Day 1 → Arrive in Xining airport and transfer to hotel

  • Morning or early afternoon - Transfer to 4 star hotel in Xining (about a 1 hour drive from airport)
  • 3:00pm - Arrive at Hotel and check in. Settle into hotel and rest
  • 4:30 pm - Meet in the lobby of the hotel/guesthouse and go out for dinner
  • 5:00pm - Eat dinner and introduce the schedule for the week
  • 8:00pm - Return to Hotel to sleep and rest

Day 2 → Depart Xining in the morning, camp near Laji Shan

  • 8:30am - Eat breakfast at our 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 base camp and eat packed lunch
  • 12:30pm- Picnic lunch on the mountain
  • 2:00pm - From our grassland picnic base camp, day hike to 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.
  • 4:00pm- Transfer to Guide on the the Yellow River
  • 6:00pm - Check into our hotel and eat dinner in Guide
  • 8:00pm - Rest in our hotel

NOTE:  In the summer we can camp near the Laji Shan ridge and sleep under the stars.  Please tell us if you would like to change the hotel to a night of camping on the ridge.

Day 3 → Kanbula National Park and Tibetan Homestay

  • 8:00am - Start breakfast in the hotel in Guide
  • 8:30am - Drive 1.5 hours to Kanbula National Park and the gorgeous red rock formations in the park (it is like a mini-Grand Canyon)
  • 10:00am - Stop for a short hike overlooking the Yellow River on a high pass inside Kanbula National Park
  • 1:00pm - Do short day hikes to viewpoints and pagodas and see a small Tibetan farmer village
  • 3:30pm - In the afternoon, drive to our hotel in Rebkong
  • 5:30pm - Arrive in hotel in Rebkong,
  • 7:00pm - Debrief day and dinner together in Rebkong
  • 9:00pm - Sleep in hotel in Rebkong

Day 4 → Rebkong Monastery and hike

  • 8:30am - Eat breakfast in hotel in Rebkong
  • 9:30am - In the morning, explore the labyrinthine alleys of the monastery to find out what life as a monk is really like. Then hike above the Rebkong Longwu Monastery for an excellent view of the town.
  • 12:30pm - Eat lunch in town including some freshly made yak yoghurt
  • 1:30pm - In the afternoon, we will explore Tibetan thangka art and through a local art school
  • 4:30 pm -Rest in hotel or walk around and enjoy local nomad life in Rebkong.
  • 6:00pm - Final closing dinner. Final debriefs
  • 8:30pm- Sleep in hotel in Rebkong.

Day 5 → Fly out of XNN in the mid morning or later

  • 8:30am - Eat breakfast in hotel in Rebkong
  • 9:00am- Transfer 2.5 hours from Rebkong to the Xining XNN airport
  • 12:00 noon- Lunch on the way to the airport
  • 1:00pm- Drop off at Xining XNN airport
  • 3:00pm or later- Depart Xining airport on afternoon flight

2 thoughts on “Red Rocks and Monasteries

  • This was an amazing and wonderful trip, combining the outdoor experience of the open and magisterial Qinghai/Tibetan plateau with a first-hand look at Tibetan culture, life an religion, away from the usual crowds of tourists. Ben is a truly outstanding guide, fun, knowledgeable and caring. Ably assisted by Sanji, his Tibetan colleague. I will definitely be looking for other trips with Ben, who has provided the best experience I have had in exploring and discovering the remoter parts of China.

  • Ben recently guided a group of us through some lofty places around Qinghai and I can confidently say it is a trip I won’t soon forget. Everything we saw was amazing! From a campsite on Laji Shan, to a homestay in Kanbula National Park, and ending in an epic monastery–each location was scouted for its beauty, history, and cultural significance. Ben is a great guide and has an effortless way of making you feel like old friends. He’s encouraging, knowledgeable and facilitates not only a unique trip, but the growth of those who are on it.

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