Qilian Mountains Autumn Family Camp: Stay at a Ranch Homestay + Forest Treasure Hunt, Unlock a Unique Healing Journey

Hi~ I'm Keke, a travel mom who loves discovering off-the-beaten-path routes! After the National Day holiday, I took my kids to Qilian Mountains during the off-peak season to avoid the crowds. We stayed with herders, herded sheep, picked mushrooms, and made tsampa. My kids said it felt like "autumn in a cartoon"! Here’s a 4-day, 3-night slow travel guide to share👇 🏡 Accommodation Choices: Immersive Grassland Life • Herders’ Homestay: Recommended "Qilian Laolongshu Family," with deer and lambs in the backyard. The owner takes kids to the back mountain to pick yellow mushrooms and teaches them to braid wool bracelets at night. • Scenic Hotel: "Qilian Wukuang International Trade Hotel" offers excellent views from the family suite, rooms equipped with humidifiers, and a kids’ playground to free parents’ hands. 🌰 Daily Itinerary: Nature and Culture Dual Experience Day 1: Xining → Qilian County (4-hour drive) • Stop by Heiquan Reservoir along the way, where the golden, endless poplar forest is already a perfect photo backdrop! • Check into the ranch homestay in the evening, drink freshly squeezed yak milk, and watch the kids herd sheep back to the pen with local herder children. Day 2: Light Hiking at Zhuo’er Mountain + Forest Class • Walk the wooden plank trail at Zhuo’er Mountain in the morning, low altitude with no pressure, identify sea buckthorn berries and collect pine cones along the way. • In the afternoon, go into the forest with herders to pick yellow mushrooms, teach kids to distinguish edible fungi, and enjoy super fresh chicken soup stew at night! Day 3: Autumn Stroll at Binggou River • Hike along the waterside pavilion, with golden forest reflected on the water surface. Kids use fallen leaves to make collages to record autumn. • Stargaze at the campsite in the evening, use a star pointer to find the Big Dipper, and see the Milky Way clearly after 10 PM. Day 4: Grassland Farewell Ceremony → Return Trip • After breakfast, participate in a Tibetan-style blessing, throw ronda for family blessings, and kids receive a small prayer wheel souvenir. 👨‍👩‍👧 Family Exclusive Tips Altitude Sickness: Homestays provide oxygen tanks, avoid bathing on the first day, and red ginseng drinks are recommended (safe for children). Clothing Guide: Three-in-one outdoor jacket + thermal underwear, gloves and scarves are essential, sunscreen needed for strong midday UV. Diet Adaptation: Homestays offer children’s meals, yellow mushroom and native chicken hotpot is light and nutritious, you can bring baby’s rice seasoning. 🎨 Hidden Activities • Intangible Cultural Heritage Experience: Visit the Arou Tribe’s intangible cultural heritage inheritors, kids can hand-tan small lambskin pendants. • Charity Action: Pick up grassland trash with kids to exchange for pastoral postcards, cultivating environmental awareness. Autumn in the Qilian Mountains is full of life and warmth. Next stop, I’ll share a guide to Kekexili, stay tuned! ✨