Qinghai 5 Days 5 Nights Travel Guide
🌄【Itinerary Overview】
Destinations: Qinghai Lake|Chaka Salt Lake|Qilian Mountains|Menyuan Rapeseed Flower Fields|Emerald Lake (optional)
Duration: 5 days 5 nights
Per person budget: ¥4500-5000|Total budget controlled within ¥10,000
Best season: June to August (rapeseed flowers in full bloom + pleasant climate)
---
🗓 Itinerary|Detailed 5 Days 5 Nights Guide
Day 1: Arrive in Xining → City check-in + Qinghai Lake sunset
- ✈️ Arrive at Xining Caojiapu Airport (early flight recommended)
- 🏨 Check in to a downtown hotel (recommended: Motel, All Season, ¥300/night)
- 🍜 Lunch: Mojia Street snacks (hand-grabbed mutton, sweet fermented rice, yogurt)
- 🚗 Afternoon charter car departure (book driver in advance, about ¥600/day)
- 🌅 Arrive at 【Qinghai Lake Erlangjian Scenic Area】 in the evening, shoot sunset photos
- 🏕 Overnight at a lakeside guesthouse (Heima River or Jiangxi Valley, ¥400/night, breakfast included)
> 💡 Tip: Don’t buy the scenic area ticket! Take the detour to the free viewing platform, the scenery is just as beautiful!
---
Day 2: Qinghai Lake cycling → Chaka Salt Lake “Mirror of the Sky”
- 🌄 Early morning shoot Qinghai Lake sunrise (stunning!)
- 🚴 Morning cycling around the lake for 1-2 hours (bike rental ¥30/hour)
- 🚗 Depart at noon for Chaka Salt Lake (3-hour drive)
- 🌟 Afternoon visit to 【Chaka Salt Lake】 (ticket + small train ¥80)
- Wear a white dress! Wear a white dress! Wear a white dress! Important to say three times!
- Recommended to enter after 4 PM, soft light and clearest reflections
- 🏨 Overnight in Chaka Town (¥350/night, basic conditions, just for one night)
> 💡 Tip: Avoid strong midday light, or it will be all glare! Bring a red umbrella and mirror for better photos!
---
Day 3: Cross Qilian Mountains → Zhuo’er Mountain sunset + stay in Qilian County
- 🚗 Depart in the morning via 【G227 National Highway】— one of China’s most beautiful roads!
- 🏔 Pass by 【Rubber Mountain】, 【Qilian Grassland】, stop anytime for photos
- 🌄 Climb 【Zhuo’er Mountain】 at dusk (ticket ¥80), overlook Danxia landform + snowy grasslands
- 🏨 Overnight in Qilian County (recommended: Qilian International Hotel, ¥450/night, clean and comfortable)
- 🍲 Dinner: Yak hotpot + Highland barley wine, experience Tibetan flavors
> 💡 Tip: G227 has many speed limits, drive steadily, safety first!
---
Day 4: Menyuan Rapeseed Flower Sea → Return to Xining
- 🌼 Early morning depart for 【Menyuan Rapeseed Flower Sea】 (best in July, blooms by late June)
- Ticket ¥60, or find free viewing platforms (like Yuanshan Viewing Platform)
- 📸 Shoot epic photos: tens of thousands of acres of golden flowers + snowy mountain backdrop, visually stunning
- 🚗 Return to Xining in the afternoon (4-hour drive)
- 🏨 Overnight in Xining (¥300/night)
- 🛍 Evening stroll at 【Shuijing Alley】 or 【Xinqian Night Market】, buy specialties: yak jerky, Highland barley wine, black goji berries
---
Day 5: Ta’er Monastery cultural tour + return trip
- 🏯 Morning visit to 【Ta’er Monastery】 (ticket ¥70, guide ¥50)
- Qinghai’s largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery, feel the power of faith
- 🍵 Lunch: local Xining restaurant (recommended: Ma Zhong Restaurant)
- ✈️ Afternoon return flight according to schedule
💰 Budget Breakdown (Total cost for 2 people|about ¥9800)
| Item | Cost |
| Round-trip airfare (economy, depends on departure city) | ¥4000 (e.g., from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen) |
| Accommodation (5 nights, mid-range hotels + guesthouses) | ¥1800 |
| 5-day charter car (including driver’s food and lodging) | ¥3000 (about ¥600/day) |
| Tickets + small train (Chaka + Zhuo’er Mountain + Ta’er Monastery + Menyuan) | ¥600 |
| Meals (about ¥200/day) | ¥1000 |
| Others (car rental, souvenirs, etc.) | ¥400 |
| Total | ¥10,800 (can be controlled within ¥10,000 if airfare discounts apply) |
> ✈️ Money-saving tip: Buy tickets 1 month in advance, choose Tuesday/Wednesday departures for cheaper prices!
📸 Photo Tips|Blogger’s secret
- Outfit: white long dress, red dress, denim + straw hat, perfect for salt lake shots
- Best photo times: sunrise (6:00-7:00), sunset (19:00-20:00)
- Must-shoot scenes: Qinghai Lake prayer flags, Chaka reflections, Menyuan flower sea + snowy mountains, Zhuo’er Mountain panorama
⚠️ Pitfall Warnings
1. Don’t trust “low-price tours,” they are all shopping traps!
2. Altitude sickness: around 3000m elevation, generally no big problem, avoid strenuous exercise
3. Weather changes frequently, bring a windbreaker, sunscreen, sunglasses, lip balm
4. Respect Tibetan customs, don’t casually photograph monks in temples
✅ One sentence summary:
Spend ¥10,000 for 5 days of pure blue skies, snowy mountains, lakes, rapeseed flower seas, and a free spirit — totally worth it!