Sitting at 2,000+m of altitude and surrounded by snow-capped mountains, this huge lake is the perfect way to relax in Xinjiang.

About Sayram Lake

Sayram Lake is one of the big tourism spots in the region and it's easy to see why. The lake is surrounded on all sides by snow-capped mountains all seasons other than summer when the wildflowers come out to play.

In general it's a perfect spot to sit, set up a camping stove and watch the sunset in peace and quiet.

You can enter through the east gate and then generally follow a counter clock-wise direction of visit.

If you're visiting in summer I'd suggest arriving later in the day and staying over as the day traffic can be wild.

Where to Stay at Sayram Lake

If you search online (trip, booking, etc) you'll find a few hotel-style campsites that you can book for the night, or you can rent your own camping gear and set up your own tent.

Personally, I'd opt for the latter - having the freedom to pick and choose where you sleep/ where you'll see sunrise and sunset is a huge benefit - not to mention being able to pick a spot away from any potential crowds.

That said, from June to October each year is what they call the 'high season' and so technically camping is confined to specific sites and needs to be booked in advance through their WeChat miniprogram. In practice however, the lake is huge (90km loop) and once it's dark, it's dark. I'd say that if you set up the tent once it's dark then you're good and nobody will bother you - just be sure to take it down before it gets late in the morning otherwise the staff can try and make a fuss.