Follow our Xining travel guide to plan your perfect Xining trip. As the capital city of Qinghai Province, it opens up the key passageway to the Tibetan Plateau. The average altitude in the urban area is 2,260 meters (7,415 feet), which most people can easily adjust to without experiencing symptoms of altitude sickness, making it comfortable for most travelers. After your city tour, head westward to Qinghai Lake and Chaka Salt Lake to see the clear blue sky over the green pastures and herds of yaks.
This article will give you all the practical information on traveling to Xining, the must-visit attractions, how to plan your itinerary, the best area to stay in, and when to see the best views.
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- Top Attractions & Things to Do in Xining
- How to Plan Your Xining Trip
- Where to Stay in Xining
- Best Time to Visit Xining
- How to Get to and around Xining
- Essential Travel Tips
- Explore Xining with China Xian Tour
Top Attractions & Things to Do in Xining
Kumbum / Ta’er Monastery: A Sacred Religious Landmark
Ta’er Monastery is one of the six greatest Gelug Sect monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism in China. It is known for the magnificent top of the Grand Golden Tiled Hall, white pagodas, as well as its “three arts,” butter sculpture, murals, and barbola. The Butter Sculpture Exhibition Hall never fails to leave a deep impression on its visitors.
Visiting Ta’er Monastery is one of the top things to do in Xining. We recommend that you arrive early right after its opening time so there won’t be too many tourists yet. Hiring a tour guide either on site or on the official platform will enhance your travel experience. He or she can tell you about the implications behind the architectural details.
AM: In the morning after hotel pickup we will visit the Tibetan style Ta'er Monastery. In the first month, the fourth month, the six month or the ninth month of Chinese calendar, you will have chan...
Qinghai Lake: China’s Most Beautiful Lake
Qinghai Lake is the largest saltwater lake in China. Most travelers visit it through Erlangjian Scenic Area. It is better developed for tourism with a dock, viewing platform, and boating facility, the best option for a first-time visit. If you prefer a more open view, there are also many viewpoints along the highway around Qinghai Lake.
From July to August, the yellow rapeseed flowers around the lake are in bloom. The golden sea of flowers, azure lake, green grasslands, and the snowy peaks in the distance form a natural colorful painting.
Chaka Salt Lake: “Mirror of the Sky”
Chaka Salt Lake may not seem like a lake at first glance. It’s all white from the salt as if it had just snowed.
Just after rainfall, the lake appears particularly clear under the blue sky. Clouds and snow mountains are reflected in the water. You can take a sightseeing train ride over the white lake and feel the slightly salty breeze.
There is also a large-scale outdoor salt sculpture exhibition in the scenic area whose statues are made entirely of locally produced salt. It’s listed in the Guinness World Records as the world’s largest group of outdoor salt sculptures.
Recommended Classic Xining Tour: 4 Days Classic Xining Tour with Qinghai Lake and Chaka Lake
Explore Xining, gateway to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, visiting Dongguan Mosque, the vast Qinghai Lake, and the dazzling Chaka Salt Lake known as the Mirror of the Sky.
Dongguan Mosque: Magnificent Blend of Islamic and Chinese Architecture
Dongguan Mosque is one of the largest mosques in northwest China. Its architecture may not seem like a typical mosque but more like a classical Chinese palace hall.
The entire mosque complex consists of the Front Three Gates, two minarets, the Prayer Hall, and two side towers. The pillars and beams are beautifully furnished. The mosque is not open to tourists during service hours.
Mojia Street: Most Vibrant Xining Local Life
Mojia Street is technically not a formal tourist attraction, but visiting it is definitely one of the top things to do in Xining. This is where you’ll get to know the city through its local cuisine. Taste the sour and spicy Niangpi, sweet Tianpei, thick handmade yogurt, delicious lamb skewers, and local lamb intestines noodles. Follow this Xining travel guide, you’ll find all of the above and more on Mojia Street.
How to Plan Your Xining Trip
It takes about 3 days to cover the highlights of Xining city and the surrounding area. Here’s a recommended itinerary for your reference.
Day 1: Xining arrival – Ta’er Monastery – Mojia Street night market
Day 2: Wake up in Xining – Qinghai Lake (sightseeing and photography) – overnight in Chaka Town
Day 3: Chaka Salt Lake (best in the morning) – return to Xining
If you’re looking to extend your Xining tour, here are two great options to consider.
- From Xining to Gansu (the classic Qinghai & Hexi Corridor tour): Xining – Zhangye (Danxia landform) – Jiayuguan – Dunhuang
- From Xining to Lhasa: stopover in Xining for a day to prepare yourself for the plateau altitude, then take a train to Tibet (Lhasa).
Recommended Silk Road Tour from Xining: 8 Days Best of Silk Road Adventure: Xining to Dunhuang Overview
Journey from Xining's Tibetan Kumbum Monastery through Qinghai's highlands to Zhangye's rainbow mountains and Dunhuang's legendary Mogao Buddhist cave art on the Silk Road.
Where to Stay in Xining
Here’s a table on the best areas to stay in within Xining City.
Areas |
Advantages |
Best for |
Chengzhong District & Chengdong District (Central Square – Da Shizi – Mojia Street commercial area) |
Concentrated dining and nightlife options; most places are within walking distance |
First-time visitors, travelers looking for night markets and shopping experiences |
Haihu New District (Wanda Mall – Tangdao 637) |
Newer hotels, commercial areas, and facilities |
Families, travelers looking for higher standard accommodations and the newest shopping centers |
Near Xining Railway Station |
Easy access to taking the high-speed train and the airport |
Travelers having a layover in Xining who have an early train to catch, travelers looking for budget inns and hotels |
Accommodations at Chaka Salt Lake:
Chaka Town is the best area to stay in while touring the salt lake. There are many hotel and dining options with a wide price range. It usually only takes minutes to get to the scenic area. Many hotels offer booking and transfer services.
Best Time to Visit Xining
The best time of year to visit Xining is between July and August. During the day, the temperature ranges between 10-25 °C in the city. It gets even cooler at night. These months are the best for outdoor sightseeing to Ta’er Monastery, Dongguan Mosque, and Mojia Street.
From late June to early September is the best season to visit Qinghai Lake. The pastures are lush and green next to the golden sea of rapeseed flowers around the lake. On clear days, the lake showcases a gradation in colors from mint green to cobalt blue.
An ideal Chaka Salt Lake experience really counts on having a clear day, and the best season for that is from June to September. During the course of a day, the best time is the morning, and then around dusk, at noon.
Overall, we recommend planning your Xining trip between early July and mid August.
How to Get to and around Xining
Flying is the fastest way to get to Xining. Xining Caojiabao International Airport (XNN) is about 40-50 minutes away from the city center by taxi which should cost around CNY 70-90 (around USD 10-13).
Xining is the first stop on Qinghai-Tibet Railway. The high-speed railway network can take you to most cities across the country. There are direct services between Xining and Xi’an, Dunhuang, Lanzhou, Zhangye, and Turpan. You can also take overnight trains from farther cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Lhasa.
From Xining Railway Station, you can take a taxi to the city center for about 20 minutes and CNY 15 (around USD 2-3).
How to Get to Qinghai Lake and Chaka Salt Lake from Xining
For a group of 3-4 people, the easiest way is to hire a private car. The drive from Xining to Qinghai Lake is about 2.5 hours. Taking public transportation is not so recommended because it will be very time-consuming as well as complicated to navigate for first-time visitors.
The drive from Xining to Chaka Salt Lake is about 4.5 hours.
Essential Travel Tips
- Sun and wind protection: High-altitude regions have strong UV ray. We recommend wearing SPF50+ sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, and a long-sleeved shirt. Stay moisturized and bring lip balm.
- What to wear: Dress in layers with a windproof jacket on top of activewear. There tends to be a great temperature difference between night and day as well as between the lake area and the city. It is likely to be 5-10 °C colder at night and near the lake.
- Pace yourself to adjust to the altitude: The altitude in Xining is about 2,260 meters and 3,100 meters at Qinghai Lake and Chaka Salt Lake. It’s best to stay in the city the first day you get to Xining. You can explore other areas once your body’s adjusted to the altitude. If you experience symptoms of altitude sickness such as headache and nausea, and if they seem to get worse, you should stay put, return to where the altitude is lower, or seek medical help.
- Etiquette for visiting Ta’er Monastery: Please take off your hat as you enter the monastery ground. Keep a low voice. Put your phone away in areas where photography is not allowed. When you spin the prayer wheel, do so in a clockwise direction. Please refrain from touching the statues and religious instruments.
- Photography at Chaka Salt Lake: Keep your phone or camera in a plastic bag to prevent salt spray. You can bring your own shoe covers or rent water-proof boots at the scenic area. For the best portraits, dress in brighter colors like red, yellow, or navy blue.
Explore Xining with China Xian Tour
In Xining, you will discover gorgeous plateau sceneries without any of the high-altitude worries. Whether you’re setting off for the beautiful “Mirror of the Sky,” the golden roof of Ta’er Monastery, or the delicious thick yak yogurt, as long as you plan your trip properly, choose the right time of year, you’re sure to have a great experience. Start your planning with this Xining travel guide now.
Alternatively, you can also contact China Xian Tour to customize your personalized trip. With 20 years of experience planning unforgettable China trips, our team of dedicated travel consultants, local expert travel guides and professional drivers will support you throughout the journey.
