Qinghai-Gansu Grand Loop - 8 days and 7 nights travel guide is here
The Qinghai-Gansu Grand Loop is a famous tourist route connecting Qinghai and Gansu provinces, with a total length of approximately 2,700 kilometers. This route covers a variety of landforms including plateaus, deserts, lakes, grasslands, as well as diverse cultures such as Tibetan Buddhism, Hui people, and Mongolian people, allowing you to feel the wonders of nature and the profound heritage of human history during your trip.
🎈Must-have checklist:
1⃣Documents: ID card, student ID card, driver's license, bank card, cash
2⃣Electrical appliances: charger, power bank, camera, tripod, camera battery, data cable, earphones
3⃣Clothing: down jacket, jacket, shoes, change of clothes, hat
4⃣ Daily necessities: skin care products, makeup, sunscreen products, moisturizing products, toiletries, lipstick, sunglasses
5⃣Medicine: cold medicine, altitude sickness medicine, stomach medicine, motion sickness medicine
🎈Transportation Recommendations
Charter/Self-drive/Group tour
🎈Qinggan Loop Route Recommendations
🕐Day 1
Meet up in Xining, free time
🕑The next day
Xining-Qilian Mountains-Zhuoer Mountain
Main attractions: Dabanshan Observation Deck, Gangshika Snow Peak, Zhuoer Mountain
🕒Day 3
Zhuoer Mountain-Minle County-Colorful Danxia
Main attractions: Arou Temple, Colorful Danxia
🕓Day 4
Colorful Danxia-Jiayuguan-Dunhuang
Main attractions: Jiayuguan, Dunhuang Night Market
🕔Day 5
Dunhuang-Mogao Grottoes-Mingsha Mountain
Main attractions: Mogao Grottoes, "See Dunhuang Again" large-scale situational performance, Mingsha Mountain
🕕Day 6
Dunhuang-Oil Town-Emerald Lake-Delingha
Main attractions: Oil Town, Emerald Lake
🕖Day 7
Delingha-Chaka Salt Lake-Qinghai Lake
Main attractions: Chaka Salt Lake, Qinghai Lake
🕗Day 8
Qinghai Lake-Xining
🎈Delicious food along the way
Chaka——hand-grabbed, Qinghai earth hot pot, etc.
Dachaidan - Wang's BBQ, not greasy or smelly
Dunhuang - Jingyuan lamb, apricot peel water, pepper and sesame chicken
Zhangye - Chicken Roll
🎈Food recommendations
🍝Lanzhou Ramen: Featuring chewy noodles and delicious beef broth, it is one of the most famous noodles in Northwest China
🐮 Sheep offal: Lamb, sheep offal, steamed buns and other ingredients are stewed and delicious. It is a special breakfast in Qinghai
🍮Boiling tea: A unique tea drinking habit in Qinghai, with black tea as the main ingredient, which is consumed after boiling
🍲Qinghai Earthen Hotpot: Traditional copper hotpot, fueled by charcoal, the meat and vegetables in the pot are delicious
🍛Mutton soup with steamed bun: The combination of mutton and steamed bun, the meat soup is thick and the aftertaste is long
🍱Fried lamb tail: a crispy and delicious staple food made of egg white, red bean paste, water dough powder and flour
🎈Notes
1⃣Don’t go to Emerald Lake without a drone, otherwise it will be difficult to take good photos with your phone unless you have superb photography skills.
2⃣Don't walk into the scenic area. It is recommended to take a sightseeing bus. The lakes inside are very scattered. Ta'er Temple
3⃣You are not allowed to take photos of the Buddha statues. If you are caught, you will be kicked out of the scenic area. You are not allowed to enter the scenic area wearing shorts or skirts.
4⃣ Do not step on the threshold of the temple, and follow the left entry and right exit rules.
5⃣ Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Lake. Don’t go there at noon. It is recommended to go in the evening to see the most beautiful desert sunset. Don’t forget to wear a hat, or you can wear a scarf to block the sand.
6. Always carry some light snacks
🎈 Online souvenirs
1. Large salt grains of Chaka Salt Lake
2. Salt Lake Water and Salt
3. The sand of Mingsha Mountain
4. The horses at the military horse farm have bangs
5. Camel hair from Yadan on the water