Qinghai Plateau: Salt Lakes, Red Canyons And Monasteries – 8 Days

Drive out of Xining to Ta’er Monastery, known in Tibetan as Kumbum, one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug school and the birthplace of its founder, Tsongkhapa. Walk among its gold-roofed halls and look closely at the famous yak butter sculptures, intricate coloured figures made by the monks.

Continue by road to Laji Mountain and take a short trek near the pass, where prayer flags stream in the wind and the Zongkya Lhatse cairn marks a sacred spot. Views stretch across the high grasslands in every direction.

Descend towards Guide and stop at the Yellow River Clear Scenic Area, where the great river runs surprisingly clear and green. Then visit Ashigong National Geopark and ride the shuttle through the Seven-Coloured Peaks, a valley of eroded sandstone ridges striped in red, orange and cream.

Drive north from Guide to Qinghai Lake, the largest lake in China, a vast salt water lake ringed by grassland and mountains. Its colour changes through the day from steel grey to deep blue.

Choose how you meet the lake: a shoreline walk of around four kilometres, or a bike ride of around ten kilometres along a flat lakeside route. Either way, there are wide views across the water and, in summer, yellow rapeseed fields along the shore.

Follow the Ring Road West around the lake and on towards Chaka, crossing open grassland where yak and sheep graze. Arrive at your hotel in Chaka for the evening.

Walk the wooden path of around two kilometres onto Chaka Salt Lake, a vast, shallow salt flat. On still days the thin layer of water turns it into a mirror for the sky and the surrounding mountains.

Then choose your activity: a salt crystal workshop, where you make a small ornament from the lake’s salt, or a 4×4 off-road excursion into the surrounding landscape. Both give you a different way to understand this unusual corner of the plateau, where salt has been gathered for generations.

Return to Xining by private car along National Highway 109, a scenic route over high passes and grassland, arriving in the evening.

Drive from Xining to Kanbula National Forest Park, a landscape of red sandstone cliffs and forested slopes above a reservoir on the Yellow River. Set out on the Red Rock Valley Trail, a hike of around two and a half hours among striking rock formations.

Take a boat ride of around half an hour to three quarters of an hour on the reservoir, looking up at the red cliffs from the water. A geology-focused walk can also be arranged if you are keen to learn more about the rocks.

Continue by road to Tongren, in the Rebgong valley, and settle into your hotel.

Visit Longwu Monastery, the largest monastery in Tongren, with its golden roofs and painted halls set against the hills. Then go to Wutun Monastery, in a village famous for its painters, where generations of artists have created thangka paintings, murals and sculpture.

At the Regong Art Centre, see how thangka are made, from preparing the canvas to grinding mineral pigments and applying fine gold detail. If you wish, try a little thangka painting yourself under a painter’s guidance. It is a calm, absorbing way to appreciate the patience behind every finished work.

Drive back to Xining for the evening.

Visit the Qinghai Provincial Museum, which brings together the history of the plateau from prehistoric times. Try its interactive digital exhibits and see the digital reproductions of the murals of Qutan Temple, a Ming dynasty temple known for its painted halls. Exhibits on the region’s early cultures, painted pottery and Silk Road trade help you put the past few days into context.

Continue to the Qinghai Tibetan Culture Museum, devoted to Tibetan medicine, art and daily life, and home to a remarkable, very long painted thangka scroll.

Spend the evening at leisure. If you wish, you can see a local folk dance performance, shared with other guests.

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel, then your driver takes you to the airport for your flight.