Nalati Town
那拉提
Kazakh town at the foot of the Nalati grasslands, with guesthouses, restaurants and a night market. It is the base for visiting Nalati and driving the Duku Highway.
Nalati Town belongs to Xinyuan County in the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. It lies at the eastern end of the Gongnaisi River valley, just outside the gate of the Nalati scenic area, and serves as the hub for visiting the Nalati grasslands and for traveling the Duku Highway (G217) into and out of the Ili River Valley. Most residents are Kazakh. In recent years, guesthouses, hotels, barbecue restaurants and specialty shops have multiplied, and the summer night market is lively. Try grilled meat, hand-grabbed pilaf, narin (Kazakh hand-cut noodles with meat), mare's milk and various milk curds. Outside town, you can watch herders tending their livestock in the valley, and at dusk the grasslands and snowy peaks stand out in layers in the sunset. Transport: Nalati Airport lies about 20 km west of town, with flights from Urumqi and other cities. It takes about 4 hours to drive from Yining. During the Duku Highway's open season, you can head north to Qiaoerma or southeast to Bayanbulak. Plan to stay 1 to 2 nights: spend the first day on the Sky Grassland and the second in the river-valley grasslands, or go on to Tangbula or Bayanbulak. Note: Accommodation is tight and expensive in July and August, so book ahead. Nights in town are cold, so bring a jacket.
Opening hours
All day