Beijing to Qinghai Lake Four-Day Tour Strategy

Qinghai Lake is located in Qinghai Province. It is the largest inland saltwater lake in China. It has abundant and well-developed natural resources and ecosystems, as well as the unique cultural charm of the Tibetan people. It is the best place to cultivate one’s mind and body. Here is a four-day tour strategy from Beijing to Qinghai Lake.

Beijing – Tashi Lhunpo Monastery (Xining) – Chaka Salt Lake – Qinghai Lake – Xining – Beijing

Before the trip to Qinghai Lake, we were excited, thrilled, and full of anticipation.

Preparation before the trip to Qinghai:

I started to check various strategies online after knowing that I was going to travel to Qinghai. But because I was too excited and wanted to take beautiful photos, I only thought about buying beautiful clothes and preparing a pair of comfortable shoes. I didn’t do much research about other things. Now, I’d like to introduce the items to prepare:

First, you must do a good job of sun protection. Prepare sunscreen, sunglasses, and a large-brimmed sun hat (if you haven’t prepared them, don’t worry, they are available in Qinghai for 10 yuan each, which is both cheap and beautiful. But I prefer my own hat because it can be folded and put into the bag, which saves space and is easy to store).

You must bring an umbrella or a dual-purpose umbrella for sunny and rainy days. Bring an umbrella. Bring an umbrella. Bring an umbrella. It’s important to say it three times. Why? This is related to the little incident at Chaka Salt Lake. Our tour guide may have been a bit upset with us because we refused to go to his recommended paid attractions, so he didn’t want to talk to us. He didn’t remind us that the weather at the salt lake is even more volatile than a girl’s mood. We arrived at the salt lake at about 1 pm, and the weather was a bit cloudy. Although we brought an umbrella, we wanted to travel light and left it in the car and went directly into the scenic area. It took only 10 minutes to walk from the entrance to the viewing platform, and dark clouds came from behind us. Rain started to pour immediately. With the cool wind, it was so refreshing! I was wearing a red long skirt to take beautiful photos. It was all wet, making me look like a red tomato that had been soaked in rain. It was really awkward! We took shelter from the rain for 15 minutes under the eaves of the shop selling handicrafts. We thought that our trip to Chaka Salt Lake would end in the rain and we would go straight back. When the rain stopped, we all took pictures on the platform, and then my beautiful friends Yu Chan and Jun Yang and I started our photo journey. The sun was shining at that time, where was the trace of the rain just now? The beautiful sky mirror presented itself in front of us. It is truly amazing how nature works!

Second, you need to prepare a pair of comfortable shoes. Although we will be traveling by car, we still need to walk in the scenic area. To avoid foot pain, shoes are the most important thing!

Third, you need to prepare a windbreaker. Even if you go in the summer, you need to prepare one. The sunrise at Qinghai Lake is beautiful but cold. There is a big temperature difference between day and night. If you want to watch the sunrise, you must wear warm clothes! If you are particularly afraid of cold, it is best to prepare a pair of thin leggings to wear when watching the sunrise. You can take them off before going to the scenic spot, because it will be hot during the day. (If you go to Qinghai at a later time, please prepare thicker clothes according to your own situation! We went in mid-June, and it was a little cold).

Fourth, you need to prepare a bright colored piece of clothing or a skirt. It will be beautiful to take photos at Qinghai Lake or the salt lake! Ps: If you go to the salt lake first, it’s better to prepare another bright piece of clothing, otherwise, your clothes will be covered with salt, and you won’t be able to wear them the next day. Don’t tell me that you can wash them and wear them again, because the weather in Qinghai won’t let your clothes dry overnight! Or prepare a bright colored shawl, which can keep you warm and be used for taking photos, two birds with one stone! The skirt I wore in the photo above was covered with white salt after I got off the lake, and it was shining under the sun, turning me from a watery tomato into a tomato sprinkled with “sugar”! Ps: On the third day at Qinghai Lake, I could only wear plain clothes, and there are no beautiful photos!

Fifth, prepare wet wipes and tissues to wipe off the salt on your legs and feet after getting off the salt lake. This is very important!

Sixth, you need to prepare face masks and skin care products. You must bring face masks! Although the weather in Qinghai is very comfortable, the air is dry and the temperature difference between day and night is large, making your skin prone to dehydration. After a day of sunbathing, it feels like the moisture in your body has evaporated, especially after applying sunscreen all day. Your skin cannot breathe properly. You must wash your face well at night and apply a face mask. It is so comfortable! Ps: You must prepare a moisturizing face mask. Your skincare products should also be able to lock in moisture! Pps: When taking an airplane, please pay attention to the regulations regarding the amount of skincare products you can carry!

Seventh, prepare a power bank and a selfie stick. How can you keep the beautiful scenery? Please use a selfie stick to keep both the scenery and yourself in your phone! Taking photos consumes a lot of power. Please prepare a power bank. If you are taking a plane, please put the power bank in your carry-on bag, do not check it! You must abide by the aviation regulations. Happy and safe travel is the most important thing.

Eighth, prepare emergency medicine, such as cold medicine, diarrhea medicine, and band-aids. You only need to prepare emergency medicine. You don’t need to carry a lot. There are pharmacies in Xining where you can buy medicine. If you take special medicine, please prepare it according to your own situation! If you are afraid of altitude sickness, please prepare glucose powder. Drink it twice a day with water. Please note that you should drink the right amount.

Ninth, you don’t need to prepare a large suitcase for a trip to Qinghai. A carry-on suitcase can hold all the equipment for a four-day, three-night trip. If you want to go to the snow mountain or other places, you can consider a large suitcase. Just pay attention when checking it in.

Tenth, if you travel with a group, please follow the group rules. Be sure to save the tour guide’s phone number, so you can call the tour guide for help if necessary. If you need to go out in Xining during your free time, you can take a taxi. The starting price for a taxi in Xining is 8 yuan. You can also use Didi Chuxing, which is very convenient!

Precautions in Qinghai:

First, I don’t think there are any special products to buy in Qinghai. You can buy some yak jerky. Black goji berries and red goji berries are generally average, and it is easy to buy fake ones. If you want to give them as gifts, it is recommended that you buy them on Taobao. You will receive the express delivery when you get home, which is polite and cost-effective. It’s better to choose a store with good reputation on Taobao (just my personal suggestion).

Second, the most worthwhile thing to buy in Qinghai is the salt sculpture crafts from Chaka Salt Lake. We didn’t find any shops selling salt sculptures in Xining. Maybe we didn’t find them. There is only one store on Taobao, but there are no reviews, so I dare not buy it. This is very characteristic and commemorative as a gift. There are many stalls selling salt sculptures at the exit of the salt lake scenic area, in various sizes and prices. You can compare the prices of several stalls before buying. Ps: They are all very cute! I only bought two because I had no place to put them, woohoo…

Third, it is very important to pay attention to this so you don’t waste money. If you travel with a group, the tour guide will definitely persuade you to buy oxygen. You are afraid of altitude sickness. In fact, don’t be afraid. Don’t run or do strenuous exercise. Use glucose powder. Most importantly, don’t tell yourself that you will get altitude sickness. Actually, it’s fine. If you are really worried, it is recommended that you buy an oxygen tank in a regular pharmacy in Xining. One tank costs about 20-30 yuan, which is the same as the oxygen tank the tour guide recommends. But the tour guide recommends a tank for 90 yuan. It is expensive and only has about 100 presses of oxygen, so it is not very useful. It’s mainly a psychological suggestion. You feel relieved after breathing it. But you should consider whether to buy it according to your own situation. Ps: My feeling is that it helps with breathing a little. I didn’t feel much difference other than that!

Fourth, our first-day itinerary took us to Xining, the second day to Chaka Salt Lake, and we stayed overnight at Qinghai Lake. Those who are going to travel this route must wash your hair and take a bath in Xining. Because Qinghai is at a high altitude, the tour guide told us that we are not recommended to wash our hair to prevent altitude sickness. I had altitude sickness when I arrived at the Qinghai Lake accommodation on the second day. I felt nauseous. I felt nauseous when I saw and smelled food. Even thinking about food made me nauseous. I felt weak and short of breath, so I didn’t eat dinner. I didn’t get to try the delicious yak meat stew with potatoes, woohoo! Ps: Altitude sickness symptoms are mainly difficulty breathing, nausea, dizziness, chest tightness, and weakness. My colleague had more serious symptoms. So everyone must pay attention, don’t do strenuous exercise, keep a peaceful mind, don’t tell yourself that you will have altitude sickness. I’ve digressed. Back to why washing your hair and taking a bath is not recommended. It’s because bathing and washing your hair consumes a lot of energy and can lead to hypoxia. So be sure to wash your hair and take a bath in Xining, otherwise you will have to go to Qinghai Lake on the third day with oily hair!

Fifth, it is really cold at night at Qinghai Lake. We went earlier, in mid-June. Please pay attention to keeping warm. It was cold because we were by the sea on the third day at Qinghai Lake. We wore jackets all day long. A short-sleeved shirt plus a jacket is enough. It was still very sunny and the sun was strong. There are not many entertainment options at Qinghai Lake. You can visit the island in the center of the lake. You can ride a dune buggy on the island, which is a close encounter with Qinghai Lake. You have to walk on the island, or you can take an electric car, but I think walking can see better scenery and take more beautiful photos. Ps: You can rent a bicycle at the entrance of Qinghai Lake, but I don’t recommend renting one, because the bus that takes you back to Xining from the island stops near the exit. If you store the bicycle at the place where you get on the boat, you must return it, otherwise you will not get your deposit back. You will have to walk back to the dock to get the bicycle and then ride to the exit. The exit is a large uphill road, which is very tiring and can cause hypoxia.

Sixth, the tour guide told us that the best time to go to Qinghai is from July to August because the canola flowers are all in bloom and you can see them. We saw many canola flowers planted by people next to Qinghai Lake on the bus back to Xining. Someone was taking care of them. It may cost money to enter and take pictures. I don’t know the details. We traveled with a group and didn’t stop to see them. If you are driving by yourself, you might be more free. It is recommended that you see the canola flowers, which should be beautiful with a large field of blooming flowers!

Seventh, don’t travel alone. Although it can be more unrestrained and free, it is easy to encounter danger, or if you have altitude sickness, you will have no one to take care of you. Remember that traveling is about expanding your knowledge, enriching your experience, and making life more fulfilling, not about taking risks! Safety is the most important thing! I have written a lot of nonsense. Although it is just my own feelings, I hope my little strategy can help those who need to travel. Thank you for reading my rambling for so long. This trip to Qinghai Lake has come to a perfect end. I am very happy. I hope that those who are going can also have a good time! Ps: The weather in Qinghai is really changeable. It may be warm during the day but cold at night, or it may be raining one moment and sunny the next. Please pay attention and avoid catching a cold!

Why write a strategy? Because everyone asked me about the precautions and recommendations for my trip to Qinghai after seeing the photos I posted on Moments. To explain more clearly, and because I can’t stop talking once I start, so I wrote this little strategy in my spare time. Please accept it, my dear friends. Give me a like for all the effort I put into making this strategy for you and for typing every word. Let me be happy!

Here are some beautiful photos of Chaka Salt Lake and Qinghai Lake. They were taken by my colleagues. I stole them to use. Forgive my terrible photography skills!

I can only upload 9 pictures, so just make do with it!

Qinghai Lake Sunrise

Qinghai Lake

Qinghai Lake Erlangjian

Qinghai Lake – Erlangjian – Island in the center of the lake