7 Days Grand Loop of Qinghai Gansu Tour

The 7-day Qinghai Gansu tour starts from the capital city of Qinghai, Xining City. After arriving at Xining airport, you’ll be greeted by your private guide and the driver. They’ll help you with luggage and then escort you to check in at a comfortable hotel. Take a short rest in your private car and acclimatize gradually to a high-altitude environment of around 2,200 meters (7,200 ft.), while enjoying some incredible vistas of the getaway city on the Tibetan plateau. So far, Qinghai Province has been inhabited by about 1.5 million Tibetan people, and Tibetan cultural features are also reflected in street architecture and decorations. 

After check-in, your private guide and the driver will accompany you to get a taste of Tibetan culture at Qinghai Tibetan Culture Museum, comprising the south part exhibiting Tibetan historical and cultural objects and the north part displaying traditional Tibetan medicines and treatments. The 4-story south hall will be today’s highlight, and you’ll surely be stunned by the 618-meter-long (2,028-foot) giant Thangka scroll, which set the Guinness World Record for the world’s longest Thangka painting. Created by 400 masters over 4 years, it is painted with precious materials such as gold, silver, and coral to depict Tibetan cosmology, history, religion, and medicine. No wonder it is also called the ‘Encyclopedia of Tibetan Culture’. Also, explore the restored Tibetan dwellings, clothing, carpet crafts, and wooden sacrificial Torma molds, Burang Peacock costume valued in the millions and other precious cultural relics, showing the wisdom of plateau life. After the visit, your guide and the driver will escort you back to the hotel. 

► Dining Recommendation: (at your own cost)
If you start to get peckish in the evening, go for the local halal food, with dishes containing more mutton, yak, and beef. Some signature dishes include lamb skewers, hand-pulled lamb ribs, and Kang pot mutton, featuring slow-cooked lamb ribs stir-fried with onions and potatoes in a traditional Kang pot over a gentle fire. After the meal, try a popular local drink, the sweet fermented barley beverage, to eliminate the greasy feeling. Please note Qinghai cuisine may be a bit salty. It is wise to inform in advance to reduce salt and spiciness when ordering.

Accommodation: Hampton by Hilton (Xining Jiaboyuan) (4 stars)

This morning, your private guide and the driver will meet you after breakfast, and start an excursion to one of China’s most beautiful lakes, also the largest one, Qinghai Lake. Immerse yourself in the 2-hour scenic road trip, driving along the vast grasslands, with an amazing array of yaks and sheep scattered. Vibrant-colored prayer flags flutter high on the hillside. You’ll also view Sun and Moon Mountain and Daotang River from the car; the two sights are stopovers of Princess Wencheng’s journey from inland China to Tibet in the 7th century.  

★ Cruise to Erlangjian Peninsula - Qinghai Lake’s Core Area

Upon arrival at Qinghai Lake’s core sight, Erlangjian Scenic Area, your private guide will accompany you to the pier, where you’ll board a cruise to its sword-like peninsula, taking around 30 minutes. Keep the camera handy to capture the sweeping views of turquoise sapphire waters, fringed by green meadows and rolling snow-topped mountains. Disembark from the cruise, and you’ll then enjoy a leisurely stroll along the sandy beaches, listen to gentle waves pattering, and screeching seagulls hovering above. Afterwards, get to the exit by shuttle bus, and your private driver will be waiting there.

Next, we’ll go back to Xining downtown to get a glimpse of local Islamic culture and feel the bustling market atmosphere. The guide will accompany you first to visit the Dongguan Mosque, the largest mosque in northwestern China, more than a simple religious site, but a center of faith and life for local Muslim communities. The building itself is a mix of Islamic culture and traditional Chinese elements, as the deep-blue carved upturned eaves blend seamlessly with the vast space of a solemn Islamic prayer hall. Stepping out of the mosque, we’ll walk through a lane to reach an authentic local market, Lower Nanguan Street, which offers a wealth of street food options like savory scallion pancakes, egg milk with fermented glutinous rice, baked naan breads, rose cakes, handmade yak yogurt, and dry-fried lamb intestines. Apart from food stalls, you can also discover fresh fruits, spices and stores selling clothing, accessories and handicrafts, a lively market for local purchases. After that, your guide and the driver will escort you back to the hotel. 

Meals: Breakfast 
Accommodation: Hampton by Hilton (Xining Jiaboyuan) (4 stars)

After breakfast, your private guide and the driver will wait for you at the hotel lobby. Today, welcome to the last destination of Qinghai’s itinerary, Kumbum Monastery (Ta’er Monastery), which has a history of more than 600 years. Considered one of the most important Gelug Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, it was built at the Gelug founder’s birthplace, guarding the sacred sandalwood tree born along with his birth. The tree is now encompassed in a giant gold pagoda in the main hall and nurtured by the outside twin trees. It is said that people who pick up a fallen leaf from the tree will be blessed, and you can try your luck! The guide will also show you around the monastery to see the famous “Three Arts”: butter sculptures made under super low temperatures, colorful artistic Buddhist murals, and Tibetan barbola made with embroidery thread and fabric, all depicting vivid images.

Afterward, the guide and the driver will transfer you to the railway station and see you off. We’ve reserved a high-speed train ticket for you to Zhangye, Gansu Province. As the train roams through the majestic Qilian Mountains, you’ll have a chance to view the lush and green grasslands set at the foot of the rolling snow-covered mountain ranges, sometimes blooming with golden rapeseed flowers. About two hours later, you’ll arrive in in Zhangye, and a local guide and the driver will pick you up. Enjoy a private car transfer to the hotel downtown. 

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Dinghe International Hotel (4 stars)

This morning, your private guide and the driver will meet you at the hotel lobby and escort you to appreciate China’s most well-known Danxia landform, about a 1-hour drive from the urban area. Covering about fifty square kilometers (19 sq.mi), Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park features majestic and colorful layered hills that extend to the horizon, formed by the red sandstone and conglomerate that have been eroded and weathered over the course of 135 million years. After arrival, your guide will accompany you to take the scenic area’s shuttle bus to four viewpoints, where you’ll climb up the wooden walkways for a panoramic view of the odd-shaped landform that takes your breath away. The No. 4 Viewpoint offers the most spectacular views! 

► Insider Tips: 
1. The best time to visit is at sunrise or sunset. As the park opens very early, it is suggested that you arrive there before 8 am, which is best for crowd-free sightseeing and avoiding the scorching sunlight.
2. There are only a few overpriced stores in the scenic area offering water and food, so just bring your own energy bars, bread and other snacks. 
3. Wear comfortable hiking shoes to climb wooden steps. Also, carry a hat, sunglasses, and wear sunscreen, as there is no shade at all.Then, let’s return to Zhangye downtown to visit Giant Buddha Temple, admiring the best-preserved royal Buddhist temple of the Western Xia Dynasty (1032-1227 AD). First built in 1098 AD, the pure timber structure showcases the highest standard of that era, with numerous exquisite details to explore. For example, Chinese dragon scales were sculpted beneath the faded upturned eaves in three-dimensional, vivid detail instead of the usual flat carvings. You’ll also view Asia's largest indoor reclining Buddha statue donning the red gilded robe, measuring about 34.5 meters long (113.2 ft.), with his 10 disciples standing behind. Apart from that, the temple’s captivating murals of Monkey King in "Journey to the West" provide a glimpse into ancient Chinese religious art and folk tales.

Afterward, your guide and the driver will escort you to the train station, where you’ll take a high-speed train for 1.5 hours to Jiayuguan. Arriving there, you’ll be welcomed by the local guide and the driver, and escorted to the hotel downtown for check-in. 

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Holiday Plaza Hotel Jiayuguan (4 stars)

Once served as an important stopover along the ancient Silk Road, Jiayuguan had witnessed numerous camel caravans loaded with silk traveling westward through the vast Gobi desert, traversing Central Asia to Europe, which remained an outpost to defend against nomadic invaders. Today, accompanied by the guide and the driver, you’ll explore its existing gems and learn about their historical significance to the Hexi Corridor. The first stop is Jiayuguan Pass, the westernmost section of the Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), which is also dubbed one of the most spectacular Great Wall fortifications, composed of 4 layers with the innermost city as the core. Climb up the 10.7-meter (35-foot) high city walls to appreciate commanding watch towers, corner towers, attics, and gate towers, as well as pavilions and old theater stages. There is also a Great Wall Museum exhibiting ancient Great Wall bricks and iron weapons like swords, armors, bows and arrows, and detailing the comprehensive defensive system.  

Then, we’ll drive about 20 minutes north to the Overhanging Great Wall. Though an attachment to Jiayuguan Pass, it is famous for being the end of the whole Great Wall, characterized by its strategic location atop the 150-meter-high (492-foot) steep cliffs at a 45-degree angle. It looks like hanging upside down in the air, and hence the name. Climbing it may be a little challenging and you can also enjoy it from its foot. Later, we’ll move on to Win-Jin Tombs, to witness hundreds of rustic murals depicting the vivid life scenes of 1,700 years ago, including farming, hunting, feasting, and cooking, even the slaughter of pigs, feather-plucking of chickens, and sheep skinning.

In the late afternoon, bid farewell to Zhangye, and your guide and the driver will escort you to the train station. Board a high-speed train to Dunhuang; en route, catch a romantic sunset as the snow-dusted Qilian mountain ranges are gradually dyed with flaming oranges against the dramatic backdrop of the vast wild Gobi desert. Three hours later, a local guide and the driver will wait for you at Dunhuang railway station and will be ready to escort you to check in a comfortable hotel.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Dunhuang Hotel (4 stars) - Building No. 8

Referring to Dunhuang, the oasis located in the westernmost Hexi Corridor that has drawn countless visitors, the singing sand dunes on the Gobi desert, and the "flying apsaras" hidden in mysterious caves are its iconic name cards. While Dunhuang's glory has gradually faded into history, its relics remain to be uncovered. After breakfast, your private guide and the driver will meet you at the hotel and accompany you to dive deep into the old city on the Silk Road crossroad, where the four ancient civilizations of China, India, Greece, and Islam melted and left their imprints. 

★ Explore UNESCO-listed Chinese Buddhist Art Trove, the Mogao Caves!

Let’s head to Mogao Caves and see two short films with English subtitles first: one to learn about the caves’ historical background, and the other, a spherical screen film to marvel at the sculptures’ details. Then, you’ll be transferred by shuttle bus of the scenic area to the caves, where you can admire 8 caves with a detailed English explanation. At present, there are over 700 caves existing, but only a small selection are rotated to open to the public, and every visitor can sightsee a set of 8 caves, subject to change daily. The most worthy-visited caves include the Cave 96, which boasts the largest giant Buddha statue among the caves, shielded in a 9-story wooden architecture; and the Cave 148 built in 776 AD, housing Mogao’s second-largest Nirvana Buddha statue, surrounded by huge serial Nirvana sutras of 66 plots based on the historical and mythological stories about the death of Sakyamuni Buddha. In the afternoon, we’ll depart to see another wonder of Dunhuang, the Echoing-Sand Mountain and Crescent Lake. The crescent-shaped lake, which has never dried up for thousands of years, looks like a jade inlaid in a sea of sand and nestled in the embrace of the Echoing-Sand Mountain, named for the dwarfing sand dunes singing as someone slides down from the top. The magic thing is that the sand dunes will restore their original shape overnight with the help of the wind. The spectacle of the desert with springs also promises a stunning sunset, though sweating your way up the ladder-like steps partly buried in the sand can be a little exhausting, and the photogenic lake glittering in the golden sunlight at dusk is surely worth it! In addition, exciting sand sledding, bumpy camel rides, and desert motorcycling are all available at your own expense. Ending today’s itinerary, your guide and the driver will escort you back to the hotel. 

► Night Activity Recommendation: (at your own expense)
If you are still energetic, don’t miss exploring the Dunhuang Shazhou Night Market on your own. The typical Chinese traditional architecture and decoration, along with gorgeous red lanterns hung up, just make you feel like stepping into an old-time market. It features local street food stalls as the core, crammed with souvenir shops along the main street, selling handicrafts and accessories involved with the Silk Road, and exquisite copies of sculptures and murals of the Mogao Caves. Some regular excellent cultural performances can also be enjoyed for free during the peak season from late June to early October.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Dunhuang Hotel (4 stars) - Building No. 8

Haven’t been satisfied with Dunhuang culture exploration yet? This morning, your guide and the driver will escort you to the Dunhuang Museum for more intensive cultural encounters. The museum displays the region’s history in a chronological order, covering 14 categories like stone tools, pottery, bronze wares, porcelain, silk, bamboo slips, and brick carvings. You’ll also be guided to see the recreation of Mogao Cave 45, the most famous image of Dunhuang, representing the finest art example of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), with the statue of Sakyamuni Buddha majestically seated in the center, and his two disciples, Ananda and Kasyapa, standing beside him. The lion-shaped stone tomb guardian beast with horns and wings, a funerary object used to deter ghosts and protect the deceased, may also catch your eyes.

Your 7 days Qinghai Gansu tour ends here! Later, the guide and the driver will escort you to the airport or train station for your journey home. Wishing you a pleasant journey! If you’d like to extend your trip to Xinjiang or Central Asian countries along the Silk Road, such as Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, please feel free to contact us for more details!

Meals: Breakfast