7-Day Travel Guide and Detailed Precautions for Qinghai and Gansu

Qinghai and Gansu are located in Northwest China, a region that has long been a part of Qin, a dynasty renowned for its strong and simple people. With a long history of being the gateway to the Western Regions, the region has witnessed a great deal of cultural exchange and collision, which adds to its charm. Below is a 7-day travel guide and detailed precautions for Qinghai and Gansu.

D1: Pick-up from Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport at 3:00 PM, Check in to the hotel in Xining

D2: Xining—-La Jishan Tourist Road–Dao Tang River (view from afar)–Qinghai Lake–Chaka Salt Lake–Delingha (Accommodation)

D3: Yardang Landform–Most Beautiful Highway–Desert–Dunhuang (Accommodation)

D4: Mogao Caves–Singing Sand Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring–Dunhuang (Accommodation)

D5: Dunhuang-Jiayuguan Pass–Zhangye Rainbow Mountains (Accommodation)

D6: Qilian Mountain-Qilian Grassland-Ganshika Snow Peak-Menyuan Rapeseed Flowers (Flower Season in July-August)-Xining

D7: Xining–Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport, Flight at 4:00 PM

Our initial itinerary included attractions like Kumbum Monastery and Yangguan Pass, but due to time constraints and our preference for scenic landscapes over temples, we decided to exclude them. Yangguan Pass is also quite hot during the summer months.

Precautions and Tips:

1. If you are prone to altitude sickness, start taking Rhodiola Rosea one month before your trip. My parents started taking it a few days before the trip and experienced altitude sickness on the second day, resulting in headaches and difficulty sleeping at night.

2. In Qinghai, there is a significant temperature difference between day and night. It is recommended to wear long pants, short sleeves, and a sunscreen jacket. If you plan to stay in Hei Ma River (near Qinghai Lake), bring a thick jacket. It will be very hot in Dunhuang.

3. While you can see the sunrise at Hei Ma River, the accommodation conditions there are quite poor. I recommend staying in the city instead of the scenic area. The accommodation in Dachaidan is also not good, and the prices are high.

4. Control your travel time. We entered the desert, Singing Sand Mountain, and Rainbow Mountains in the late afternoon, around 7-8 PM. The desert is extremely hot, and the sand is also very hot. The sunset there is around 9-9:30 PM, which is the perfect time to go in and see it.

5. Regarding Qinghai Lake: We went to a local Tibetan household where the entrance fee was only ten yuan. The entrance fee for Qinghai Lake Scenic Area is 100 yuan. The scenery is essentially the same, both being on the lakeshore.

6. Regarding Chaka Salt Lake: I recommend taking the small train instead of the scenic electric car. Take the train all the way to the last stop, where there are fewer people and the scenery is most beautiful. It is perfect for taking photos.

7. Regarding Mogao Caves: There are two types of tickets: ordinary tickets and emergency tickets. Ordinary tickets cost 200 yuan, and emergency tickets cost 100 yuan. Ordinary tickets must be purchased one month in advance. The difference is that ordinary tickets allow you to visit eight caves with a tour guide leading a group of about twenty people. Emergency tickets allow you to visit four caves with a larger group. I think if you are just looking to have a quick look, emergency tickets are sufficient. After visiting the four caves, you can enter any open caves without a tour guide.

8. Regarding Rainbow Mountains: Ticket sales stop at 7 PM. You can skip the first three scenic spots and head straight to the fourth one, which offers the best sunset views.

Lastly, be sure to drink plenty of water and eat melon. The fruits are particularly sweet.

I’m adding a question everyone has about drivers. We found one on Taobao, and here is his WeChat account: 18997486544. He’s a great person, very reliable.

I’ll write about Japan later when I have time.