Short answer. Qinghai and Gansu form a high-plateau and desert road trip across northwest China: Qinghai Lake, the Chaka and Qarhan salt lakes, Dunhuang's Mogao Caves and Zhangye's Rainbow Danxia. Go between May and September and allow about 10 days. Expect long drives and nights near 3,000 metres on the Qinghai side.
How long do you need?
Ten days for the classic loop from Xining. Seven or eight days works one way, flying out of Dunhuang. Fourteen days allows the Dunhuang Yadan geopark, Mati Temple and a slower Qilian return.
Distance is the plan
Xining to Dunhuang across the plateau is roughly 1,300 kilometres by road, and the return through Zhangye and Qilian roughly 950. Several days involve 4 to 6 hours of driving before stops. The order of the route is decided by where you can sleep and by which roads are open: the G227 between Zhangye, Qilian and Xining is closed in sections for rebuilding until at least mid-2027, and the return uses the Sunan road and the expressway instead. The sights are the easy part.
Altitude
Xining is about 2,300 metres. Qinghai Lake and Chaka are around 3,100 to 3,200 metres, and the road crosses passes above 3,500. Gansu's desert towns are much lower: Dunhuang is about 1,100 metres. Spend two nights in Xining before going higher.
Reservations that shape the route
Mogao Caves tickets are limited per day and sell out in summer. Book them first and fit the Dunhuang days around your time slot. Access to parts of Qarhan Salt Lake depends on the salt works.
Where to stay
Xining, Dunhuang and Zhangye have good hotels. Between them, rooms are simpler; heating, hot water and a quiet location matter more than a brand name.
Month by month
- Late spring (May–June)
- Cool, clear and quieter. Grasslands are still turning green.
- Summer (July–August)
- Green grasslands and flowers; busiest and most expensive.
- Early autumn (September)
- Sharp desert light, fewer visitors, cold plateau nights.
- October–April
- Very cold on the plateau; some roads and sites restrict access.
