Itinerary - chartered car

Day1 Shanghai - Lanzhou - Xining
Day2 chartered car starts: Xining - Menyuan - Gangshi Xuefeng - Qilian Mountains - Qilian Grasslands - Zhangye
Day3 Zhangye Colorful Danxia - Jiayuguan - Dunhuang
Day4 Dunhuang - Mogao Grottoes - Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring - Dunhuang
Day5 Dunhuang - Yangguan - Nanbaxian Yadan - Emerald Lake Dachaidan
Day6 Delingha - Chaka Salt Lake - Rubber Mountain - Black Horse River
Day7 Black Horse River - Qinghai Lake Erlang Sword Scenic Area - Tianxia Yellow River Guide Qinghai
Day8 Guide - Laji Mountain - Kumbum Monastery - Xining: Chartered car ends
Day9 Xining - Lanzhou - Shanghai
Smart friends are keenly aware of the hidden dangers of heavy traffic jams in peak seasons, so we decided to reverse the itinerary.

Itinerary - preparation

In 2018, I planned to go to the "Northwest" of the motherland. Looking forward to looking forward to, finally looking forward to the 19-year high temperature vacation. At first, it was only our family of three who planned to charter a tour of the Northwest. Later, with the addition of two other small partners, our team became larger and larger, with 6 big and 3 small. A group of casual and informal people made this journey very joyful and harmonious.
Originally planned to travel by car, but considering the unfamiliarity of life and the fatigue of altitude sickness, we finally chose to charter a car. The chartered car was found through Ctrip, and the customer service is more responsible. After many communications, we finalized the preliminary itinerary.
A few points to note when chartering a car and traveling:
1. Find a travel agency with a good scale and good reputation, which will guarantee all aspects.
2. Confirm the details of the itinerary with the customer service, such as car model, luggage space, whether to book the accommodation yourself or the master, and ask about the points to pay attention to during the journey, including items to carry, oxygen backup, etc. and note on the itinerary.
3. After confirming the itinerary with customer service, the specific route planning still needs to be confirmed again with the driver. Because after all, it is the master drivers who run on the road every day. They are the ones who know the road conditions and the local conditions best. Since you have chosen, you should trust them and refer to their suggestions.
4. Prepare luggage for the itinerary in advance, and if you find something missing, you can have time to add it.
5. Windproof, sunscreen and hydration are very important. The time in the car will be very long, properly equipped with pillows, cushions, etc.
6. Although it is summer, the temperature difference between morning and evening, as well as the temperature difference caused by different altitudes, is very large. Short-sleeved and light down jackets are indispensable.
7. To tell the truth, the biggest effect of rhodiola is psychological. Remember not to run, do not yell, keep a calm mind, keep warm, and there will be no problems.
Air tickets:
Summer vacation is the peak tourist season, and direct flights to Xining are too expensive. We chose to fly to nearby Lanzhou, and then transfer to the bus to Xining when we arrive in Lanzhou.
stay:
Except for the accommodation in Xining on the first night and the last night, the rest are booked by the driver.
Tickets:
Except for the tickets for Mogao Grottoes, other attractions only need to be purchased on-site. Mogao Grottoes are very popular, and the official website releases limited tickets online one month in advance. There are 6,000 Category A tickets per day (the most visited content), we are afraid that the hand speed is not enough, so we let the travel agency chartered by Ctrip book it on our behalf.

itinerary - start

Day1 Shanghai-Lanzhou-Xining

We still persistently choose my old airline, Spring Airlines, not because of feelings, but because of good time and good price.
It took off at Hongqiao Airport at 8:55 in the morning and landed at Zhongchuan Airport at 12:05. There are a lot of people during the summer vacation. We bought a bus from Lanzhou Airport to Xining at 15:30. While waiting for the transfer, I ate the first bowl of authentic Lanzhou ramen at the airport.
The bus drive took about 3 hours, and we arrived in Xining at nearly 19:00. Due to the late sunset, the sky in Xining is still very bright at this time. My friends booked a hotel on Ctrip in advance, this time I chose the Lavande Hotel in Chengdong District, Xining. Although the hotel is not big, it is opposite to a large shopping supermarket and a food street, and there is a delicious ramen shop next to it, which is why we chose it.

There were 3 families in this trip, and we took Spring Airlines with another family. There is also a small partner who flies directly to Xining on China Eastern Airlines, but unfortunately, they encountered a thunderstorm when their flight landed and returned to Xi'an, so it took midnight to fly to Xining. The 6 of us who arrived first had to go for food first. It happened that a friend is a local from Xining. On his recommendation, we came to Ma Yidao Barbecue Food City. It was 8:30 when we arrived, and there were still many people queuing up at this time. We were so hungry that we couldn’t resist ordering 20 skewers of roast meat and two baked buns for Da Da Ya Ji. After queuing for about half an hour, I was finally able to sit down. After ordering all kinds of special snacks, everyone's stomachs were very satisfied.

DAY2 Gate Source - Gangshi Xuefeng - Qilian Mountains - Qilian Grasslands - Zhangye

Early the next morning, I ate a bowl of hot ramen at the halal ramen shop next to the hotel. I made an appointment with the chartered car master at 8:30. The tour of the Northwest Grand Ring Road has officially begun.
The first stop is Menyuan Rape Flower Sea. In early August, the rape blossoms are at their peak, but the large fields of bright yellow flowers are still intoxicating. When I first arrived at the plateau, the slight altitude sickness still had a certain impact. I slowly climbed to the highest point. When going down, I could choose the zipline. The feeling of sliding down against the wind was very enjoyable, and the fatigue of going uphill was swept away. Eyes full of yellow, green, fresh and eye-catching.
Today's destination is Zhangye. The motherland has a vast territory, and the northwest land is even more extensive. The distance between each scenic spot is very far, so the master has to drive four to five hundred kilometers every day, which is quite hard.

The vast territory, we sitting in the car, looking out the window, one after another green grasslands, mountain ranges, and snow-capped mountains that come into view from time to time. . . There are views everywhere. Will there be a viewing platform along the way, so that you can enjoy the beautiful scenery more truly. The passing pastures made our galloping hearts unbearable. "Master, can I ride a horse?" As soon as we asked, the master stopped the car knowingly in front of a pasture. One person, one good horse, enough addiction.
After playing, continue on the road and arrive at the hotel in Zhangye after 9 o'clock in the evening. After traveling all the way, everyone was quite tired. After eating some dumplings for dinner, they went back to the room to rest.

what is my horse doing

Day3 Zhangye Colorful Danxia - Jiayuguan - Dunhuang

It was a long day yesterday, and everyone worked very hard. But as the sun rises in the morning, yesterday's fatigue is forgotten, and the unknown and magnificent scenery refreshes people.
The golden sunshine allowed us who arrived in a hurry last night to clearly feel the city of Zhangye. This morning's arrangement is to appreciate the wonders of Zhangye's colorful Danxia. One of the most beautiful Danxia in China, under the sunshine, it reflects a variety of colorful colors, and one can't help but marvel at the uncanny craftsmanship of nature. If you have a chance next time, come back in the evening, when Danxia is the most beautiful. When we went, the wind was very strong, and sometimes people could not stand still. There are four viewing platforms in the scenic spot, connected by shuttle bus, and the tour takes about 2 to 3 hours.

There are so many uses for red silk scarves

After visiting the colorful Danxia, ​​we set off again, walking and watching all the way, heading to Dunhuang.
Here I want to talk about Jiayuguan. The itinerary includes Jiayuguan, but we will go to Yangguan later. These two attractions should be similar, but Jiayuguan is bigger. We considered the actual situation comprehensively and decided to give up Jiayuguan.
It was already past 8 o'clock in the evening when we arrived in Dunhuang. There is a food street in the urban area, and the flying sculpture at the crossroads brings us back to the era of prosperity, grandeur and splendid culture. Walking inside was crowded with people, and it was very lively. We found a restaurant that seemed to have a better business, and we sat down to reserve energy for tomorrow's journey.

Day4 Dunhuang - Mogao Grottoes - Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring - Dunhuang

The Mogao Grottoes in the summer vacation are particularly hot, and tickets need to be reserved in advance. The official website of the attraction sells tickets one month in advance. There are three types of tickets: A, B, and C. Type A has the most complete spots to visit. There are only 6,000 places a day, and they need to be sold online. We asked Ctrip customer service to help us buy it. You can't buy it that day. We made an appointment at 11 am, watched two electronic exhibitions, and visited 8 caves. In the afternoon, we watched the performance of "See Dunhuang Again" and came to Dunhuang. If you have time, you can feel the history. Watching a performance is a very good experience.

Considering that the sun exposure during the day is unbearable, we arranged Mingsha Mountain in the evening, which is less hot than the sun. The scenic spot is quite big. To go to the top of the mountain or Crescent Spring, you can choose to hike or ride a camel. But to be honest, walking in the desert is very difficult, and there are slopes, so almost everyone will choose to ride a camel. There are many camels in the scenic spot, but the number of tourists far exceeds the number of camels. Each camel has to carry tourists back and forth several times a day, and each round trip takes 5 kilometers. It is very distressing to watch.
About 4 to 6 camels form a team, and each team will have one person leading the camels. They also have to follow the camels back and forth, which is also very hard. When you reach Banpo, you will stop and ask them to take pictures for you, 20 yuan per person, and you can take pictures casually. Later, I looked through the photos, and it was really casual, hahaha.

At about 9 o'clock in the evening, the lights of Crescent Lake were lit, and at that moment, the beauty was indescribable. So friends who go to Mingsha Mountain must wait until 9 o'clock to enjoy this beautiful scenery.
That night, we still lived in Dunhuang. Near our hotel, there was a very delicious ramen shop. After a hard day, everyone ate a bowl of noodles.

Day5 Dunhuang-Yangguan-Nanbaxian Yadan-Emerald Lake Dachaidan

The daily itinerary starts almost before 8 o'clock. The three children are very awesome. No one is tired or crying, and they are all excellent babies. Today our first point is Yangguan. We went there early, so we should be regarded as the first batch of tourists. We are the only ones in the scenic spots, and we can enjoy our shopping. When we came out, we saw a large army coming.

Yangguan is the throat of China's ancient land transportation to the outside world, and it is the pass that the South Road of the Silk Road must pass through. There is a stone tablet "Yangguan former site" at the ruins. Standing here, looking far away, it seems that you have seen pairs of camel teams in ancient times and heard camel bells.

After leaving Yangguan, we went to Emerald Lake. Passing through the Eight Immortals Yadan landform in the south of Devil City, this piece of Yadan is already very large and spectacular.
Arrive at Emerald Lake at about 6 o'clock. This is also a salt water lake, but it has not been developed yet and is not fully open to tourists. If you go deep into the hinterland, you can really feel that the word "Jade" is really worthy of the name. The altitude here is also quite high, and the temperature is low, so be sure to bring a thicker coat, otherwise people will be blown stupid.
The master repeatedly told me that the altitude here is too high to take a bath, otherwise it will be high. But I really couldn't help it, I still took a shower, and there was no hot water in the room, no hair dryer, so I took a cold shower and a cold head. . . Haven't blown dry yet. Fortunately, my physical fitness is still good.

Day6 Delingha - Chaka Salt Lake - Rubber Mountain - Heima River

Today, I will visit one of the most anticipated attractions in this itinerary, Chaka Salt Lake. It has become very popular in the past two years, and its reputation is red. The clothes of the tourists who come here are also red. They are all wearing red skirts and holding red scarves to take pictures.

You can take a small train back and forth in the scenic spot, and there are a lot of people queuing up for the outbound journey. It is recommended to walk in and then take the train out. It also depends on fate to capture the feeling of the sky. It cannot be done without the sun, and it cannot be done with too much wind.
Many people walked into the salt lake to take pictures, and went down barefoot, stepping on the coarse salt grains, which caused lower pain. I don't know what kind of belief made me stick to it.

In the evening we lived in a small town by Qinghai Lake. The nights here are quiet. I was looking forward to shooting the starry sky at night, but it was cloudy, so I had to give up.

Day7 Black Horse River-Qinghai Lake Erlang Sword Scenic Spot-Guideqing

Now the only scenic spot open to Qinghai Lake is Erlangjian Scenic Area. But the personal experience, the difference between the scenic spot and the imagination in the mind is too big. The scenic spot is very small, and the scenic spots are all artificially built, especially the small train, which is a short distance and the price/performance ratio is too low.

When we came out of the scenic spot, under our strong request, the driver took us to the pastures of some herdsmen by the lake, which is the wild scenic spot that people often say. There are large golden rapeseed flowers and green wheat fields. The background is Qinghai Lake, which is shining golden under the sun, not to mention how beautiful it is. Here everyone is happy to let go.

In the evening, the master took us to a roasted whole lamb restaurant that locals often go to.

Day8 Guide-Laki Mountain-Tar Monastery-Xining: Chartered car ends

Time flies, and the 7-day tour of the Grand Ring Road is coming to an end. On the last day, we climbed over Laki Mountain, returned to Xining, and visited Kumbum Monastery.
It is very hard for the master to drive all the way, and it is not easy. If you understand and trust each other during the itinerary, you will be very harmonious and happy.
In the evening, we went to the Xining night market and found that the Mala Tang in Xining was really delicious, hahaha, I still can’t forget it. If you have a chance, you must come and taste it.

Day9 Xining-Lanzhou-Shanghai

This is the last day in the Northwest. Coincidentally, it coincides with the Eid al-Adha of the Hui people. The Hui brothers have a collective holiday for 3 days. The ramen masters have gone to the festival, and there is no place to eat breakfast. Hahaha, so embarrassing.
Eid al-Adha is one of the two major festivals of Islam, also known as Eid al-Adha, the scene of pilgrimage is very spectacular, lucky to be able to meet it.


This trip allowed the three families who traveled together for the first time to build a deep friendship. Everyone is looking forward to the next trip.