Tianshan Mountains - largest arid mountain system in the world
Last Update: 17th October 2020
Tianshan in Xinjiang is 1,760 kilometers long, accounting for more than 3 quarters of the total length of the Tianshan Mountains, with an average width of 300 kilometers. It has the highest peak of the Tianshan Mountains, Tumur Peak. The peak is 7443 meters above sea level. The Tianshan Mountains in China divide Xinjiang into two parts: the Tarim Basin to the south and the Junggar Basin to the north.
Tianshan Mountains Fast Facts
- Chinese Name: Tianshan (天山)
- Length: 1,760 kilometers (length in China)
- Things to do there: Photography, Nature, Hiking, Birdwatching
- Who visits: Photographers, Adventure Enthusiasts, Nature Lovers
- Time required: 1 – 2 x hours
What to expect at the Tianshan Mountains
Tianshan Mountains is a home to various rare plants as well as rare wildlife, including snow leopard, snow cocks, argali, Daurian Partridge, Spotted Nutcracker, Black Stork, snow chrysanthemum, snow Lotus, encrinites, fringed iris, Saussurea involucrata, alpine Rose and the like.
Tianshan Mountains features upland meadows, mountain meadow grassland, coniferous forests, alpine steppe, alpine cushioned plant, and snow covered glacier from the foot to the top at the north hillside. The south hillside offers desert, desert steppe, arid mountain grassland, upland meadows, denuded high mountains and snow covered glaciers from the foot to the top.
Tianshan Mountains offers a variety of natural landscapes to enjoy. Deep valleys, clear lakes and rivers winding through the snow-covered mountains, and old towering trees are feasts for our eyes and minds. At the Tianshan Grand Canyon, you can experience the folk customs of Kazak – the unique costumes and the primitive Kazak lifestyle. If you are interested, you could aslo join in the skiing festival held between the mid November and the end March at Tianshan Tianchi National Park.
Best time to visit the Tianshan Mountains
The best months to visit Tianshan Mountains are from May to October.
How to get to the Tianshan Mountains
As Tianshan Mountains stretches some 1,740 kilometers long in Xinjiang, you can visit several mountains near Bukang. First, you can get to Urumqi by air or by train from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing and Xi’an. It is suggested that you rent a vehicle to Tianshan Mountains from Urumqi or Bukang.
Additional Tianshan Mountains Travel Advice
- Opening times for different sections of Tianshan Mountains are different. If you are planning to explore the mountains outside of the forest parks, they are open for 24 hours. Please check out the opening times for other parks beforehand if you are interested to visit them.
- Opening hours for Tianshan Great Canyon: 09:00 – 19:00.
- As at 17th October 2020, the entrance pricing to the Tianshan Tianchi National Park is 125 CNY per person between April 1 and October 31; between November 1 and March 31, the entrance pricing to the park is 60 CNY per person; children under 1.4m tall (1.4m tall not included) and the elder above 70 years old (70 years old included) are free of charge. The entrance pricing to the cruise boat is 80 CNY per person. The cruise lasts for around 40 minutes.
- The entrance pricing to Tianshan Great Canyon is 64 CNY per person.
- For the latest pricing information, please contact us via email (info@wendyweitours.com)
- As Tianshan Mountains lies in the high altitude area, please take enough warm clothes.
- Please wear comfortable hiking shoes.
- Please take care of yourself.
- Please take necessary medicine with you, such as Furosemide, cold medicine or so.
- If your conditions are not for climbing to the high points, please do not for your safety.
Wendy Wei Tours offers a variety of different packaged tours as well as custom tours including the Tianshan Mountains, among other attractions and destinations. To find out more, please visit our Tours page or Contact Us directly to find out more.