Xining Airport (IATA: XNN), located 15km south, southeast of the city, has flights to [wiki=78fb473f134eed43c959f9ebdeeb4050]Beijing[/wiki], [wiki=f4aa575f70b3f78887deb96ce611b187]Chengdu[/wiki], [wiki=55b210da416ad9696c6dd74e4b836b7e]Chongqing[/wiki], [wiki=a2e3524ce7f075a4f846bdb31f0e7dab]Golmud[/wiki], [wiki=50a13d0dbb195487a4b6c602ea0fe532]Guangzhou[/wiki], [wiki=19a7ad579baa4d6a47af75e82ecedd81]Lhasa[/wiki], [wiki=5466ee572bcbc75830d044e66ab429bc]Shanghai[/wiki], [wiki=d3ecdb1d90623e05b65cd07fbea6bb7d]Shenyang[/wiki], [wiki=c46e51c263ff26fbce724bc34c4c0cdd]Urumqi[/wiki], and [wiki=0161bb061215dd12cf010e11e2031971]Xian[/wiki]. Shenzhen Airlines fly into Xining from Hong Kong.
The airport bus makes a run from somewhere in town 2 hours before the flight departs and heads back to the city centre whenever a flight lands. The bus stand is directly in front of the exit door. The 30min ride to/from the airport ¥21. For taxi, it costs ¥100 to/from the airport.
Many useful train tickets are completely bought up days before travel - buy well in advance (train tickets are available 60 days in advance online or 58 days in advance in person), or find black market connections and be prepared for a premium that may be well in excess of the ticket price. (eg 1,500 yuan for a 500 yuan Lhasa ticket)
* [wiki=53e9fb001ca574c9c4df7c452448334b]Lanzhou[/wiki] - takes about 2.5-3 hours, 29.5 RMB for a seat
* [wiki=a2e3524ce7f075a4f846bdb31f0e7dab]Golmud[/wiki] - takes about 7 hours, 112 RMB for a seat
* [wiki=5da8b6870844479e692c0d9f102d6750]Xi'an[/wiki] - takes about 10.5-12.5 hours, 200 RMB for a bed
* [wiki=c46e51c263ff26fbce724bc34c4c0cdd]Urumqi[/wiki] - takes about 16-21 hours, 337 RMB for a bed
* [wiki=78fb473f134eed43c959f9ebdeeb4050]Beijing[/wiki] - takes about 19-21 hours, 353 RMB for a bed
* [wiki=19a7ad579baa4d6a47af75e82ecedd81]Lhasa[/wiki] - takes about 21 hours, 495 RMB for a bed
High-speed rail services from Xining to Lanzhou, northern Gansu, and Xinjiang opened December 2014. These trains are much faster than normal trains, but are also more expensive.
* [wiki=53e9fb001ca574c9c4df7c452448334b]Lanzhou[/wiki] - takes 70-90 minutes, 58 RMB
* [wiki=b5612cc6d3b86f74adea39395601a8f8]Zhangye[/wiki] - takes 105-120 minutes, 91.5 RMB
* [wiki=f56aadbb0af9761263bfb5605ac6afb2]Jiayuguan[/wiki] - takes about 3-3.5 hours, 157 RMB
* [wiki=c46e51c263ff26fbce724bc34c4c0cdd]Urumqi[/wiki] - takes 10-10.5 hours, 490.5 RMB
LongDistance Bus Station is on Jianguo Road, on the other side of the river in view of the train station.
* [wiki=53e9fb001ca574c9c4df7c452448334b]Lanzhou[/wiki] - takes about 5 hours
* [wiki=d26fb3206f67c9dc3dc6570cd5de72b6]Tongren[/wiki] - takes about 4 hours
* [wiki=db3239fa1533443599bc36446ffed265]Xunhua[/wiki] - takes about 5 hours
* [wiki=9b60834838960f32d76a7de5d777245f]Yushu[/wiki] - takes about 14-18 hours
* [wiki=b5612cc6d3b86f74adea39395601a8f8]Zhangye[/wiki] - takes about 9 hours
* [wiki=0de270b46c801a0920a9bdd250b99d1f]Dunhuang[/wiki] - takes about 20 hours
* [wiki=6d8cbd6fc26f4590ed3fa5ce831f1b76]Jiuquan[/wiki] - takes about 10 hours
There are also buses for [wiki=a2e3524ce7f075a4f846bdb31f0e7dab]Golmud[/wiki], [wiki=19a7ad579baa4d6a47af75e82ecedd81]Lhasa[/wiki] and [wiki=93b3bad5f466af8bfe16da88ca6b48b4]Yinchuan[/wiki] at the western end of the square in front of the train station.
There are plenty of buses that get you around town. The most useful is bus #1 that runs through the centre of town along Dajie to the train/bus station. All fares are ¥1 regardless of distance. Please note that most of the bus services end around 9pm, and maybe even earlier during the winter season.
There is a medium-distance bus station located on the North-West corner of KangLe intersection on the east side of the city. From here you can get buses to smaller areas such as DaTong (¥6) and HuZhu (¥12) and HuZhe BeiShan forest Park.
Taxis run on the meter (¥6 flagfall) but some drivers are open to negotiation, especially late at night.
There is a restaurant area right next to the Shuijing Xiang Bazaar, in the center of the city, and throughout the evening and into the night there are many street stalls serving good food around Ximen and on the western side of Jianguo Road.
* The front end of the market has many small snack stands selling spicy ground meat birds egg pizza-style bing (¥3), spicier Liangpi noodle (¥4.5) and mouth cooling bowl-set yoghurt with a creaming texture and slightly sour/citrus flavour (¥3). Further into the market mounds of dried fruit and nuts from the region can be bought by weight.
* This bustling alleyway is like Xining's China Town. The whole alley is line with many different types of Chinese cuisine, including a Uyghur Restaurant.
Western food options are slim, but you can get various options if you know where to look. The two best areas are on XiaDu DaJie, near GuoJiCun XiaoQu (International Village Complex) and in the WangFuJing Plaza, off WuSi DaJie.
*There are a total of three KFC's in the city, but this is by far the most centrally located.
*There is another Pizza Hut on the western side of the Xining Plaze, but this one is the most centrally located.
*As good as Pizza Hut, but like them, if you are a large group ordering a lot of Pizza's they may take a while.
* as to October 2013 Casa Mia does not exists anymore. It has been replaced by a ripoff called Bolonia that has mediocare chinese bersion of italian food.
*Options for western food here such as burgers and pizza.
*Despite the name they also do some western food such as Pizza, takes a little while to arrive but very good quality.
The city is littered with small coffee shops, especially around the newer apartment complexes that are being developed. See below for some of the better ones.
*This coffee shop, which also offers AmdoCraft Tibetan Handicraft products, provides a relaxed, quiet atmosphere in which to sip and sample real, fresh-brewed coffee, or sup on steaming pastries, cakes, and cookies. The coffee is some of the most inexpensive real coffee in the area. Free WIFI.
*Expat couple from the UK opened this cafe in 2009. Excellent coffee and home-made food at a great price. Favourite dishes include Mexican Wraps, Chilli, Bagels of all kinds, Pancakes & Waffles with sweet or savoury toppings. Also a great place to meet other foreign residents or expats in Xining. Free wifi.
*Great little cafe opened up by an American expat in Xining. Relaxed atmosphere, good wifi, and, some say, the best coffee in the city. They have desserts and sandwiches as well.
A number of bars are located at the end of the city's main snack street. These tiny places each have only a dozen tables, and all offer extensive drink specials. Beer starts at ¥6 for a Tsingtao, but expensive imported liquor is also available. There is usually no cover charge.
*A complex of bars by the riverside, built around an atrium. You can't see them from the road, but just below the bridge you will see a number of cars parked, with steps down into the park. About a half dozen or so small bars.
*A large complex with about two dozen bars over three different floors with an open center atrium. You can choose between more relaxed lounge bars, live music venues, or one or two bars that have dance floors on the ground floor.
SOHO is Xining's most popular nightclub, usually busy past 2am most nights. Lots of tables and a bar, but there is no dancing. Music is mostly live. SOHO is a nightclub franchise in China, but this one apparently is an "unofficial club."
*Similar to SOHO bar, but a larger dance floor. Crowded on the weekends, but a bigger crowd at SOHO.
There are dozens of small guesthouses near the train and long distance bus station. Look for the characters "招待所," which in this part of town are on every other building. Most places seem aimable to taking foreigners, and prices range from ¥10 in a grimy four-room bunk (expect the other occupants to smoke in the room all night long) to ¥100 for a deluxe double. More guesthouses can be found around the town's West Gate, or Ximen.
* Tibetan owned hostel in the top floor of a regular apartment building. Newly renovated and decorated in a modern Tibetan style. Offer dorms as well as private rooms. The owner, Tashi, speaks English, Chinese and Tibetan and is a good help when planning your trip over the Tibetan plateau.
*This hostel is a lovely house in a quiet, yet central quarter of Xining. The hostel has been opened recently (2014) and is modern and clean. It is a large, 3-storey villa with a garden. Use of the kitchen is provided and there is no curfew. The Tibetan owner speaks fluent English, and is always more than happy to offer his help in arranging travel in Qinghai.
* In 2011, the hostel has had new management and has undergone many new renovations to the rooms and bar area. Its cozy environment sits high on the 16th floor with beautiful views of the city and mountainous backdrop. It's within walking distance to many downtown shopping areas. The staff speaks English, but note there is a 12 midnight curfew. There is a travel company upstairs that will organise trips in the local province and into the Tibetan Autonomous Region.
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* Good hotel, near the railway station, heated in winter. Good restaurant, good American breakfast.
Five star hotel with rooms with free internet. Business center, beauty salon, ticket office, disco, billiards, fitness, massage and sauna available. Chinese and Western restaurants, coffee shop, bar and room service.
*Recently renovated (2009). Rooms are spacious and clean. Good facilities and restaurants. A cheaper alternative to the Yinlong Hotel.