Explore Huitengxile Grassland and Kubuqi Desert in Hohhot

You will arrive at the Hohhot Baita International Airport. Your local guide will welcome you at the arrival hall as you land in this romantic northwest city. Our driver will escort you to the hotel in Hohhot downtown with a comfortable car ride. Your local guide will assist you in checking in to the hotel.

Welcome to Hohhot, which is referred to as “blue city” in the Mongolian language, the capital city of Inner Mongolia! With primitive human activities found in Dayao Ruins in the northeast, Hohhot is considered one of the cradles of Chinese civilization. Throughout history, this city has boasted splendid history and diverse culture. Princess Zhaojun voluntarily married the king of the nomadic Huns in the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC - 8 AD). Nomadic Xianbei people thrived in this region. Business between the agricultural Han people and nomadic Mongolian people was developed here as well. Hohhot is the frontline of cultural integration, making it the best destination to vividly experience the enthusiasm and wilderness of Inner Mongolia.

After a little break in the hotel, you will be transferred to the iconic Five-Pagoda Temple for the afternoon tour. The 16-meter-tall temple, which was originally named “Cideng Temple,” is characterized by the base inlaid with sculptures, the middle seat, and the upper five smaller pagodas. The main body of the pagoda is glazed in green and yellow. Looking afar on a sunny day, this sacred temple is like a bright sparkling star. The scriptures of a Buddhist Classic, the Diamond Sutra, are inlaid in Mongolian, Tibetan, and Sanskrit on the lower parts of the seat. What makes the temple so unique is the Mongolian Astronomical Map inlaid on the walls of the temple. The map is the only astronomical map written in Mongolian and it is of great significance to the scientific studies on the Mongolian’s view on the universe.

Next, you will move to another popular scenic area, the Zhaojun Tomb, which is widely known as “the green tomb” in Chinese history. The tomb is a large man-made earthen mound, measuring about 33 meters tall. It was constructed to commemorate a historic woman named Wang Zhaojun. Zhao, who was praised as one of the four most beautiful ladies in ancient China, sacrificed herself for the peace of China by voluntarily marrying King Khan of the Hun people. Standing in front of the tomb, you will see a bronze statue of Zhaojun and Khan. The statue depicts a lovely picture of them riding horses and having intimate talks with each other. Today, the statue has become the symbol of friendly relations between the Han and the Hun peoples. Here, you may take a photo of yourself with this notable couple. There is also a two-story Museum of Hun culture near the tomb. It displays many of the Hun’s historical relics and Zhaojun’s art crafts. You may see a replica of the typical domed tent that Hun people used to dwell in as well.

The tour of the first day ends and you will be escorted to the hotel.

Five-Pagoda Temple

Zhaojun Tomb

Good morning! Your guide will meet you at the hotel lobby after breakfast at the hotel and you will take a 2-hour car ride westward to the fabulous Huitengxile Grassland. This spectacular grassland, with an average altitude of about 2100 meters and average vegetation coverage of about 80%, is the best-conserved highland prairie. Hundreds of natural lakes are dotted on this world of green grass. Hence, it is also called “the 99 springs,” offering tourists stunning sightseeing. With idyllic grassland scenery and exciting activities, today’s tour will be fun and unique!

First, you will explore the core area of the prairie, the Yellow Flower Valley. Here, you could have an all-around discovery of the charms of the grassy paradise in western China, wander mind-freely on the green meadow under cotton-like clouds and blue sky. Thanks to its incomparable scenery, it has become a popular destination for a big number of newly engaged couples to take their wedding photos. It has also attracted many students from art institutes and academies to practice photographing and painting.

There are so many things to do in this typical geological site of the quaternary glacier of over hundreds of millions of years ago. You could admire the refreshing rare meadow landscapes with a leisure style by watching flocks and herds grazing and windmills rotating, or appreciating the mysterious paintings on the cliffs … Or you could explore this wonderful grassland in a challenging way by taking cable cars, sightseeing cars, off-road driving adventures, and sightseeing trains, all of which have been included in the ticket. If you’re more of a thrill-seeker, you could also choose to experience other featured optional activities (with extra payment) at your interests and time, such as horseback riding accompanied by professional riders, and Mongolian archery. If you feel like horseback riding on the prairie, it is recommended to wear light sports pants and apply some sunscreen lotion before the rides to make this ride more comfortable. The horses for tourists are polite and well-trained, but for the consideration of your safety, we suggest you keep your moves calm when riding on the horsebacks.

At noon, you will be served Mongolian-style delicacies in a local restaurant for lunch. After lunch, you will have a whole afternoon to appreciate the charms of the appealing prairie in this Hohhot trip.

Here are some friendly tips for sightseeing the grasslands:

The best time for traveling to the mesmerizing grasslands in Inner Mongolia is from June to September. During the time of the year, the pastures there are stunning with lush and green scenery. July and August are especially the peak season for Hohhot trips when the weather is fantastic and the landscape is amazing.

Optional Dinner:

You may feast with Mongolian Zhama Banquet Dinner for dinner if you’re interested (optional activity with the extra cost. Please let us know if you’d like us to arrange it for you). In ancient times, the banquet was famed as “the No. 1 banquet” in Mongolian court. Now, on this special trip, you will taste the delicate Mongolian cuisines (individual serving) while dressing in traditional aristocratic costumes. Locals will also introduce some interesting dining manners that the people here have been performing for centuries. Some of them are solemn and sacred, like spattering drops of fine wine with the ring finger of the right hand to show respect to the sky, earth, and ancestors. Besides, if you’d like to heat the dinner banquet, you may also choose to appreciate the unique music and dance performances that the past royal families used to watch during the dining time (optional activity with the extra payment. Please let us know if you’re interested so that we could book in advance to include the special activity in your tour).

After an amazing dinner, the Hohhot tour will take a little pause here. Unlike other nights, you will enjoy a special night in traditional Mongolian-styled yurts with a private bedroom. Have a sweet dream!

Huitengxile Grassland

Yellow Flower Valley

Good morning! Today will be another thrilling adventure. You will get up early at around 4 o’clock to greet the golden sunrise on the grassland. Imagine the sun going slowly up from the far ground, glowing the surrounding sky, and painting the vibrant grass in soft golden color, looking fabulous. After pleasing your eyes with a dazzling wonder of nature, you will have a refreshing local breakfast, after which you will set out to your next destination, the highly-recommended Kubuqi Desert.

To get to the Kubuqi Desert, you will take a 4.5-hour car ride eastward to reach the hinterland of the desert. The desert, covering about 13,900 square kilometers, is the seventh largest desert in China. With closer distance to the downtown area and better tourism facilities, this paradise of golden sands is a well-acclaimed tourist destination. It is not only a scenic area for appreciating the magnificent sceneries and taking desert photography but also a perfect place for challenging your nerves with desert hiking and driving.

To kick off your tour at the hinterland of the Kabuqi Desert, you will first have a wonderful tourist experience in the most beautiful part of the golden land, the Yemingsha Scenic Area. The Yemingsha Scenic Area, literally “the sand that sings at night” is a wonderland for the authentic desert landscape. Vast golden desert shimmer under the blue sky. Dunes are laid on the boundless land of sands. Isn’t it beautiful? Now, it is a good time to let your camera play its magic. Take some photos or short videos here to stun your Instagram or TikTok followers.

Your guide will arrange lunch for you at the Yemingsha Scenic Area based on the time. After lunch and some break, you will get to explore the desert on your own in the afternoon when the desert is not so hot. You could do it in a simple way by wild hiking on the soft sand and catching the eye-pleasing lines, curves, and planes of this pure land. Or you could take the hardcore way by experiencing the fresh optional desert challenges. Yemingsha Scenic Area provides you with various fun and exciting activities (optional activities require extra expense), like sand surfing, sand skiing, camel riding and photo-taking with the desert tank, etc. You could choose to take one or two of these activities if you want to spice up this journey.

Today’s discovery for the tour in Hohhot ends here. You will be accommodated at a desert hotel, from which you may savor the poetic sunsetting as the sun’s lingering glories sketch the outlines of the dark scarlet dunes when the sun falls gently.

Friendly tips for your desert tours:

1. Wear a light waterproof jacket and long trousers to keep warm and dry;
2. Use sun cream, lip moisturizer, caps, sunglasses when necessary;
3. Wear a pair of leather shoes to prevent sands from entering shoes;
4. Bring emergency medicines in your backpacks.

Kubuqi Desert

Yemingsha Scenic Area

Today is another worth-remembering day for you. Yesterday morning, you’ve admired the sunrise at the meadow. Today, let’s do something different. Likewise, you will wake early at around 4:00 in the morning. This morning will be different. You will catch the early warm light of the desert sunrise. Watch the gorgeous new sun dyeing the sapphire sky and outlining the dunes, peaks, and valleys in this wild desert. Feel the vastness of the universe and the tininess of humankind. Take a good photo here and post it on Instagram!

After having the unique experience of watching the sunrise in China’s desert land, you will return to the hotel for breakfast. You could have an interesting exploration of the hinterland of the Kubuqi desert through hiking. Or you could create more fun for this desert trip with some optional activities (with extra payment) if you’re more of a challenger. The Kubuqi Desert offers a variety of optional activities for tourists, like one-to-one motorcycling, ziplining, off-road driving adventure, and more.

Our recommendation is the off-road driving adventure, during which you will take a heart-racing ride on the rough and uneven desert in a professional desert SUV. You could feel the weightlessness and the celerity increase and your pounding heartbeat as the SUV raced up from the top of the dunes to the valleys with dense golden fog behind you and your SUV. Scream and laugh as loud as you could to drive away all your stress and nervousness. It’s a race against your adrenalin. The SUV will take you into the deeper area of the desert, where the dunes are more spectacular. You will have sufficient time taking photographs to remember this unique travel moment.

After a two-day discovery at the core area of China’s northwest desert, we will escort you to the downtown Hohhot in the east and we will help you check in at the hotel. The road trip will take you about 3 hours. Have a good rest at the hotel!

Today will be the last day of your Hohhot Exploration Tour. Different from the tour in previous days when you are mostly introduced to the natural side of Hohhot, you will learn about the historical and cultural side of the city at the museum and temple.

After breakfast, our guide will meet you at the hotel lobby and our driver will escort you to the Inner Mongolia Museum (closed on Monday). The museum, which is the biggest one in this northwest autonomous region, is a national first-class window, offering domestic and foreign tourists a window to gaze into the people that have been living in this land as well as their diverse culture and splendid history. Through a visit to the museum, you will have a comprehensive understanding of the efforts Inner Mongolia has put in conserving the grassland and foresting the deserts, and the chronological development from trillions of years ago. The museum collects a variety of specimens of local animals and plants, featuring exhibits of traditional costumes and customs, languages, and more about the Mongolian people and other northern tribes like Olunchun and Xianbei. You will also get to meet some of the most influential emperors, including Genghis Khan, whose name was heard loud in world history for building an ultra-empire that crossed the Asian and European continents. Some of its valuable collections include the 30 billion-year-old dinosaur fossils, the mysterious gold human-faced mask with symmetrical designs, the 1.3 kg golden tiara worn by the Kings of Huns in the Warring States Period, etc. You may explore the museum of your interest.

Then, you will be transferred to the Dazhao Temple, which was built about 500 years ago in 1579. It is the first Tibetan Monastery in Hohhot, representing Buddhism in this region. Even today, it has attracted millions of domestic and overseas worshipers. The temple cluster is acclaimed for the picturesque sceneries of elaborate buildings and lush vegetation. It is enjoyable to simply take a leisure walk and feel the serene, solemn atmosphere in the beautiful courtyards. There are so many worth-seeing cultural relics in the temple. Our recommendations are the well-known treasures called “Three Excellencies,” namely the 3-meter-tall Silver Buddha statue, the pair of pillars with outstanding golden dragon carvings, as well as the lifelike mural featuring the Buddhist three dimensions with 770 Buddhas. Notably, the Silver Buddha here is one of China’s biggest statues of Sakyamuni, founder of Buddhism. It is said that the statue was crafted by Nepal craftsmen with about 1,000 kg of pure silver 400 years ago. All the murals, sculptures, and handwritten scripts are striking with excellent artistry. They will have your jaws dropped.

After the tour at the Dazhao Temple, you will be escorted to the airport based on your flight schedule in the afternoon. Hope you have a great time with this five-day exploration. Looking forward to seeing you on your next trip. Tour ends.

Inner Mongolia Museum

Dazhao Temple

Author: Qin Zhengjin