Airport

Xining airport is located 29 kilometers from the city center. Formally called Xining Caojiaobao Airport (XNN), it entered service in 1991 and handles domestic daily flights to Beijing, Shenzhen, Xian and Chengdu. There are also scheduled flights to Shanghai, Qingdao, and Guangzhou, Lhasa and Golmud; however, there is no international service in operation at present.

Its runway is 3,000 meters (3280 yards) long and 45 meters (49 yards) wide, and capable of accepting medium sized aircraft. You can catch the regular airport bus service from the air tickets booking office of civil aviation, No.158, Yingze Dajie. The airport bus also can be taken at Mingzhu Hotel, No 7, Huzhu Xilu and the bus ticket is CNY21 per person. Alternatively you can take a taxi from the city center, at a cost of about CNY50.

Railway Station

As the traffic hub of Qinghai Province, in the important northwest region of China, Xining Railway Station possesses two trunk and three feeder railway lines, radiating out in all directions. The world famous Qinghai-Tibet Railway traverses Xining, taking on part of the transportations links between Tibet, Qinghai and Gansu Province. The Lanzhou-Qinghai and the Qinghai-Tibet railways meet here, transporting passengers onward to Beijing, Shanghai, Xian and Qingdao, Zhengzhou and Golmud, etc.
Address of Xining Railway Station: Qilian Lu
Telephone Inquiries: 0971-7192222
Tourist special route: Xining-Lhasa, N917, starts from Xining Railway Station at 20:07 and arrives in Lhasa at 22:30 of the next day, stretching 1972 kilometers. You can buy tickets five days before leaving.

The letters of ratification to Tibet, which is issued by the Foreign Affairs Office of Tibet Autonomous Region, is required when foreigners buy tickets. Meanwhile, the letters of ratification to Tibet issued by the Tourism Administration or by the Business Department of Tibet Autonomous Region are also accepted. The later two are also applicable for Taiwanese compatriots.

Bus Station

Long-distance bus:

Visiting Xining by long-distance buses will make your trip more convenient, with a majority of passenger and freight being taken by highway. The Xining Bus Terminal has an advanced administrative systems and service establishments. With the investment of the local governments, five main arteries were constructed here. They connect to major cities and counties both within and outside of Qinghai Province.

Every day, before noon, long-distance buses spectacularly depart en rout to Dunhuang and Liujiaxia of Gansu Province, Suide and Xian of Shaanxi Province and Henan Province. As well as the afternoon, there are also buses to some parts of Gansu Province and Yinchuan of Ningxia Province.

Address: Western end of Jianguo Lu, separated from Xining Train Station by Huangshui River.

City bus:

A number of bus routes within Xining offer visitors convenient tourist arrangements. Generally speaking, these buses can be divided into two kinds; first is the common regular self-service busses that reach the downtown districts and some suburbs. Before boarding the bus, you need to prepare some change for the fare. On the other hand, the busses from No.101 to No.109 are pint-size, mainly connecting the city center with suburbs and the new zone of the Southern District.

Fare: Except No.80 and No.81, the fare of regular busses is CNY1 for one person.

For the minibuses, the cost is CNY 0.5 per person within six stops and CNY1 for more than six stops.

Taxi

 In Xining, it is easy for you to find a taxi with logo of Xiali. Usually, their starting price is CNY 6 for 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) and distance surcharge is CNY 1.10 for each additional kilometer (0.6 miles). There are also some minivan taxis available here, they are cheaper than standard taxis and their starting price is CNY 4 and distance surcharge is CNY 1.