2 Days Huitengxile Grassland Tour from Beijing by Bullet Train

Hulunbuir Grassland 2.5 hours’ flight northeast away from Hohhot is the most beautiful one in whole China and one of the four largest grasslands in the world. Among the several grasslands near Hohhot, Huitengxile and Xilamuren are the 2 best popular grasslands with their own advantages. If you prefer natural sightseeing and like more authentic grassland with flowers and windmills, Huitengxile is your best choice. However, if you are planning to experience more Mongolian outdoor activities and want better accommodation facilities, Xilamuren Grassland is the better one.

● For Grasslands: June to September is popular to appreciate the luxuriant sightseeing of grassland in various green, and July to August are the peak season with most domestic travelers.<

● For Desert: deserts like Badain Jaran, Kubuqi, Tengger, etc. are suitable to visit most time of the year. While spring and autumn are the best to travel with most comfortable temperature, among which June to October is the peak traveling season, but daytime in summer has very high temperature for desert walking. So, you can arrange your exploration in the morning and late afternoon if you go in summer.

● For Populus Euphratica Forest: late September to middle October is the best time to appreciate the yellow and golden leaves of Ejina Populus Euphratica Forest with cool weather and little rain. Average temperature usually drop gradually from 16℃ to 8℃ from September to October.

● Fore Wetlands and Forests: Wetlands and forests like Erguna Wetland, Moerdaoga Forest, Arxan Mountain, etc. are suitable to visit all around the year, but they show the more beautiful colors in summer and autumn. Winter is better for snow-covered scene.

● For Hohhot, Baotou, Ordos and More: Hohhot, Baotou and Ordos boast the continental monsoon climate with about 2°C in the northern area and about 6.7°C in the south area. It is suitable to visit Hohhot all year round, but May to October is the best time to enjoy the beautiful sightseeing and comfortable weather. Besides, spring is dry and windy with comparatively frequent sandstorm, summer is pleasant with little rain, autumn is cool and get cold quickly, while winter is long and cold with little snow. Summer and autumn are nice to visit Xilingol and Chifeng.

Wear suitable seasonal clothes to accommodate the quite different weather in different seasons.

For Grasslands: summer clothes like trousers, T-shirts, comfortable hiking/walking shoes, hats, etc. in summer. Long-sleeves, sweaters, coats, trousers, hats, scarves, etc. in autumn and spring. But still prepare some warm and light winter clothes for Hulunbuir visit in spring and late autumn.

For Desert: summer clothes in summer. But long-sleeves, trousers, masks or scarves, etc. are better to protect from sunburn.

● Temperatures differ a lot from day to night, and it is highly recommended bring some warm clothes for the cold nights, even during the summer from June to September. Besides, long-sleeves, pants and thin scarves are recommended for warm keeping and defending mosquitoes. Comfortable walking shoes are highly suggested for your walking on the grasslands and other sites. Mosquito repellent is better to bring.

● Bring your sunglasses, sun block, hats, lip balm to care your eyes and skin due to the strong UV and long time staying outdoor.

Inner Mongolia is large and has several landing gateways for discovering different areas.

● Hohhot: For most trips discovering the central areas (Baotou, Ordos...) and top grasslands (Xilamuren, Huitengxile, Gegentala, etc.), Hohhot is the best landing place with the best connection of flights and high speed trains. Hohhot Baita International Airport has frequent direct flights to most domestic places like Shanghai, Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Guangzhou, etc. with almost 1.5-4 hours. International travelers can also fly from Hong Kong, Taipei, Ulan Bator, etc. to Hohhot. Also, Hohhot East Railway Station as well as Hohhot Railway Station offer high speed trains with Beijing, Datong, Zhengzhou, etc. for your easy arrival and departure. Besides, Hohhot is only about 1-2 hours’ car riding to nearby famous grasslands.

● Hulunbuir: Hulunbuir located at the northeast Inner Mongolia is the gateway for Hulunbuir Grassland, Russian villages, etc. Hailar Dongshan International Airport has flights to/from Beijing, Hohhot, Harbin, etc. Manzhouli Xijiao International Airport has flights to/from Beijing, Hohhot, Harbin, Guiyang, etc. No bullet trains are available in Hulunbuir!

● Ejina Banner: You can get there by car from nearby Lanzhou, Xining, Jiayuguan, Zhangye, Dunhuang, etc. After a flight or bullet train transfer; Also, you can take the daily flight to Ejina Taolai Airport with a short stopover at Alxa Left Banner Airport.

● Badain Jaran Desert: You can fly to Ejin Bamner, Alxa Left Banner, Lanzhou, Zhangye, Jiayuguan and Jinchang first and transfer to Badain Jaran Desert by car. Also, you can take a bullet train to Zhangye first and get to the desert by car. No bullet trains are available in Ejin Banner.

● Xilingol & Chifeng: You can take a flight to Xilingol from Hohhot, Beijing, Baotou, etc. easily. To reach Chifeng, you can catch a flight from some major cities or a bullet train from nearby cities in northern China, like Beijing, Dalian, Shenyang, Chengde, etc.

● Hohhot & Nearby Grasslands: Staying in Hohhot downtown like Xincheng District and area south of Xinhua Square is most popular for visitors to Hohhot, since they are convenient for transfer, close to major attractions and good for buying local souvenirs. For tourists planning staying overnight at the grasslands, Xilamuren, Huitengxile and Gegentala all provides different hotels, hostels, resorts and themed Mongolia yurts based on your various needs.

● Hulunbuir: Hailar District as the downtown offers most hotel choices and is also close to the Hailar airport and train station.

● Kubuqi Desert: Xiangshawan Scenic Area has more good hotel options for staying in desert. Yemingsha Scenic Area has only one desert hotel. Seven Stars Lake also offers some luxury desert resort. Nearby all places are suitable for desert camping.

● Ordos: Kangbashi District is relatively a better place to accommodate because it has the most good hotels, convenient downtown location, and closer distance to the airport, train station major attractions.

● Ejin Banner: Dalaihob Town is mostly chosen for its abundant hotels and homestays. Besides, places surrounding Ejina Populus Euphratica Forest, Juyan Lake and Heicheng Ruoshui Huyang Scenic Area are also good to stay.

● Badain Jaran Desert: Badain Jaran Town with starred hotels and hostels are popular. Also, you can stay overnight in the desert at the desert hotels, homestays, or Mongolia yurts. Camping in the desert is also a popular way.

Tips: Hotels and restaurants around Hohhot, Ordos, Baotou, etc. in central Inner Mongolia and Hulunbuir usually rise their prices during summer vacation in July and August and other travel peak season including National Holiday from October 1 to 7. From early to middle October is the peak season for Ejina Populus Euphratica Forest. And July to October for Badain Jaran Desert. So, it is better to plan and book your accommodation in advance.

● Remember to always follow your groups instead of heading to the heart regions by your own, or you may get lost. Cell phone signal may be weak or zero in the grassland or forest areas in Inner Mongolia, stay calm.

● Wear the harness correctly when enjoying horse riding and follow the direction to keep safe!

● More useful tips & packing list for desert travel in China >

For international visitors, you can choose western food in city downtown areas in Hulunbuir (Hailar, Manzhouli), Hohhot, Baotou, Ordos, etc. Cafés could be available in Shiwei and some other little towns in Hulunbuir. There is usually only Chinese food served in areas around grasslands, deserts, forests, etc. (such as Huitengxile, Badain Jaran, Kubuqi, Greater Khingan, etc.) Dinners at the grasslands are usually served with flavored Mongolian food for your fresh try.

In Inner Mongolia, the schedule of each day usually starts around 08:30 in the morning, and the visiting would be ended at around 18:00-18:30 usually. But if your itinerary covers the grassland, it may last beyond 19:00 with the company of the tour guide. Since the attractions and destinations in Inner Mongolia are usually a little far from each other, there is usually a medium to long time driving of each day, such as 3-6 hours, particularly if you are going to visit the Kubuqi Desert from Hohhot or Ergun Russian villages from Hailar (Hulunbuir).

That also depends on which areas you are interested in to discover! For a classic Inner Mongolia nature and culture seeking for the first time, most travelers plan about 3-4 days to Hohhot to discover the city highlights with 1-2 days staying at Huitengxile Grassland or Xilamuren Grassland. Apart from Hohhot, a large portion also extend to nearby Ordos (1-2.5 days) to discover the cool Kubuqi Desert (Xiangshawan or Yemingsha) with the best city highlights, Baotou (1-2 days) with outstanding temples and monasteries, etc. for a central Inner Mongolia savory. If you want to discover the best grassland sightseeing and exotic ethnic flavors in China, plan 4-5 days to appreciate Hunlunbuir Grassland, Russian styled Shiwei, Enhe or Linjiang town with more fabulous lakes and dense forests of the northeastern part of Inner Mongolia. While, if you like the golden Ejina Populus Euphratica Forest and Badain Jaran Desert, it usually takes about 3-4 days for each destination. An in-depth Inner Mongolia trip from the east, via center, and to the west can take more than 11-15 days based on your interests. It is also a great idea to plan your trip to Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Datong, Xining, Dunhuang, Xinjiang, Guilin, Chengdu, Tibet, Yangtze River, Yunnan, etc. in China to enjoy more highlights and save more money! Please contact us if you have any question or need any help!

Note: If you want a deeper Inner Mongolia grassland discovery with 2 or more nights staying in the Mongolian yurts, please tell our travel expert directly to help you with the planning!

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Early booking is always better than being rushed, and we would suggest booking to be 2-3 month earlier than your arrival so as to guarantee the booking items. If you are interested in any of our tours, you can pay a deposit first and balance to be paid 30 days prior to your arrival. You can also choose to pay the full amount so as to avoid small loss caused by currency exchange rate fluctuation.

Certain deposit will be paid if you decide to book, and the balance is required to be paid 30 days prior to your arrival. If booking is less than 30 days, full payment is required.