tianjie Platform is the "watershed" between the River Valley Grassland and the Alpine Grassland. Standing on it, you can overlook the entire grassland, which is super shocking! There are many folk experience projects and delicacies in Nomadic Family, don't miss it. ✅ River Valley Grassland Line: Visitor Service Center → Grassland Tribe → Tawsani → Wusun Ancient Ruins → Yitigense → Forest Park → Racecourse → Resort. You can feel the strong Kazakh customs, and you can also get close to the cute cattle, sheep, and horses, and the photos are super cool. ✅ Snow Lotus Valley Line: Nomadic Family → Chengtan → Tianshen Platform. You can admire Kabanbayi Peak up close. The spruce meadow is like a fairy tale world, and it's super photogenic. ✅ Panlong Valley Road Line: Visitor Service Center → Grassland Tribe → Tawsani → Wusun Ancient Ruins → Yitigense → Jiaolong Going Out to Sea → Wolniugang → Racecourse → Resort. The scenery along the way is beautiful. You can see the panoramic view of Panlong Avenue at the Jiaolong Going Out to Sea Viewing Platform, which is very spectacular. 📸 Photo Spots 1. Tianjie Platform: The grassland is integrated with the blue sky and snow-capped mountains, and it is amazing to take large scenes. 2. Nomadic Family: Take photos in ethnic costumes to create a full atmosphere. 3. Tawsani: The perfect combination of mountains, forests, and meadows, every frame is like wallpaper. 4. Jiaolong Going Out to Sea Viewing Platform: Panlong Avenue is winding and twisting, an excellent place to take highway blockbusters. 🍱 Food Recommendations 🥘 Grassland Dapan Chicken: Gulanbao Restaurant is very authentic. The chicken is smooth, spicy, and delicious, the potatoes are soft and glutinous, and it is served with belt noodles, which is a must for carbohydrate lovers. 🍜 Horse Meat Naren: Dudalai Kazakh Music Restaurant has a great taste. The horse meat is fragrant and has no mutton smell, and the meat soup with noodles is super delicious. 🥩 Hurdak: Yebaihe Restaurant is made with mutton, carrots, and potatoes stewed together, which is nutritious and has a rich taste. 🥙 Nang Kebab: Atameken Kazakh Style Manor's Nang Kebab has a unique flavor, and the meat and Nang aromas are perfectly integrated. 🏠 Accommodation Recommendations 1. Narat Town: There are many hotels and B&Bs to choose from, and it is convenient for eating and shopping, but it is a bit far from the scenic spot. 2. Inside the scenic area: You can get up early to watch the sunrise and watch the stars at night. Muyun Starry Sky Camp and Natier Yangxingu Hotel are recommended. ❗ Precautions 1. There is a large temperature difference between day and night in Narat, so bring a jacket even in summer. 2. Do a good job of sun protection, sunglasses, hats, and sunscreen are essential. 3. The signal is not good in some areas, download offline maps in advance. 4. Respect local folk culture and do not enter herders' fences at will. 5. Pay attention to road safety when driving, especially on mountain roads.