Tour Overview
Code of Tour: SZW0000057Length of Travel: 7 Days
Departure City: Lanzhou
Price of Tour: Request
Features of Tour: a captivating journey through stunning landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and significant historical landmarks, showcasing key highlights
Qinghai, this miraculous land, is filled with the mysteries and grandeur of nature. Here, the fusion of lakes and mountains, the immersion in ancient cultural history, and the companionship of magnificent mountains and vast grasslands await. Upon arriving in Qinghai, you will experience the majesty and gentleness of nature, gaining both excitement and tranquility within your heart.
The northwest wind is always rugged; roses never grow in this land. If you love romance, this place is not entirely barren. This is Gansu, where you will feel the bustle of culture and history amid the freedom of the wind and dust.
Highlights
- Mogao Caves: After numerous cycles, the lamp of the heart shines a thousand lights, benefiting all beings. Yu Qiuyu once wrote about the Mogao Caves: "It is a gathering, a call. It deifies humanity, giving form to it, becoming a colorful dream deep in the national heart, a sacred sediment, a perpetual longing. Can you hear this invisible call in your heart?"
- Crescent Lake: Crescent Lake is reputed as "one of the most beautiful scenes outside the Great Wall" and one of the "Three Wonders of Dunhuang." You will never know the shock it brings unless you see it with your own eyes.
- Qinghai Lake: Once rated by "China National Geography" as "the most beautiful lake in China," it is the largest inland saltwater lake in China, resembling a clear blue gem embedded in the embrace of the plateau.
- Ta'er Monastery: Located on the Qinghai Plateau, it is a solemn Tibetan Buddhist monastery. The monastery is magnificent, like a brilliantly decorated palace. The entire temple is built against the mountain; standing at a height, it gives a sense of layers of peaks and a magnificent grand view. Upon entering the temple, towering ancient trees, standing pagodas, and the echoing sound of bells and drums create a tranquil ambiance.
- The Hoh Xil: The largest wilderness still existing in China, an unbroken pure land untouched by human activity, is a testimony to life and faith.
INQUIRY
Brief Itinerary
- Day 1: Arrival Xining
- Day 2: Xining - Qinghai Lake - Chaka Salt Lake
- Day 3: Chaka - Golmud
- Day 4: Golmud
- Day 5: Golmud - Dunhuang
- Day 6: Dunhuang - Lanzhou
- Day 7: Lanzhou Departure
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival Xining
Attractions & Activities: Arrive in Xining, free activities.Accommodation: Xining
Meals: None
Upon arriving at Xining International Airport, staff will arrange a vehicle to take you to your pre-arranged hotel for check-in. This city, rich in northwest charm, features magnificent natural scenery alongside its unique cultural allure.
Day 2: Xining - Qinghai Lake - Caka Salt Lake
Attractions & Activities: Qinghai Lake, CakaAccommodation:Caka
Meals: Hotel breakfast; lunch & dinner: None
After breakfast, head to Qinghai Lake located in the northeastern part of the "Roof of the World," surrounded by mountains, showcasing spectacular scenery. It is China's largest saltwater lake, historically known as West Lake, featuring highland lakes interspersed with grasslands, snowy mountains, and deserts. In the afternoon, travel to Chaka, crossing over Rubber Mountain and entering the Qaidam Basin, after which you can rest at the hotel.
Day 3: Caka - Golmud
Attractions & Activities: Caka Salt Lake, GolmudAccommodation: Golmud
Meals: Hotel breakfast; lunch & dinner: None
After breakfast, travel to Chaka Salt Lake, where under the sun, the endless white salt lake is reflected against the backdrop of snow-capped mountains. The lake surface reflects clouds and your silhouette like a natural mirror. "Chaka" in Tibetan means salt pool; thus, it refers to the salt of Qinghai; the Mongolian term "Dabusun Na'er" also signifies a salt lake. The area has a long history of salt extraction, with the lake's water being highly saline, causing natural crystallization, creating a pure white landscape. The thin brine layer atop reflects the sky, clouds, and mountains across the lake beautifully, hence it is titled "China's Sky Mirror." Afterward, proceed to Golmud for hotel check-in.
Day 4: Kunlun Mountain Pass - Unfrozen Spring -Hoh Xil - Sonam Dajie Conservation Station
Attractions & Activities: Kunlun Mountain, Koko Nor, Sonam Dajie Conservation StationAccommodation: Golmud
Meals: Hotel breakfast; lunch & dinner: None
After breakfast, take the vehicle to Kunlun Mountain Pass (altitude 4768M), where you might spot Tibetan antelopes. The area around the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and its surroundings is one of the largest uninhabited regions in China, Koko Nor.
Proceed to Kunlun Spring (Unfrozen Spring), the largest unfrozen spring in Kunlun Mountain. Its water temperature remains constant at 20°C throughout the year. The pool is surrounded by granite slabs in polygonal patterns, and a clear spring suddenly erupts from the pool's edge, throwing countless jade-like petals around, resembling a blooming lotus, splashing elegantly into a pristine pool before flowing into the mighty Kunlun River.
Travel to the famous Koko Nor Wilderness and pass by the Wild Donkey Beach, traversing areas dense with wildlife activity.
Head to Sonam Dajie Nature Conservation Station, along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, where you can capture the sight of Yuzhu Peak. Along the route, various wild animals can be photographed, including Tibetan argali, wild donkeys, foxes, and of course, the Tibetan antelope we look forward to seeing! At Kunlun Mountain Pass, you can also see a sculpture of the Koko Nor Tibetan antelope and the Sonam Dajie memorial. Finally, return to Golmud for hotel check-in and rest.
Day 5: Dunhuang - Charkhan Salt Lake - Shazhou Night Market
Attractions & Activities: DunhuangAccommodation: Dunhuang
Meals: Hotel breakfast; lunch & dinner: None
After breakfast, drive to Dunhuang, then head to Charkhan Salt Lake. In Qinghai, there is a largest salt lake in China, second only to the Uyuni Salt Flats, which is 56 times larger than Chaka Salt Lake. Despite the harsh conditions, stunning salt flowers are born here, formed during salt crystallization. The term "Charkhan" means "salt marsh" in Mongolian. This salt lake is located in the Gobi Desert, with a hot and dry climate, long sunshine hours, and a moisture evaporation rate far exceeding precipitation. Due to long-term wind and sunshine, a high concentration of brine forms in the lake before crystallizing into salt particles, creating an exceptionally hard salt crust. Remarkably, there is a 32-kilometer-long highway and railway that traverses the lake, resembling a "high salt bridge" floating on brine, connecting Golmud to Dunhuang and part of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.
Experience the flavors of a city and take Dunhuang memories home.
In Shazhou Night Market, Dunhuang's cuisine and unique handicrafts are collected here. Entering Shazhou Food Hub, the sounds of vendors and the fragrant aromas of various snacks mix, warmed by red lanterns and colorful sand paintings, with exquisite clay plate paintings. In that moment, you might feel like you've traveled back a thousand years, witnessing the splendor of the Silk Road.
Day 6: Mogao Caves - Mingsha Mountain Crescent Lake - Lanzhou
Attractions & Activities: Mogao Caves, Crescent LakeAccommodation: Lanzhou
Meals: Hotel breakfast; lunch & dinner: None
Drive to the Mogao Caves. Time stands still here, becoming a point in history that stretches back 1,700 years; the time of the Mogao Caves flows, with oxidized sculptures and mottled murals announcing the relentless passage of time. After decades of tumult and hundreds of years of cave carving, a thousand years of dust and neglect, your fingertips lightly brushing the wall evoke the sounds of camel bells and glimpses of past prosperity. Within the caves, thousands of Buddhas appear, the ten directions of Tathagata descend, existing independently in the depths of the desert, overlooking the coming and going of humanity. Human affairs flow, life and death part, a fleeting glance of nostalgia amidst ordinary struggles—they exist beyond the mundane, present in the moment, where all bonds are void. The Mogao Caves are a perfect fusion of art and religion, bridging ancient and modern, and embodying four great civilizations.
Dunhuang's Crescent Lake: a miraculous oasis in the desert. Stroll along the lakeside path, feeling the gentle wind on your face. The shimmering lake surface sparkles as if countless stars are twinkling. You can’t help but crouch down and gently touch the water, feeling the coolness spread throughout your body, forgetting the heat of the desert. Nearby, camel trains amble slowly across the sands, their bells jingling gently along with their steps, creating a pleasant sound. Listening to the camel bells echoing through the desert, it feels as though you have traveled back to the ancient Silk Road.
Afterward, take the train to Lanzhou, either train K9669 from 18:25 to 09:00 or Y669 from 20:20 to 07:30.
Day 7: Lanzhou Departure
Attractions & Activities: NoneAccommodation: None
Meals: Hotel breakfast; lunch & dinner: None
Departure for the airport concludes the pleasant journey.
Service Includes:
1. Accommodation: All accommodations are local guesthouses.2. Breakfast: Hotel breakfast every morning.
3. Guide: English-speaking guide.
4. Transportation: 5-19 seat private car.
5. Tour insurance: Yunnan tourist insurance.
6. Mineral water: 2 bottles per person per day.
Service Excludes:
1. Lunch, and dinner2. Transportation to and from Dali.
3. China visa fees
4. Guide and driver tips (recommended: 200 yuan per person per day for guide; 150 yuan per person per day for driver)
5. Travel insurance
6. Personal expenses
7. Single room supplement
Group tour Service Standards
1. For groups of 2-4 people, there will be an English-speaking tour guide as driver.2. For groups of 5-10 people, there will be an English-speaking tour guide and a Chinese driver.
Price Notice
Child prices: Children under 3 years old are free, children aged 4-6 years old are 50% of the adult price (Not occupying a bed), children aged 7-11 years old are 70% of the adult price (occupying a bed and tickets), and children aged 12 years and above are charged at the adult price.Itinerary Notice
To offer you better travel experience, our company reserves the right to adjust the order of the tour itinerary, but the content of the tour will not be reduced. If certain attractions cannot be visited due to force majeure or policy adjustments, our company has the right to cancel or replace them with equivalent attractions, and any fees for additional attractions will not be refunded.
