Planning a Trip

Getting There

The airport is 29km (18 miles) east of Xining. An airport bus runs to the CAAC ticket office, Bayi Lu 34 (tel. 0971/813-3333). The bus trip from the airport takes 40 minutes and costs ¥21 ($2.75/£1.35). From the bus drop-off point, the Zhongfayuan Binguan is a 15-minute walk west; or take bus no. 28 from Bayi Lu to the railway and bus stations. CAAC delivers tickets free of charge. Oddly, discounts are possible during the peak season, but not in the off season. Other ticket offices are at the Qinghai Binguan (tel. 0971/613-2222) and at the Wusi Dajie Shoupiao Chu (tel. 0971/612-2555). There are flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming, Urumqi, Chengdu, Dunhuang, Golmud, and Xi'an. Previously there were direct flights to Lhasa, but these had been suspended indefinitely at the time of writing, although flights via Chengdu or Xi'an (with a mandatory overnight stay) were available at reasonable prices (around ¥1,300/$195/£98).

The railway station (tel. 0971/819-2832) is at the north end of town, at the junction of Jianguo Lu and Huzhu Xi Lu. Counters 1 to 5 are for normal ticket sales. Trains connect with Lanzhou (3 hr.) at 12:17pm (T208) and 7:43pm (T210). Trains also connect with Beijing (T152; 25 hr.) at 11:29am; Chengdu at 8:13am (1050; 26 hr.); Shanghai (K378; 33 hr.) at 9:56pm; Yinchuan (K916; 13 hr.) at 5:45pm; and Golmud (N911; 13 hr.) at 7:35pm. All Lhasa trains pass through Xining and one train daily (N917; 26 hr.) at 8:28pm starts in Xining. However, while it's easy to get tickets heading east, if you're planning on heading from Xining (or Golmud) to Lhasa, be prepared for a long wait, some backhand payments, or maybe even resorting to flying; it's far easier to get a ticket coming down from Lhasa than for the journey up. The problem in Qinghai is that the bulk of the tickets are snapped up by local hoods the moment they become available. These tickets are then sold to well-connected travel agents to provide tickets for the army of baseball cap-clad Chinese tourists you'll see in Lhasa. So, unless you come with a group, order your tickets well in advance, or are very lucky, the chances of getting any kind of ticket in Xining, let alone a sleeper, are slim. And of course, before you even consider how you're going to try and secure a berth, you'll need to get your hands on a Tibet Travel Permit (TTP).

All ticket offices, including those at the station, sell tickets up to 10 days in advance. The easiest place to buy tickets is from the Huoche Shoupiao Chu (open 8am-noon and 2-6pm) at Wusi Dajie 40 (tel. 0971/614-5203). A ¥5 (65¢/35p) commission is charged. Take bus no. 9 from the railway station to Shangye Xiang.

The Long-Distance Bus Station (tel. 0971/814-9611) is just south of the railway station. Buses service Lanzhou (3 hr.; ¥53/$6.90/£3.45) every half-hour between 7:20am and 6:30pm; Tongren (4 hr.; ¥30/$3.90/£1.95) hourly between 7:30am and 5pm; Linxia (5 hr.; ¥44/$5.70/£2.85); Liujia Xia (4 hr.; ¥31/$4.05/£2) at 11am; Hezuo (6 hr.; ¥53/$6.90/£3.45) at 7:45am; Golmud express service (9 hr.; ¥148/19/£9.60) at 8:30am and 11am, and sleeper (11 hr.; ¥131/$17/£8.60) at 5:30pm; Tianshui (9 hr.; ¥70/$9.10/£4.55) at 6pm; Dunhuang (20 hr.; ¥181/$24/£12) at 2pm; Maqin (12 hr.; ¥105/$14/£6.85 express service, ¥79/$10/£5.15 sleeper) is served by four buses daily; Banma (14 hr.; ¥95/$12/£6.20 seat, ¥143/$19/£9.30 sleeper) at 9:45am; Yushu (17 hr.; ¥115/$15/£7.50 seat, ¥150/$20/£9.75 sleeper) at 11am and 3pm (seat), and at 5 and 6pm (sleeper) -- take the newer Nangqian bus if you can; Nangqian (25 hr.; ¥190/$25/£13) at 10:30am.

Getting Around

Both Santana and Xiali taxis come in two varieties and cost ¥6 (80¢/40p) for 3km (2 miles), ¥1.30 (15¢/10p) per kilometer thereafter. From 10pm to 5am they charge ¥1.50 (20¢/10p) per kilometer. Buses require you to pop ¥1 (15¢/5p) in a box. Bus no. 1 runs from the railway station to the main intersection (da shizi), passing the Bank of China. Bus no. 9 departs from opposite the railway station, passing the Haiyi Holiday Hotel, the railway ticket office, and the Boronia Cafe.

Tours and Guides

There are several branches of CITS in Xining. Good English is spoken at the branch outside the Qinghai Binguan (tel. 0971/613-8444), although staff isn't particularly helpful. A more competent branch is on the first floor of Xining Dasha (tel. 0971/814-9254; fax 0971/812-9842). Get far more reliable info and service from the refreshingly professional Qinghai Mountaineering Association, Tiyu Xiang 7 (tel. 0971/823-8922; fax 0971/823-8933; www.qma.org.cn; open 8am-noon and 2:30-6pm May to mid-Oct; closed winter weekends). Take bus no. 33 to Nan Men Tiyuchang. Tashi Phuntsok of Wind Horse Adventure Tours (Nan Dajie 4; tel. 0971/613-1358 or 139-9712-4471; www.windhorseadventuretours.com) can arrange customized trekking trips in Qinghai and the surrounding areas. He's a former monk who lived in India for 10 years, speaks great English, and is a great resource for any questions about Tibet and Qinghai. Tibetan Connections (tel. 0971/820-3271; www.tibetanconnections.com) at on the 15th floor of building 5 at Guojicun Gongyu (upstairs from the Lete Youth Hostel), is another great resource that operates tours to Yushu and beyond and can also help with getting a Tibet permit.

To buy a train or plane ticket to Lhasa, you will need to buy a Tibet travel permit (and possibly a tour) unless you are a Chinese national. The Tibet Tourism Bureau of Xining at room 2109 in the Xining Binguan (tel. 0971/845-9840 or 138-9725-9919; qxhotel@public.cn.qh.cn or xnhotel@sina.com) can help you arrange this annoying and costly bureaucratic nonsense. A 14-day permit costs ¥500 ($65/£33). The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to noon and 2:30 to 6pm. Some agencies will only sell you a permit (and plane ticket) as part of a tour, but Tibetan Connections and Qinghai Xinjun Travel Service (tel. 0971/616-7130) on the sixth floor of Shenbao Dasha on Shengli Lu can both get you a good deal on permits and flights.

Fast Facts

Banks, Foreign Exchange and ATMs -- Xining is overrun with branches of the Bank of China. Traveler's checks and cash may be changed and most branches have ATMs which accept foreign credit cards. The main branch is at Yinma Jie 23 (Mon-Fri 8:30am-6pm; Sat-Sun 10am-4pm).

Internet Access -- The 24-hour Man Jiahong Wangba, Renmin Jie 3-6, is a 5-minute walk south from Da Shizi. In the west of town, Wangchong Julebu is at Shengli Lu 25. Near the station, Liuxingyu Wangba is downstairs at Zhan Dong Xiang 9. Dial-up is tel. 165.

Post Office -- The main post office is on the southwest corner of the main crossroads (second floor; open 8:30am-6pm).

Visa Extensions -- The PSB at Bei Dajie 35 (tel. 0971/825-1758; Mon-Fri 8:30am-noon and 2:30-6pm) will arrange visa extensions in a couple of days.