Where to Stay in Altay | Recommended Kanas Hotels

Jiadengyu (贾登峪) is reputed as the portal to Kanas. It is a valley next to the ticket office of the Kanas Scenic Area. As self-driving is not allowed in the scenic area, Jiadengyu has become the base camp of tourists. People come here to have a good rest and visit Kanas the next morning.

Therefore, Jiadengyu offers relatively mature accommodation conditions with hotels, restaurants, stores… The majority of the accommodation choices are 2-star hotels and local inns. But in recent years, some 3-star and even 4-star hotels have been built in Jiadengyu. There are not only regular hotels, but also villas, homestays and yurts with local characteristics. Although the overall facilities are not very satisfactory (for example, hot water may not be provided all day), it is the best choice you have nearest to Kanas. Some recommended hotels are Kanas Huijia Youshan Yaju (喀纳斯回家•悠山雅居 ★★★★), Kanas Baihualin Resort (喀纳斯白桦林度假酒店 ★★★), Kanas Wenhe Hotel (喀纳斯温和酒店 ★★), Kanas Longhu Hotel (喀纳斯龙湖酒店 ★★), etc.

It takes about 1 hour to get from Jiadengyu to the main attractions in Kanas Scenic Area such as Kanas Lake, Celestial Bay and Moon Bay. Therefore, some tourists would like to stay a night in the scenic area so as to catch the morning scenery, especially the morning mist at Celestial Bay. To protect the natural environment, many hotels have been closed in Kanas. But you can find some homestays in Tuwa Village (图瓦村) run by local people. What needs to be noticed is that the accommodation condition is quite simple. Hot water is not guaranteed (taking a shower is basically not available) and it is very cold at night. Some homestays do not have heating facilities or need extra money for that. There are standard rooms with a much higher price and rooms like a dormitory with several beds inside. Some recommended homestays are Qianlima Villa (千里马山庄), Shuanghu Villa (双湖山庄), etc.

Burqin County is about 140 km, 3.5 hours’ drive to Kanas. Some tourists will stay a night in Burqin because there are more hotel choices at all levels (5-star, 4-star, 3-star hotels) with a better accommodation environment and lower price. Supporting facilities such as restaurants, convenience stores, and markets are all available. Though the hotels are not as luxurious as those in big cities, they can provide you with a comfortable stay. But if you want to make a worthwhile Kanas trip, you need to get up early and try to get to Kanas early the next morning. Many tourists also choose to stay in Burqin after visiting Kanas, and then they can continue their Xinjiang trip to Keketuohai in Fuyun. Some recommended hotels are Burqin Kanas Baihualin Luxury Camping Site (布尔津喀纳斯白桦林野奢营地 ★★★★★), Burqin Lanting Holiday Hotel (布尔津澜庭假日酒店 ★★★★), Burqin Jinjin Holiday Hotel (布尔津金津假日酒店 ★★★), Burqin Qiyuehai Holiday Hotel (布尔津七月海假日酒店 ★★★), etc.

Hemu Village is about 70 km (1.5 hours’ drive) from Kanas. It is always traveled with Kanas and is greatly favored by tourists for its pristine rural landscape. It would be very relaxing to wake up in the genial morning sunlight in Hemu Village. There are many homestays and inns run by local Watu people. Most of them are simply decorated wooden houses with a couple of beds inside. In recent years, the overall accommodation condition has increased a lot and can meet the basic demands of tourists. When it snows in winter, people can even take part in all kinds of winter activities in Hemu. Some recommended choices are Hemu Hotel (禾木山庄), Heyuan Muju (禾原牧居), Leihai Villa (磊海山庄), Burqin Nalushan Inn (布尔津那鹿山客栈), etc.

▶ Ultimate Kanas Travel Guide

Keketuohai in Fuyun County is famous for Keketuohai National Geological Park, which is another highlight when visiting Altay Prefecture. It offers world-class granitic geomorphologic landscape, and amazing natural beauty of the grand canyon and winding Ertix River.

As for where to stay in Keketuohai, it depends on your itinerary and how you travel. There are two areas most chosen by tourists: Keketuohai Town and Fuyun County. Keketuohai Town is only 6 km, 15 minutes’ drive to Keketuohai National Geological Park. The price of hotels here is usually higher than that in town. Apart from the newly opened hotels, most are youth hostels or homestays with basic facilities. Recommended hotels include Fanghua Gushili Hotel (芳华•故事里酒店), Shanshe Muwu (山舍木屋), Fanzhongshan Photography Homestay (梵钟山越野摄影民宿), etc. Fuyun County is about 60 km, 1 hour’s drive to Keketuohai National Geological Park. The accommodation condition is a little better than that in Keketuohai Town, but still, can’t compete with that in other cities. There are more choices with a lower price, but most are 2-star or not-star-rated hotels. Recommended hotels are Xinhua Hotel (新华宾馆), Aijia Hotel (爱家酒店), Tiantian Hotel (天天宾馆), Yingbin Hotel (迎宾宾馆), etc.

Kanas Nature Reserve is vast. Its highlights are Kanas Lake, Kanas Rivers, Kanas Three Bays, Hemu Village, Beautiful Peak, etc. To explore Kanas to the fullest, you should stay at least 3 full days in the nature reserve, usually 1 day for Hemu Village and 2 days for Kanas Lake Scenic Area (Kanas Lake, Kanas Rivers, Kanas Three Bays...). Below are two recommended Kanas tour packages. They are all flexible private tours which can be tailored to meet your own needs.

☛ 4 Days Kanas Hemu Village Best Hiking Tour
☛ 4 Days Relaxing Kanas Holiday Tour

Kanas is only a small part of the vast Xinjiang. When planning a trip to Xinjiang, you shouldn’t miss the Golden-triangle destinations - Urumqi, Turpan and Kashgar. If you want to try something unusual, what about a desert adventure to Taklimakan Desert or a grassland tour to Yili? Xinjiang has much more to offer. Here are some recommended valuable Xinjiang tour packages (find more tours here).

☛ 7 Days Classic Road Trip to Heavenly Kanas Lake
☛ 9 Days Kanas Lake Fairyland Tour from Urumqi
☛ 11 Days Best Xinjiang Landscape Tour to Sayram Lake