Top 20 Best Things to Do in Xining
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Top 20 Best Things to Do in Xining

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  • Qinghai Tibetan Culture Museumtop_1
    󰺂8.3
    Xining.Biological Park Area8.4 km from downtown
    Highlights:
    Tibetan music shows daily until 8/15
    󰋄Open year-round, closed 3 days
    󱨠Saved by 225 users󱨠7290 positive reviews
    4.8/5
    Anonymous userAnonymous user

    Worth to visit if you are travelling to Xining. Go to South Hall instead of the free North Hall to see the cultural displays. The QR code caused us some trouble as there were 3 places that you need to scan the code. But once you scan it will showed used and will be barred from entering the other 2 locations. The staffs were friendly and quickly manually let us in.

  • Kumbum Monasterytop_2
    󰺂8.3
    2.14
    Xining23.7 km from downtown
    trip best TravelHotspot logoKumbum Monastery is poetic in winter | Nov 2025-Jan 2026
    Highlights:
    󱓊Unique hilltop temple complex
    󱓊Butter sculptures & Thangka masterpieces
    󱨠Saved by 250 users󱨠9294 positive reviews
    4.6/5
    大-寒大-寒

    This place is quite nice; I highly recommend a visit. It's well worth seeing, and the scale is magnificent. The scenery is beautiful, breathtaking, and the water is crystal clear, sparkling like a newly opened mirror, its cold light just emerging from its case. The mountains, washed clean by the snow, are pristine and bright, like a beautiful woman freshly washing her face and just beginning to comb her hair. The willow branches are about to unfurl.

  • Qinghai Laketop_3
    󰺂7.9
    2.14
    Gonghe>100 km from downtown
    trip best small logoFeatured in 2026 China 50 - Cool Water Escapes
    Highlights:
    󱓊Clockwise lake tour & Tibetan culture
    Boat ride & scenic views
    󱨠Saved by 192 users󱨠3625 positive reviews
    4.5/5
    _We***91_We***91

    An unforgettable and wonderful trip! I met Master Ye (87256) and the three words to describe our time together are "professional, considerate, and responsible". He also managed the time at each attraction very well. The trip ended perfectly and I must give him a full score!

  • Xining Wildlife Park
    4
    󰺂7.8
    10.67
    Xining4.3 km from downtown
    trip best TravelHotspot logoEscaped Snow Leopard "Naonao" Becomes a Top Star in Xining
    trip best small logoFeatured in 2026 China 100 - Family-friendly Attractions
    Highlights:
    󰋄Simulated alpine rocks for snow leopards
    󱓊Wildlife viewing & educational experience
    󱨠2317 positive reviews
    4.6/5
    SDDSDDSDDSDD

    The park exhibits over 180 species and more than 3,000 wild animals, making it the world's only zoo that integrates captive-bred populations of snow leopards, Himalayan vultures, and Pallas's cats. Guests can see rare animals unique to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, such as snow leopards, Tibetan antelopes, and wild yaks, as well as introduced species like hippos and giraffes.

  • Riyue Mountains (Sun and Moon Mountains)
    5
    󰺂7.8
    1.6
    Huangyuan64.2 km from downtown
    trip best small logoNo. 2 of Fall Viewing Attractions in Xining
    Highlights:
    󱓊Diverse landscapes & fluttering prayer flags
    Yak rides & highland photography
    󱨠Saved by 136 users󱨠815 positive reviews
    4.4/5
    沫沫然_沫沫然_

    The Qinghai-Tibet border landscape is breathtaking, the fluttering prayer flags create a wonderful atmosphere, and the legend of Princess Wencheng adds to the charm! A must-see for anyone passing through, the scenery is magnificent, the Tibetan culture is rich, and the price is great!

  • Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Nature Museum
    6
    󰺂6.3
    2.88
    Xining.Biological Park Area8.2 km from downtown
    trip best small logoNo. 2 of Family-friendly Attractions in Xining
    Highlights:
    󰋄Hands-on exhibits & interactive zone
    󰀆High-tech & plateau ecosystem restoration
    󱨠340 positive reviews
    4.2/5
    Anonymous userAnonymous user

    The location is convenient, the atmosphere is warm, and the facilities are clean and comfortable. It is an ideal choice for backpackers and young travelers. It is cost-effective. The owner cleans the place very quickly and cleanly. I recommend it to everyone!

  • Plateau Pearl Sightseeing Tower
    7
    󰺂6.0
    1.55
    Xining2.6 km from downtown
    trip best small logoNo. 1 of Night Attractions in Xining
    Highlights:
    󱓊188-foot tower: Xining's iconic landmark
    󱓊188m tower overlooks Xining
    󱨠190 positive reviews
    4.5/5
    _We***53_We***53

    Also known as "Puning Pearl", it was built with the aid of Shanghai Pudong New Area, and is named after Pudong and Xining. Puning Pearl is a multifunctional sightseeing tower integrating radio and television transmission, urban planning exhibition, and tourism. It is located on the top of Xishan Mountain. From the tower, you can overlook the night view of the entire Xining City.

  • Qinghai Province Museum
    8
    󰺂6.0
    Xining.Commercial Lane2.5 km from downtown
    Highlights:
    󰋄360° view of Qinghai's nature & history
    󰀆360° panoramic view of Xining
    󱨠157 positive reviews
    4.4/5
    无敌酷炸毛的喵酱无敌酷炸毛的喵酱

    A worthwhile museum offers a window into Qinghai's history and culture. To explore Qinghai and the plateau, start at the Qinghai Provincial Museum. The museum displays artifacts from across the province, including brocades, silks, gold, silver, and bronze artifacts unearthed from the Reshui Tombs in Dulan, painted pottery from the Liuwan Tombs, 4,000-year-old Lajia noodle containers and noodles, the first bronze mirror and tile end from the Guinan grasslands, Panxiu from the Rainbow Homeland, row lanterns from the ancient city of Danger, and Qutan artifacts from the imperial monasteries. The exquisite craftsmanship is breathtaking and unforgettable.

  • Dongguan Mosque
    9
    󰺂5.7
    Xining.Huangguang/Dongguan Grand Mosque1.7 km from downtown
    Highlights:
    󱓊Watch rituals & learn religion
    󱓊Temple illuminated by magical green lights
    󱨠Saved by 129 users󱨠175 positive reviews
    4.4/5
    _co***29_co***29

    The Dongguan Grand Mosque in Xining City is a rare and solemn building. The nine gold-plated regular script characters "Xining Budongguan Grand Mosque" are inscribed on the middle door lintel, and the inside and outside of the other door lintels are inscribed with gold-plated Arabic classic quotations. The "Hundred-Character Praise" inscribed by Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, for mosques across the country is preserved in the temple and is embedded in the wall of the middle door, which is worth seeing.

  • Danggar Ancient Town
    10
    󰺂5.6
    Huangyuan46 km from downtown
    trip best small logoNo. 2 of Night Attractions in Xining
    󱨠31% positive reviews
    4.3/5
    盛夏的清凉盛夏的清凉

    The ancient city of Danggar is located on the road from Xining to Qinghai Lake, making it a worthwhile stop. It's small and has been beautifully restored. Besides shops, it houses a Confucian temple, a memorial hall for local poets, and a church. Because it's relatively unknown, it doesn't attract many visitors.

What Best Things to Do are there in Xining?
These are all Best Things to Do in Xining:Qinghai Tibetan Culture Museum, Kumbum Monastery, Qinghai Lake, Xining Wildlife Park, Riyue Mountains (Sun and Moon Mountains)
What are some highly-rated Best Things to Do in Xining?
Some highly-rated Best Things to Do in Xining include:Qinghai Tibetan Culture Museum:4.8, Kumbum Monastery:4.6, Qinghai Lake:4.5, Xining Wildlife Park:4.6, Riyue Mountains (Sun and Moon Mountains):4.4
At what locations in Xining can Best Things to Do in Xining be found?
The Best Things to Do in Xining are mainly located in:Qinghai Tibetan Culture Museum:Xining, Kumbum Monastery:Xining, Qinghai Lake:Gonghe, Xining Wildlife Park:Xining, Riyue Mountains (Sun and Moon Mountains):Huangyuan
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