7-Day Guide to the Great Northwest Loop

👉🏻Day 1 1️⃣Xining Whether you arrive by train, high-speed rail, plane, or car, your journey starts in Xining. If time permits, explore the city or rest overnight to prepare for the next day's adventure. 2️⃣Riyue Mountain Legend says Princess Wencheng shattered her mirror here, forming the mountain—a symbol of Han-Tibetan unity. 3️⃣Qinghai Lake China's largest inland saltwater lake, renowned for its deep blue waters. 4️⃣Chaka Town Local specialties include salt-baked chicken, salted duck, and other salt-lake delicacies. 👉🏻Day 2 1️⃣Chaka Salt Lake The crystallized salt surface perfectly mirrors the sky. 2️⃣Qarhan Salt Lake China's largest and the world's second-largest salt lake, spanning vast areas. 3️⃣Emerald Lake A cluster of salt lakes resembling scattered emeralds. 4️⃣Dachaidan Nearby attractions include Emerald Lake and the Nanbaxian Yardang landforms. 👉🏻Day 3 1️⃣U-shaped Highway A section of the G3011 Liuge Expressway, where the road dips into a dramatic U-shape. 2️⃣Water Yardang The world's only Yardang landform on water, surreal and majestic. 3️⃣Dongtaijinaier Lake Once dubbed "Qinghai's Maldives" for its Tiffany-blue waters. 4️⃣Lonely Galaxy A Mars-like environment and a prime spot for astrophotography. 👉🏻Day 4 1️⃣Devil City A classic Yardang landscape with wind-carved mounds. 2️⃣Lenghu Oil Ruins Once a bustling oil town, now abandoned—a testament to the industry's rise and fall. 3️⃣Black Lonely Mountain Known for its dark peaks and Gobi scenery, with striking gray-black slopes. 4️⃣Dunhuang A Silk Road gem steeped in history and culture. 👉🏻Day 5 1️⃣Mogao Caves Home to exquisite murals and sculptures, the world's largest Buddhist art site. 2️⃣Singing Sand Mountain Named for the sound of shifting sands, this dune offers unique acoustics. 3️⃣Crescent Moon Spring Nestled within Singing Sand Mountain, named for its crescent shape. 4️⃣Desert Camping Experience sunset, stargazing, and sandboarding in the dunes. 👉🏻Day 6 1️⃣Earth's Baby A giant infant sculpture lying on the Gobi, symbolizing harmony with nature. 2️⃣Boundless An ethereal white structure built from stainless steel. 3️⃣Rainbow Danxia Famed for its colorful rock formations in red, yellow, and orange hues. 4️⃣Zhangye A key city on the Hexi Corridor, celebrated for its Danxia landscapes. 👉🏻Day 7 1️⃣Qilian Mountain Grassland Straddling Qinghai and Gansu, one of China's six most beautiful grasslands. 2️⃣Gangshika Snow Peak The highest peak in the eastern Qilian range at 5,254.5 meters. 3️⃣Menyuan Rapeseed Flowers In July, millions of acres bloom into a golden sea. 4️⃣Xining Wrap up your 7-day journey and prepare for departure.