6 Days Inner Mongolia Bests Discovery Tour

Day 1 Hohhot Arrival

Pick up from airport / railway station & hotel check-in

Today, you will take a 2-3 hours’ high speed train from Beijing to Hohhot. If you are transferring to Hohhot from other places in China (like Shanghai, Xian, Guangzhou, Chengdu, etc.), frequent daily flights, high speed trains and normal trains are available for your easy choice.

Arrival Ideas: Hohhot Baita International Airport has many flights from many domestic destinations like Beijing, Datong, Shanghai, Xian, Guilin, Chengdu, Kunming, Guiyang, Guangzhou, Urumqi, Zhengzhou, Harbin, etc. and direct flight from some international destinations including Hong Kong, Taipei and Ulan Bator. You can also take a high speed train from Zhangjiakou (1.5 hrs), Datong (2.5-3 hrs), Taiyuan (5 hrs), Shijiazhuang, etc. For information about arriving in Hohhot from more destinations, please contact our travel experts for help!

Welcome to Hohhot, the Capital of Inner Mongolia! Upon your arrival, your local travel guide and driver will meet at the arrival hall of the airport / railway station and then escort you to your hotel in Hohhot downtown with a comfortable licensed private vehicle (non-smoking). Your guide will help you check in. The rest of today is on your own to explore the "Green City" in Inner Mongolian.

• Hohhot - the "Green City" & Milk Capital in China

Day 2 Hohhot - Ulan Hada Volcano - Huitengxile Grassland (B, L)

Today’s highlights: Ulan Hada Volcano

After breakfast, your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel and take you to visit Ulan Hada Volcano in Ulanqab with about 3 hours’ driving. Covering about 280 square kilometers wide on the boundless flat emerald prairie, the over 30 volcanoes is the conspicuous and valuable natural “window” to learn about the modern crustal motion for the entire globe, which had its last eruption about 6,000 years ago and has received a big fame after introduced by Chinese National Geography in 2012. Walk along the plank road up to the top of the No.3 Volcano (North Liandanlu) which looks like a big bowl (30 meters in diameter) from afar and preserves the crater in the middle of the basin. Find the missing part at the southeast side revealing its black body contrasting the green main body. Next, drive southward to the different No.5 Volcano (Middle Liandanlu), which has the most complete appearance and was outstanding as the cover of China National Geography. You can decide to walk up along the steepy slope to look at its peak and overlook the nearby No.6 Volcano exposing its outer edge and other volcanoes. You can even find some agates if lucky.

After that, drive about 2 hours to Yellow Flower Valley, the core area of the fabulous Huitengxile Grassland (Average Altitude: 2,100 meters)! Meaning “Cold Ridge”, it is the most popular grassland in China with peculiar stunning prairie sightseeing! Enjoy your night over in the Mongolian styled yurts with private bathroom at Huitengxile Grassland. Have a nice sleep!

Optional Dinner: enjoy the Mongolian styled Zhama Banquet dinner and experience the interesting dining manner of the no.1 banquet in the past Inner Mongolian court by dressing in aristocratic costumes and tasting delicate Mongolian dishes (individual serving). Besides, appreciate like the past royal families the singing and dancing, playing of morin khuur (horse fiddle), amazing Urtiin duu (traditional Mongolian long song), Khoomei (Tuvan throat singing), and other arts of Mongolian group. (optional activity with extra payment. Please tell us if you are interested in that dinner when booking the tour.)

• Ulan Hada No.3 Volcano
• Ulan Hada No.5 Volcano - Most Complete One & Cover of Chinese National Geography
• Huitengxile Grassland in July
• Mongolian Yurts at Huitengxile Grassland
• Different Types of Mongolian Yurts at Huitengxile Grassland (For Your Reference Only)

Day 3 Huitengxile - Hohhot (B, L)

Today’s highlights: Huitengxile Grassland (Yellow Flowers Valley Geopark, Wokuotai Flowers Prairie, Niudangou Ecological Valley...), Inner Mongolia Museum

Good morning! Today, you can get up early (about 04:00 am) to catch the fabulous sunrise on grassland with the golden sun dying the surrounding sky and sun glow into orange, pink, rose, purple, etc. and gives the soft glories onto the vibrant grass.

After breakfast, walk on the boundless prairie with shiny green grass dancing in the breeze under the clear azure sky and cotton-like clouds, where flocks and herds grazing and roaming idyllically and the groups of white windmills rotating for power generation. You will have an amazing exploration of the wonderful grassland by walking and taking local sightseeing cars, sightseeing trains, cable cars and animal-drawn vehicles. Catch the best highlights of the Yellow Flowers Valley Geopark that is the typical geological site of the quaternary glacier of over one hundred million years and where to admire the refreshing rare prairie landscape with abundant golden yellow blossoms. Take your time to visit the Wokuotai Flowers Prairie to appreciate the typical alpine meadow grassland with various colored flowers, which is so ideal for photography. Continue to Niudangou Ecological Valley to inhale the sweet air and enjoy a short leisure hike along the plank road along birch forest. Soak in the pleasant and vast scenery of the Seven-color Flower Field and other charming areas of Huitengxile Grassland. You can also choose to experience riding on a horse back, archery, and other activities based on your interests and time (optional activities with extra payment).

Then, your guide and driver will escort you back to Hohhot to visit Inner Mongolia Museum. This national first-class museum is a great window to have a comprehensive understanding of the ecological change, culture and historical development of the alpine grassland, deserts, forests, etc. in Inner Mongolia from trillions of years ago. Stroll at each themed hall to take a close look at those collections of local specimens of animal, plant, ores, etc., displays of costumes, lifestyles, national customs, language, art, culture communications, etc. of Mongolian and other Northern tribes living there, logical materials about the famous influential leaders and their dynasties including Genghis Khan and his Yuan Dynasty.

Accommodate in Hohhot downtown.

Notice: The detailed scenic areas, optional activities and tourist vehicles in Yellow Flowers Valley may be adjusted based on the scenic area management of the year.

• Huitengxile Grassland Yellow Flowers Valley Sightseeing
• Sightseeing Train at Huitengxile Grassland
• Huitengxile Grassland Sunrise
• Inner Mongolia Museum
• Inner Mongolia Museum Precious Collection of An Ancient Crown

Day 4 Hohhot - Baotou - Kubuqi Desert (B, L)

Today’s highlights: Wudangzhao Monastery, Kubuqi Desert (Yemingsha Scenic Area)

Good morning! Your local guide and driver will meet you at your hotel in Hohhot downtown and then escort you to visit Wudangzhao Monastery in Baotou City with about 2.5 hours' driving. As one of the four famous Tibetan Buddhist temples in China, together with Potala Palace (Tibet), Taer Temple (Qinghai) and Labrang Monastery (Gansu), Wudangzhao is highly reputed as the “Little Potala Palace” and has more than 350 years old. Walk along the mountain slope to appreciate those ancient lamasery clusters with white walls, red and golden decorations and colorful prayer flags in the wind. Do not miss the outstanding fresco and sculptures with in the halls, which is a worthy inspiration with high artistic value. You will meet many Buddhist monks devoting to their Buddhist classics on this undisturbed soul place.

Then, continue driving about 2.5 hours to discover Yemingsha at the hinterland of Kubuqi Desert. Kubuqi Desert covering 13,900 s.q.km is the seventh largest desert in China. With closer distance to urban and better facilities, it is also one of the most favorite one for desert hiking, magnificent sunset scenery and desert photography. While, Yemingsha (Night Singing Sand) is the most beautiful part of Kubuqi to appreciate the authentic desert landscape with golden and yellow sand shimmering under vast blue sky and is featured with sharp sand dunes for exciting desert exploration by hiking and driving.

After arriving at Yemingsha, savor the magnificent and poetic desert sunset spectacle of the lingering glory of the round orange setting sun sketching the clear outline of dark scarlet desert hills. Your guide will help you check in at your hotel in the desert. Have a nice sleep! (You can also choose to experience the desert camp if you are interested. Tell your travel consultant when booking the tour.)

• Wudangzhao Monastery - "Little Potala Palace"
• Yemingsha (Night Singing Sand) at Kubuqi Desert
• Resplendend Yemingsha Desert Sunset

Day 5 Kubuqi Desert - Ordos (B, L)

Today’s highlights: Kubuqi Desert (Yemingsha Scenic Area)

Good morning! You will have the full day exploring Yemingsha Tourist Area of Kubuqi Desert. You can get up early to welcome the gorgeous desert sunrise (about 04:00 in July and 06:00 in October) and admire the new sun dyeing warm color gradient to the sapphire sky backdrop and shaping the neat and clear waves, peaks and valleys of the desert world.

After breakfast, take the fresh challenge of the off-road driving adventure (included) on the rough and uneven desert with the professional cool desert SUV. Feel the exciting weightlessness sense, thrilling celerity and your own strong heartbeat while the car rushing quickly up to the summits and down to the valleys in the desert. Scream and laugh freely to drive all your nervous far away! Then, enjoy your desert hiking. Then, enjoy your relaxing desert hiking. If you want to enrich your desert discovery experience, you can choose to have more fun with special optional activities in desert like camel riding, motorcycling, sliding, carting, etc. (optional activities need extra payment).

After the visiting, be escorted about 2.5 hours to Ordos downtown for accommodation. Have a good sleep!

• Yemingsha Desert Off-road Driving Experience
• Romantic Yemingsha Desert Sunrise
• Camel Riding Experience at Kubuqi Yemingsha Desert
• Exciting Sand Sliding at Kubuqi Desert

Day 6 Ordos & Ordos Departure (B, L)

Today’s highlights: Mausoleum of Genghis Khan, Kangbashi District

Good morning! After breakfast, your guide and driver will meet you at the hotel and then escort you to visit Kangbashi District that is a magical city political, cultural and economical center of Ordos established from the original barren desert within only a few years. Stroll along the wide Kangbashi Gallery of Culture and Art to admire the crisp new building clusters glittering under bright sky. Have some short stops to savor the outstanding designs of the Ordos Library like displayed books, Ordos Museum like a steady massive rock, Ordos Theater like the headwear of Mongolian ladies, Genghis Khan Sculpture Square, etc. scattered along the avenue. Find the Mongol Chess Square to see those shining and large chess and know more about culture of the nation on horseback.

Then, Go to the Mausoleum of Genghis Khan. It is the worthy-visiting cenotaph worshiping Genghis Khan who was the founder of the Mongol Empire and the deity for all Mongolian people in the world, without containing the true body of that hero based on the secret bury of Mongolian royalty. Walk through the magnificent gate with the statue of valiant and mighty Genghis Khan riding a horse and travel back to the old Mongolian days with displays of typical Mongolian life scenes around the yurts and grassland sightseeing. You’ll not miss the Cavalry and Golden Horde Group which is the world first complete sculpture group of Genghis’ army and the Eurasia Map showing the largest territory of his Mongol Empire. Stroll around the Museum of Mongolian History and Culture to closely look at the precious 206-meter long oil painting about the stories from the birth of Genghis in 1162 AD to the regime retreating from the old Beijing in 1368 AD and other interesting collections. Continue to the cenotaph of Genghis Khan and appreciate the resplendent tomb palace complex exquisitely decorated with milky walls, vermilion windows, golden tops and blue cloud patterns in typical Mongolian ethnic cultural charm.

After the visiting, your guide and driver will escort you to the airport or railway station in Ordos to catch your flight or train to your next destination or home. Tour ends!

Departure Ideas: Eerduosi Railway Station has bullet trains to Hohhot and Wulanqab within Inner Mongolia. While, if you want to extend your trip to more destinations in China, Ordos Ejin Horo International Airport has direct flights to most provincial capital cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Chengdu, Lanzhou, Hangzhou, Kunming, etc.

• Cenotaph Part of Mausoleum of Genghis Khan
• Gate of Mausoleum of Genghis Khan
• Cavalry and Golden Horde Group at Mausoleum of Genghis Khan
• Ordos Genghis Khan Statue Square at Kangbashi District
• Kangbashi District in Ordos