Secrets of the Northwest – 6-Day Private Grand Loop

A tighter route for travellers short on time. It keeps the essentials – the mirror of Chaka, the coloured basins of Emerald Lake, two nights in Dunhuang with the Mogao Caves, the gobi land-art installations and the Zhangye Danxia – and finishes on the Qilian grassland and the Menyuan flower fields.

Why this trip

• A genuinely private journey: your own vehicle, your own English-speaking guide and no shared group or shopping stops
• Hand-picked four-star hotels throughout, with breakfast included and a downtown Xining base on night one
• A private luxury 9-seat MPV with reclining leather seats, generous legroom and USB charging on every transfer
• 24-hour meet-and-greet at Xining Caojiabao or Lanzhou Zhongchuan airport / rail station
• Complimentary drone aerial footage at the salt lakes and yardang formations, where local rules allow
• Complimentary Dunhuang Flying Apsaras photo experience with costume and photographer
• Grassland gift package: horseback riding, Tibetan attire, archery, a yurt visit and grassland afternoon tea
• Mogao Caves reservations handled for you, plus the digital exhibition centre

Day by day

Day 1 – Arrival in Xining

Overnight: Xining

• A member of our team contacts you the day before to confirm your flight or train details, and arranges 24-hour pickup.
• Meet your driver at Xining Caojiabao Airport or Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport for a private transfer to your hotel.
• Check in to a four-star hotel in downtown Xining, with restaurants and supermarkets within easy reach.
• The rest of the day is free to settle in, adjust to the plateau and explore the city at your own pace.
• A little local butter tea is a traditional way to ease into the altitude. Go easy on alcohol on your first evening.

Good to know: Xining is at 2,261 m. Avoid strenuous activity on arrival and drink plenty of water.

Day 2 – Xining – Riyue Mountain – Qinghai Lake – Chaka Salt Lake – Chaka Town

Overnight: Chaka Town

• Cross Riyue Mountain, the old Tang-Tibet passage and the traditional divide between the farming country to the east and the pastoral highlands to the west.
• Qinghai Lake at Heima River: walk the shore of China’s largest inland saltwater lake, with rapeseed fields and snow peaks behind it in July and August.
• Chaka Salt Lake, the ‘Mirror of the Sky’. Best in soft early-morning or evening light rather than midday sun; shoe covers protect your feet on the salt crust.
• Evening at leisure in Chaka Town.

Good to know: SPF 50+, a sun hat and sunglasses are essential; the mirror effect fades in rain or wind.

Day 3 – Chaka – Delingha – Emerald Lake – Dunhuang

Overnight: Dunhuang

• Leave Chaka and cross the Qaidam Basin via Delingha, the gateway town to the high desert.
• Emerald Lake at Da Qaidam: separate basins in emerald and sapphire green scattered across the gobi, the best drone-panorama stop on the loop.
• Continue over the mountains into Dunhuang for a two-night stay.

Good to know: This is the longest transfer of the six-day version, with an early start and rest stops along the way. This condensed route omits Qarhan Salt Lake and Golmud, which are featured on the 7- and 8-day loops.

Day 4 – Dunhuang – Mogao Caves – Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring – Dunhuang

Overnight: Dunhuang

• Arrive at the Mogao Caves an hour before your slot. The visit includes the caves and the digital exhibition centre, with a site guide explaining the history of the murals.
• Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring: Dunhuang’s signature landscape. The sand literally sings underfoot, and the spring has never dried up – it is known as ‘the first spring in the desert’.
• Ride a camel across the dunes in the afternoon and stay for sunset over the spring.

Good to know: Mogao Caves work on a timed reservation system. We handle the booking; see ‘Good to know’ below for how ticket allocation works.

Day 5 – Dunhuang – Son of the Earth and Wujie – Jiayuguan Pass – Colourful Danxia – Zhangye

Overnight: Zhangye

• Son of the Earth and Wujie (‘Boundless’): two large open-air land-art installations on the gobi near Guazhou, both playing with scale, light and the empty horizon.
• Travel east along the Hexi Corridor, passing Jiayuguan Pass, the western end of the Ming Great Wall.
• Zhangye Colourful Danxia: roughly 510 square kilometres of mineral-striped sandstone, with the park shuttle linking four core viewing platforms.
• Evening at leisure in Zhangye.

Good to know: A long but varied day; sunscreen, a hat and comfortable shoes for the Danxia steps.

Day 6 – Zhangye – Qilian Grassland – Grassland Ranch – Menyuan Rapeseed Fields

Overnight: Tour ends in Menyuan

• Climb back into the Qilian Mountains and across the high grassland, with stops for the open ridges and herding country.
• Grassland ranch experience: meet a herding family, try Tibetan attire for photos, enjoy grassland afternoon tea and, where available, a short horseback ride and archery.
• Menyuan rapeseed fields: in season, a vast sheet of yellow flowers below the snow peaks – one of the signature landscapes of Qinghai.
• The tour finishes in Menyuan. A return transfer to Xining can be arranged on request.

Good to know: Menyuan’s rapeseed flowers peak in July; outside the flowering season your guide adjusts the final viewpoint to the best grassland scenery available. Grassland altitude is around 3,000 m, so take it gently and bring a windproof layer.

Complimentary experiences

April departures also include the seasonal gifts from our programme: a supported desert camp, a guided desert photo session and extra grassland activities. These are weather- and permit-dependent and are confirmed with you before departure.

What is included

• Private luxury 9-seat MPV and professional driver for every road transfer on the itinerary
• English-speaking local guide throughout the journey
• 24-hour airport and railway-station meet-and-greet on arrival and departure
• Hand-picked four-star accommodation with daily hotel breakfast
• All sightseeing stops listed in the day-by-day programme
• Mogao Caves ticket reservation and the digital exhibition centre visit
• Dunhuang Flying Apsaras photo experience and the grassland gift package
• Drone aerial footage where flying is permitted
• Bottled water in the vehicle
• No shopping stops and no compulsory group activities

Good to know

• Altitude: Xining sits at 2,261 m and the Qilian grasslands at around 3,000 m. Take the first day gently, drink plenty of water and avoid strenuous activity. If you have a heart or respiratory condition, check with your doctor before booking.
• Sun: UV is extreme on the plateau and salt lakes reflect strongly. Bring SPF 50+ sunscreen, a wide-brim hat and sunglasses. Shoe covers help on the Chaka salt crust.
• Photography: light, white or red clothing works best against blue water and white salt. Soft light around 10-11 am is kindest; the mirror effect at Chaka is strongest at dawn and dusk and fades in rain or wind.
• Clothing: layers, a windproof jacket and comfortable walking shoes. The lake shores and yardang fields are exposed and often windy, with little natural shade.
• Mogao Caves use a timed reservation system. We book in advance; the exact cave allocation is set by the site on the day. If standard tickets are unavailable, your guide arranges the best available alternative such as the Dunhuang Museum or the Western Thousand Buddha Caves, and confirms the change with you first.
• Most lunches and dinners are at leisure so you can eat where you like. Your guide will suggest the best local kitchens each day.
• Flights and trains to and from Xining, travel insurance, visas and personal expenses are not included.

Local flavours

Northwest China eats well and generously. Along this route you will find whole roasted lamb, hand-pulled Lanzhou beef noodles, Qinghai hotpot, kang-pot lamb, hand-grabbed mutton, Dunhuang donkey-meat yellow noodles, Jiayuguan charcoal grilled lamb, Qinghai aged yoghurt and Tibetan family dinners. Ask your guide to point you to the places locals actually use.