Qinghai Travel Guide 2026 - Qinghai Lake, Chaka Salt Lake & Kumbum

What's inside this guide Bucket List · Highlights · Q&A · Itineraries · Attractions · Activities · Where to Stay · Food · Getting Around · Shopping · Practical Info · Day Trips · Tips · Background · Plan Your Trip

Qinghai Bucket Listlakes, monasteries and the golden rape fields

Ride the loop of Qinghai Lake

The 360-km circuit of the largest inland lake in China - turquoise water, rapeseed fields and the yurts of the shore.

Walk the mirror of Chaka

The salt flats that mirror the sky - the 'Mirror of the Sky' of the west, best at sunrise and sunset.

See the golden roofs of Kumbum

One of the six great monasteries of the Gelug school - the butter sculptures, the golden roofs and the thangka halls of Xining.

Photograph the Menyuan terraces

The rolling rape-flower terraces of July - a hundred kilometres of yellow against the green plateau.

Reach the source of the Yellow River

The grasslands of Yushu and Golog - the birth of the river and the wildest landscape of the province.

Sleep in a yurt by the lake

The yurt camps of the Qinghai Lake shore - mutton, tsampa and the cold bright stars.

Top Highlightswhat Qinghai does best

No.1
Qinghai LakeThe turquoise inland sea and the rapeseed shores - the summer icon of the plateau.
No.2
Chaka Salt LakeThe mirror flats of the west - the sky reflected in the salt, sunrise and sunset.
No.3
Kumbum MonasteryThe golden roofs of the great Gelug monastery - the religious heart of Xining.
No.4
Menyuan rape fieldsThe yellow terraces of July - the postcard view of northern Qinghai.

Questions & Answerswhat travellers always ask about Qinghai

How many days do I need in Qinghai?

Three to five days cover the classic loop - Xining and Kumbum (day 1), Qinghai Lake (day 2), Chaka and back (day 3), with extra days for Menyuan, the Kanbula landforms or the long road south to Yushu and Golog.

How much does Qinghai cost?

A three-day trip runs about RMB 700 (about US$95) excluding long-distance hire - hostels from RMB 30 a bed, Kumbum RMB 80, Qinghai Lake boat rides about RMB 50-100, a hired car with driver about RMB 700 a day.

Is altitude a problem?

Xining sits at 2,260 m, the lake at 3,200 m and Chaka at 3,100 m - manageable for most, but take the first day slowly, drink water and avoid alcohol. Yushu and the south pass 4,000 m and need real acclimatisation.

What is the best season?

June to August - green grasslands, clear skies and the rape-flower season of July. The lake freezes in winter and the passes close; spring is windy and brown.

How do I get to Qinghai?

Xining Caojiabao Airport and the high-speed rail from Lanzhou (about 1.5 hours) and Xi'an (about 5 hours) are the gateways; the Qinghai-Tibet Railway passes through Xining on the way to Lhasa.

Can I book my Qinghai trip through ToursChinaTravel?

Yes - email [email protected] or message us on WhatsApp. Our team arranges the lake loop with a driver, Kumbum tickets, hotels and yurts, free of charge and without obligation.

Sample Itinerariesthe lake loop and the southern plateau

Qinghai 4-Day Lake Loop

Xining, Kumbum, Qinghai Lake and the Chaka mirror - the classic circuit. View the plan →

Day 1

Xining - Kumbum Monastery in the morning, the city's Dongguan quarter and the river night market in the evening.

Day 2

Drive to Qinghai Lake - the Erlangjian shore, a boat ride and a night in a yurt camp by the water.

Day 3

The lake circuit - the bird island, the Heima River sunrise, then south to the Chaka town.

Day 4

Chaka Salt Lake at dawn - the mirror flats - then back to Xining past the Kanbula landforms.

Qinghai 6-Day Roof of China Tour

The full province - lake, salt, Menyuan and the grasslands of the south. View the plan →

Day 1

Xining and Kumbum.

Day 2

Qinghai Lake and the yurt night.

Day 3

Chaka Salt Lake, then west through the Dulan grasslands toward Golmud.

Day 4

The long road south - the source region of the Yellow River and the Yushu grasslands.

Day 5

Yushu - the Jiegu monastery, the ma-ni stones and the high valleys.

Day 6

Return to Xining by the eastern road, past the Menyuan terraces if the season is right.

All plans are bookable end-to-end by our team — see the full day-by-day Qinghai itineraries hub, or the day-trip pages for single-day options.

Top Attractionstickets, hours, transport & insider tips

Kumbum Monastery (Ta’er Si)

One of the six great monasteries of the Gelug school, founded in 1577 at the birthplace of Tsongkhapa - golden roofs, butter sculptures and the thangka halls of Xining.

RMB 80 · 08:00-17:00 · Monastery · Tibetan Buddhism

View details →

Qinghai Lake

The largest inland lake in China - 4,400 square kilometres of turquoise water ringed by rapeseed fields, yurts and the bird island of the west shore.

RMB 100 (Erlangjian) · Full day · Lake · Plateau

View details →

Chaka Salt Lake

The 'Mirror of the Sky' - 154 square kilometres of white salt flats that reflect the clouds, reached by the old salt railway, best at sunrise and sunset.

RMB 70 + shuttle · 08:30-19:30 · Salt Lake · Mirror

View details →

Menyuan rape-flower terraces

The rolling yellow terraces of July on the northern road - a hundred kilometres of rape flowers against the green plateau and the snow of the Qilian range.

Free · July only · Landscape · Rape Fields

View details →

Kanbula National Geopark

The red-danxia landforms of the Yellow River valley - towers and temples of red rock above the green water, best from the cruise pier.

RMB 100 + boat · 08:00-18:00 · Geopark · Danxia

View details →

Xining Dongguan Grand Mosque

The great mosque of the Hui quarter in central Xining - the green domes and the prayer courts of the capital's Muslim heart.

Free · Daylight hours · Mosque · Xining

View details →

More in the region on the Qinghai attractions page.

Activities & Festivalsthe lake rides, the salt sunrise and the monastery festivals

The Qinghai Lake bicycle loop

The 360-km circuit is one of China's classic cycle rides - bike hire from the Xining hostels, with the yurts and the headwinds.

The salt-railway walk of Chaka

The old salt line into the mirror flats - the railway sleepers over the white, at the golden hour.

The butter-sculpture festival

The butter sculptures and thangka displays of the monasteries in the first lunar month - the great religious season of the plateau.

The Ma-ni stones of Yushu

The 2.5-km wall of carved prayer stones at the Xinzhai Ma-ni city - the largest such wall in the world, added to by every pilgrim.

Where to Stayhostels in Xining, yurts by the lake

Every hotel below is bookable by our team; browse the full Qinghai hotels directory.

Qinghai Xining Youth Hostel

The traveller classic of the capital - beds from RMB 35, +86 971 615 0671.

Phone: +86 971 615 0671 · Book: Qinghai hotels · or email [email protected]

Xining Qinghai Hu Hotel (Qinghai Hu Binguan)

The lake-view hotel of the Erlangjian shore - doubles from RMB 200, +86 971 851 9688.

Phone: +86 971 851 9688 · Book: Qinghai hotels · or email [email protected]

Chaka International Youth Hostel

The hostel of the salt town - beds from RMB 40, +86 971 824 0044, five minutes from the lake gate.

Phone: +86 971 824 0044 · Book: Qinghai hotels · or email [email protected]

Lake-shore yurt camps

The yurts of the Qinghai Lake shore - about RMB 100-200 a night with dinner, mutton, tsampa and the bright cold stars.

Book: Qinghai hotels · or email [email protected]

Food & Restaurantsmutton, noodles and the plateau kitchen

Qinghai hand-grabbed mutton

The plateau classic - boiled lamb with salt and garlic, from the mutton houses of Xining.

Xining beef noodles

The clear-broth beef noodles of the capital - the breakfast of the plateau, from about RMB 15.

Tsampa and butter tea

The roasted barley flour mixed with butter tea - the pilgrim's fuel, sold in the monastery towns.

The Dongguan night market

The Muslim quarter of Xining - grilled mutton skewers, milk tea and the candied fruit stalls of the evening.

Shopping & Souvenirspilgrim crafts, carpets and the lake treasures

Thangkas and tankas

The painted scrolls of Kumbum - the finest thangka tradition of the Gelug monasteries.

Qinghai carpets

The hand-woven wool carpets of the province - the bright patterns of the plateau looms.

Butter-sculpture souvenirs

The small clay and butter-style figures of the monastery workshops - the local craft of Kumbum.

Salt products

The white salt of Chaka - refined, flavoured or in crystal blocks, the mineral souvenir of the mirror lake.

Full local-product guides live on the Qinghai specialties page.

Getting There & Aroundby air, rail and the plateau roads

By air

Xining Caojiabao Airport lies 32 km east of the city - flights connect Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an and Lhasa; a taxi to the centre costs about RMB 60.

By train

The Qinghai-Tibet Railway and the high-speed line from Lanzhou meet at Xining - the Lanzhou run takes about 1.5 hours, Xi'an about 5.

By coach

Coaches from Xining reach the lake (about 3 hours), Chaka, Golmud and Yushu - the coach stations ring the city centre.

Day Trips From Qinghaithe lake, the mirror and the monastery day

Kumbum & Xining City (1 day)

The great monastery of the morning and the Dongguan quarter of the evening.

Chaka Salt Lake (1 day)

The mirror flats of the west - sunrise over the salt and the railway walk.

The Menyuan Rape Terraces (1 day)

The yellow terraces of July on the northern road - with the Qilian snow on the horizon.

Travel Tipsthings to remember

Take the altitude seriously

At 3,000 m plus, move slowly for the first two days - no alcohol, plenty of water and a rest day before any long walk.

The rape flowers come in July

The Menyuan terraces and the lake shores turn yellow for about three weeks from early July - plan the loop around them.

The lake is cold all year

Even in August the wind off the water bites - a windproof layer is essential on the shore and the boats.

Yurt nights need preparation

The lake yurts are basic and cold at night - bring a sleeping bag liner and warm layers.

The mirror needs still air

Chaka reflects best at dawn and dusk in calm weather - a breeze kills the mirror, so check the wind before the ticket.

Carry cash for the plateau

The lake stalls and the monastery towns are cash-first - small notes for the tickets, the yurts and the mutton.

Background & Historythe province that feeds the rivers of Asia

The roof of China

Qinghai is the source region of the Yellow River, the Yangtze and the Mekong - the high plateau whose snows feed half of Asia.

The great Gelug monasteries

Kumbum was founded at the birthplace of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug school - one of the six great monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism.

The inland sea

Qinghai Lake is the largest inland lake in China, a relic of an ancient sea - its name, 'Qing Hai', the blue sea, gives the province its name.

Plan Your Qinghai Tripattractions, hotels, flights and specialties — all in one place

Everything on ToursChinaTravel is bookable through our team by email or WhatsApp. Here's where each part of your Qinghai trip lives on the site.

Qinghai Travel Guide — the roof of China - salt lakes, high grasslands and the birthplace of the Yellow River

Qinghai Bucket Listlakes, monasteries and the golden rape fields

Ride the loop of Qinghai Lake

Walk the mirror of Chaka

See the golden roofs of Kumbum

Photograph the Menyuan terraces

Reach the source of the Yellow River

Sleep in a yurt by the lake

Top Highlightswhat Qinghai does best

Qinghai Lake

Chaka Salt Lake

Kumbum Monastery

Menyuan rape fields

Questions & Answerswhat travellers always ask about Qinghai

How many days do I need in Qinghai?

How much does Qinghai cost?

Is altitude a problem?

What is the best season?

How do I get to Qinghai?

Can I book my Qinghai trip through ToursChinaTravel?

Sample Itinerariesthe lake loop and the southern plateau

Top Attractionstickets, hours, transport & insider tips

Activities & Festivalsthe lake rides, the salt sunrise and the monastery festivals

The Qinghai Lake bicycle loop

The salt-railway walk of Chaka

The butter-sculpture festival

The Ma-ni stones of Yushu

Where to Stayhostels in Xining, yurts by the lake

Qinghai Xining Youth Hostel

Xining Qinghai Hu Hotel (Qinghai Hu Binguan)

Chaka International Youth Hostel

Lake-shore yurt camps

Food & Restaurantsmutton, noodles and the plateau kitchen

Qinghai hand-grabbed mutton

Xining beef noodles

Tsampa and butter tea

The Dongguan night market

Shopping & Souvenirspilgrim crafts, carpets and the lake treasures

Thangkas and tankas

Qinghai carpets

Butter-sculpture souvenirs

Salt products

Getting There & Aroundby air, rail and the plateau roads

By air

By train

By coach

Day Trips From Qinghaithe lake, the mirror and the monastery day

Travel Tipsthings to remember

Take the altitude seriously

The rape flowers come in July

The lake is cold all year

Yurt nights need preparation

The mirror needs still air

Carry cash for the plateau

Background & Historythe province that feeds the rivers of Asia

The roof of China

The great Gelug monasteries

The inland sea

Plan Your Qinghai Tripattractions, hotels, flights and specialties — all in one place