Kanas Lake

    China

    An alpine jewel in Xinjiang's rugged north, famed for color-shifting waters and secluded Tuvan villages.

    Warmest month is July at 18°C on average. Coolest is January at -18°C. Driest reading falls in February with 7 rain days.

    Costs and travel essentials

    • CoffeeWorld Bank PPP baseline
      ¥16 (~$2.25)
      Country-level price estimate for China, 2026-07-11. Scaled from a US baseline, not a local survey.
    • BeerWorld Bank PPP baseline
      ¥22 (~$3.00)
      Country-level price estimate for China, 2026-07-11. Scaled from a US baseline, not a local survey.
    • Flight timeMethodology
      8h from London Heathrow
      Great-circle plus routing overhead.
    • Flight CO2eDEFRA 2024 factors
      2,234 kg return from London Heathrow
      DEFRA 2024 economy factors, includes radiative forcing.
    • FCDO advisorygov.uk, snapshot compiled 2026-07-11
      No specific FCDO warnings against travel.
      Check the latest FCDO advice before booking.
    • Tap waterCDC / WHO guidance
      Do not drink from the tap; use bottled or treated water.
    MonthAvg highDaily spreadRain days
    January-18°13°C9
    February-12°12°C7
    March-5°12°C11
    April3°11°C9
    May10°13°C10
    June16°10°C12
    July18°8°C14
    August17°8°C11
    September10°14°C12
    October1°14°C12
    November-10°16°C12
    December-18°14°C10

    What to do

    • Trek the timber pathways of traditional Hemu Village
    • Watch the lake shift color from the Fish Observing Pavilion
    • Raft the freezing turquoise waters of the Kanas River

    How we know this

    Values are the average of the last ten calendar years of daily readings from Visual Crossing, snapped to the destination cluster. Daily spread is the width between the 10th and 90th percentiles of daily highs, not a forecast error margin. Rain days count any day with at least 1 mm of precipitation.