--- title: "The Xinjiang snow tour" subtitle: "Xinjiang on skis: neon cities, 70km of empty groomers at Jikepulin, and horsehair skis made the way they have been for centuries." url: "https://atlas51.co/trips/china-ski-quest" type: "trip/journey" region: "Xinjiang, western China" updated: "2026-08-26T02:58:49.333Z" --- # The Xinjiang snow tour *Xinjiang on skis: neon cities, 70km of empty groomers at Jikepulin, and horsehair skis made the way they have been for centuries.* Atlas51 — | | | | --- | --- | | Kind | Journey | | Region | Xinjiang, western China | | Environment | Mountain | | Activity | Resort and backcountry skiing | | Duration | 11 days | | Price | From £2,499 GBP per person, land-only | | Group size | 7–15 travellers | | Departure window | 28 February – 10 March and 14–24 March 2027 | | Arrival airport | Ürümqi (URC) | | Accommodation | Hotels in Ürümqi and Altay City, plus wooden guesthouse accommodation in Hemu | Flights are not included. Atlas51 is land-only: travellers book their own flights, and we recommend doing so close to departure and after speaking to us. ## In short Because skiing in the Alps is brilliant but everyone has done it. Because there's no après-ski bar playing the same playlist that has been a legal requirement in Europe since 1998. Instead of tartiflette, we have noodles, chopsticks, karaoke, neon cities, desert roads, a Kazakh barbecue, wooden ski villages, Google Translate doing its absolute best, and some of the weirdest, most interesting ski days you are likely to have anywhere on Earth. We will night ski above city lights. We will drive across the Gurbantünggüt Desert, in the basin that holds the Eurasian pole of inaccessibility — the point on land furthest from any ocean, around 2,600km from the sea. We will sleep in a Chinese wooden barn in a remote snowy village near the Kazakh border. We will visit one of the last traditional ski makers in China. ## What happens We start in Ürümqi, the capital of Xinjiang. It is huge, neon-lit, busy, culturally mixed and very obviously not a European ski town. We spend two nights here, with time to explore local markets, try regional food and recover from the journey before heading to the snow. Just outside the city sits Silk Road Ski Resort, one of the original ski areas in this part of China. The gondola reaches 2,440 metres, the upper runs are short and steep, the lower chairlift terrain is longer and flatter, and the food court serves Kazakh, Uyghur and Mongolian barbecue for all your weird food needs. Way better than a €19 bowl of beige pasta. Then, because apparently starting a ski trip in a desert city was not unusual enough, we drive for five to six hours across the Gurbantünggüt Desert towards Altay City. At first, it does not feel like you are heading to a ski resort. Because you are in a desert, the furthest distance from water on the planet. Then Altay City appears over the horizon. And somehow, there are ski slopes... We begin with city chaos: markets, noodles, People's Park, Tai Chi and table tennis. A walk up Hongshan Mountain, where there is a temple at the top and a view over the whole city. And then we ski. Silk Road Ski Resort gives us our first taste of Chinese skiing. The terrain is different, the food is different, the atmosphere is different, and by the evening there is karaoke, it's all the rage here. After Ürümqi, we head north. The road crosses the Gurbantünggüt Desert again, which is vast, flat and occasionally dotted with camels. Not metaphorical camels. Actual camels, on a ski trip. After five or six hours, Altay City finally appears. Altay City is heavily influenced by Kazakh culture. Kazakh nomads were long the only inhabitants of this remote region before new roads made the city more accessible. The city now has around 200,000 people and its own modern ski resort, General's Mountain. And because daylight skiing is not enough, we start with night skiing. Half the resort is illuminated. The city glows underneath us. We ski down with lights below, mountains around us, and the strong feeling that nobody at home will believe it. The next day, we ski General's Mountain properly. The resort offers more than 20 pistes from the gondola summit at around 1,300 metres, with groomed slopes, views across the city and the steppe beyond, plus time for food and drinks on the mountain. For experienced freeriders, there may also be the option to add Uzirik Snow Park if there is some fresh snow. If conditions line up, we can also smash 5 to 7 deep powder runs with a private off-piste expert, accessed by mountain transport directly from the Snow Park team. Eventually, we return to Ürümqi. This means crossing the Gurbantünggüt Desert again, with a good chance of spotting camels along the road. By now, Ürümqi feels different. At the start, it was overwhelming. Now it feels like civilisation returning at full volume. ## The reality This is a hosted ski adventure with local transfers, an English-speaking guide and structured resort days. Optional freeride activity at Uzirik Snow Park is condition-dependent and may be cancelled if conditions are not suitable, including if there is no fresh snow. That said, this is western China, not Courchevel. There will be travel days. There will be language barriers. There will be mystery food. There will be moments where the plan is mostly "follow the person who knows what is happening." Flexibility is part of the experience. Good judgement always comes first. ## Is this for you - Can confidently ski or snowboard a red run. - Want a change from the Alps. - Like a smack of culture with their skiing. - Can be adventurous with the menu. - Are open to karaoke, even if they are terrible. - Don't mind a big travel day if the destination is weird enough. - Understand that Google Translate is not perfect, but it is trying its best. ## Route ### Ürümqi Two nights in the Xinjiang capital, and the first day's skiing at Silk Road. ### Gurbantünggüt Desert Five or six hours across the point on earth furthest from any sea. ### Altay City Night skiing above the city lights, then General's Mountain by day. ### Hemu A village of renovated wooden barns in the Kanas valley, within 60km of the Kazakh, Russian and Mongolian frontiers. ### Jikepulin Approximately 6km from Hemu — the resort has no public coordinate. 70km of groomed slopes and gondolas to 2,779m, with almost nobody on them. ## Departures | Starts | Ends | Status | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Sun, 28 Feb 2027 | Wed, 10 Mar 2027 | cohort forming | Dates held with the operator; not yet confirmed. | | Sun, 14 Mar 2027 | Wed, 24 Mar 2027 | cohort forming | Dates held with the operator; not yet confirmed. | ## What the price covers ### Included - 3 nights in a hotel in Ürümqi - 3 nights in a hotel in Altay City - 4 nights in a guesthouse in Hemu - Breakfast and dinner, including non-alcoholic drinks during meals - 1-day ski pass for Silk Road Ski Resort - Walking tour in Ürümqi - Evening ski pass for Altay City - 1-day ski pass for General's Mountain, or optional Uzirik Snow Park day - Workshop on making traditional skis and traditional ski touring - 3-day ski pass for Jikepulin Ski Resort - English-speaking tour guide - Local transfers ### Not included - Return flights to Ürümqi - Optional freeride activity at Uzirik Snow Park, from EUR 280 per person - Lunch - Alcoholic drinks - Tips and souvenirs - Ski or snowboard rental - Travel insurance ## Risk | Category | Rating | The ask | | --- | --- | --- | | physical | 2/5 | Lift-served resort skiing and two very long road days. Not a physical trip. | | technical | 3/5 | Comfortable on a red run; the optional freeride terrain asks more. | | environment | 3/5 | Deep-winter northern Xinjiang, remote villages, long distances between help. | | activity | 3/5 | Piste and lift-served skiing, with condition-dependent off-piste. | | geopolitical | 3/5 | Routine police checkpoints and photography restrictions. No advisory against travel. | ## Enquiring Trips are arranged by conversation, not checkout. Enquire at .