Summer grassland and desert, reached through Hohhot, a city of temples and mutton about two hours by train from Beijing.
Summer grassland and desert, reached through Hohhot, a city of temples and mutton about two hours by train from Beijing.
The region's main museum, with dinosaur fossils, relics of the Huns, Xianbei, Khitan and Mongols, and galleries on nomadic life; it has its own stop on Metro Line 1. Entry is free with a booking on the museum's official WeChat account; open 9:00–17:00, last entry 16:00, closed Mondays except on public holidays.
Hohhot's oldest Tibetan Buddhist monastery, founded under Altan Khan in the 16th century, in the old town. Open 8:00–18:30 from April 30 to October 8 and 8:30–17:30 the rest of the year; tickets were ¥35 in 2025.
Xilitu Zhao is a quieter Tibetan Buddhist temple directly across the road from Dazhao, open 8:00–18:30. Saishang Old Street, next to Dazhao, is a 380 m cobbled street of Ming- and Qing-style shopfronts and craft workshops, busiest in the evening.
Xilamuren is about 90 km north of Hohhot, roughly 2 hours by road; Gegentala and Huitengxile are about 135–140 km away. All are organized tourist areas with yurt camps, horse and camel riding and Mongolian shows, visited on a day trip or for one night with a tour or hired driver. The grass is green from about June to August and brown and patchy outside summer.
A desert resort at the eastern edge of the Kubuqi Desert, about 50 km south of Baotou (about 50 minutes by car). Its main dune, about 110 m high, makes a roaring sound as you slide down; cable cars cross the valley, and there are camel rides and dune buggies. Spring is windy, so May to October is the usual season.
The widest and greenest grassland in Inner Mongolia, in the far northeast and best in July and August. Fly from Beijing to Hailar (HLD) in about 2 hours 20 minutes; distances are long, so most visitors hire a car with driver or join a small group for several days.
Thin, starch-dusted wrappers pinched open at the top over minced mutton, scallion and ginger, steamed for a few minutes and once eaten only at breakfast.
Salted milk tea simmered in a copper kettle and served with roasted millet, clotted cream and dried beef to add to the bowl.
A whole sheep seasoned with spices and roasted until golden and crisp, then carved on a large platter for a group to share.
Lamb pieces cooked in a pot lined with ice, so the meat heats slowly, stays juicy and gives a clear, naturally sweet broth.
Milk tofu, dried curds and naipizi, a clotted cream skimmed from simmered milk, set out alongside milk tea.
Inner Mongolia is a vast region along China’s northern border, and for a first visit it is best approached through Hohhot, its capital. The city has a large regional museum, Tibetan Buddhist temples in the old town and a serious mutton-and-dairy food culture. Within a few hours’ drive are open grasslands and, near Baotou, the dunes of the Kubuqi Desert.
It is a summer trip. From June to August the grass is green and the air mild; in winter it is brown and bitterly cold. It suits travelers who want wide landscapes and an easy taste of Mongolian culture without long travel days, and it adds well to Beijing, a short high-speed train ride away. Hulunbuir, in the far northeast, is the bigger, wilder grassland, but it needs a flight and several days.
Take a morning train from Beijing and spend the afternoon in the old town: Dazhao Temple, Xilitu Zhao across the road, then Saishang Old Street as it fills up in the evening. Start the next day with shaomai and milk tea, then give the morning to the Inner Mongolia Museum (booked ahead, and closed on Mondays).
On day three, head out to Xilamuren or Gegentala with a tour or driver, and stay the night in a yurt camp if you want to see the sky after dark. For a fourth day, take the train to Baotou and a car on to the dunes at Xiangshawan. The paying in China guide explains how to set up Alipay for train tickets and DiDi.
Checked on 29 October 2026. Opening times and ticket rules change; confirm on the official site before you go.
A host who lives in Inner Mongolia can take care of as much or as little as you like. Pick what you need; it all comes back as one plan and one price.
Tell us your dates and which cities you have in mind. A host replies within 24 hours with a day-by-day plan that fits Inner Mongolia in, and a price.
Plan your trip