Introduction of China Northwest Classic Great Loop Tour

Most of them budget their time when they choose to travel in the northwest, so they usually choose the Great Ring Road. The northwest is scattered and the road is long, so we must prepare enough time. The following small series will introduce you to the classic Great Ring Road in Northwest China. Come and have a look.

First, look at this route from the map of Northwest Great Ring Road, starting from Xining, going to Qinghai Lake, then taking Delingha to Dachaidan on the edge of Qaidam, entering Dunhuang, taking Hexi Corridor to Zhangye, taking the most beautiful 227 National Road from Zhangye and returning to Xining. This is a complete loop, don't go back.

The whole journey is 2,700 kilometers, and the famous scenic spots along the way include Qinghai Lake, Chaka Salt Lake, Qaidam Basin, Mogao Grottoes, Ya Dan Ghost Town, Crescent Moon Spring in Mingsha Mountain, Jiayuguan, Colorful Danxia in Zhangye, Horseshoe Temple, Zall Scenic Area, Qilian Mountain, Qilian Grassland and 10,000 mu of rapeseed in Menyuan. Covering the elite scenic spots in Qinghai and Gansu, it is one of the best northwest routes at present, integrating the natural scenery in the northwest and the human history of the Silk Road. And the whole road conditions are good, whether it is self-driving or spelling/chartering, it is very suitable.

Why choose Xining as the starting point and the end point instead of Lanzhou?

Reason 1: Xining is called the summer capital, and the summer temperature is cool and suitable, while the summer temperature in Lanzhou is too high, the traffic jam in Lanzhou is serious, and the urban environment is not optimistic (I didn't mean to black Lanzhou, it really is ~ ~);

Reason 2: Starting from Xining, you can reach Qinghai Lake on the first day, with a journey of 120 km, which is short and has enough time to play. If you start from Lanzhou, which is 225 kilometers away from Xining, and then rush to Qinghai Lake, you basically have to run on the road on the first day;

Reason 3: The last day of the trip is 350 kilometers from Zhangye to Xining, taking the most beautiful National Highway 227. If you go directly from Zhangye to Lanzhou, it is 520 kilometers, the whole Gobi, and the landscape is monotonous. Even from Zhangye to Xining and then to Lanzhou, it is more than 500 kilometers. It is too tired to run around, so I choose Xining as the end.

Reason 4: Xining has more folk characteristics, with the integration of Hui, Tibetan, Tu and Mongolian. Xining is also the largest city on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Mosques and Buddhist temples abound and are well worth visiting.

How can I take this route?

Most partners are looking for local carpooling or chartered cars to travel freely. Why? Because local drivers are more familiar with the route, it is easier to play with locals who have been driving. The road conditions in the northwest are still good, but there are many Panshan Road and high-altitude roads along the way, and accidents are prone to occur due to lack of experience. Moreover, long-distance driving is easy to fatigue, and self-driving is not recommended.

Carpooling cost: Carpooling in the big loop is generally10.5 million yuan/person; Low season 1200 yuan.

Special instructions:

If the holiday is short and you don't have time for seven days, you can also play the small ring road around Qinghai Lake for 2-4 days.