Qinghai 5-Day Perfect Itinerary

🌊【Qinghai 5D4N Divine Guide｜Ultimate Romance Across the Sky Mirror】✨

"When the blue of Qinghai Lake shatters against the snow line of Qilian Mountains
When the salt crystals of Chaka reflect the Milky Way's silhouette
Under the 4,000-meter-altitude starry sky
We touch the purest breath of our planet"

📍【Must-Visit TOP5】
1. Qinghai Lake Erlangjian
▫️ July-August rapeseed fields + naked carp migration, drone shots of "earth's color palette"
▫️ Herdsmen's trail 10¥/person, horseback riding around the lake is super therapeutic
2. Chaka Salt Lake Sky No.1
▫️ Wear a red dress for mirror reflection shots, enter before 10 AM
▫️ Take the train to the end, secret "sky mirror" passage hidden among salt sculptures
3. Qilian Mountain Grassland
▫️ Horseback riding through 29°C summer, chance encounters with rainbow waterfalls
▫️ Arou Temple prayer flag formations, drone shots transform into "faith totems"
4. Menyuan Rapeseed Flowers
▫️ July-exclusive golden ocean, Qingshizui viewpoint for "curve maze" shots
▫️ Fun fact: abandoned railway tracks deep in the fields for perfect Japanese-style photos
5. Kumbum Monastery
▫️ Join pilgrims at 8 AM turning prayer wheels, touch thousand-year-old butter sculptures
▫️ Golden roof reflections on Eight Treasures Stupa, a must for photography lovers

🍜【Northwest Dark Cuisine】
• Xining Mazhong Restaurant｜Sheep intestine noodles + sweet fermented barley, carb overload
• Heima River Roast Lamb｜Freshly slaughtered, juices burst when tearing meat
• Delingha Kangpot Lamb｜Potatoes + lamb + green peppers, spicy to the soul

🚗【Self-Drive Survival Guide】
▫️ Xining car rental: SUV 300¥/day, must-have "Two Step Road" APP for navigation
▫️ Refuel before crossing Daban Mountain!
▫️ Altitude sickness: prepare glucose oral solution + oxygen tanks (20¥/can in Xining pharmacies)

🏨【Starry Sky Camping Elite】
• Qinghai Lake RV Camp｜800¥/night, private hot springs under the stars
• Chaka Star Tent｜400¥/night, Milky Way visible to the naked eye
• Qilian Mountain Yurt｜300¥/night, fall asleep to herders' songs

⚠️【Pitfall Avoidance】
❌ Skip "Qinghai Lake 151 Scenic Area"! Herdsmen's paths offer better photos
❌ Avoid crop tops! High-altitude winds can cause chills
❌ Don’t buy scenic yak jerky! Authentic ones at Xining Wangfujing Supermarket

📸【200% Photo Success Tips】
• Chaka Salt Lake｜Train shots of "lonely traveler" silhouettes
• Zhuole Mountain｜White dresses against "snow mountain & danxia" contrast
• Qinghai Lake｜Drone shots of "road extending into the lake"

💡【Local Secrets】
▫️ Rush to Xiangpi Mountain Pass after rain for potential double rainbows
▫️ Learn tsampa-making from Tibetan grannies, includes free colorful braids
▫️ Night visit to Atomic City, hear retired engineers' "Two Bombs One Satellite" stories

"Qinghai's blue is magical
When you watch the sunrise at Heima River
The sparkling lake suddenly turns into crushed diamonds
Making you instantly forget—
All the city's PM2.5"

💡 Fun fact: Qinghai Lake moves eastward 10cm yearly, may eventually connect to Yellow River~