Northwest China Travel Guide for November: Qinghai Edition

November in Northwest China really means fewer people, beautiful scenery, cheap prices, and lots of fun!!! DAY 1📍Xining Booked a one-day tour including Ta'er Monastery, Laji Mountain, Sun and Moon Mountain, and Qinghai Lake (❗️only includes transportation, cost 138 RMB, leaves at 7 AM and returns at 7 PM, hotel pickup and drop-off included). First stop: Ta'er Monastery. Since my friend and I weren’t very interested, we didn’t go inside. We waited outside for the others. This is the advantage of paying only for transportation—you don’t have to buy tickets if you don’t want to enter, just rest outside and wait for them. Second stop: Laji Mountain, free admission. We were very lucky; visibility was only five meters when we arrived, but it cleared up at the summit, and I saw a sea of clouds for the first time. Third stop: Sun and Moon Mountain, ticket 30 RMB (off-season half-price ticket, students also pay 30 RMB, no further discount). The weather wasn’t great, and the streams on Sun and Moon Mountain had dried up in November, so no reflections for photos. But if you want to ride a yak or hold a lamb, you can bargain. We ended up holding a lamb for 5 RMB and riding a yak for 10 RMB. Fourth stop: Qinghai Lake, ticket 40 RMB (student ticket 30 RMB, not sure why it didn’t save much haha). Free scenic shuttle bus. If the weather is good, it’s perfect for photos. DAY 2📍Xining to Golmud by train You can also pass by Qinghai Lake, and the weather was great that day. DAY 3📍Chaka Salt Lake We rented a car (round trip 200 RMB, arranged with hotel pickup and drop-off). We wanted to join a tour to Chaka and the Water Yadan, but the Water Yadan is really too far, over 100 km from Golmud, so we only went to Chaka. The day I went, the sun was strong and there was no wind, so everything looked bluish-white. If you have a drone, this is a great place to use it. If you want to try the green apple juice, be sure to buy it in advance at the shop on the left after the scenic shuttle bus stop. The shops inside the scenic area were closed, and we had to walk back to get it when we left. DAY 4📍Golmud → Dunhuang The most exhausting day. Booked a one-day tour including Dacaidan Emerald Lake, Heidu Mountain, and a complimentary drone shoot at Heidu Mountain, cost 300 RMB (I recommend bringing altitude sickness medicine + motion sickness medicine. Dacaidan Emerald Lake is about 3200 meters above sea level, leaving at 7 AM and arriving in Dunhuang at 9 PM). First stop: Emerald Lake, off-season ticket 20 RMB, small train 60 RMB. The stops are very close, so the train isn’t necessary. If you do take the train, get off at the last stop and spend 20 RMB to climb the lighthouse for the best view. Second stop: Heidu Mountain, free admission, scenic shuttle bus 60 RMB one way, so you must take the shuttle bus. I suggest wearing black clothes or red/orange outdoor jackets for great photos. ⭕️Little tips ① Hotels in Northwest China are not very expensive in the off-season; you can find very good hotels for around 100 RMB. I booked all under 100 RMB this time, but be sure to check if the room has an outside window or an interior window because it’s very dry in the Northwest, and interior windows can feel stuffy. You can book one night first and extend if you like it, as off-season hotels usually allow you to stay in the same room. ② Regarding food, Northwest China mostly serves beef and mutton. I suggest not ordering too much. My friend and I always say we want to try local specialties, but they don’t really suit our Cantonese taste buds.