Location: Qinghai
Best Time: April-October
Activities:
· Explore the Yardang Ghost Cities
· Walk on the Salt Flats
· Desert Trekking & Off-Roading
Dachaidan Salt Lake
The Damu Desert features salt lakes and sand dunes scattered throughout, with white salt crystals contrasting sharply against the golden sands. The Chaka Salt Lake and Dachaidan Salt Lake create mirror-like surfaces, offering stunning reflections of the sky.
Unlike traditional deserts filled with golden dunes, the Qaidam Basin is famous for its Yardang landforms—bizarre, wind-carved rock structures that resemble NASA's photos of Mars. Explore the Yardang Ghost Cities—Visit Dachaidan and Mangya Yardangs, eerie wind-sculpted rock cities with towering formations.
Driving along National Highway 315, known as China's loneliest road, takes you through vast, uninhabited landscapes, offering a true sense of solitude and adventure.
Altitude consideration: The high elevation (over 3,000m in some areas) may cause altitude sickness. Acclimatize in Xining or Golmud before venturing deep into the desert.
Itinerary Tips:
Start from Xining, visiting Qinghai Lake and Chaka Salt Lake. Then, venture deep into the Qaidam Basin, exploring its deserts, salt lakes, and Yardang formations. Discover Eboliang, one of the most Mars-like places on Earth, and continue to the Kunlun Grand Canyon before heading back to Xining.
It is a week-long in-depth Qinghai journey, immersing yourself in the diverse landscapes of the northwest.
If you want to plan a trip to Qinghai, feel free to contact us, would create your itinerary based for your interests and requirements. Here is a 10-Day Xinjiang, Gansu, and Qinghai Highlights Tour for your reference.
