4.0Sangke Grassland(45 reviews) - Take Nomad Travel's Day Trip to Sangke Grasslands Wednesday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas
Nomad Travel's day trip to the Sangke Grasslands gives you an authentic experience of the area unlike any other available option. Wandhikhar grew up in a nomadic Tibetan family and his knowledge of the culture and lifestyle of the local people runs deep. He makes sure to take you way past all the touristy and kitschy Han-run establishments and go deep into the area to see a real, unspoiled view of the area. You'll be able to have a meal at a local dining establishment, hike some of the peaks and even stop into a Tibetan family's tent for tea and snacks. These families are not expecting visitors, and Wandhikhar does not contact them in advance, making it a genuine and unique experience you won't ever forget. I highly recommend contacting Nomad Travel (located inside the Nirvana Hotel in Xiahe)...this was an incredible experience that I will never forget!See more..
4.0Ganjia Grassland(26 reviews) - Wind, sun, sky, and silence Wednesday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas • Ranches
The Ganja grasslands are a stunning landscape of wide open steppe covered by an enormous sky. It's a place for beauty and reflection, which you can do either hiking or biking or walking or driving or just standing still and listening to the silence. It's definitely worth a full afternoon's visit.See more..
4.5Kongtong Mountain(24 reviews) - Kongtong Mountain -- Very Pretty Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Mountains • Nature & Wildlife Areas
Most Chinese-language reviewers adore this place and deservedly so. Though the original Daoist structures were almost certainly destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, unlike elsewhere in China -- notably Longhu Mountain in Jiangxi -- the replacement temples are at least likely similar to what was destroyed. The mountain is high and grand, especially the side with the Daoist (not the side with the Buddhist) temples. So a lot of steep climbing will be before you. But my wife and I found it very rewarding. Try to go during the week and not on holidays to avoid the crowds. Kongtong Mountain looks like one of these Chinese medieval landscape paintings.See more..
5.0Zhagana Stone Mountains(18 reviews) - Top hike in southern Gansu Wednesday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Mountains • Nature & Wildlife Areas
The big trail loop makes a fantastic day hike. The whole loop is about 16 miles. You go from 2800m to 3800m altitude and down. The descent is steep--either loose stones or muddy horse trail, have to cross streams often. Carry a walking stick! The whole loop took me about 10 hours with frequent stops for taking pictures.See more..
4.0National Wetland Park(17 reviews) - Crystal clear waters National Parks • Nature & Wildlife Areas • Parks
Truly organic wetland park. Lots of reeds, some scattered trees, some people were fishing, others sightseeing via a bus like vehicle, and a few on bicycles.See more..
4.0Gahai Lake(14 reviews) - langmusi wind horse trekking Wednesday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Bodies of Water • Nature & Wildlife Areas
beautiful grassland, eagles, yaks, horses, goats... very fresh air, local food(zangba, yak yogurt, yak meat), Tibetan way living, very nice place. Sonam is the guy who manage Wind Horse trekking, offer 1-3 days horse trekking in nomad area. If you wanna live a nomad life in Langmusi, go there, contact this guy, u'll get what u want.See more..
I visited this glacier QiYi(7 1 in English) in May 15 years ago for my first hike to a glacier. The glacier is at elevation of 4300 m or 12,000 ft . The hike from base park to mouth of glacier (2kms?) took about 2 hours. for every 3 steps forward I stopped to catch my breadth. There is no climbing needed but tracking up a path that followed the contour up. Many of the trip members complained about headaches as they ascend and feeling nauseous and gave up after walking 0.2km. We were not well prepared wearing only sport shoes. If we have snow shoes, we would have been able to walk into the glacier. This hike is not for the unfit and you need to walk 2km up the mountain to see the glacier. Don t try if you are unfit or have high blood pressure or heart problems . See more..
Amazing views and many beautiful places to rest along the loooong way up. Restaurants and fun tivoli-stuff for children, it’s nice with shade from large old trees, and temples where you can light insence and meditate for a while. Be sure to bring a bottle of water and something to snack on to keep your strength all the way up.See more..
4.0West Lake Nature Reserve of Dunhuang(9 reviews) - great experience in the heart of Goby desert. Wednesday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Historic Walking Areas • Nature & Wildlife Areas
The site provide the possibility for great experience in the heart of Goby desert. It is very exiting.See more..
4.5Dunhuang Nanhu Lake(8 reviews) - The desert just beyond a city road Wednesday: 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas
Interesting place -- was amazed to find that the edge of the desert starts just about 200 metres from a peripheral city road. Climbing the sandhills in sandals to begin with was almost too much to bear -- the hot sand kept falling onto my naked feet! I almost decided to give up, but glad I didn't, because on reaching the crest of a huge mound of sand, looking down to the Crescent Moon lake, of course it wasn't so bad. I would have loved to have "tobogganed" down the sand to the camels waiting at the bottom, but judged it too dangerous for my cameras, should I come off! Nevertheless, quite a memorable event.See more..
5.0Army Horse Rance of Shandan(4 reviews) - Horse farm with long history and great scenery Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas • Horse Tracks
Stayed at the Huaiqi Resort Village for a night during my Hexi Corridor tour. This is supposed to be the oldest horse farm which is continuously administered by governments from various dynasties and I'm told more than 2000 years old. Journey to this place is quite terrible, the small country road is full of port holes and long journey surrounded by fields of farms though beautiful, large vegetable old producing yellow flowers. Took us 4 hours from Zhangye to get to the farm. Once you get there, even before reaching the resort, you forget the pain of travel and mesmerised by the beauty of the place, we saw a couple of rider going along a lakeshore, absolutely stunning picture. The place is quite cooling and cold at night even in July. A fantastic resort village with long wooden houses and room that provides almost everything a 5 star hotel do. Resort ground is nicely landscaped with wild flowers and plants. There is a restaurant and a bar that's big enough to serve as a dance floor if needed and equipped with Kareoke. The rooms are nicely decorated with Internet TVs and Wifi. Behind the hotel, up on a grass land on higher ground, we rode horses while soaking in the beautiful mountains and grassland filled with wild flowers. Tall pine trees covered some of the hills. Reminds me of Alpine region. At night we have a camp fire outside the main entrance with music, every one danced. Outside the resort, view is just breath taking. Low lying trees, endless green grass lands, rolling green hills ending in distant mountains. We hike up the hills behind the resort and spend the whole morning enjoying this beautiful country.See more..
Gannan Gahai Nature reserve includes Gahai lake which was restored about 10 years ago by raising the lake level closer to the original level before it was drained in the 1960s. this has expanded the area of lakeside wetland vegetation and improved habitat for breeding and visiting waterbirds.See more..
4.0Gesar Flower Grassland(2 reviews) - Very Pretty, take your own bike and a picnic Wednesday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas
This place was a nice stop on the way to Sangke Grasslands. Rented a bike and went out for the day, stopped for a picnic and the view before heading on. If in the area I recommend a pit stop & some photos, otherwise plenty more flower grasslands to see at other points. See more..
5.0Jin Ta Hu Yang Lin(1 review) - 金塔沙漠胡杨林 Nature & Wildlife Areas • Parks
1.0Yanchiwan National Natural Reserve(1 review) - Not for tourists! Don't get arrested Wednesday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas • Deserts
I'm a researcher studying wildlife in this reserve. This park is currently not open to foreign tourists. I really wanted to bring friends and family, but it's not possible. Not all nature reserves are open to the public, especially foreigners. Last year some tourists got in trouble for just showing up. I'm not entirely sure what they were doing, looked like some sort of cross country running trip. However they were promptly picked up and arrested under suspicion of spying. Subei county outside of the reserve is allowed I believe, just make sure you register through your local hotel. Don't be one of those stupid American or European tourist that think that, similar to their home countries, they can go wherever they want as long as they don't disturb the local environment. It's a beautiful place, hopefully will be more open in the future.See more..
