Where to go for Dragon Boat Festival｜A complete 5-day, 4-night travel guide to Qinghai.

Dragon Boat Festival is here!
In May, Qinghai's grasslands are not yet green, and flowers have not bloomed. So, this trip focuses on heading west 🚗 to explore various colorful lakes, avoiding the northern Qilian Mountain direction.

🔸 Travel principles: No rushing to attractions + not too exhausting + avoiding crowds + experiencing Qinghai's unique features.

To organize thoughts, J even hand-drew a Qinghai loop map 🗺️. The initial route was planned, but adjustments were made flexibly during the trip.

Day 1️⃣
Departure 🚗
1. Sun and Moon Mountain 🌟🌟🌟
Ticket 💴50/person
Photo with sheep 💴10/person
2. Qinghai Lake 🌟
Golden Sand Bay — clockwise 🔁 around the lake (a section of backtracking) — West Lake Road (grasslands fenced off between the lake and the road, making it impossible to get close to the lake; saw the sunset 🌄 along the way).

🏠 Accommodation: Heimahe Town 💰288

Day 2️⃣
1. Sunrise at Heimahe Town 🌅
2. Qinghai Lake Dongge'er Viewing Platform 🌟🌟
Free 🆓
Closest to the lake, with many seagulls. The lighting at 9 AM is perfect for photos!
3. Emerald Lake (Photo 1) 🌟🌟🌟
Ticket + small train 💴120/person
It takes 6 hours to drive from Qinghai Lake 🚗 to Emerald Lake, so reserve half a day for this. We arrived at 5 PM, and the lake closes at 8 PM, so we had to rush. The lake's colors vary between ground-level and drone aerial views—absolutely stunning! The surroundings are also beautiful, spent 500 in total!

🏠 Accommodation: Dachaidan 💰580

Day 3️⃣
1. U-shaped Road 🌟
The super-straight National Highway 315 cuts through the desolate Yadan landforms, passing two photo spots: Blood of the Earth 🩸 and U-shaped Road 🛣️. Worth a look since you're here!
2. Water Yadan 🌟🌟🌟
Ticket 💴60/person
Sightseeing bus 💴60/person
Other paid activities include sand motorcycles, camel rides, and boat tours. The Yadan formations resemble a group of stone whales 🐳, and photos look great under the sunlight. The sightseeing bus takes you to the innermost stop; walking only reaches the first stop.
3. Chaka Salt Lake 🌟🌟🌟
Ticket + shuttle bus 💴100/person
Sightseeing bus 💴15/person
The shuttle bus takes 30 minutes to reach the scenic area. 🍏 The apple-green lake water is unaffected by weather (though sunlight enhances its beauty). The swings and lotus 🪷 are must-visit spots!

Originally planned to stay in Delingha, but driving 3 hours at night felt unsafe, so we changed to stay in Golmud. Tomorrow's return to Xining will be more tiring 💦.

🏠 Accommodation: Golmud 💰428

Day 4️⃣
Golmud — Xining
🚗 8-hour drive, spent the whole day on the road, feeling exhausted 😵.
Arrived in Xining in the afternoon, visited Nanguan Temple, Dongguan Mosque, and Nan Guan Street.
🧸 Bought souvenirs: Anduo Handicraft Store.

🏠 Accommodation: Xining 💰602

Day 5️⃣
1. Xining Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Wildlife Park 🌟🌟🌟
Ticket 💴30/person
Sightseeing bus 💴25/person
Enter the park as soon as it opens at 8:30 AM!

12:00 PM Return ✈️