Xining is the main hub for exploring Qinghai Province. The most popular day trip is Qinghai Lake (two hours by car), and many visitors combine this with a stop at the Chaka Salt Lake (two hours further west). Kumbum Monastery in Huangzhong is 25 kilometres south and easily reached for a half-day. Tongren (Rebkong) is about four hours and is better treated as an overnight, though it can be done as a long day in a hired car.
Destinations
Day Trips from Xining
01
Qinghai Lake
High-altitude salt lake encircled by Tibetan grassland, fierce light, and China's classic cycling circuit.
02
Huangzhong
Small Qinghai city visited for Kumbum Monastery, a major Gelugpa centre near Xining.
03
Ledu
Qinghai valley city near Xining, known for Qutan Monastery's Ming-era murals and imperial layout.
04
Tongren
Qinghai city known as Rebkong, a long-standing centre of Tibetan religious art.