Day 1: Anywhere → or → Xining ★Gathering day
All day
Today we'll arrive in Xining, the gateway to Qinghai. We'll meet up all day and choose your preferred method of transportation. Upon arrival, you'll have free time at your leisure. Recommended attractions: Dongguan Grand Mosque and Xining Museum. We recommend sampling Xining's specialty snacks on Mojia Street: Qinghai-style stuffed skin, milk skin, noodles, hand-pulled lamb, and other Tibetan dishes to acclimate to the altitude. Please arrange your own activities and exercise caution!
Day 2 Xining → Qinghai Lake → Chaka Salt Lake → Chaka Town
All day
Breakfast kicks off an exciting journey of exploring the secrets of the Northwest.
Passing by the Sun and Moon Mountains and Daotang River, our first stop is Qinghai Lake to experience the joy of cycling by the lake. We will then head to the Qinghai Lake Erlangjian Scenic Area, where you can experience the grandeur of Qinghai Lake up close.
Arrive at Chaka Salt Lake in the afternoon, avoiding the crowds and truly enjoying the uncrowded beauty of the area. Known as China's "Sky Mirror," this spot blends heaven and earth beneath a blue sky and white clouds, creating a sense of being in mid-air. Explore the lake's heart (with complimentary one-way train tickets to Chaka Salt Lake) and take photos, letting everyone experience the magical feeling of stepping into the air.
Stay in Chaka Town that night.
Day 3 Chaka Town → Delingha → Da Qaidam Emerald Lake → Da Qaidam Town
All day
After breakfast, depart for Da Qaidam Emerald Lake;
We will pass through Delingha, the capital of Haixi Prefecture, and continue on to the Da Qaidam Emerald Lake.
Da Qaidam Emerald Lake, formerly the salt lake mining team of the Da Qaidam Chemical Plant, boasts a vibrant array of colors, shaped by varying mineral concentrations. On clear days, the mirror-like surface reflects the blue sky, white clouds, and snow-capped peaks, creating a fairyland-like experience. After our enjoyable exploration, we'll proceed to Da Qaidam Town for our overnight stay.
Day 4 Dachaidan Town → Water Yadan → Huatugou Town
All day
After breakfast, we'll depart for a crucial stop on our itinerary, crossing the Qaidam Gobi Highway. We'll then continue onto National Highway 315, passing through the Red River Valley and experiencing the beauty of the earth's blood vessels. We'll then visit the Water Yadans, where a river diversion unexpectedly created a lake within this unique landscape. Along the way, we'll also see numerous wind-eroded Yadan landforms, including the Devil's City. After the Water Yadans, we'll pass by Xitaijinai'er Lake and experience the thrill of driving an off-road vehicle on a water highway. We'll then continue along National Highway 315 to Mangya, where we'll stay overnight in Huatugou Town.
5th Tianhuatugou Town → Aiken Spring → Mangya Thousand Buddha Cliff → Mangya Emerald Lake → Huatugou Town
All day
Our journey of exploring hidden gems begins in Mangya. First, we head to Aiken Spring, a geothermal spring deep in the Aral Grassland of Haixi Prefecture that has been bubbling for millennia. From the air, it resembles a medical cross-section of an eye, its veins clearly defined and lifelike. Dotted around it are numerous small cyan springs, and in the eyes of photographers, it resembles a phoenix spreading its wings in flight.
In the afternoon, continue to Mangya Thousand Buddha Cliff. Here, you'll be amazed by the power of nature. The lifelike "clay Buddhas" are forged through wind, rain, and time. Then, head to Mangya Emerald Lake, a little-known plateau gem hidden deep in the Qaidam Basin. The sun, filtering through thin clouds, casts a myriad of colors, illuminating the lake with a dazzling array of colors.
After the tourists have had their fun, we drive back to Huatugou Town to check in.
6. Tianhuatugou → Mars Camp → Eboliang Ghost City → Heidu Mountain, Yanzhi Mountain → Dunhuang
All day
It's another exciting day. Today we will go to the Mangya uninhabited area where only 1% of tourists go to take photos.
After a free meal, we will set off and take photos of the unique uninhabited landforms along the way. If you are lucky, you may also take photos of wild animals.
Then drive deep into the heart of [Eboliang Devil City] and visit [Mars Camp], where you will stop to take a look at the space capsule with an alien feel located on the surface of Mars.
Then we came to this Qaidam Yadan. If we compare nature to a craftsman with supernatural powers, the fierce northwest wind is the flexible chisel in the hands of the craftsman, and the hills in front of us are semi-finished products after carving. From a distance, they look like the surface of an alien planet. From a close distance, they have different shapes. If you look down at the panoramic view, the hills remain strictly parallel due to wind erosion, like a fleet sailing on the desert.
After leaving Eboliang, we passed through Lenghu Town and finally reached Heidu Mountain. This secret photo spot has only become popular in the past two years. The Heidu Mountain Gobi Desert is surrounded by a series of yardangs, creating a beautiful, ink-and-wash painting-like scene against the vast sea of sand, making it a truly photogenic spot. Deep within Heidu Mountain lies an even more unique site: Yanzhi Mountain. Located right next to Heidu Mountain, Yanzhi Mountain is tinged with red, resembling a touch of crimson in a natural ink painting, making it a truly stunning photogenic spot.
Then drive to Dunhuang to check in.
Day 7 Dunhuang (all day)
All day
Today is a full-day break, so tourists can sleep in. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy. Returning tourists can make their own way to Dunhuang Airport/Train Station. For those who are not in a hurry to return, you can plan a Dunhuang tour to visit the Mogao Grottoes, Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Moon Lake, the Dunhuang Museum, the Ancient City of Dunhuang, Yangguan Pass, and more.
