Inner Mongolia Grassland Explorer: 6 Days Hohhot, Hulunbuir & Naadam

Tour Overview

Itinerary Highlights

Day 1: Arrive Hohhot — Gateway to the Grasslands

Arrive in Hohhot, capital of Inner Mongolia. The name means “Blue City” in Mongolian. Visit the Dazhao Temple (1580), the oldest and largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the city, where a 2.5-meter silver Sakyamuni statue draws pilgrims from across Mongolia. Walk through the Islamic Quarter, a reminder that Hohhot was a Silk Road crossroads where Chinese, Mongolian, and Muslim cultures merged. Evening: try Mongolian hot pot — thin-sliced lamb from the grasslands, dipped in sesame sauce. Houhot’s food scene is heavily lamb-based, and vegetarians should prepare accordingly. Overnight in Hohhot.

Day 2: Xilamuren Grassland — Into the Steppe

Drive 90 minutes north to the Xilamuren Grassland. As you leave the city behind, the landscape transforms into what you came for: an endless green sea of grass rippling in the wind, punctuated by white gers (yurts) and herds of sheep. You’ll be greeted in traditional Mongolian style — a kumiss (fermented mare’s milk) toast, hata (ceremonial blue scarf), and Mongolian songs. After settling in, activities begin: horse riding across the steppe, learning to saddle and ride the short but sturdy Mongolian horses (the breed that carried Genghis Khan’s armies across Eurasia). Watch a Mongolian wrestling demonstration and archery. Evening: bonfire under the stars — the absence of light pollution means the Milky Way is spectacularly visible. Overnight in a traditional ger (modernized with heated beds).

Day 3: Huitengxile Grassland & Yellow Flower Valley

Drive to the Huitengxile (Cold Plateau) Grassland at 2,000m elevation, where the terrain is studded with volcanic rock formations and dotted with wildflowers in summer. Visit the massive wind farm — hundreds of turbines turning in the constant grassland wind, a surreal contrast of ancient landscape and modern technology. Afternoon: hike through the Yellow Flower Valley, where wild yellow blossoms carpet the meadows in July-August. Visit a nomadic herder family to learn about their seasonal migration patterns and traditional dairy processing — dried milk curd (aaruul) and fermented milk (tarag) are staples of the steppe diet. Overnight in a ger.

Day 4: Resonant Sand Bay & Kubuqi Desert

Drive south to the Kubuqi Desert, the seventh-largest desert in China. Visit Resonant Sand Bay (Xiangshawan), named for the mysterious humming sound produced when sand slides. Ride a camel caravan across dunes that resemble the Gobi, just smaller. Sandboarding for the adventurous. Visit a desert ecological restoration site — the Kubuqi has seen one of the world’s most successful desert greening projects, with over 6,000 square kilometers reclaimed. Overnight in Ordos.

Day 5: Mausoleum of Genghis Khan & Ordos

Visit the Mausoleum of Genghis Khan, the symbolic resting place of the great Mongol leader. Though the location of his actual tomb remains one of history’s greatest mysteries, this cenotaph complex is the spiritual center of Mongolian culture. The main hall houses Genghis Khan’s spirit tablet, saddle, and bow, guarded by the Darhad — descendants of his personal guard who have maintained the shrine for over 700 years through the Ming dynasty, Communist Revolution, and Cultural Revolution. The Eternal Flame has burned continuously since 1956. Afternoon: return to Hohhot. Visit the Inner Mongolia Museum’s extraordinary fossil halls — the province has yielded some of the world’s most important dinosaur discoveries, including complete Protoceratops and Velociraptor specimens from the Gobi. Overnight in Hohhot.

Day 6: Hohhot Morning & Depart

Morning visit to Zhaojun Tomb, a 33m-high earthen mound said to contain the remains of Wang Zhaojun, a Han Dynasty court lady who married a Xiongnu chieftain in 33 BC — a political marriage that brought 60 years of peace. The surrounding park offers panoramic grassland views. Transfer to airport.

Inclusions

• 5 nights (2 nts Hohhot hotel + 2 nts grassland ger + 1 nt Ordos hotel)
• Daily breakfast + 4 dinners (incl. Mongolian barbecue feast)
• Horse riding sessions (2 half-days, incl. equipment)
• Mongolian wrestling & archery demonstrations
• Camel ride at Kubuqi Desert
• Genghis Khan Mausoleum entry
• Inner Mongolia Museum
• Nomadic family visit
• Private vehicle + English-speaking guide
• Airport transfers