Qinghai-Gansu Cultural Tour

When you arrive in Xining, a driver will pick you up and take you to the hotel for rest. The ground contact person will inform you of the hotel and check-in method by text message one day in advance. Please check your inbox. If you have not received the notification text message before 18:00 the previous day, please call for consultation. Thank you for your cooperation! After arriving in Xining, you can choose to freely move around and taste local specialties such as Qinghai hotpot, hand pulled lamb, Qinghai aged yogurt, barley cake, noodles, etc; The most popular food recommendations in Xining: Qinghai famous food Ga Zhang Wa Barbecue, Ma Xiangqing's characteristic barbecue, Wai Grandma's local hot pot, Qiji noodles, Qingpu beef noodles, Ma Zhong Restaurant, Muslim Ga Pangkang Pot King, Zhang's sister Spicy Hot Pot, Shalihai Food City, Yajun lamb, etc. You can also visit the city or surrounding attractions on your own,

Departing from Xining at around 8am, the journey to Qinghai Lake takes about 220km and takes about 2.5 hours. It takes about 10:30 am to arrive at the Black Horse River in Qinghai Lake (admission to this scenic spot is free, and local transportation is self provided), also known as "Cuowenbu", which means "blue sea" in Tibetan. It is located in the Qinghai Lake Basin in the northwest of Qinghai Province and is both the largest inland lake and the largest saltwater lake in China. The area of the lake is vast, with a circle of about 360 kilometers around it. The lake water is vast, boundless, and blue, ethereal. Surrounded by mountains, the lake is surrounded by vast grasslands close to the shore, with spectacular and beautiful scenery. There are many areas and landscapes for viewing, making it the most important scenic spot for visiting Qinghai. Thousands of acres of rapeseed flowers are blooming around the lake, with golden and bright yellow scattered around the vast expanse of blue waves. The wildflowers on the high mountain pasture are colorful, like silk and brocade, and countless cows and sheep are plump and strong, embellished among them. The golden rapeseed flowers complement the white clouds, blending myth and faith, adding another touch of surprise and mystery to Qinghai Lake. Playing and taking photos takes about 2-3 hours. At noon, you can have lunch at Qinghai Lake or Jiangxi Gou. Around 2pm, you will depart from Qinghai Lake and head to Chaka Salt Lake (default Sky Mirror scenic area). The journey will take 150 kilometers and 2.5 hours to reach the beautiful Sky Mirror. Named after the 'Mirror of the Sky'. Chaka Salt Lake is located near Chaka Town, Ulan County, Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. Surrounded by snow capped mountains, the salt lake is pure, blue and white, with reflections intertwined, resembling a natural mirror. Due to its tourism resource endowment comparable to the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia, it is known as the "Mirror of the Sky" in China and is one of the "Four Great Scenic Spots of Qinghai". It is also one of the "55 Must Visit Places in a Lifetime" selected by the National Tourism Geography Magazine. The Muyao Losangma Goddess Statue, Salt Emperor Salt Making, Genghis Khan and other large-scale salt carving art groups are a magnificent scenic line in Chaka Salt Lake, creating a world record for the "largest outdoor salt carving art group certification". It is understood that these salt carvings use salt lake raw salt and brine as raw materials, and through innovative and unique artistic techniques, showcase fascinating artistic wonders, achieving a perfect combination of natural salt crystals and sculptural art. Here, you can walk in the center of the lake, quietly appreciate the reflection of heaven and earth, with a pair of reflections, immersed in an endless white world, bathed in a salty breeze. Time seems to freeze at this moment, and the noise and troubles of the mundane world will drift away with the wind. Play for about 3 hours. After the trip, check into the Chaka Town Hotel or head to Delingha.
Attention: Today's itinerary passes through the highest point of Rubber Mountain, which is 3820 meters above sea level. It is new to the plateau and it is recommended not to engage in strenuous exercise to avoid altitude sickness. When the altitude exceeds 3000 meters, most people will have mild altitude sickness, such as mild headaches and other symptoms. Please do not worry too much, relax your mind, and it is important to have a positive mindset. If you feel unwell, please communicate with the supervisor in a timely manner.

Departing around 7:30 in the morning, we stroll through the magical Qaidam Basin, admiring the vast desert scenery, unique plateau vegetation, and beautiful seas along the way. Along the way, we can rest and take photos by the Xiaochaidan Lake, driving for 220 kilometers for about 2.5 hours. Around 10 o'clock, we arrive at the 315U shaped highway, where the asphalt road surface is like a black ribbon, scattered in the vast desert no man's land. The highway dances with the undulating terrain, with U-shaped sections everywhere, as if pointing straight to the sky. That's why this road is called the "Chinese version of Highway 66" by countless netizens who pass by it! Check in to the most beautiful and lonely internet famous road in China, the 315U highway, and enjoy the spectacular Yadan group. Drive 100km for about an hour and then arrive at Dongtai Jinnai Lake. Dongtai Jinnai Lake is located in the Chaidamu Basin and is a super large lithium deposit mainly composed of brine with high copper content. The lake water is Tiffany blue, crystal clear, and the shore is covered with white crystals. Known as the "Chinese version of Maldives" by netizens. At noon, you can dine at Dongtai Service Area or Shuishang Yadan Scenic Area. Shuishang Yadan Scenic Area has a buffet (with a large number of people during peak season), and it is inconvenient to dine on the way. It is recommended to bring dry food and water or self heating rice, self heating hot pot, etc. After lunch, visit the Wusute Water Yadan Geological Park, also known as Water Yadan, located in the Xitai area of the Dachaidan Administrative Committee in Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province. After millions of years of geological movements and temporal changes, it has nurtured and formed the world's largest and most spectacular Yadan community, which is currently the only discovered water Yadan landform in the world. Wusute Yadan is located in the South Eight Immortals Yadan Group. The Yadan mounds in the area are 10-25 meters high, with the highest reaching 50 meters. The uniquely shaped sand dunes stand proudly in the gray green lake water, like an alien world, and are known as the sea fleet in the desert. The hand of time has turned the wind and water in nature into a timeless carving knife, carving out the magical Yadan landform. This is a secret realm filled with magical and eerie colors, a gift belonging to nature. Play for about 2 hours. After the trip, head to Dachaidan for accommodation

Departing around 8 o'clock in the morning, heading to Dachaidan [Jade Lake], the approximately 6 square kilometer "Jade Lake" is called Dachaidan Lake. It is the mining area of the original Dachaidan Chemical Factory Salt Lake Mining Team, which has been mined for many years to form pits and become the beautiful "Jade Lake" today. Lying quietly 10 kilometers west of Dachaidan Town, she was like a jade of different shapes embedded in the desert. The lake water and sky shone brilliantly, either green or blue, beautiful and enchanting, always making people forget time and reluctant to leave. Play for 2-3 hours. Next, we will depart for Heidushan, a 240 kilometer drive that will take about 3 hours. On the land of China, there are always some 'hidden corners' whose names and locations are unknown, and the Black Gobi Desert is one of them. It is located in the northwest corner of Gansu Province between Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang, which is the central area of the Black Gobi Desert. Black Gobi is not an official geographical concept, but a common name for a large desert area. It starts from the Ejina River in Alxa League, the westernmost part of Inner Mongolia, extends north to the border between China and Mongolia, faces the western section of the Hexi Corridor to the south, and is adjacent to the eastern section of the Tianshan Mountains to the west. This is a desolate dry land of about 200000 square kilometers. When you enter this desolate world, it is like stepping into a splashed ink landscape painting or venturing into an extraterrestrial realm, with an unreal feeling enveloping your whole body. Except for your heartbeat, the world stops at the noise of the downwind. Encountering a sunset in Heidu Mountain, snow capped mountains reflecting clouds and clouds, and the setting sun staining with sandstorms. A touch of red suddenly appeared in this desolate world, making it difficult to distinguish whether it was in a painting or a dream. At noon, you can have lunch in Lenghu Town or Aksai according to the time, or prepare food for dining in the car. It is recommended to bring some snacks or fruits during the long journey. Afterwards, continue to press and arrive at the Silk Road Heritage City around 4pm (the route does not include admission tickets, if you need to visit, please pay for the admission tickets), drive 210km, and arrive in about 3 hours. This is a mysterious sculpture and architecture located on the Gobi Desert, featuring Thousand Armed Guanyin, ancient Roman architecture, sandbar city walls, Daming Palace, Thousand Buddha Cliff, and more. Here, you can fulfill your wish of "Give me a day, travel for a thousand years, give me a day, travel the world"! These buildings on the desolate Gobi Desert reveal mystery and vicissitudes, making it an excellent place for taking photos! If you enjoy taking photos, don't miss out on this place! After playing for about 1-2 hours, head to Dunhuang. After the tour is over, head to Dunhuang and drive 18 kilometers, which takes about 20 minutes. Check into hotels in the city center of Dunhuang.

Visit two major attractions in Dunhuang, Mogao Caves and Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring. At 9 o'clock, we started to visit one of the four famous grottoes in China, and also the world's largest existing [the Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang] (this scenic spot does not include tickets, if you need to visit, please take care of the tickets. The Mogao Grottoes scenic spot is limited in tickets. It is recommended to make an appointment at the first time after registration. You can make an appointment through the Mogao Grottoes official website or the Mogao Grottoes Visiting Reservation website small program; if you fail to issue a ticket due to registration time and other reasons, you can change to visit the West Thousand Buddha Cave scenic spot) (visit for 3-4 hours). It still has more than 1000 caves of various types that have lasted for more than 1000 years in ten dynasties, including the Sixteen Kingdoms, the Northern Wei Dynasty and the Yuan Dynasty. There are 492 existing caves and 45000 murals. More than 2000 painted sculptures, covering an area of more than square meters. The caves are arranged in rows, resembling beehives and pigeon houses. Mogao Grottoes is the largest, most diverse, artistically exquisite, and well preserved Buddhist cave temple in the world today. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. The playtime is about 4 hours. In the afternoon, visit the Mingsha Mountain Moon Tooth Spring (about 3 hours of sightseeing), which has been known for its wonderful scenery of "coexistence of mountains and springs, and coexistence of sand and water" throughout history. It is known as "one of the wonders of the scenery outside the Great Wall" and was designated as a national key scenic spot in 1994. Mingsha Mountain is formed by the accumulation of flowing sand. When the sand body encounters friction and vibration, it will make a loud sound, light as silk and bamboo, and heavy as thunder, hence the name "Mingsha Mountain". Crescent Moon Spring is located at the northern foot of Mingsha Mountain and is named "Crescent Moon Spring" because it looks like a crescent moon. For thousands of years, it has not been submerged by quicksand or dried up due to drought. The summer weather in Dunhuang is hot, and the sunlight at Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring is relatively strong. Therefore, it is recommended to enter the scenic area after 4 o'clock to visit the wonders of the desert sunset.

Depart from Dunhuang before 8am, drive 90km, and travel for 1 hour. Around 9am, pass by the Guazhou service area and stop for a rest. Friends can taste the Hami melons and Northwest specialties of Guazhou. Continue to visit Jiayuguan (remote observation check-in, this attraction does not include tickets, if you need to visit, please pay for the tickets yourself) by car for 270km, driving for 3 hours, arriving at Jiayuguan around 12 o'clock. After lunch, check-in at Jiayuguan, the world's most magnificent pass. Jiayuguan Pass City is located 6 kilometers southwest of Jiayuguan City, in the middle of the narrowest valley of Jiayuguan, on the highest mountain of Jiayu Mountain. The city walls on both sides of the pass cross the desert and Gobi, connecting to the Black Mountain Hanging Wall 8 kilometers north and the First Pier in the world 7 kilometers south. It is the dominant western end of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall and has been the first pass in Hexi since ancient times. In history, it was once known as the throat of Hexi, due to its strategic terrain and magnificent architecture, and was known as the world's greatest gateway and the key to connecting borders. Jiayuguan is a transportation fortress on the ancient Silk Road, known as one of the three wonders of the Great Wall of China (Shanhaiguan in the east, Zhenbeitai in the middle, and Jiayuguan in the west). Climbing the tower is not just about admiring the building, but about experiencing the charm of the iron horse and golden spear. The city tower is everywhere, highlighting the spirit of our ancestors. The playtime is 2 hours. Depart at 3pm to Danxia Qicai Town, drive 220km, take 2.5 hours, and arrive at 【 Qicai Danxia 】. The Rainbow Danxia landform group is located in Linze County, Zhangye City, Gansu Province. This Danxia landform group is known for its large area, concentration, staggered layers, steep rock walls, majestic momentum, unique shapes, and colorful colors. There are red, yellow, white, and green blue colors, with undulating waves along the mountain terrain, as well as colored cloth diagonally inserted into the mountain roots from the mountaintop. Under the sunshine, it is like a layer of red light gauze, shining brightly, and the colors are exceptionally bright, making people amazed. It is the only highly composite area of Danxia landform and colorful hilly landscape in China, with colorful colors, strong ornamental value, and a large area that surpasses the rest of the country. It combines grandeur, danger, wonder, tranquility, and beauty. It is now a national 5A level tourist attraction and a world geological park, and is one of the "Seven Most Beautiful Danxia Mountains in China", "Six Most Beautiful Strange Landforms in China", and "Top Ten Magical Geographical Wonders in the World". Entering Danxia Scenic Area, the sky and earth here seem to have been dyed with dye, like a work of art, exquisite and unparalleled. After the baptism and vicissitudes of time, it is as beautiful as a fairy tale world. Arriving at Danxia in the afternoon, you can enjoy the sunset here, it must be a special experience. Play for 3 hours. After the trip, head to Danxia Rainbow Town or Zhangye City for accommodation.

Departing around 8am, starting a wonderful day, driving on the most beautiful National Highway 227, enjoying the scenery along the way, driving 100km, and arriving at Biandukou (Car View). The Biandukou Canyon is a passage that connects Qinghai and the Hexi Corridor of Gansu. The canyon is characterized by rugged rocks and unique caves, which may lead you to mistakenly believe that you have entered a paradise on earth. Crossing the Pingdukou Canyon and entering the Qilian Mountains Grassland (no admission ticket), the journey is 35km and takes 40 minutes. This is the most beautiful mountainous grassland in China. The Qilian Mountains have picturesque clear water scenery, with high clouds and light summer like spring. The towering snow peaks hold white Hada, and the vast grasslands spread out a thousand mile green carpet, making the feelings of Qilian Mountains deeply hidden in everyone's heart. The beauty of Qilian lies not only in its beautiful mountains and clear waters, but also in its unique peaks and misty clouds. "After a few days of rain and clouds, it returns like silk and dampness, like a person leaning against it. The Qilian Mountains in summer often have night rains. The next morning, the thick clouds and fog wrap around the mountainside like strands of silver thread, suddenly turning into rolling green smoke, flowing gracefully between the mountains. Accidentally, it will glide over your cheek and fall into your heart, immersing yourself in the scene as if in a dream. The sky cleared up and the thick fog between the Oupu Mountains disappeared without a trace. In the deep blue sky, white clouds bloomed with different attitudes, complementing the lush grasslands and herds of cattle and sheep, creating a unique grassland scenery unique to the plateau. Play for about 1 hour. You can enjoy lunch in Ebu Town. Departing around 1pm to Menyuan, the journey is 70km and takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Passing through the magnificent Gangshika Snow Peak, taking photos from afar and staying for about 20 minutes. Then enjoy the most beautiful sea of rapeseed flowers (the flowering period of Menyuan rapeseed flowers is in July every year), covering the sky with golden color, boundless. The Haomen River flows in the middle, and the blooming rapeseed flowers dance like golden threads embedded in two strands, shining in the distance with the Qilian Mountains, making people intoxicated and forget to return. Then continue on the way to Mount Osaka and take a short break at the Mount Osaka Observation Deck, where you can enjoy the magnificent scenery from afar. Then take a bus back to Xining, drive 130km, arrive in Xining around 6pm, and end the journey. At the end of the trip, you can be delivered to the designated hotel in the city.

The essence scenic spots in Qinghai and Gansu have enjoyed the sights and cultural heritage. Our staff will choose transportation to the airport according to the flight time. We hope you can come back to the beautiful northwest when you have time!