Qinghai Lake is a long day, and July is the one to aim for

It is two and a half hours west by road, and the drive across the grassland is half the point. Public buses exist but are slow and infrequent; a shared car or a day tour is how most people do it, and an overnight at the lake lets you see it early without the coaches.

July brings the rapeseed fields, yellow to the shore. At 3,200 metres the sun burns even when the wind is cold, so take sunscreen, a hat and a warm layer for the same afternoon.