I’m so excited to be launching my first China group trip in collaboration with Elevated Trips to Qinghai Province!
Join me in Qinghai this May 1-5 for five days of hiking the Tibetan Plateau and grasslands, exploring Tibetan culture, and learning about this incredible province in Western China.
If you’re looking to get off the beaten track in China, this trip is for you! We’ll be traveling together with two incredible international guides and will dive deeply into the culture and traditions of Western China to go way past the normal surface level experience.
Qinghai is one of the few provinces left haven’t been to in China and it been on my bucket list to travel here for ages. Let’s see it together!
- Overview of This Trip to Qinghai
- Qinghai Group Itinerary
- Price and Payments
- Join My WeChat Group To Learn More!
- Ready to Sign Up?
- Other Important Travel Information
- Join my trip to Qinghai with Elevated Trips
Overview of This Trip to Qinghai
Time: May 1-5, 2024 (Perfect for China’s May Holiday!)
Where: Qinghai Province (starting and departing from Xining)
This trip has it all. We pack in a huge amount of diversity in just 5 days: Hiking on top of a 3,500 meter sandstone cliff. Driving through the grand canyon of Kanbula National Park with a terrific view over the Yellow River.
And we finish it all off with Qinghai’s largest Buddhist Monastery, Rebkong Longwu Monastery, famous for it’s hand painted Tibetan thangkas. This monastery has over 800 monks in residence and we will have an up-close look at monastic life and the devotion and passion of the monks who live there.
About Qinghai Province
Qinghai Province, located in western China on the northeastern part of the Tibetan Plateau, is a vast and diverse region characterized by its stunning natural landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and unique ethnic diversity. It has varied terrain that includes vast grasslands, towering mountains, pristine lakes, and arid deserts.
Qinghai also has a rich cultural heritage deeply rooted in Tibetan Buddhism, evident in its numerous monasteries, temples, and religious festivals. Traditional Tibetan arts and crafts, such as thangka painting, Tibetan opera, and butter sculpture, are also important aspects of the local culture.
About Elevated Trips
Elevated Trips, founded by Ben Cubbage, is an adventure travel company based in China that focuses on ethical and community based tourism. Elevated Trips uses local Tibetan guides, hotels, drivers and exists to support and empower communities. The money from your tour goes to support local Tibetan economies.
Their tours and treks are culturally immersive and full of wonder and life and focus on small group sizes and authentic experiences. After living over 12 years on the Tibetan Plateau they know the key to finding those secret sweet spots and love to take participants into the real life of nomads and monks.
Read more about Elevated Trips here.
Qinghai Group Itinerary
This is the approximate itinerary for our trip to Qinghai.
MAY 1 DAY 1: ARRIVE IN XINING AIRPORT AND TRANSFER TO HOTEL
- Afternoon: Group arrives in Xining XNN airport from Beijing (or wherever you are flying in from). Meet in baggage claim and transfer 1 hour to the hotel in Xining.
- Arrive at Hotel and check in. Settle into hotel and rest. Possible afternoon excursion in Xining to Dongguan Grand Mosque or Tibetan History Museum 5:00pm – Eat dinner and introduce the schedule for the week.
MAY 2 DAY 2: DEPART XINING IN THE MORNING, HIKE NEAR LAJI SHAN
- 8:30am – Eat breakfast at or near hotel.
- 9:30am – Drive 1.5 hours to LaJI Shan Mountain – a 14,000 foot (4,267 meters) craggy peak with surrounding red rock bluffs and cliffs.
- 11:30am- Hike to our picnic area at 3,500 meters and eat packed lunch
- 1:00pm – From the picnic area, day hike to a tall mountain past red rock formations for a great view of the valley. We will not be summiting the mountain itself but a nearby peak at 4,000 meters.
- 5:00pm- Drive to Guide, a Tibetan town on the Yellow River
- 6:30pm- Check into hotel in Guide
- 7:30pm -Dinner in Guide
MAY 3 DAY 3: KANBULA NATIONAL PARK
- 8:30am – Eat breakfast in our hotel
- 9:30am – Drive 1.5 hours to Kanbula National Park and the gorgeous red rock formations in the park (it is like a mini-Grand Canyon)
- 1:00pm – Go see Namzong Nunnery inside the park
- 3:00pm – Do short day hikes to viewpoints and pagodas and see a small Tibetan farmer village at 2,600 meters
- 4:30pm – In the afternoon, drive to hotel in Rebkong at 2,600 meters
- 6:30pm – Arrive in hotel and settle in and eat dinner
- 8:00pm – Back to hotel for a rest
- 9:00pm – Sleep at our hotel
MAY 4 DAY 4: REBKONG MONASTERY AND HIKE 隆务寺
- 8:30am – Eat breakfast, drive 2.5 hours to Rebkong
- 12:30pm – Eat lunch in town including some freshly made yak yoghurt
- 1:30pm – In the afternoon, explore the labyrinthine alleys of the monastery to find out what life as a monk is really like. Then later in the day see the monk debates at Rebkong Longwu Monastery
- 5:00 pm – Clean up at hotel and rest
- 7:00pm – Authentic Tibetan dinner in Rebkong
- 8:30pm – Sleep in hotel in Rebkong at 2,600 meters
MAY 5 DAY 5: FLY OUT OF XNN IN THE MID AFTERNOON OR LATER
- 8:00am – Eat breakfast, drive 4 hours to Xining airport
- 12:30pm- Lunch near the airport
- 1:30pm- Arrive at XNN Xining airport, check into flight
Price and Payments
This trip includes two international guides, high quality guest service and professionalism, and local in-depth experiences. Elevated Trips also uses local Tibetan guides, hotels, drivers and exists to support and empower communities.
A 20% deposit is needed by April 15 to secure your seat.
| Early Bird Price (for first 5 people who sign up) | 7800 RMB ($1085 USD) |
| Standard Pricing | 8200 RMB ($1140 USD) |
The price includes:
• 4 nights of lodging (assumes two people per hotel room)
• All meals from after landing to before departure
• English speaking guide
• Expert guided talks on local history and culture
• Private vehicle and all ground transportation
• One group airport pickup in Xining on May 1
• One group airport dropoff in Xining on the afternoon of May 5
• All entrance tickets listed in the itinerary to Kanbula National Park, Rebkong Longwu Monastery, all sites and national parks
• All meals, lodging, and tickets for your guide
• All bottled water
The price does not include:
• Tips for your guide (recommended if service is good)
• Travel insurance (they require all travelers to provided their own travel insurance for the duration of the journey. They recommend http://www.worldnomads.com and this is fairly cheap)
• Flights or trains to and from Xining
• Specialty or alcoholic drinks
• Visa or passport costs
Join My WeChat Group To Learn More!
Interested to learn more? Want to ask more questions about the trip?
Join my WeChat group with Elevated Trips! Our guide Ben Cubbage who has lived in Western China for over 10 years will be in the group answering all your questions about the trip. No sign up necessary right now, just learn more about traveling to Qinghai and what the trip will be like.
Ready to Sign Up?
If you’re ready to book, you can directly add Ben Cubbage on WeChat to sign up! Let him know you’d like to join the Rachel Meets China Qinghai Trip from May 1 – May 5.
Other Important Travel Information
China Visa Required
If you are not currently already living or traveling in China with a valid visa, you do need a China visa to attend this trip.
Fitness, Altitude, and Difficulty
Here is some advice from Elevated Trips on traveling in Qinghai:
This trip starts in Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province. Flying into Xining will bring us immediately to a height of 2,275 meters (around 7,500 feet) above sea level and our day trip hikes often summits over 4,000 meters (around 13,000 feet).While there is always a risk of mild altitude sickness, Elevated Trips have built the itineraries specifically to ensure that with good health, things should go smoothly. Every effort is made to ensure your wellbeing and safety, and as long as you stay healthy, hydrated, and get enough sleep, you should experience little discomfort due to altitude.
Apart from your physical condition (training beforehand would help as we’ll be spending plenty of time on our feet and, at times, will have challenging full day hikes on the itinerary), it is important to note the packing requirements for this trip. This region is known for its variable weather conditions, so bringing suitable gear will keep you happy and comfortable in the mountains.
Above all, keep in mind that we’ll experience one of the more remote destinations in China, a neighbor to Lhasa and Mongolia and far off the beaten track. Amongst everything that you’ll be packing, a wide smile and open heart are the most important items on the list.
Join my trip to Qinghai with Elevated Trips
I’m so excited about this trip, and can’t wait for you to join me! Feel free to reach out and join my WeChat group for any questions about the trip.
