Hohhot Travel Guide 2023

It is 93 km from Hohhot with a 1.5~2 hours’ drive. Visit Puhui Temple, Aobao and experience a range of Mongolian cultural activities and the annual Naadam Festival in July.

It is 110 km from Hohhot with a 2 hours’ drive. At an altitude over 1,800 meters, this grassland offers to see 99 natural lakes, Yellow Flower Valley and Wind Power Plant.

It is about 128 km from Hohhot with a 2.5 hours’ drive. Gegentala Grassland is a great summer resort to throw yourselves into Paradise Grassland for a short stay.

Kubuqi Desert, the seventh largest desert in China, is about 3.5 hours’ drive from Hohhot. It’s one of the best deserts to do hiking in Inner Mongolia.

Dazhao Temple, also known as Wuliang Temple, is the earliest Gelugpa temple built in Hohhot. Silver Buddha, dragon carvings and murals are the "three treasures" of Dazhao Temple, which are of high craftsmanship level and ornamental.

Five-pagoda Temple

Five-Pagoda Temple, formerly known as Cideng Temple, is mainly composed of the Vajrasana and the upper five quadrate Sarira pagodas, which are elegant in shape, precise in proportion, and have high attainments in the art of architecture.

It is the only comprehensive museum in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and was listed in the History of World Architecture back in the 1950s. It’s one of the best places to learn the history of Inner Mongolia and the horde culture.

Zhaojun Tomb

Zhaojun Tomb has a long history of over 2,000 years. It is one of the largest Han tombs in China. It mainly commemorates Zhaojun, the queen of the Western Han Dynasty, for the unity of Manchu and Han nationality married far away out to the border area.

Xilituzhao

Xiluzhao, the largest temple in Hohhot, adopted the traditional layout of mainland China. A central axis was formed from the gate to the main hall, and side temples, halls, tablet pavilions and drum towers are arranged symmetrically on both sides.

Great Mosque

It is the oldest and largest mosque among the original eight mosques in Hohhot City, therefore it is also known as the Great Mosque. It is a place of worship for Muslims. One of the most eye-catching buildings is the Wangyue Building on the southeast side.

Suiyuan General Yamen

It is an urban cultural relic landscape with complete infrastructure and facilities based on the general's office and the architectural style of the Qing Dynasty, reproducing the grand scene of "the first mansion of the south of the desert".

Laoniu Bay

Laoniuwan is located at the junction of Shanxi and Mongolia, bounded by the Yellow River, where the inner and outer Great Walls meet. It features both the vigorous physiognomy of the Loess Plateau and the magnificent landscape of the running river.

Grassland is one of the highlights that people should not miss when coming to Hohhot. Within a 2.5 hours' drive, you can reach three of the most beautiful grasslands in Inner Mongolia: Xilamuren, Huitengxile and Gegentala grassland.

Explore Museums

Museums and historical sites are excellent places to learn about the history of Inner Mongolia and the nomadic culture of the north. The Inner Mongolia Museum and Mausoleum of Genghis Khan in Ordos are top recommended.

Discover Zhaomiao Culture

As the birthplace of Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia, Hohhot forms a unique "temple culture" during the centuries of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Dazhao, Wudangzhao, Meidaizhao, Five-pagoda Temple are the best temples to visit.

Hike through Deserts

Besides grasslands, another featured landscape in Inner Mongolia is dessert. Less than 250 kilometers away from Hohhot is the Kubuqi Desert. There are desert hiking routes suitable for adventurers and desert resorts suitable for family travel.

Join Local Ethnic Festivals

Naadam Festival and Aobao Festival are the two most important Mongolian festivals. Go to the grasslands during the festivals, you can experience the purest Mongolian customs and Mongolian activities, like horse racing, archery, wrestling and worshiping.

Taste Mongolian Food

As the capital of Inner Mongolia, Hohhot has Mongolian cuisines like diary snacks, milk wine, hand meat, roast whole lamb, etc. The food culture of Hohhot has also absorbed the practices of the Hui minority, popular snacks include mutton kebabs, Shaomai, etc.

Stay overnight in a Mongolian yurts, you may not only photograph the astonishing sunrise and sunset of the grassland, but also feel the hospitality of the Mongolian people, and participate in grassland activities such as the Zhama banquet and bonfire party.