Urumqi

🌍 Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport (乌鲁木齐国际机场; Wūlǔmùqí Guójìjīchǎng; URC  ^IATA) (20 km (12 mi) northwest of the city center). International flights from Almaty, Astana, Baku, Bishkek, Dushanbe, Islamabad, Istanbul, Kabul, Moscow Sheremetyevo, Novosibirsk, Osh, Seoul Incheon, Sharjah, Tashkent, and Tehran Imam Khomeini.

Regular domestic flights from Beijing, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Dunhuang, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Jilin, Kunming, Lanzhou, Nanjing, Qingdao, Sanya, Shanghai-Hongqiao, Shenzhen, Shijiazhuang, Xiamen, Xi'an, Xining, Yinchuan, and Zhengzhou. Regional flights from Aksu, Aletai, Hotan, Kashgar, Kuche, Tacheng and Yining.

A taxi costs about ¥50 by meter to the city, although most drivers will try for more. Travel time is about 20 minutes without traffic. Airport shuttles are available for ¥15. The airport closes after the arrival of the last flights, and you are not permitted to stay inside the building overnight. (updated Sep 2018)

See also: Moscow to Urumqi

All long-distance trains use the Main Railway Station, 20 km northwest of the city. This includes the fast trains to Lanzhou (12 hours), Xian (plus 3 hours), Beijing (plus 9 hours) and Wuhan (plus 8 hours), and international trains to Kazakhstan via Khorgos (24 hrs) or Dostyk (30 hrs).

• 🌍 Wulumuqi Main Railway Station (Wūlǔmùqí Huǒchēzhàn). Huge modern concourse with shops, toilets and plenty of seating. Foreigners are searched and scanned on arrival. The ticket hall is upstairs. A taxi to or from downtown will cost ¥25-30 and take 20 min; the queue for taxis may exceed an hour. (updated Sep 2018)
• 🌍 Wulumuqi South Railway Station (乌鲁木齐火车站; Wūlǔmùqí Nan) (at Qingfeng Road). Served only by regional & local trains, some of which run on to the Main Station. Fast trains bypass this station. It's on the southwest edge of downtown so a taxi will be ¥10. (updated Sep 2018)

The Northern Long-Distance Bus Station is at Heilongjiang Road. Almaty in Kazakhstan (via Khorgos) takes about 24 hours and costs ¥440. Tickets can be bought at Bianjiang Hotel, room 2121 (边疆宾馆2121号房间) or at the international bus station at Nianzigou (碾子沟国际客运站). The business of clearing immigration & customs at Khorgos makes the travel time variable. To Khorgos itself is 14 hours; other destinations are Burqin (13 hr), Tacheng (12 hr), Yining (or "Yili") (13 hr). Lanzhou is a weary 40 hours, take the train.

The Southern Long-Distance Bus Station (南郊客运站) is in the southern part of city, across from Shuishang Amusement Park (水上乐园). Destinations include Turpan (3 hours), Korla (10 hours), Kuche (17 hours), Hotan (24 hours), and Kashgar (24 hours).

China Highway 312 is a motorway crossing Xinjiang from Gansu to the border with Kazakhstan. Most destinations within Xinjiang can be accessed via private car. Drivers tend to congregate near the bus stations and will often approach passengers shouting their destination. Drivers usually try to fill the car with four passengers, but you can also rent the whole car (包车; bāochē). In almost every case, a car will save hours of travel time over a bus.

The city center is big, and separated into different 'centers'. You can walk, but distances are large, roads are wide, and ongoing building work will block your path. Furthermore, in summer it gets very hot and in winter it can drop to -35°C (-31°F) at night.

The northern section (from the international airport to Balou) of the first line of the Urumqi Metro has just been opened. You must show ID to ride. All signs and announcements are trilingual in Chinese, Uyghur and English.

Metered taxi fares start at ¥10 for the first 3 km. There are also black taxis (illegal), driven nowadays by anyone, male or female. Fares for these are negotiable and they are very handy during rush hour when metered taxis are tough to come by. A ride within the city should not exceed ¥20, but the airport and main railway station will be more.

Bus number 52 goes from the round about near the airport to the museum. Other useful routes running generally north–south are 101, 61 and 63.

The very visible BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) Buses are a quick, efficient and very crowded way from getting from one end of the city center to another. BRT1 and 2 are very useful. BRT1 runs straight down Youhau Lu to the train station. BRT 3 connects the grand bazar, People's Theater and Square and ultimately terminates with a connection to BRT1 at its northern end. Just put ¥1 in the box on the way onto the platforms and then squeeze onto a bus. These are run along a segregated busway - something of a cross between a bus and a tram.

Picturesque mountains south of Urumqi. In summer the valleys are populated with Kazakh yurts, which accept travellers for ¥50-100 per night including food. Excellent for hiking and horseback riding. Cheap buses (¥8-25) leave for the area throughout the day from the bus station south of People's Park (Renmin Gongyuan). Particularly recommended is Juhua Tai (菊花台, chrysanthemum terrace), with plenty of food and sleeping options along with mountain pastures filled with alpine flowers. In the far south of this village is a fast disappearing glacier, the first in China to be thoroughly researched. The area is in the higher peaks in the Nan Shan range (over 4200 m/14,000 ft) and boasts spectacular views along with few tourists. The glacier can be reached after first taking the Nan Shan bus to Hou Xia (后峡, ¥12.6), and then finding a driver in the town to take you to the glacier (¥150-200 one way, about an hour). Several kilometers from the glacier are Kazakh families that rent their yurts to tourists for ¥20. Polo (fried rice), bread, kebabs and tea are also available for about ¥15 or so. Coming back, you should be able to hitch a ride for free with trucks returning to town from a nearby mine.

• South of Urumqi is the Heart of Asia Monument - a monument supposedly marking the center of the Eurasian landmass, underscoring just how far from the ocean you really are.

Local restaurants are available throughout the city, although most Uyghur restaurants are concentrated in Erdaoqiao, around the Grand Bazaar - there are plenty of restaurants on the street behind the mosque offering a nice alternative to standard Chinese cuisine. A standard price for a plate of hand-stretched noodles with vegetable meat topping (laghman/bànmiàn) is about ¥9--if you are still hungry, you can request more noodles (jiāmiàn). Melon slices also make an excellent snack, at about ¥1 a slice from a street vendor. Among other common Uyghur foods are dumplings of mutton and onions (samsa), Uyghur fried rice (polo), dumpling soup (chuchura), meat pies (Gush Nan) and Opke Hessip (lungs and stuffed intestines) for the brave. Local specialty drinks include Kawas (carbonated drink flavored with honey) and Dogh (a mixture of crushed ice, yoghurt and honey available in summer). The best known Hui dish is big plate chicken (dàpánjī), a spicy mixture of chicken and potatoes.

• Bodun (博盾), 42 Heping Rd N (5 min S of People's Sq). Delicious and cheap Uyghur staples. Good location in the city center. 
• Avral, 60 Shengli Rd (In Erdaoqiao (二道桥), across from large mosque). Delicious and finely decorated, Avral is also well known for its Uyghur ice cream (marozhni). This location is undergoing renovation, but their delicious ice cream shows up in other restaurants. 
• 🌍 Dumpling House (from Rendezvous on 960 Yan'an Rd, walk back towards the city. Take the first left (a small side street) and walk 250m. You should see the dumplings being prepared), ☏ +86 13899968044. For an authentic local experience, just around the corner from the Rendezvous cafe, try here. They serve a form of fried, then steamed dumplings that are very popular with the local crowd, accompanied by a hot bowl of butter milk tea. ¥1-4. 

Hui and Uyghur food can be very spicy, and it is a good idea unless you like very spicy food to tell them "búyào là de", or for Uyghurs "kizil mooch salmang!".

One warning before you go out and get local food though. Not everyone can stay healthy eating Uyghur and Hui food. Often it is cooked with a large amount of oil. Sanitary conditions are also perhaps not what you would have expected. If you have a weak stomach, or gall bladder problems it might be a good idea to try some of the other options. Or just stick to naan and kebab.

Take care if you are considering going to one of the restaurants next to the Grand Market. They will quite happily give you a 'tourist menu' where every dish is priced at over ¥1,000. You can get similar and just as nice food at other restaurants in the nearby streets for a fraction of that price.

In town there are several mid-range options available for western food.

• 🌍 Rendezvous, 960 Yan'an Rd (right by the Silk Road Hotel, on the 16, 63,106 and 912 bus routes), ☏ +86 991 255-5003. 11:00-22:00. American-run. Also offers an excellent breakfast menu on the weekends, and their wraps are quite delicious. Try the Enchilada if you are hungry or the Burgers. They also have a great range of cakes, some say the best chocolate cake in Urumqi. For the money, the best and cheapest Western food in Urumqi. ¥20–50. 
• 🌍 Eversun Coffee Minzhu Rd (一阳咖啡), Hongqi Rd and Mingzhu Rd (on the corner of Hongqi Rd and Mingzhu Rd, once at this busy roundabout, glance up and you should see the sign on level 4F). A trendy local coffee chain with a comprehensive western menu including several steak options. Eat and drink in a classy Urumqi establishment. Smoking is permitted, and there is live piano music some nights. ¥50-120. 
• 🌍 The Texas Cafe (德州咖啡屋), Nanmen Mashixiaoqu (near Nanmen down the grapevine covered alley across from the south entrance to the computer market), ☏ +86 991 281-0025, texascafecn@gmail.com. 13:00-23:00. A Tex-Mex and classic American café. For comfort food try their fajita plates or tacos. They've got refried beans and homemade taco shells. The place is decorated with a lot of Texas memorabilia and it's somewhat of an Tex-Mex oasis there in Xinjiang. Also, they have a good selection of English books. ¥25-55. 
• Vine Coffeehouse (德蔓咖啡屋), 65 Minzhu Rd (Down a small street near the People's Theater (人民电影院, Rénmín Diànyǐngyuàn)), ☏ +86 991 230-4831. Tu-Su. A Caribbean cafe serving a wide array of western and Caribbean specialty dishes. Somewhat overpriced with small portions, but the little steaks are nice. 
• Edo No Sakura, 65 Guangming Rd (On 1F of brightly colored high rise near Hongshan Park). For those intrigued by the prospect of eating sushi in the city furthest from an ocean. It is a bit pricey as can be expected. Next door is also a Brazilian barbecue restaurant, Sabbath. 
• Tashkent (塔什干; Ташкент), 47 Xinhua Rd S, near the Huaqiao Hotel (华侨宾馆). Pleasantly decorated Central Asian cafe (with a smattering of European dishes, as well), in the Dawan Bei Lu area. From the Number 10 bus stop, turn right at the first semblance of a road, pass a few run-down shops and suddenly you will enter a nearly new strip-mall area surrounded by fancy apartments. Keep walking about two (short) blocks, and Tashkent will be on your left. Madina, a tasty Pakistani restaurant that used to be next to Tashkent's former location, has now taken up shop on the 15th floor of the Huaqiao Hotel (华侨宾馆). Take the elevator to the 14th floor and wander until you find a staircase to the 15F. Same golden arches sign as before, albeit much smaller. The place has downsized significantly, but still features amazing Pakistani food and tea. 
• Ice Mountain Creamery (美国冰淇淋), 乌市人民路车市 H9 (Wushi renmin lu che shi H9), near the center of town. American-owned ice cream shop selling delicious ice cream. They have a very small window in the center of town but you can also buy it at the Texas Cafe. 
• . There are also a number of Russian restaurants near the Bianjiang Trade Complex (边疆商贸城) on Yan'an Rd. 

Han Chinese dishes places, available all around town also fall into the mid-range category.

A good local Chinese chain is Shunming (顺明), serving Uyghur and Chinese food for a reasonable price. They are open 24 hours a day and have several locations around town including at the People's Square (人民广场) and the People's Theater (人民电影院)

• Vegan Yuanqi Vegetarian Restaurant, 2 Altay Rd, ☏ +86 991-8735001-8487563. A Buddhist restaurant near the junction of Altay Road and Xinyi Road. Walk about 200 m north from the junction. On the left side of the road stands a big apartment block with two buildings. Restaurant is 50 m inside a little alley between A and B wings. The staff are charming but speak no English, the menu is entirely in Chinese. 

Another option is fast food, which has become increasingly popular in the last few years. KFC restaurants (肯德基) have sprung up all around town and are at the Grand Bazaar, People's Square, Hongshan, and the Children's Park among other locations. There are also two Pizza Huts (必胜客, at Zhongshan Rd. (中山路) and Youhao Shopping Mall (友好商场)), and several smaller Chinese fast food chains--specifically Dicos (德克士) & Fast Food Burgers (百富烤霸, also known as Roast King).

The buffet at the China Southern Airlines Hotel is an ideal place to splurge. The head Chef is Austrian, and the food is very authentic Western fare, with some local dishes as well. Dinner costs ¥88 plus 15%, and includes tea, coffee, and a glass of red wine. The buffet at the Urumqi Sheraton ought to be rather good. ¥130.

• Korgan (Next to the Grand Bazaar (Dà Bāzhā) in Erdaoqiao). Luxuriously decorated Uyghur restaurant. Very good Uyghur food if somewhat inflated prices. 

• Maitian International Youth Hostel, Youhao South Road 726, alongside Parkson Shopping Mall (Complete address in CN: 乌鲁木齐友好南路726号,友好百盛商场旁) (Take every bus that passes in Hongshan (红山) stop (101,2,7,14 and more)), ☏ +86 991 4591488, +86 13999883785. In an alley to the right of Parkson shopping center (Bǎishèng). Clean toilets, hot water, Wi-Fi. Near the red light district Lanxiuyuan West Street (揽秀园西街) Dorms: 8-bed ¥40 6-bed ¥50 Double with private bath ¥140. Discounts for HI members. 
• Silver Birches International Hostel (新疆白桦林国际青年旅舍), 186 Nanhu South Road 186, beside Government Plaza (乌鲁木齐市南湖南路186号,市政府绿色广场边) (From the airport you can take the shuttle which costs ¥10 per person and will go directly to Youhao Lu, then take a taxi which should cost ¥6 in low traffic to the Nanhu Urumqi County Court, the hostel is across the street. Or you can take the taxi straight from the airport which should cost ¥40, you should tell the taxi to take this route: Wàihuán (外环)- Běijīng Lù (北京路) - Sūzhōu Lù (苏州路) - Shìzhèngfǔ (市政府) Nánhú (南湖). From the train station you can take either the number 8 or 58 bus to Beimen Medicine Company and then take the number 73 bus; You can also take the taxi for ¥15 to 186 Nanhu South Rd), ☏ +86 991 4881428, +86 13809943984, yhaxinjiang@hotmail.com. Check-out: noon. A nice hostel with a good atmosphere, a nice common area and a good lawn. Laundry, travel information, free Wi-Fi and free water are available. Both the large and small dorms can be feel a bit cramped when they are full. Not clean - hallways are dingy, smoking is allowed in the building, all toilets are squatters which smell quite bad. Dorms: 10-bed ¥30, 5-bed ¥45. Discounts for HI members.. 
• 🌍 Freedom International Hostel (青年人旅社), Shaybake district, Yangzijiang Rd 14, West Back Lane, near New Century Building, beside Urumqi Shaybake People's Government Building (Complete address in CN: 新疆乌鲁木齐市扬子江路(扬子江路西后巷里新纪元大厦14号,沙区政府楼后,阿罗山茄面旁巷子里), ☏ +86 991 4509766, +86 991 7730098, yj2000@vip.sina.com. A Chinese guesthouse which doubles as a youth hostel and a brothel, with very little guests being travellers (July 2011 - most people seems to be travellers, not a bad option to the other expensive YHAs). Relatively cheap, but the rooms are small. WiFi in some rooms and fans available. Laundry ¥10 per load. The owners/managers speak no English, but can understand sign language - if you call, you may want to have a Mandarin speaker to make a booking. Double with bath ¥90 / without bath ¥70 Single with bath ¥70 / without bath ¥50. Ask for discounts. (updated Sep 2022)
• Baolu International Youth Hostel, Kashi West Road 652, crossroad with Shenzhen Street (Complete address in CN: 乌鲁木齐市区新市区喀什西路652号,与深圳街交汇处), ☏ +86 991 3737367. Dorms: bed ¥34 Double with private bath ¥98.. 
• Thunderbird International Youth Hostel (新疆雷鸟国际青年旅舍), Youhao South Road, Jiejing Lane 11, Urumqi (Complete address in CN: 乌鲁木齐友好南路捷径巷11号), ☏ +86 991 4212000, yhaxj@hotmail.com. Dorms: 4-bed ¥28 6-bed ¥28. (updated Sep 2022)
• Jimian Capsule Hostal (集眠太空舱公寓), Changjiang Road, Dongfang Huayuan, Bldg.1 Room 1210 (Complete address in CN: 长江路东方花园1号楼1210室), ☏ +86 991 7652495. Dorms: capsule ¥39 private capsule room ¥50. 

There are numerous hotels in the mid-range bracket, but they are not always easy to find as they often do not have signage at street level. Look high on the buildings where there may be a hotel sign, then find the entrance at street level. You should easily be able to find a comfortable room with en-suite bathroom and air conditioning for under ¥300.

• 🌍 Quanjude Tianshan Hotel (全聚德 天山大饭店), 199 Longquan Street, Tianshan District (corner of Longquan St and Xinhua South Rd), ☏ +86 991 853 8556, fax: +86 991 855 0111. Check-out: 12:00. A hotel of the famous Beijing Duck chain (the restaurant is on level 2, do get the duck while you're here!), well located in the Uyghur part of town, close to the Grand Bazaar. Free wired internet in all rooms. Try the samosa and naan on the opposite street for a delicious and cheap snack during your stay. ¥200-300. (updated Aug 2018)

• Southern Pearl International Hotel (南航明珠国际酒店), 576 Youhao Rd S. 5-star foreign hotel. Affordable nearby parking & public transport. (updated Aug 2018)
• Hoi Tak Hotel (海德宾馆), 219 Jiankang Rd (corner of Dongfeng St), ☏ +86 991 232 2828. Modern 5-star hotel. Broadband internet access, and satellite TV. (updated Aug 2018)
• Holiday Inn Urumqi (假日饭店), 168 Xinhua Rd N, ☏ +86 991 281 8788, fax: +86 991 281 7422. It no longer appears to be part of Holiday Inn Group. (updated Aug 2018)
• Xinjiang Hongfu Luxemon Hotel, 160 WuYi Rd (one block north of Qitai Rd), ☏ +86 991 588 1518. Downtown 5-star hotel, good value in comparison to the upmarket chains. Opened in 1998 it is starting to show its age just a little (weak a/c, temperamental showers). Service is excellent however. Rooms are modern and have some character, and occupy floors 12-28 hence offer nice views of the city. B&B single from US$90 or ¥800. (updated Sep 2018)
• Sheraton Hotel (喜来登酒店), 669 Youhao Rd N (200 m south of Kelamayi East flyover), ☏ +86 991 699 9999. Five star high-rise hotel north of the city center. 2 restaurants & pool. Broadband internet access and satellite tv. Luxurious shopping next door too. (updated Aug 2018)
• Luxemon Xinjiang Yindu Hotel (新疆尊茂银都酒店), 179 West Xihong Rd (西虹西路179号) (corner with Xibei Rd), ☏ +86 991 453 6688, fax: +86 991 451 7166. Broadband internet access, and satellite TV. In the business district, 312 rooms, six restaurants, exercise equipment, spa, sauna, massage, swimming pool, night club, KTV rooms. from £100 ppn. (updated Aug 2018)

Kazakhstan has the only visa office in Urumqi. However, most holders of western passports don't need a visa for short tourist stays to Kazakhstan, or to Kyrgyzstan (their office has closed). To enter the other "stans" you may be able to get a visa in Beijing, Almaty or Bishkek, but processing times are long and they'll probably require you to apply from your country of residence.

• 🌍 Kazakhstan, 216 Kunming Rd (Bus #2 to Xiaoxigou, backtrack south under ring-road, go one block right then turn left). Visa applications M-Th 10:00-13:00, pick up visa 16:00. Visas issued after two working days. Day 1: fill out application (1 Photo and passport copy needed), and get a form for paying the bill at any China Construction Bank - there's one 200 m away through the park on the right. Make payment & present receipt to embassy. Day 5: 16:00 pick up the visa. (updated Aug 2018)