Arrive in Xining XNN airport before 12 noon, our group leaders will pick you up in the airport just after baggage claim in a group shuttle.

1:30pm- Depart Xining to drive 150m or 2.5 hours to Qinghai Lake

3:00pm- Stop at Tangbo Monastery to learn about the history of Princess Wensheng and her journey to Tibet

5:00pm- Arrive at Tibetan homestay on the east side of the lake, learn about nomadic life and culture

6:00pm - Authentic Tibetan dinner and enjoy watching the waves of the shore as you relax and take in the sound of the lake

8:00pm - Sleep near the shores of Qinghai Lake

8:00am- Breakfast at homestay

8:30am- Safety briefing and fit bicycles

9:00am- Depart Tibetan homestay, ride 38km to Erliangjian

12:30pm- Arrive Erliangjian town, lunch in a local restaurant

1:30pm- Ride 20km from Erliangjian to Jiangxigou

3:30pm- Arrive Jiangxigou, have small snack and continue to ride another 17km

5:00pm- Arrive Tibetan homestay on the southwest shore of the lake, pitch camping tents right on the lake shore and enjoy a spectacular sunset from this nomad camp

6:00pm- Eat dinner in an authentic Tibetan nomad black yak hair tent

7:30pm- Relax and enjoy the stars above the lake, sleep in camping tents by the lake

8:00am- Breakfast at homestay

9:00am- Depart Tibetan homestay, ride 33km to Heimahe

12:30pm- Arrive Heimahe town on southwest corner of the lake, lunch in a local restaurant

1:30pm- Ride 23km from Heimahe to beautiful guesthouse with open glass windows that look out on the west lake shore

3:30pm- Arrive guesthouse.  Settle in and enjoy a nice coffee shop in the guesthouse that overlooks the lake shore.  Possible 2 hour hike in the afternoon into the high grasslands to see yaks and sheep. Learn about nomadic culture and how Tibetans have lived for hundreds of years in simple sustainable harmony with the land.

6:00pm- Eat dinner in the guesthouse restaurant

7:30pm- Watch an incredible sunset over the lake. Rest and sleep in cozy guesthouse.

8:00am- Breakfast at guesthouse

8:30am- Depart guesthouse, ride 17km to Shihaihe

10:00am- Arrive at a small monastery just before Shihaihe town that sits on a peninsula overlooking the lake.  Take a short hike around the monastery and view the lake from an incredible viewpoint filled with Tibetan prayer flags and Lhabtse. Great photo opportunities here with epic views!

11:00am - Depart monastery, ride 3km to Shihaihe town

11:15am- Snack stop in Shihaihe town

11:30am- Depart Shihaihe to ride 13km for Niaodao (Bird Island).  This is the bird migration for 1000's of birds making their annual flight over Central Asia.

12:30pm- Lunch at a Muslim restaurant in Niaodao (Bird Island)

1:30pm- Ride 37km from Niaodao (Bird Island) to Changjiexiang

4:30pm- Snack stop in Changjiexiang, ride 30km to Gangca

6:30pm- Arrive in Gangca on north edge of the middle of the lake.  Check into hotel and shower and rest.

7:30pm- Eat dinner in Gangca

8:30pm- Relax and enjoy the nice beds and cozy sheets in a hotel in Gangca

8:00am- Breakfast at hotel in Gangca

9:00am- Depart Gangca, ride 28km to Haergai town

11:30am- Snack stop in Haergai town

11:45am- Depart Haergai to ride to 15km to small Tibetan restaurant at the intersection on the road

1:00pm- Lunch at Tibetan restaurant

2:00pm- Ride 15km off the road on a dirt path to our Tibetan homestay

3:30pm- Arrive at nomad camp in the high grass lands on the northeast shore of the lake. Spend the afternoon in a local hot springs and soaking those tired muscles.

6:00pm- Dinner in a nomadic home stay in the beautiful wide open grasslands.  Experience true Tibetan culture and hospitality.

7:30pm- Restful sleep in the homestay set in the open pastures near Qinghai Lake

8:00am- Breakfast at homestay

9:00am- Depart Tibetan homestay, take a van 15km back to the main road where we will join the road where we left off

9:30am- Ride 65 km through the desert sand dunes of the eastern shore of Qinghai Lake as we descend back to our starting point and finish the full 360km circle of Qinghai Lake

1:30pm-  Arrive back at our starting point, each a hearty lunch with our nomadic hosts

2:30pm- Depart Qinghai Lake and ride in vans 2.5 hours to Xining

5:30pm- Arrive at hotel in Xining and take a much deserved hot shower

6:00pm- Closing dinner and final celebration as we look back on the memories from our cycling trip

8:30pm- Sleep in a hotel in Xining

Morning- depart hotel in Xining and join group shuttle to be dropped off at the Xining XNN airport or the Xining train station.