Ürümqi is served by Diwopu International Airport (IATA: URC), located about 16 km northwest of the city centre. It is well connected to major Chinese cities — Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xi'an — with multiple daily flights. International connections are more limited but include Almaty, Bishkek, Tashkent, Islamabad, and Istanbul. The airport has a metro link (Line 2) directly into the city, which is the easiest way to arrive without dealing with taxis.
The high-speed railway has transformed overland travel from eastern China. The Lanzhou–Xinjiang high-speed line connects Ürümqi to Lanzhou (and onward to Xi'an and Beijing) in roughly 8 hours — a dramatic improvement over the old journey time. The older main line from Beijing is still operating and takes around 40 hours, passing through spectacular Gobi Desert landscape. If you have the time and patience, it remains one of China's great train journeys. Ürümqi South railway station serves most high-speed services; Ürümqi railway station (the old station) handles some conventional trains.
From Ürümqi, onward travel to Kashgar is possible by high-speed train (approximately 5.5 hours on the Southern Xinjiang Railway) or by bus. The train journey across the Taklamakan Desert and through the mountains before Kashgar is remarkable. Note that all travelers in Xinjiang are subject to identity checks; foreign passport holders should carry theirs at all times.