10 DAYS CHARMING SOUTHERN GANSU & QINGHAI GREAT CIRCLE

Car Transfer: Airport to Hotel

Upon arrival, you will be met by your guide and transferred to your hotel.

Gansu Museum

Pay a visit to the Gansu Museum, which houses over 350,000 artefacts in two main sections: Natural Sciences and History. Here, admire collections of colour-painted potteries from the Neolithic Age, and treasures from ancient grottoes. If your visit ends in the evening, head to the Dazhongxiang food street for a taste of authentic Lanzhou flavours.

Car Transfer: Lanzhou to Linxia

You will be driven to Linxia (139km/approx. 2h). Here, immerse yourself in the unique Arabian-style atmosphere and witness the piety of the Islamic community firsthand. If you wish, stop for a meal to savour Linxia’s local cuisine.

Grottoes of the Bingling Temple

Visit the Bingling Temple Caves, renowned Buddhist caves famous for their historical significance. Ranked as one of the Four Most Famous Caves in China, they are regarded as  second only to Dunhuang’s Mogao Grottoes.

Car Transfer: Linxia to Xiahe

Continue to Xiahe (approx. 2h), and check into your accommodation for the night.

Labrang Monastery

Zhagana Stone Town

Visit Zhagana Stone Town, renowned for its primitive and authentic Tibetan fortress. Here, you can explore the old and rustic pedal houses, immersing yourself in the simplicity of traditional folk customs.

Langmusi Town

In the afternoon, drive 140 km / 2 hrs to Langmusi Town to behold the relic of Living Buddha Kirti V and witness the enigmatic Zhodo Tidro Hermitage, a sacred Tibetan sky burial ground. Then, explore the Namo Grand Canyon on horseback and discover the source of the White Dragon River.

Car Transfer: Langmusi to Tongren with Sightseeing

Embark on a drive to Ganjia Grassland (215km/approx. 3.5h), which boasts undeveloped and less commercialised appeal. Following the tour, continue to Tongren (70km/approx. 1.5h).

Treasures of Tongren

Visit Wutun Temple, where elderly monks explain the fundamental techniques of Rakugo art, encompassing mural painting, thangka, pile embroidery, woodcutting, and clay sculpture, and marvel at a remarkably preserved 600-year-old thangka.

Following the tour, visit Wutun Village, where you’ll experience a home visit with a Raikong artiste, delving deeper into the art of painting passed down through generations. Proceed to Guomari Castle, constructed during the Ming Dynasty, and discover its historical significance as an outpost fortification on the Tunken frontier.

Car Transfer: Tongren to Ledu with Sightseeing

Drive to Ledu to visit the Qutan Temple (180km/approx. 2.5h), renowned for being the best-preserved Ming Dynasty complex in the Northwest. Often dubbed the “Little Forbidden City” due to its similar structural layout, this state-level protected religious complex offers a typical representation of ancient Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) temples, a rarity in Qinghai.

Car Transfer: Ledu to Xining

Continue to Xining (88km/approx. 1.5h), and check into your accommodation for the night.

Car Transfer: Xining to Gangcha with Sightseeing

Depart for Jinyintan Grassland (120km/approx. 3h), reputedly the most beautiful grassland on the north shore of Qinghai Lake. Following this, visit the Atomic City, the development site of China’s first atomic and hydrogen bombs.

Continue to Gangcha (88km/approx. 1.5h) and ascend the hill to witness the colourful flags fluttering in the wind, where you may offer your prayers for peace.

Car Tansfer: Gangcha to Chaka with Sightseeing

Embark on a scenic drive along the northwestern shore of Qinghai Lake, with breathtaking vistas of the sea and sky. Head to Chaka (195km/approx. 3h), and pass through the Quanji township along the way, where you can capture stunning photographs of flocks of cows and sheep against the backdrop of the magnificent scenery of water and sky.

Upon arrival in Chaka town, marvel at the mesmerising beauty of the “sky mirror”, often likened to China’s Salar de Uyuni – Chaka Salt Lake.

Car Transfer: Chaka to Xining with Sightseeing

Drive to Heimahe town (83km/approx. 1h). Along the south shore of Qinghai Lake, from the Heimahe to the Jiangxi ditch sections, be treated to the sight of a thousand tents and fluttering streamers amidst herds of cattle and sheep, before reaching the Qinghai Lake Erlangjian scenic area. Also known as China’s first torpedo launch test base, this narrow and pointed peninsula, shaped like a sword, is a dazzling pearl of the Qinghai Lake tourist area. Continue to Xining (213km/approx. 3h), and admire the majestic Sun Moon Mountain along the way.

Ta’er Monastery

This morning, we embark on a drive to Ta'er Monastery (approx. 30km/40min). Also known as Kumbum Monastery or Ta'er Temple in Chinese, the monastery holds a significant place amongst the Six Greatest Tibetan Gelug Monasteries. It is revered as the birthplace of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, also known as the Yellow Hat Sect. With its rich history, noble statues, and remarkable "Three Arts," this monastery is honoured as "the Second Lumbini Garden" for worshippers worldwide, and stands as a prominent landmark for travellers.

Car Transfer: To the Airport

You will be transferred to the airport for your onward journey.