Northwest Grand Loop Self-driving Tour Route

Self-driving enthusiasts must take a trip along the Northwest Grand Loop, the most beautiful Grand Loop in China. Plateaus, lakes, deserts, and countless magnificent natural landscapes, both beautiful and mysterious, are all here. Below are recommended routes for self-driving trips to the Northwest.

Xining—Taishi Temple—Laji Mountain—Riyue Mountain—Daotang River—Qinghai Lake—Heimahe Township—Chaka Salt Lake—Delingha—Yadan Geological Park—Jiayuguan—Dunhuang—Mogao Caves—Mingsha Mountain Crescent Moon Spring—Jiayuguan—Zhangye—Qilian Mountain Grassland—Zuoer Mountain—Menyuan—Xining

Menyuan

The best time to view the rapeseed flowers in Menyuan is in July. Compared to rapeseed flowers in the south, these are truly awe-inspiring.

What’s most surprising is that the flower fields aren’t confined to a single scenic spot. They stretch for miles along the way, covering every area that isn’t mountainous. The area of rapeseed flowers reaches 600,000 mu (about 40,000 acres).

The fields mostly slope towards the river, and from the riverbank, they look like a sea of gold stretching as far as the eye can see, complementing the Qilian Mountains.

The golden expanse is like a carpet, rolling up and down, spreading out gently, presenting a breathtaking view.

Qinghai Lake

A sea of flowers meets a lake, a dreamy and intoxicating spectacle.

Qinghai Lake, vast and blue, is like a crystal clear jade gently swaying.

Under the deep blue sky of the plateau, golden yellow flowers intertwine with verdant meadows, and beyond them lies an endless expanse of blue water.

The boundless azure water is surrounded by sparkling golden yellow, and the wildflowers in the highland pastures are colorful and vibrant, like a tapestry of silk. Countless plump and healthy cattle and sheep dot the landscape.

Chaka Salt Lake

Chaka Salt Lake has always been known as the Chinese version of “Sky Mirror.” It’s a famous natural crystallized salt lake in the Qaidam Basin, separated from Qinghai Lake, and its beauty is otherworldly.

Pure, reflective, a blend of blue and white, like a dream. You can walk barefoot on the lake surface to see and capture your reflection.

The most alluring aspect of Chaka is the railway that stretches towards the heart of the lake. The railway was built in 1958 and has a gauge of only 60 centimeters, making it one of the few remaining “inch-gauge” railways in existence.

Take a leisurely ride on this railway, venture into the depths of the salt lake when the crowds begin to disperse, and await a beautiful salt lake sunset.

Emerald Lake

Emerald Lake, nestled in the heart of the Qaidam Basin, is another Sky Mirror, yet distinct from Chaka Salt Lake.

It’s more secluded and less known. Emerald green, mint blue, amber yellow, milky white, from an aerial view, it’s like emeralds, ambers, and turquoise embedded in the earth.

Green is showcased in its entirety here: light green, deep green, dark green, blue-green, tender green, emerald green, and turquoise green. They are either deep or shallow, or intense or subtle, like pieces of “emerald” embedded in the earth.

Clouds drift by, and you can walk along the edge of the lake area or sit on a lonely island, enjoying the scenery at your leisure.

Crescent Moon Spring

For millennia, this crescent-shaped spring has accompanied the yellow sand. It’s like a crescent moon, silently nestled in the embrace of the sand dunes, so resolute and graceful.

We slowly climb the sand dune, overlooking Crescent Moon Spring. Blowing on the evening breeze, we can admire the desert sunset from the summit, experiencing the vastness and desolation of the Northwest desert.

This crescent moon bay is a natural wonder. Surrounded by sand on all sides, the water has never dried up for a thousand years. The dense reeds by the spring are a sight to behold.

Dunhuang, oh Dunhuang, is full of wonders. You can’t see it all at once, and looking at it makes you lose yourself in wonder.

Zhangye

Before coming to Zhangye, many people think the Northwest is devoid of color, with only gray-yellow sand and endless Gobi desert.

But only after visiting Zhangye will you understand how vibrant the colors of the Northwest are!

It’s like painting on the mountaintops with colored pencils, one stroke at a time, predominantly orange-red, interspersed with pale yellow, off-white, and blue, with some areas reflecting a golden glow in the occasional sunlight.

Every hill here boasts such a vibrant and colorful palette, a testament to nature’s generosity.

Qilian Mountain Grassland

Qilian Mountain Grassland is one of the six most beautiful grasslands in China. The terrain here is flat, the grass is lush, and wildflowers bloom across the grasslands.

Blue sky, white clouds, prayer flags, wildflowers, and cattle and sheep dotted amidst them, returning to simplicity, like a fairyland.

The vast grasslands stretch for miles like a green carpet, leaving the essence of the Qilian Mountains etched in everyone’s heart.

Qilian Mountain, which connects with the grassland, remains snow-capped year-round, its scenery like a stunning painting.

China is incredibly beautiful, with seven parts of it in the Northwest. Get in your car and embark on a journey to the Northwest with your loved ones!