Northwest Seven Days: Natural Scenery and Human Charms

7 cities | 13 attraction(s) | total distance 6148 km

TIPS

This is an itinerary planner for a 7-day Northwest tour that includes attractions and culinary experiences in Xining, Qinghai Lake, Delingha, Dunhuang, Jiayuguan, Zhangye and Qilian. The itinerary covers natural scenery, history, culture and folk customs, giving a comprehensive experience of Northwest China. The itinerary is reasonably set up and can be adjusted according to personal preferences, and reminds attention to climate, high altitude sickness, customs and habits and other precautions. We hope to bring tourists a pleasant traveling experience.

Day1: Xining

2 attraction(s) · 25 km

The 7-day Northwest Tour starts from Xining, passing through Lahnenchi, Qinghai Lake, Qilian Mountains, Dunhuang, Jiayuguan, etc. Along the way, we taste local food, explore natural scenery, and feel the history and culture, and the colorful itinerary arrangement makes people forget to come back.

Tal Temple

Ta'er Temple is one of the six major monasteries of Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, and is also the birthplace of the second largest Buddhist sect in the world, the Master Kaba. Named after the tower that was built before the temple, it has a history of more than 600 years and is a popular tourist attraction in Xining. The temple's magnificent architecture and rich treasures, as well as its strong religious atmosphere, allow visitors to experience a deep sense of spirituality. The carving of butter flowers is vivid, the murals are colorful, and the colorful embroidery is known as the "three wonders of Ta'er Temple art". In addition, the temple also houses a large collection of Buddhist scriptures and academic works on history, literature, philosophy, medicine, law, etc.

25 km

Mogia Street

Day2: Xining

1 attraction(s) · 0 km

Drive to Qinghai Lake, taste local food at the lakeside restaurant, visit Erlangjian Scenic Spot, check in to the Qinghai Lake Hotel with the option of camping or staying in a yurt.

Qinghai Lake Club

Day3: Xining > Ulan > Haixi

3 attraction(s) · 412 km

Tour Qinghai Lake and Chaka Salt Lake, experience the beauty of the "Mirror of the Sky", taste the local food and then go to Delingha, enjoy the Gobi scenery, stay in Delingha city hotel.

Qinghai Lake Club

239 km

Caka Salt Lake

Qarhan Salt Lake is a famous natural crystalline salt lake located in the Qaidam Basin. It is known as the "Mirror of Sky" in China and is famous for producing enough salt to supply the entire country for 75 years each year. Tourists can enjoy numerous salt sculptures in the area and take a small train deep into the salt lake for sightseeing. Visitors can also experience the lake's unique charm by walking barefoot on the surface and observing and photographing their own reflections. If the weather is good enough, tourists can see mirages forming on the lake surface during the day. However, if it rains for several consecutive days, the salt layers in the lake may be diluted and dissolved, exposing the mud underneath, and visitors should not play on the lake. In addition, there are many small black holes in the lake, which are actually traps that must be avoided. The deeper the color, the more dangerous the situation.

173 km

Delingha prefecture level city in Inner Mongolia

Day4: Dandong > Haixi

2 attraction(s) · 2489 km

In the morning, go to the Emerald Lake to enjoy the scenery, taste the local food at noon, and in the afternoon, go to Dunhuang to enjoy the desert scenery, and check in the hotel at night to rest.

Emerald Lake

2489 km

Dachaidan Town

Day5: Jiuquan

3 attraction(s) · 19 km

A one-day Dunhuang itinerary includes a morning visit to the Mogao Grottoes, a lunchtime tasting of local cuisine, an afternoon visit to the Mingshashan Crescent Springs, and an evening show or night market.

Mogao Grottoes

This tourist spot is also known as the Thousand Buddha Caves. It consists of a digital display center and caves that house numerous murals, grottoes, and relics. Mogao Caves is the top choice for Dunhuang sightseeing. Visitors can watch a movie at the display center before exploring the vast and rich caves and murals. Inside the caves, there are many Buddha images, flying deities, and other figures, ranging from towering nine-story statues to small bodhisattvas only a few centimeters tall. Today, a replica of the original large caves has been created under the Sanwei Mountain, making the viewing experience at Mogao Caves even more diverse and abundant.

13 km

The Crescent Spring of the Echoing-Sand Mountain

The Crescent Spring, located at the northern foot of Mingsha Mountain, has gained worldwide recognition for its unique landscape of "mountain springs coexisting with sand and water". The shape of the spring resembles a crescent moon, hence its name. In ancient times, the spring was known as "Sha Jing" or "Yao Quan". Surrounded by Mingsha Mountain, even though it is located in a sandy area, the spring remains clear and bottom-visible, unaffected by the seasons, and does not overflow during rainy periods or dry up during droughts.

6 km

Dunhuang Night Market

Day6: Jiayuguan > Zhangye

2 attraction(s) · 181 km

Today's tour starts from Dunhuang, passes through Jiayuguan to visit the Great Wall, taste local food at noon, and then go to Zhangye in the afternoon to enjoy the seven-color Danxia landforms, and then check into a hotel in downtown Zhangye in the evening for a rest.

Jiayuguan Great Wall Cultural Tourism Zone

181 km

Colorful Danxia

This region is one of the only combined areas in China that features both Danxia landforms and colorful hills. It is listed as one of the most beautiful Danxia landforms in China according to "China National Geography". The main composition of the Binggou Danxia and Qicai Danxia scenic spots is red gravel, sandstone, and mudstone, which have very unique and majestic shapes. Furthermore, this place has served as the location for many movies and TV dramas, such as Zhang Yimou's "Happy Times", Jiang Wen's "The Sun Also Rises", and the TV series "Detective Di Renjie". Photography enthusiasts can fully enjoy the pleasure of shooting and location scouting here, with many even bringing their professional cameras and lenses. If you plan to come here again on the next day, be sure to inform the ticket seller so you can buy a ticket for the next day and have it stamped with the next day's date. Otherwise, if you come on the second day without the stamped ticket, you will need to purchase a new ticket.

Day7: Zhangye

1 attraction(s) · 0 km

The Northwest Tour itinerary is arranged to Qilian Zhuoer Mountain to view the grassland scenery, at noon to taste the Qilian food, return to Xining in the afternoon, the night to stay in Xining city hotel, the end of the pleasant journey.