Xining 西宁
The plateau gateway — start of the Tibet railway and the Qinghai lake loop.
- Region
- Qinghai
- Best months
- Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
- Nights to budget
- 2
- Airport
- Caojiabao International (XNN)
Why visit Xining
- Qinghai Lake is the largest saltwater lake in China
- The natural acclimatisation stop before Tibet
- Kumbum monastery, birthplace of the first Dalai Lama
What to see
- • Qinghai Lake
- • Kumbum Monastery (Ta’er Si)
- • Dongguan Mosque
- • Chaka Salt Lake
- • Maijishan grottoes day trip
- • Xining night market
What to eat
- Hand-pulled noodles
- Yak yogurt
- Lamb kebabs
- Niangpi
- Highland barley wine
Getting there
Xining is where the Tibet railway begins; Lanzhou 1h, Xian 4h.
Xining has no metro; use DiDi or taxis, and allow more time for distances.
Practical guides for Xining
Every topic below has a Xining-specific page.
- Visa & entry
Whether you need a visa for China, and the three routes that get most travellers in without one.
- Payment & money apps
Alipay and WeChat Pay now accept foreign cards.
- eSIM & connectivity
How to get online in China without losing access to Google, WhatsApp and Instagram.
- VPN & internet access
What is blocked, what actually works, and how to prepare before you lose access to the app store.
- Safety
China is statistically one of the safest countries for travellers.
- Medical & health
Hospitals, pharmacies, travel insurance and what to do when you actually get ill.
- Getting around
Metro, taxi, ride-hailing and buses — how each works and which to use when.
- High-speed rail
The world’s largest high-speed network — how to book, board and not miss your train.
- Metro systems
Which cities have a metro, how to pay, and how to use it without reading Chinese.
- Taxis & ride-hailing
DiDi versus street taxis, what it costs, and how to avoid the classic airport overcharge.
- Food & eating
How to order, what the regional specialities actually are, and how to handle dietary needs.
- Hotels & booking
Which sites actually work for foreigners, and what to check before you pay.
- Attraction tickets
Almost every major attraction now requires a timed online reservation, often days ahead.
- Packing & what to wear
Season-by-season packing for a country with a 40°C north-south temperature spread.
- Weather & best time to go
Month-by-month conditions and which months are actually worth avoiding.
- Money & costs
What a day actually costs, where the money goes, and how to budget by tier.
- SIM cards & phone numbers
Whether you actually need a Chinese number, and how to get one if you do.
- Tipping & etiquette around money
Why tipping is not expected, and what to do instead.
- Language & communication
How far English gets you, and the handful of Chinese that changes the trip.
- Apps you need
The short list of apps that make the trip work, and what each one replaces.
- Nightlife & evenings
What actually happens after dark, from night markets to live houses.
- Shopping & souvenirs
What is worth buying, what is a rip-off, and how to handle prices.
- Culture & customs
The etiquette that actually matters, and what visitors get wrong.
- Etiquette & dos and don’ts
The practical rules that stop you accidentally causing offence.
- Meeting people & social
How to meet locals and other travellers, and what to be wary of.