Xinjiang Tian Shan Mountain Cycling

Overview

The Tian Shan — the Mountains of Heaven — wall the northern edge of the Taklamakan for 2,500 kilometres, and Xinjiang's roads across them are among the great high-mountain rides in Asia. The centrepiece is the Duku Highway from Dushanzi to Kuqa: 560 kilometres over four passes above 3,000 metres, dropping from spruce forest and Kazakh yurt pastures near Nalati through red-rock gorges to the desert's oasis rim. Sayram Lake, an alpine sea at 2,070 metres ringed by snow peaks, makes the classic warm-up loop. Logistics, not gradients, are the crux. The Duku Highway opens roughly June to September and closes on snow without notice; police checkpoints are frequent, passports must be carried at all times, and some sections need permits arranged through a local agency. Accommodation between towns is yurts or camping, so carry a stove and cold-weather kit even in July — the passes can see August snow. Bookend the ride with culture: Turpan's Flaming Mountains and karez irrigation channels at one end, Kashgar's Sunday livestock market at the other, linked by train. A supported week on the Duku with agency permits and transfers runs around £2,400 land cost.

Book This Trip

Plan Your Dates

Prefilled for 1 June 2027 — the next best-season window. Search on partner sites — opens in a new tab.