Eight-day travel guide to Hoh Xil

Hello everyone! This time, I'm taking you on an 8-day loop through Northwest China's wildest, most desolate, and most breathtaking landscapes—from the azure waters of Qinghai Lake to the "Sky Mirror" of Chaka Salt Lake, through the Martian landscape of Qaidam, to the lonely end of Highway 315, deep into the edge of the Hoh Xil Mountains to watch Tibetan antelopes gallop, and then plunging headfirst into the millennia-old sandstorms of Dunhuang and the colorful dreamscape of Zhangye... This isn't just a journey; it's a pilgrimage to the wilderness. 🗓️ Day 1: Xining → Qinghai Lake → Chaka Salt Lake → Chaka Town 🚗 Approximately 500km | Gradually increasing to 3,200 meters in altitude ✅ Morning: Drive to Qinghai Lake, China's largest saltwater lake. 📌 Recommended stop: Non-toll section outside Erlangjian Scenic Area (less crowded, more beautiful scenery) 📷 Photo Tip: Backlit shots of the lake's shimmering golden light, paired with prayer flags for even more stunning photos. ✅ Afternoon: Visit the "Sky Mirror" at Chaka Salt Lake (admission + train ride 100 yuan) ⚠️ Wear a red dress! Walking barefoot on the crystallized salt layers creates stunning reflections. 🌤️ Key: Enter the park on a sunny, calm day for the best mirror-like effect. 🏨 Overnight in Chaka Town. Avoid showering in an oxygen-supplied room. 🗓️ Day 2: Chaka → Qaidam Basin → Qarhan Salt Lake → Golmud 🚗 Approximately 600km | Journey through the heart of the "Sea of ​​Death" ✅ Scenery: Endless Gobi Desert, dry lakebeds, and wind-eroded landforms—it feels like driving on Mars. ✅ Qarhan Salt Lake (the world's second-largest salt lake): 📍 From a distance, you can admire the "Ten Thousand Meter Salt Bridge"—a highway bridge paved with salt that feels like walking on white jade. ⚠️ Note: Extended stays are not recommended due to the dry air and high salt content. 🏨 Overnight in Golmud (2,800 meters above sea level), the last refueling stop before entering Tibet. 🗓️ Day 3: Golmud → View Yuzhu Peak from afar → Hoh Xil Nature Reserve → Golmud 🚗 Round trip (approximately 400km) | Maximum altitude: 4,800 meters ✅ Depart early morning and cross the Kunlun Pass (4,767 meters) 🏔️ View Yuzhu Peak (6,178 meters): the most easily visible glacier peak in the Geladandong Snow Mountain Group ✅ Entering the outer reaches of the Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve: 📍 Stop at the Sonam Darje Nature Reserve (a must-see!) 🐾 Recommended observation point: Along the Wudaoliang to Chumar River route, herds of Tibetan antelopes are often seen crossing the Qinghai-Tibet Highway in the early morning. 📌 Important Reminder: Do not enter the core area without permission! Illegal and dangerous. Feeding, honking, or getting out of your vehicle to chase wild animals is strictly prohibited. Please take away all trash, not even a piece of paper. 🌙 Return to Golmud to rest and recharge for the next wilderness journey. 🗓️ Day 4: Golmud → G315 Devil's Highway → Dongtaijinaier Lake → Water Yadan → Daxiadan 🚗 Approximately 700km | A day of ultimate wilderness aesthetics. ✅ National Highway G315: Known as the "Chinese version of Route 66," it stretches straight to the sky, with uninhabited areas extending on both sides. 📸 Must-take photo: The "End of the Sky Road" illusion, with a red dress standing in the middle of the road (be careful!) ✅ Dongtaijinaier Lake: Tiffany-blue water and white salt flats, resembling an alien lake (water volume has decreased in recent years, so it's recommended to check for the latest updates). ✅ Water Yadan: The world's only "floating Devil's City" 🌅 At sunset, the setting sun illuminates thousands of earth forests, creating a magical landscape. 🏨 Overnight in Daxiadan Town, soak in a hot spring to soothe fatigue. 🗓️ Day 5: Daxiadan → Emerald Lake → Heidu Mountain → Dunhuang 🚗 Approximately 500km | A day of vibrant colors ✅ Daxiadan Emerald Lake: Even more exotic and vibrant than Chaka! 💚 The lake's mineral-rich waters create a vibrant palette of green, blue, and yellow, stunning from aerial photography. ✅ Heidu Mountain: Known as the "Scar of the Earth" 🖤 The entire mountain is pitch black, its gravelly terrain barren of vegetation, creating a sense of mystery. 📷 Photography Tip: Use silhouettes against the black mountain to create an apocalyptic atmosphere. 🌙 Arrive in Dunhuang and stay near Shazhou Night Market. Don't miss the donkey meat noodles for dinner! 🗓️ Day 6: Dunhuang Highlights in One Day – Mogao Grottoes + Crescent Lake 🎫 Grab your tickets a month in advance! Especially the Mogao Grottoes Category A ticket (includes guided tours of 8 caves) ✅ Morning: Movie screening at the Mogao Grottoes Digital Center + physical cave tour 🎨 Thousands of years of murals are breathtaking. Photography is prohibited, so please capture every moment. ✅ Afternoon: Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Lake 🐫 Camel ride into the heart of the desert, reaching the summit in the evening to photograph the sunset. 🌙 If your energy allows, stay for the starry sky—the Milky Way stretches across the sand dunes, a breathtaking sight. 🗓️ Day 7: Dunhuang → Son of the Earth Statue → Jiayuguan → Colorful Danxia → Zhangye 🚗 Approximately 800km | A feast of culture and nature ✅ Son of the Earth: A giant sculpture of a baby lying in the Gobi Desert, symbolizing life and hope 📷 Best angle: Shoot from a low, overhead position for a more impactful, open-air backdrop. ✅ Jiayuguan Pass: "The Most Magnificent Pass in the World," experience the desolate frontier. ✅ Zhangye Colorful Danxia: 🌈 Enter the park two hours before sunset for the most iconic photos of the "Colorful Scallop" formation from the 4th Observation Deck. 🏨 Overnight in Zhangye City, enjoy a bowl of sauerkraut noodles to calm your nerves. 🗓️ Day 8: Zhangye → Qilian Grasslands → A distant view of Gangshika Snow Mountain → Xining 🚗 Approximately 500km | A gentle final day. ✅ Crossing the Qilian Mountain Grasslands: In summer, wildflowers abound, and herds of cattle and sheep roam the landscape, creating a scene reminiscent of an oil painting. ✅ A distant view of Gangshika Snow Mountain (5,254 meters): At the foot of the Qiyi Glacier, the snow shimmers year-round. 🔚 Return to Xining in the afternoon, concluding this epic journey across Qinghai and Gansu. ✅ Xiaoyu's Tips: All lakes have undergone significant changes in recent years, so be sure to check their conditions before traveling. Please bring plenty of oxygen tanks, sunscreen, lip balm, and moisturizing spray throughout your trip. Respect the environment by not picking up rocks, stepping on moss, or disturbing animals. For aerial photography, please confirm whether there is a no-fly zone (especially around the Hoh Xil National Park). 💬 If you believe that this world still has vastness and tranquility worth exploring, please like this video and let more people see another kind of beauty in China—not in bustling cities, but in the depths of the unknown wilderness, where the earliest echoes of our souls lie. Next stop, we'll take you beneath the starry skies of the Pamir Plateau. 🌌