Belarusians refused a tour for 15,700 BYN and went to China on their own. They saved twice as much
A journalist from Myfin visited the Chinese city of Urumqi with her husband. The girl shared her impressions, useful tips, and information about the travel expenses.
The travel agency quoted 15,700 BYN for a week-long trip for two
My husband and I are used to traveling by buying ready-made tours. We always feared independent trips.
Thoughts about the trip appeared about a month before the vacation: we just looked at where Belavia flies in August. Our request: direct flight from Minsk without transfers, a short flight (up to 7 hours), and a visa-free regime (for a short trip).
Immediately, our gaze fell on the Chinese city of Urumqi. This is not a popular tourist city, there is no sea, and ready-made tours are not so easy to find.
And this suited our mood: we wanted to walk a lot, see the sights, and experience a completely new culture. The travel agency quoted us from 15,700 BYN for a week-long trip for two. We thought it was very expensive (spoiler: we paid half as much). We decided to go independently.
We bought tickets to Urumqi for two for a week in August. We paid 4500 BYN for them round trip. By the way, if you can adjust your work schedule to the tickets, you can buy them twice as cheap if airline discounts are active.
A four-star hotel cost 1500 BYN for a week with breakfast
Then began the preparation and study of information to feel comfortable in China. My husband and I had not yet been to Asian countries — only Europe, Africa, and neighboring countries were familiar to us.
First of all, we booked a four-star hotel on Booking near a popular place — the Grand Bazaar. The hotel had the following requirements: local flavor, breakfast (included), no prepayment. We chose an option in the middle price range and paid about 1500 BYN for a week.
Next, we booked a transfer from the airport on Trip.com for 60 BYN (perhaps a taxi would have been cheaper, but we wanted to get to the hotel comfortably at night right away). By the way, a Belarusian travel agency offered to arrange transfers from the airport to the hotel (and back) for 815 BYN!
Roaming is not cheap in China. But that's not the main problem: most of the messengers and social networks we are used to are blocked there. Therefore, roaming and buying a local SIM card are not the most convenient options. The solution was to buy an eSIM. 30 GB for a week cost about 20 BYN. With such a card, all services were always available.
We also bought portable chargers with CCC certification. We knew that on the way back, power banks might be checked and simply confiscated if they didn't have these marks. By the way, that's what happened: airport and subway staff carefully inspected the devices. We paid about 60 BYN for two power banks in Minsk. We bought an adapter for 8 BYN on a marketplace, but it burned out on the first day and tripped the circuit breakers in the hotel room.
In addition, we exchanged $800 for yuan at a Belarusian exchange office. First of all, to pay for the hotel to avoid the payment service commission.
Many people on forums and in chats wrote that cash is practically not used in China, but in practice, we had no problems with it.
The hotel informed us that we had to check out a day earlier than booked
The flight to Urumqi took about 6 hours (back - about 7). I immediately note that there is a large time difference - 5 hours. While it was 3:30 PM in Belarus, we arrived at 9:30 PM. It took a couple of days to get used to it.
Of course, we wanted to visit megacities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, but connecting flights would have taken more than a day. And financially, we would have had to pay much more. So we decided to start with Urumqi.
Separately, it's worth mentioning the weather: it's very hot here in August, up to +38 degrees Celsius. So, it's essential to take baseball caps and SPF.
No visa is required upon arrival (if you don't plan to stay continuously for more than 30 days or a total of more than 90 days per year).
You will be asked to fill out an immigration card on an electronic screen at the airport — the process did not take long.
At the hotel, there was a misunderstanding during check-in. We were informed that we had to check out a day earlier than stated on Booking (while the payment amount remained the same as when booking). We were not satisfied with this arrangement. After long clarifications via an online translator, the hotel staff accepted our position. It was strange, but it's good that the issue was resolved.
Heavenly Lake Tianchi, Cultural Center, and Buddha Statue: what to see in Urumqi
Urumqi turned out to be a very unusual city, where a noticeable mix of several cultures is apparent. Not only Chinese people live here, but also Uyghurs, so it's incorrect to say that it's a traditional Chinese city. Thanks to this, Urumqi has its own unique character: in architecture, food, people, etc.
In a week, you can manage to see all the main attractions if you spend entire days on your feet. I will tell you what impressed me the most.
Heavenly Lake Tianchi
The lake is about 110 km from the city. You can get there by taxi, but we chose an excursion (we asked the hotel for the organizers' contacts). The group consisted entirely of Chinese people, so our goal was not to learn all the interesting facts from the guide, but simply to get to the location in an organized way. In addition, after buying tickets, you still need to get on a shuttle bus that takes you to the lake via a serpentine road.
The place is incredibly beautiful. An excellent option to slow down and enjoy nature. There are, of course, many tourists here, but it didn't spoil the impression. In addition, our tour group was taken to an attraction (on the way to the lake): with a full immersion effect, you fly over the most beautiful landscapes of China (in fact, it's a large screen).
The trip also included a traditional Uyghur lunch with national dances and music. The trip for two cost 210 rubles.
Cultural Center
We went here to visit the historical museum. In general, it is a massive futuristic complex that combines a theater, a concert hall, a city development planning center, and more.
Booking a visit is necessary in advance — fill out a form in a Wechat messenger group. We asked the guide on the lake trip for help, so he helped enter all the booking data in Chinese.
You should spend at least 2-3 hours here to go through all 5 floors. It is worth using Google Lens: you photograph information about the exhibits and translate it into your language. There are many interesting visual reconstructions, thanks to which everything is clear even without a guide. And all this is absolutely free.
Red Mountain Park
This is where you can see panoramic views of the city and some attractions. For example, a pagoda built in the 1950s (entrance to this area costs about 5 rubles per person), temple buildings, gazebos, and a reservoir.
Statue of the Great Buddha
Here you can see with your own eyes the impressive statue of the Great Buddha and the composition "One Hundred Children Playing with Maitreya" on the territory of a large park.
The place is truly atmospheric. Free admission.
Grand Bazaar
A place where you immediately feel the oriental flavor.
There are always a lot of people here, loud music, and an abundance of bright goods. It is usually recommended to buy dried fruits, tea, spices, and colorful souvenirs here.
Tianshan Mingyoushe
We found this location by chance, saw it on TikTok, although it is most often called Tianshan Moonlight City.
In the evening, in the thematic park founded in the late 19th century, thousands of traditional lanterns light up, light shows and musical performances take place, recreating the atmosphere of ancient China (Tang Dynasty). It is worth coming here in the evening when all the most interesting things begin.
Nanhu Square
We went here to at least ride the subway once.
There is only one line here, and the ticket price depends on the distance: from 0.9 to 3 BYN. Fast and convenient, though we lost a lot of time on a thorough inspection of our backpack (security staff even checked water).
Lamb shashlik, Uyghur pilaf, and Peking duck: what to try in Urumqi
Food prices in establishments are comparable to those in Belarus, and in some cafes, they are significantly lower.
A full lunch/dinner for two can cost between 25-60 BYN.
Breakfasts, based on the "buffet" principle, were included in the accommodation price, so we managed to try local steamed buns, noodles, and other dishes. Traditional tea with milk and salt turned out to be very specific, so we only managed a couple of sips.
We managed to find Peking duck only on an island in a shopping center; we also tried lamb shashlik, Uyghur pilaf, baozi, and lagman in other establishments. We note that very spicy food is most often offered, so it is worth asking in advance for less pepper.
There is a large selection of fruits on the street and in shopping centers: pepino, figs, peaches, grapes. Prices are low, from 3 BYN per kilogram. Bubble tea lovers will definitely like it here: in Minsk, the drink costs from 10 BYN, in Urumqi - from 2 BYN.
And one more important point: chopsticks are used for almost all food here. Not bringing a fork with us was a mistake in our case.
What else is important to know about Urumqi
- Security is strictly regulated in Urumqi. Don't be surprised if you are stopped 5 times a day to check your documents. You should always carry your passport with you. In addition, to enter a park/museum/subway, you must undergo a security check.
- If scooter riders bother you in Belarus, the situation in Urumqi is even less safe: a scooter literally whizzes past every 30 seconds (both on the roadway and on the pedestrian path). And in general, it seemed that drivers and pedestrians do not always strictly observe traffic rules.
- It is not customary to leave tips in establishments in China. Such a gesture may even be perceived negatively.
- Urumqi is not a city with many tourists. Therefore, do not be surprised by the increased attention of the city's residents. We were approached several times with requests to take a photo as a souvenir.
How much did the trip for two cost
Let's calculate the budget for a 7-day trip to Urumqi:
- tickets — 4500 BYN;
- hotel — 1500 BYN;
- excursion and pagoda entrance ticket — 220 BYN;
- food — 350 BYN;
- taxi — 200 BYN;
- hotel transfer — 60 BYN (taxi was called to the airport);
- eSIM — 20 BYN;
- power banks and adapter — 68 BYN;
- souvenirs, gifts, tea, sweets, and a couple of clothing items — 600 BYN.
Total: 7518 BYN.
What mobile apps will be useful in China
Alipay. A must-have for payment absolutely everywhere. You should download it in advance, go through authentication, and link your card — Visa or Mastercard. We couldn't do it with a Unionpay card in yuan. Alipay is the most popular payment method in China, available to all vendors: whether it's a large shopping center or a grape seller on the street.
Important: if the payment is more than 200 yuan (about 85 BYN) for a single transaction — there will be a 3% service commission. Therefore, it is important to have cash — for example, to pay for the hotel.
Voice online translator. An indispensable app in China if you don't know the language. Choose the most convenient one for yourself. The main thing is the presence of voice input.
Didi. The most popular taxi app in China. You can download it separately or access it through Alipay. It is available in English and is intuitive. This way you can save on trips, as the amount will definitely be higher if you hail a taxi from the street. We used a taxi daily to get to the desired locations — trips cost from 7 to 30 BYN.
Amap. A popular map to avoid getting lost in the city.
Google Lens. Just trust me, you will often have questions like: "What is written here? And what is that?" Indispensable in cafes, shops, museums, etc.
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