When the azure ripples of Qinghai Lake patted the grassland, the “mirror of the sky” of Caka Salt Lake reflected flowing clouds, the murals of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang flowed in the light and shadow, and the colorful hills of Danxia, Zhangye, greeted the sunset-this journey across Qinghai and Gansu hides the most moving appearance in the northwest. This guide to Xining +Qinghai Lake +Chaka Salt Lake +Dunhuang+Jiayuguan + Zhangye for 7 days and 6 nights with a group tour will spread out the detailed daily itinerary for you and mark the key precautions, so that you don’t need to bother planning, you can immerse yourself in the magnificence and heaviness of the Northwest.
Detailed daily itinerary and exclusive precautions
Day1: Various places → Gather in Xining · First encounter the plateau, adapt to rest
Main line of itinerary
Tourists from all over the world arrive in Xining on their own, freely explore the city after checking in at the hotel, and participate in an itinerary briefing in the evening to warm up for the follow-up journey.
Schedule
1. Morning: First arrive in Xining with your personal transportation voucher, go to the comfortable hotel in the city designated by the travel agency (near the city center, convenient to travel) to check in, and take a break after placing your luggage.
2. Afternoon: Then you can visit characteristic places such as Tal Temple, Dongguan Halal Temple or Shuijingxiang Pedestrian Street to experience the humanistic customs of Xining in an immersive manner.
3. Evening: Then all gather to participate in the itinerary briefing. The tour guide will explain the itinerary details, safety regulations and arrangements for the next day in detail, and finally enjoy a team dinner after the briefing.
Core attraction experience
- Tal Temple: One of the six major monasteries of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It is a must-see for butter flowers, murals, and the “three wonders” of embroidery. The red walls and golden roofs of the temple form a unique landscape for devout believers. It is recommended to reserve 2-3 hours for a tour.
- Shuijingxiang Pedestrian Street: A veteran commercial street in Xining, with a wide range of specialties such as dried yak meat, Qinghai old yogurt, and Tibetan jewelry. You can also taste local snacks such as stuffed skins and sweet rice grains as a taste experience for the first time in the northwest.
Day2: Xining →Qinghai Lake * Holy Lake treading the waves, looking for scenery on the grassland
Main line of itinerary
Starting from Xining, go to the core scenic area of Qinghai Lake to visit, stroll around Huanhu West Road to enjoy the beauty of the huguang grassland, and arrive in Heimahe Township in the evening to rest and prepare for the possible sunrise the next day.
Schedule
1. Morning: First meet in the lobby of the hotel, take a tour bus to Qinghai Lake, and start a tour of the core scenic spots after arrival.
2. Noon: Then enjoy a team lunch at a restaurant near the scenic area, and take a break to adjust after the meal.
3. Afternoon: Then take a car to Huanhu West Road, stop along the way to watch the scenery, enjoy the grassland and lake scenery of ‘lake and sky’, and then go to Heimahe Township.
4. Evening: Finally, enjoy a team dinner in Heimahe Township, rest after check-in, and prepare for a possible sunrise the next day.
Core attraction experience
- Qinghai Lake Erlangjian Scenic Area: Get up close and personal with “China’s largest inland lake”, you can stroll along the plank road to see the azure lake and the snow-capped mountains in the distance, or you can take a cruise deep into the lake at your own expense to feel the vastness of the holy Lake (It is recommended to wear light-colored clothing to take pictures, which contrasts with the lake).
- Huanhu West Road: One of the “most beautiful Huanhu Sections” of Qinghai Lake. On one side of the road is the boundless lake and on the other side is the turquoise grassland. From time to time, you can see herdsmen’s tents and herds of cattle and sheep. A shot is wallpaper-level scenery.
Day3: Qinghai Lake → Caka Salt Lake → Dachaidan Emerald Lake Looking for shadows, Gobi Walks through
Main line of itinerary
After voluntarily watching the sunrise from Qinghai Lake, go to the ”Mirror of the Sky’ Chaka Salt Lake to visit, and cross the Gobi to Dachaidan Town in the afternoon to rest and relieve the fatigue of the drive.
Schedule
1. Early morning (optional): Those who volunteer to get up early can go to the sunrise point to watch the sunrise on Qinghai Lake with the assistance of a tour guide. Those who are not watching can continue to rest.
2. Morning: All enjoy breakfast first, then set off for Chaka Salt Lake. After arriving, you can start a tour. You can take a small train and watch the salt sculptures.
3. Noon: Then enjoy a team lunch near the Chaka Salt Lake Scenic Area.
4. Afternoon: Then drive across the Gobi to Dachaidan Town by car, and check in at the hotel after arrival.
5. Evening: Finally enjoy the team dinner. It is recommended to rest after the meal to avoid going out and catching a cold.
Core attraction experience
- Sunrise at Qinghai Lake (optional): The sun leaps out of the lake in the early morning, and golden light shines on the lake, sparkling, forming a beautiful picture with the grassland and mountains. It is recommended to wear a thick coat and bring a thermos cup of hot water.
- Chaka Salt Lake: The ”Mirror of the Sky’ is well-deserved. The light is soft from 9 to 11 in the morning and the reflection is clear. It is recommended to wear white clothing and rent shoe covers (10-20 yuan/pair) to go deep into the salt Lake, take a small train (at your own expense) to the heart of the lake, and take a picture of “people in the mirror”.Dreamy photos; the salt carvings (such as the statue of Genghis Khan) in the scenic area are also worth a look.
Day4: Dachaidan →Dunhuang Looking for tranquility in the desert, looking for taste in the night market
Main line of itinerary
Depart from Dachaidan in the early morning, cross the Gobi to Dunhuang, explore Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring in the afternoon, experience desert camel bells and sunset scenery, and visit Shazhou Night Market in the evening to taste Dunhuang specialties.
Schedule
1. Morning: Enjoy breakfast first, then take a tour bus from Dachaidan to Dunhuang, stopping in the service area on the way.
2. Noon: Then enjoy a team lunch in the service area on the way, and continue on the road after a break.
3. Afternoon: First arrive at the hotel in Dunhuang City to check in, take a break after leaving your luggage, and then go to Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring Scenic Area to experience camel riding, climbing sand mountain, and watching the sunset.
4. Evening: Then leave the scenic area and return to the city, go to Shazhou Night Market for free dining and sightseeing, and finally gather and return to the hotel to rest.
Core attraction experience
- Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring: A wonder where the desert and Qingquan coexist. Enter the park after 4pm to avoid the scorching sun. You can ride a camel at your own expense (about 100 yuan/person, 1 hour) and walk through the desert listening to camel bells. You can also climb Mingsha Mountain and overlook the panoramic view of Crescent Spring after reaching the top. SunsetOccupy a seat 1 hour before and take a beautiful view of ”Desert Sunset + Crescent Spring’ in the same frame.
- Shazhou Night Market: Dunhuang’s ‘food culture business card”, with special snacks such as donkey meat yellow noodles, apricot skin water, roast lamb kebabs, puer oil cakes, etc., you can also buy luminous cups, Dunhuang colorful sculptures and other handicrafts. It is recommended to eat at the wrong peak and avoid the peak flow of people from 20:00-21:00.
Day5: Dunhuang All Day Murals for History, Culture for Roots
Main line of itinerary
Experience Dunhuang culture in depth throughout the day. In the morning, visit the Mogao Grottoes to interpret the Silk Road story in the thousand-year-old murals. In the afternoon, you can explore the Dunhuang Museum or the ruins of Yumenguan to supplement your historical knowledge.
Schedule
1. Morning: First enjoy breakfast, then set off to Mogao Grottoes, first watch the digital exhibition to understand the history and artistic value of murals, and then visit the core caves under the leadership of the docent.
2. Noon: Then enjoy a team lunch near Mogao Grottoes.
3. Afternoon: Start free activities again, you can go to the Dunhuang Museum or the Yumenguan Ruins by yourself (you need to inform your tour guide in advance).
4. Evening: Finally, return to the city for a team dinner. After the meal, you can freely explore the night view of Dunhuang.
Core attraction experience
- Mogao Grottoes: A treasure trove of Buddhist art in the world. The digital exhibition restores the details of the murals through high-definition images. The murals such as ‘Flying Sky’ and ‘Nine-color Deer’ in the physical cave are lifelike. The docent will tell the historical allusions behind the murals to visualize the story of the thousand-year Silk Road. Follow the team during the visit without leaving the explanation group.
- Dunhuang Museum (optional): It is open for free (advance reservation required). It has a collection of pottery, documents, mural fragments and other cultural relics. It systematically shows the development of Dunhuang from the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, and supplements the historical background for the Mogao Grottoes tour. It is recommended to reserve 1.5 hours.
- Yumenguan Ruins (optional): The ruins of an important ancient Silk Road pass, the ruins of the inner city wall and beacon tower still exist. Standing on the ruins, you can imagine the grandeur of the “spring breeze does not pass through Yumenguan” back then. It is about 100km from the city. It takes 3 hours to travel. You need to inform your tour guide in advance.
Day6: Dunhuang → Jiayuguan → Zhangye * Xiongguan searching for traces, Danxia searching for color
Main line of itinerary
Depart from Dunhuang to Jiayuguan, climb to the ”No. 1 Xiongguan in the World’ to feel the momentum of the military fortress, go to Zhangye in the afternoon, watch the Danxia sunset in the evening, and encounter the magnificence of the colorful hills.
Schedule
1. Morning: Enjoy breakfast first, then set off for Jiayuguan. After arriving, visit Jiayuguan Customs City to feel the momentum of the ancient military fortress.
2. Noon: Then enjoy a team lunch near Guancheng.
3. Afternoon: First take a car to Zhangye. After arriving at Zhangye Danxia Geopark, take a sightseeing bus to visit the observation decks. In the evening, watch the sunset at Danxia from the best observation deck.
4. Evening: Then go to Zhangye City, enjoy a team dinner and check in at the hotel to rest.
Core attraction experience
- Guancheng, Jiayuguan: The western starting point of the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty, ”The World’s No. 1 Xiongguan’ is well-deserved. You can overlook the layout of Guancheng from the tower, watch the city wall meander into the distance, and feel the grandeur of the ancient military defense system; In the scenic area, legends such as “Dingcheng Brick” and “Hitting Stone Yanming” can be explained by your guide to add to the fun of the tour..
- Zhangye Danxia Geopark: The world’s rare colorful Danxia landform. The sightseeing bus travels according to ”Observation Deck 1→2→3→4′. Platform 1 offers panoramic views, and Platform 4 is the best point for sunset. Under the setting sun, the colors of red, yellow, orange, and green are clearly layered, just like nature overturned.Palette, it is recommended to wear dark clothing to take pictures, in contrast to Danxia.
Day7: Zhangye→ Danxia, looking for the sun everywhere, return with a full load
Main line of itinerary
After voluntarily watching the sunrise from Danxia in Zhangye, go to Bindukou (optional in summer) to feel the grassland flowers, then gather for the return journey, end the journey to Xigan, and take away the good memories of the northwest.
Schedule
1. Early morning (optional): Voluntary early risers can go to Zhangye Danxia Geopark to watch the sunrise with the assistance of a tour guide, and those who are not watching can continue to rest.
2. Morning: All enjoy breakfast first, then you can go to Bindukou for a tour (optional in summer from July to August), and then gather to start the return journey.
3. Noon: Enjoy a team lunch at the Chinese restaurant on the way, and continue on the road after the meal.
4. Afternoon: Finally arrive at the return point (Xining/Lanzhou or Zhangye Airport), and the trip is officially over.
Core attraction experience
- Sunrise in Danxia, Zhangye (optional): The light in the early morning is soft, the color of Danxia is more saturated, and the sense of layering is stronger. Within 1 hour after sunrise is the best time to shoot. It is recommended to wear a thick coat and bring a thermos cup to keep out the cold.
- Bindukou (optional in summer): The “Golden Sea of Flowers” at the foot of Qilian Mountain, 10,000 mu of rapeseed flowers are in full bloom from July to August, reflecting the turquoise grassland and towering snow-capped mountains. It is a unique summer scene. You can take pictures in the sea of flowers and feel the freshness of the northwest grassland.
2. End: Go to a Northwest appointment
In 7 days, from the sacred Lake on the plateau of Qinghai to the ancient city of the Silk Road in Gansu, from the purity of the salt Lake to the magnificence of Danxia, from the thickness of the murals to the grandeur of Xiongguan, the journey to Xigan presents all the diverse beauty of the Northwest. This strategy has sorted out the context of your daily itinerary for you, and marked the key details of each place, so that you don’t need to bother with planning, just set off with longing. When the wind in Qinghai blows across your cheeks, and when the sand of Dunhuang touches the corners of your clothes, you will find that the beauty of the northwest is hidden in every stop and look back. Pack your bags, the mountains and rivers of Qinggan are waiting for you to meet!
If you want to continue to explore more attractive places, our team of professional travel consultants can serve you. The consultants are familiar with the attractions, terroir and popular routes in various regions of the mainland, and can tailor exclusive trips according to your preferences, budget and time, so that the journey is full of surprises.
Don’t hesitate, contact our travel consultant!
