Details
Arrival in Xining & Hotel Check-in
Your arrival transfer will be arranged. The pick-up staff will send you an SMS one day before; please check your messages. Train signals can be unstable – if you do not receive the SMS, contact the emergency tour contact listed in your tour documents. If you do not normally use SMS, please tell us when booking so we can call you instead.
About Xining: historically called Qingtang City, Xiping Jun, and Shanzhou, Xining is the capital of Qinghai Province. It has deep cultural roots, exceptionally rich natural resources, and colourful local folk customs – a bright jewel on the Tibetan Plateau. The city name implies “peace at the western border.” Xining is also a pilot city for the “zero-waste city” initiative.
Xining food & night markets (local highlights):
- Mojia Street – open ~18:00–midnight: famous for hand-pulled mutton, lamb neck, offal, beef offal, roasted lamb, various kebabs, and snacks such as gou jiao niao, qingke (high-land barley) noodles, mutton slices, Xunhua mixed noodles, yak yogurt, etc.
- Limeng Commercial Pedestrian Street – restaurants and cafés open all day: Chinese, Western, Korean BBQ, coffee, bars.
- Xin Qian Night Market – ~17:00–01:00: more grilled meats, lamb offal dishes, roasted lamb leg, yogurt.
Meals: /
Accommodation: Xining Kaibin International Hotel (or similar)
Xining Railway Station
Xining Caojiabao International Airport
Xining → Laji Mountain Viewpoint → Qinghai Lake (Qinghai Lake Prairie Afternoon Tea)
Morning: Depart Xining and stop at Laji Mountain Viewpoint – scenic visit ~40 minutes. Laji Mountain marks the border between the Loess Plateau and the Tibetan Plateau; it stands like a silent guardian of time, offering sweeping views where wind and clouds dance among the peaks.
Afternoon: Visit Qinghai Lake – Erlangjian Scenic Area, one of the core attractions of Qinghai Lake. The Erlangjian area projects into the lake and features grassland, beaches and wildlife. The park includes a bird-watching platform, deer viewing area, sea-view bridge and pavilion, a pier plaza with the “Auspicious Four Symbols” sculptures, and water recreation such as jet-skis and self-drive yachts. Enjoy a prairie-style afternoon tea among the lakeside meadows.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Lake View Suites by Muge Hotel
Laji Mountain Viewpoint
Qinghai Lake – Erlangjian Scenic Area
Lake View Suites by Muge Hotel
Chaka Salt Lake – Overnight in Chaka
Attraction: Chaka Salt Lake – entrance included. “Chaka” is Tibetan for “salt pool.” National Geographic listed it among “55 places to visit in a lifetime.” Chaka’s sky is famously pure – the lake’s white salt flats create a surreal mirror effect where sky and ground merge. Walking on the salt creates unforgettable reflections: sometimes it is hard to tell whether the sky is reflected on the lake or the lake dissolves into the sky.
Special reminders for Chaka Salt Lake:
- Bring wet wipes – salt crystals stick to feet after walking on the lake.
- Apply sunscreen and take sun-protection measures – UV is strong on the salt flats.
- Bring sunglasses and a sun hat – the white salt is highly reflective.
- Shoe covers are available to rent in the park – avoid dark sinkholes in the lake to prevent cuts or falls.
Chaka restaurant recommendations:
- Specialty clay-oven dishes: premium baked lamb chops, lamb skewers, handmade yogurt.
- Silk Road style restaurants: yak leg, signature bone-off meat, yak meat soup.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Vienna Hotel (Chaka Salt Lake Scenic Area)
Chaka Salt Lake
Vienna Hotel
Chaka → Qaidam Basin → Qarhan Salt Lake
After breakfast we drive across the Qaidam Basin – a vast, sparsely populated region and the throat of the Qinghai–Tibet route; this landscape offers a dramatic sense of Northwest China’s desolation and wide horizons.
Visit Qarhan Salt Lake (Chaerhan Salt Lake) – entrance included. It is described here as China’s largest salt lake and the world’s second largest salt lake. The lake’s flat surfaces reflect dazzling silvery light; the area produces “pearl salt” (pure white crystals) and “glass salt” (transparent, cube-like crystals in various hues).
After visiting the lake, transfer to the Lonely Space（ Gobi ）Wild Luxury Hotel. Note: foreign tourists may have some traffic restrictions around the Water Yadan area, but staying at this hotel places you adjacent to the Water Yadan landscape.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Lonely Space（ Gobi ）Wild Luxury Hotel
Qaidam Basin
Qarhan Salt Lake
Lonely Space（ Gobi ）Wild Luxury Hotel
Golmud → Heidu Mountain → Lenghu Oil Town → Arrive in Dunhuang
Morning (depart ~09:00): Visit Heidu Mountain – entrance + shuttle included. Heidu Mountain’s black-stony surface and lunar-like topography create a dramatic “black Gobi” landscape; it’s a paradise for photographers and self-drive travellers. The mountain’s surface is covered by a layer of hard black gravel that has been cemented by time; wheel-tracks can leave scars that take generations to fade.
Afternoon: Drive toward Dunhuang – cross vast desert and Gobi scenery. En route explore the evocative Lenghu Oil Town – a photogenic ruined town often used as a filming location (“Nine-story Demon Tower ” film sets are nearby). Continue to Dunhuang and check into the hotel.
Notes & safety reminders:
- Safety first – do not take unnecessary risks.
- Respect the environment – bring a rubbish bag and take plastic, batteries and non-degradable waste with you.
- Respect local customs.
- Follow “look while walking, don’t walk while looking” principle .
Dunhuang dining recommendations: local specialties include Shazhou night market snacks, wood-smoked whole lamb, Hu Yang (poplar) stewed bread, donkey meat noodles, desert banquet dishes, mutton noodle soup, apricot syrup, etc. Popular restaurants: Dunhuang Shun Zhang Huang Mian, Qixinglou Wood-smoked Whole Lamb, Yige Hu Yang Stewed Cake, Muyed Teahouse & BBQ, Changxin Yuan Tea House.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Zhongwei Jinye Hotel Dunhuang
Heidu Mountain
Lenghu Oil Town
Dunhuang – Mogao Caves – Mingsha Mountain & Crescent Lake
Morning: Visit Mogao Caves – tickets are by reservation (guided tours). Mogao is a national AAAAA scenic area, also known as the “Thousand Buddha Caves,” a 20th-century archaeological and cultural discovery of immense value. With the grottoes’ sculptures and murals spanning many dynasties, Mogao is considered one of the richest repositories of Buddhist art in the world. Guided explanations of each cave will bring the history and artistry alive.
Afternoon / flexible time: Visit Mingsha Mountain & Crescent Lake – enjoy the desert wonderland; you may choose to ride camels, climb dunes, or simply relax beside the oasis. The sight of a green spring nestled within the sand is famously beautiful: “silver dunes encircle a clear pool.” In summer the sand dunes have long daylight; sunset over the dunes is spectacular.
Evening – special gift: Our driver will take you to Shazhou Night Market – an optional stop to taste local snacks, enjoy grilled meats and evening nightlife.
Practical tips for Mingsha Mountain / Crescent Lake:
- Long sunlight and strong wind/sand – bring hat, sunglasses, scarf, mask. Wear comfortable flat shoes (sneakers or sandals) for climbing or camel rides.
- Typical optional activities (personal expense): camel ride ~CNY100, shoe cover rental ~CNY15/pair, sandboarding ~CNY25–30 per run, desert buggy ~CNY300 per vehicle, plus other motorized activities (choose carefully).
- Sunset viewing: stay in the park to watch the sunset (around 20:00 in summer), then take a taxi back to the hotel if you do not return with the group.
- Mogao cave tickets: standard ticket CNY238 (limited to 6,000 per day; allows entry to 8 caves). Emergency tickets CNY100 (limited to 12,000 per day; entry to 4 caves). Tickets are hard to secure in peak season – we will attempt to buy tickets for the group as soon as possible (within one month before trip). If we can only obtain emergency tickets, we will refund the difference.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Zhongwei Jinye Hotel Dunhuang
Mingsha Mountain & Crescent Lake
Mogao Caves
Dunhuang → Son of the Earth Sculpture & Mirage → Guazhou → Overhanging Great Wall → Jiayuguan
Hotel: Jiayuguan Chenfeng Hotel (or similar)
Morning: Drive to “Son of the Earth“ – a sculpture installation intended to remind people of Earth and environmental consciousness; you may participate in a group recitation near the sculpture. From here view the Sculpture No Boundary – a complex of a main hall and four pavilions offering striking desert art in the Gobi.
Continue to see sculptures of Emperor Wu of Han – a monumental piece capturing the majesty of the Han dynasty ruler.
En route we pass Guazhou – passengers can take a break and enjoy local melons (famous Hami melons).
Afternoon: Arrive at Jiayuguan – visit Jiayuguan City Tower, located on top of Jiayugu Mountain. The fortress walls stretch across desert and Gobi. To the north (8 km) lie the Overhanging Great Wall on Black Mountain; to the south (7 km) is the First Beacon Tower. Jiayuguan is considered the western end of the Great Wall and the “first strategic pass” of the Hexi Corridor.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: ChenFeng Grand Hotel
Jiayuguan
Overhanging Great Wall
Son of the Earth Sculpture
Jiayuguan → Dafo Temple → Zhangye Danxia National Geopark → Zhangye
Morning: Visit Dafo Temple in Zhangye – an important cultural site on the Silk Road, home to the largest Western Xia Buddhist hall, the biggest indoor wood-core clay reclining Buddha, and original prints of Yongle Beizang. The site is a combined museum of architecture, sculpture, murals and ancient texts.
Afternoon: Visit Zhangye Danxia National Geopark – entrance included (park electric shuttle not included). Zhangye’s Danxia landform formed from deposits dating back 2 million years and displays thousands of coloured cliffs and ridges in brilliant reds and ochres. Within the park you take internal shuttle buses to the various viewing platforms to see the spectacular “fiery Danxia” scenery – a favourite film location for movies such as The Great Wall and Cowherd and Weaver Girl film locations.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Zhangye Xinshengyue International Hotel
Dafo Temple
Zhangye Danxia National Geopark
Zhangye → Qilian Mountain Grassland → Kumbum Monastery → Return to Xining
Morning: Drive via Biandukou in Minle county – a steep, winding pass in the mid-section of the Qilian Mountains historically known as the “Da Dou Ba Valley.” Biandukou sits above 3,500 m and is a strategic mountain pass that historically connected north and south routes.
Stops & notes: In summer (approximately early July–early August) the Menyuan Rape Flower Field are in bloom – if you travel during that window you can visit the rapeseed sea for photos. Outside the bloom season this free scenic stop cannot be arranged and no refund is available if the road conditions or traffic prevent access.
Afternoon: Visit Kumbum Monastery (if included on the route) – one of the great Tibetan Buddhist monasteries.
Return to Xining and overnight.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Kaibin International Hotel
Qilian Mountain Grassland
Menyuan Rape Flower Field
Kumbum Monastery
Xining – Departure Transfer
We will arrange your airport transfer. Farewell from Northwest China – you are always welcome to return!
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: /
Dates & Prices
| Month | Date | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2026-1 | $ 780 | Book now |
| Feb | 2026-2 | $ 780 | Book now |
| Mar | 2026-3 | $ 780 | Book now |
| Apr | 2026-4 | $ 780 | Book now |
| May | 2026-5 | $ 860 | Book now |
| Jun | 2026-6 | $ 1035 | Book now |
| Jul | 2026-7 | $ 1070 | Book now |
| Aug | 2026-8 | $ 1070 | Book now |
| Sep | 2026-9 | $ 1035 | Book now |
| Oct | 2026-10 | $ 1000 | Book now |
| Nov | 2026-11 | $ 780 | Book now |
| Dec | 2026-12 | $ 780 | Book now |
You are consulting 2025-04-12 10-Day Tour to Explore the Mysterious Northwest China: Qinghai Lake+Mogao Caves, and More
Fee Description
Services Included:
- Transportation: 9-seater airline-style tourist vehicle throughout the trip;
- Accommodation: Local four-star luxury hotels;
- Entrance Tickets: All scenic spot entrance fees + sightseeing bus;
- Breakfast: Daily breakfast at hotels.
- Guide: Experienced Chinese/English/bilingual tour guides.
- Insurance: Travel agency liability insurance, vehicle seat insurance, travel accident insurance;
- Complimentary: Flying/Western Regions portrait photography; drone/scenic spot aerial photography on board;
Services Excluded:
- Please handle your personal expenses on your own.
- Lunches and dinners.
- Single-room supplement: if there are queries for not sharing a room with others, or no one to share a room with, then the supplement needs to be paid. November-April: 1000 RMB/person; May: 1200 RMB/person; June and September: 2000 RMB/person; July-August: 2300 RMB/person; October: 1700 RMB/person.
- Round-trip transportation: International and domestic airfare and train tickets;
- Other expenses: All expenses incurred by travellers due to breach of contract, personal fault, activities arranged independently during the trip, or personal illness not mentioned in the “Services Included” above.
- Entertainment and activities: (Optional entertainment and activities: Chaka Salt Lake mini-train: 100 RMB/person round trip; Mingsha Mountain & Crescent Lake: camel riding around 100 RMB, shoe covers rental 15 RMB/pair, sandboarding around 25-30 RMB/person/time, desert off-road vehicle from 300 RMB/vehicle, and other activities such as off-road motorcycles and paragliding (optional, please choose carefully). The information on transportation and entertainment facilities within the scenic area is for reference only; actual costs may vary.)
General tips & reminders:
- Carry sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, lip balm and layers (temperatures vary widely).
- High-altitude areas: drink water, avoid strenuous activity at once, and inform guides of any altitude-related issues.
- Keep trash with you and respect local customs and environments.
- Bring wet wipes for salt lakes, and cash for small purchases at remote stops.
