Duku Highway Winter Closure 2026: Final Closing Date and National Day Travel Guide

If you are planning to drive the Duku Highway (G217) in Xinjiang this autumn, there is an important date to put on your calendar: the Duku Highway will officially enter its winter closure from 8:00 pm on October 8, 2026.

The good news for travelers already planning a National Day trip is that the highway will remain open throughout China's National Day holiday, from October 1 to October 7. After 8:00 pm on October 8, ordinary social vehicles will no longer be allowed to travel on the Duku Highway.

This means that if you want to experience the Duku Highway in 2026, the window is now very short. More importantly, an October road trip is not the same as a summer Duku Highway trip. Mountain weather can change quickly, and the winter closure has been announced precisely because snow and ice are expected to create significant safety risks.

The closure announcement was issued by the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Department of Transport on October 2, following a joint assessment involving transportation, public security, culture and tourism, and meteorological authorities.

Yes.

The Duku Highway will remain open during the 2026 National Day holiday from October 1 through October 7. The winter closure does not begin until 8:00 pm on October 8.

For travelers already in Xinjiang, this creates a short but useful opportunity to experience the route during the final days of the 2026 season.

However, “open” does not mean “conditions are guaranteed to be good.” The authorities have announced the closure because the highway's high-altitude mountain sections are expected to experience snowfall, snow-covered roads and icy surfaces as winter approaches. These conditions can make driving hazardous even before the official closure time.

For that reason, travelers should check the latest road and weather information before setting out rather than treating October 7 as an automatic “last chance” driving day.

The Duku Highway crosses the central Tianshan Mountains and reaches areas where winter weather can arrive much earlier than it does in the surrounding lowlands.

Snowfall and freezing temperatures can quickly change road conditions. A road that is completely dry in the morning may become slippery after a weather system moves through the mountains.

The 2026 closure decision was based on a joint assessment by transportation, public security, tourism and meteorological authorities. They expect the entire Duku Highway to enter winter conditions around mid-October, with snow and ice appearing on mountain sections and creating a significant safety risk for normal traffic.

This is also why the exact annual closing date should never be treated as a fixed calendar rule. The Duku Highway is generally a seasonal road, and opening and closing decisions depend on weather, road conditions, construction and safety requirements.

The Duku Highway is part of G217 National Highway and crosses the Tianshan Mountains, connecting northern and southern Xinjiang.

The route runs from Dushanzi in northern Xinjiang to Kuqa in southern Xinjiang and is approximately 561 kilometers long. It is widely known in China as one of the country's great scenic highways.

What makes it special is not simply the length of the road. The route crosses several dramatically different landscapes, including alpine mountains, grasslands, forests, valleys and dry southern Xinjiang terrain.

On a single road trip, the scenery can change from green mountain pasture to snow-covered peaks and then to much drier landscapes farther south.

The Duku Highway reopened to traffic on June 1, 2026, after snow removal, road maintenance and safety inspections were completed.

At the beginning of the 2026 season, authorities used special traffic arrangements because major infrastructure projects were being constructed along the route, including the Duku Expressway and the Yining–Aksu railway.

During the summer season, some northern sections also operated under appointment-based traffic management for social vehicles because of the construction and limited road capacity.

This is worth knowing if you are reading older Duku Highway travel guides. A route described as “just drive whenever you want” may no longer accurately reflect the 2026 traffic-management system.

From 8:00 pm on October 8, 2026, the Duku Highway will enter its winter closure period and ordinary social vehicles will be prohibited from using the road.

The announcement specifies exceptions for certain vehicles connected with major infrastructure projects, including transportation related to the Yining–Aksu railway, the G3033 Kuytun–Duku Expressway and the G217 Tianshan Mysterious Grand Canyon project.

These exceptions are for project-related transportation and construction vehicles. They should not be interpreted as an opportunity for ordinary tourists to drive through the closed section.

The next opening date for the Duku Highway has not yet been announced. Travelers planning a future Xinjiang road trip should wait for an official reopening notice rather than relying on a predicted date from an old travel blog.

Early October is an interesting time to see the Duku Highway because the landscape can already be showing signs of autumn and winter.

You may see golden vegetation, snow-covered mountain peaks and strong seasonal contrasts along the route.

But there is an important trade-off: the later you travel, the more weather uncertainty you should expect.

The official closure notice does not say that every day before October 8 will have perfect road conditions. Instead, it explains that authorities expect winter conditions to arrive in the mountain sections and that snow and ice will create safety risks.

For an international visitor, this distinction matters. A scenic road trip should be flexible enough to stop or change direction if weather conditions deteriorate.

If you are already planning a Xinjiang trip between October 1 and 7, the most sensible approach is to make the Duku Highway part of a flexible itinerary rather than making your entire holiday depend on one particular driving day.

Check the road conditions shortly before departure and again on the morning of the drive.

Allow extra time. Mountain roads are not the place to build an itinerary around a strict arrival time at the next hotel.

Keep an alternative route available. If a particular mountain section develops dangerous conditions, the safer choice is to change the plan rather than trying to “beat” the weather.

And most importantly, do not plan to enter the highway late on October 8 simply because the official closure time is 8:00 pm. The closure time is an administrative cutoff, not a recommendation for tourists to begin a final crossing in the afternoon.

One detail that is easy to miss in generic Duku Highway travel guides is that parts of the route were subject to appointment-based traffic management in 2026.

The northern section from approximately Wusuyi to the G217/G218 junction near the Nalati entrance was placed under appointment-based management because of ongoing construction and limited road capacity. The controlled section is approximately 185 kilometers long.

During the operating period, social vehicles needed to make an online appointment and enter through the selected access point during the reserved time period.

The designated appointment windows were:

The appointment system was introduced from June 25, 2026, with booking available through channels including the “You Xinjiang” mini program and official Xinjiang traffic and police platforms.

Because the winter closure is now imminent, travelers should check the latest official notice before using this information to plan a trip. Traffic-management arrangements can change as construction progresses.

The attraction of the Duku Highway is the journey itself rather than one single landmark.

Depending on your direction and itinerary, travelers may encounter places such as Qiaerma, Nalati, the Tianshan mountain passes, Bayanbulak, Daxiaolongchi, Tianshan Mysterious Grand Canyon and Kuqa.

The northern part of the journey is particularly associated with forests, grasslands and high mountain scenery, while the southern end gradually transitions into the much drier landscapes of southern Xinjiang.

This dramatic change is one reason the highway has become so popular with self-driving travelers.

No.

This is another common misunderstanding when planning a Xinjiang road trip.

Nalati is a major scenic destination in the Ili region, while the Duku Highway is the road that connects northern and southern Xinjiang through the Tianshan Mountains.

You can combine Nalati with a Duku Highway itinerary, but they are not interchangeable names for the same attraction.

The same applies to places such as Bayanbulak and Tianshan Mysterious Grand Canyon. They are destinations or scenic areas connected with the broader road-trip route rather than sections of a single tourist attraction.

Do not pack for October in Xinjiang as if you were taking a normal city holiday.

The temperature can vary substantially between lowland cities and high-altitude mountain areas.

A practical packing list includes:

Warm layers. Bring a fleece or warm mid-layer and a windproof outer layer.

Rain and snow protection. Weather conditions can change quickly in the mountains.

Comfortable shoes. You will probably leave the car several times to photograph viewpoints and walk short trails.

Gloves and a warm hat. These can be useful at higher elevations even when the weather feels comfortable at lower elevations.

Power bank. Mobile navigation, translation, hotel bookings and payment apps can consume a surprising amount of battery during a long road trip.

Offline information. Mountain roads can have weaker mobile coverage than major cities. Keep important hotel addresses and emergency information available offline.

The Duku Highway is famous for self-driving, but renting a car does not automatically make the journey easier.

You need to be comfortable with long-distance mountain driving, changing weather, winding roads and traffic-management rules.

For international visitors who are not experienced with mountain driving in China, a private driver or professionally organized road trip can be worth considering, particularly in the shoulder season.

Whichever option you choose, the basic rule is the same: do not treat a scenic highway like an ordinary expressway.

Allow more time than your navigation app suggests, slow down on mountain sections and never compromise safety to reach the next photo stop.

Once the seasonal closure begins, ordinary tourists should not plan a road trip through the closed section.

The highway's winter closure is a safety measure linked to snow, ice and mountain conditions. The road does not simply become a normal tourist route with fewer visitors.

This is particularly important for travelers looking at social-media photographs of the Duku Highway in winter. A photograph showing snow on the road does not mean that the route is legally or safely open for ordinary vehicles.

Wait for the official reopening announcement next season.

Because weather and traffic controls can change quickly, travelers should not rely solely on articles published earlier in the year.

The 2026 closure notice recommends following the official WeChat accounts of Xinjiang Road Network, Xinjiang Traffic Police, Xinjiang Is a Wonderful Place and Xinjiang Meteorological Bureau for current road conditions and travel information.

For a road trip planned immediately before or around the closure date, checking the latest information on the same day is much more useful than relying on a general “Duku Highway season” calendar.

The 2026 Duku Highway season is coming to an end.

If you are already in Xinjiang for the National Day holiday, you still have an opportunity to drive the route because it remains open throughout October 1–7. But the official winter closure begins at 8:00 pm on October 8, and the next opening date has not yet been announced.

The most important thing is not to chase the closing date itself. The authorities have made the decision because snow and ice are expected to create dangerous conditions in the mountain sections.

For travelers, the practical rule is simple: check the road before you leave, keep your itinerary flexible, allow plenty of time, and treat changing mountain weather as part of the journey.

The Duku Highway will be back when conditions allow. There is no need to turn the final days of the 2026 season into a race against winter.

When will the Duku Highway close for winter in 2026?

The Duku Highway will begin its 2026 winter closure at 8:00 pm on October 8, 2026. Ordinary social vehicles will be prohibited from traveling on the closed highway.

Can I drive the Duku Highway during China's National Day holiday in 2026?

Yes. The highway will remain normally open during the National Day holiday from October 1 through October 7, subject to current road, weather and traffic-management conditions.

Why does the Duku Highway close in October?

Authorities expect winter conditions to arrive in the Tianshan mountain sections, including snowfall, snow-covered roads and ice. These conditions can create significant safety risks for normal traffic.

When will the Duku Highway reopen after winter?

The 2027 reopening date has not yet been announced. The authorities will announce the next opening time separately after conditions are suitable.

How long is the Duku Highway?

The G217 Duku Highway runs between Dushanzi and Kuqa in Xinjiang and is approximately 561 kilometers long.

Is the Duku Highway open all year?

No. The highway is a seasonal mountain route. Winter conditions can make sections unsafe, so the road is closed to ordinary social vehicles during the winter period.

Can tourists drive through the Duku Highway after the official closure time?

No. Once the winter closure takes effect at 8:00 pm on October 8, ordinary social vehicles are prohibited from traveling on the closed route. The exceptions announced by authorities concern specific infrastructure and construction vehicles, not ordinary tourists.

Is October a good time to visit the Duku Highway?

Early October can offer striking autumn and early-winter scenery, but weather conditions are less predictable than in the main summer season. Travelers should check current road and weather information before departure and be prepared to change their route.