Itinerary · 7 days · relaxed
Inner Mongolia Grasslands — Hohhot to Hulunbuir, 7 days
From Hohhot's Mongolian temples and lamb hotpot to the Sea of Grass at Hulunbuir near the Russian border — Inner Mongolia's full grassland sweep.
Inner Mongolia (内蒙古) offers a landscape and culture entirely distinct from Han China: open grassland steppe, yurt camps, Mongolian Buddhist lamaseries, and dairy products sold on every street corner. This route moves from the regional capital Hohhot east through Xilinhaote to Hulunbuir — arguably the finest grassland scenery in China, near the Russian and Mongolian borders. Best from June to September.
Day by day
Day 1 · hohhot
Arrival Hohhot, Dazhao Temple, Inner Mongolia Museum
Arrive Hohhot (呼和浩特). Dazhao Temple — the oldest Mongolian Buddhist lamasery in the city, built in the 1580s. Inner Mongolia Museum for geological displays, Mongolian ethnic artefacts, and a famous woolly mammoth skeleton. Lamb hotpot for dinner.
Stay in: Hohhot city centre.
Day 2 · hohhot
Wudang Lamasery, Gegentala grasslands
Day trip north. Wudang Lamasery (120km north of Hohhot) — a Tibetan Buddhist complex in a valley, with several hundred monks still in residence. Option to continue to nearby grassland areas for a first taste of steppe landscape.
Stay in: Hohhot.
Day 3 · xilinhaote
Fly to Xilinhaote, Xilinguole Meadow
Morning flight west to Xilinhaote (2h). Xilinguole National Nature Reserve — one of the best-preserved temperate grasslands in East Asia. Afternoon horse riding on the open steppe, organised through grassland camps.
Stay in: Xilinhaote or grassland yurt camp nearby.
Flight Hohhot → Xilinhaote, 1h, ¥350–600.
Day 4 · xilinhaote
Steppe, Mongolian cultural experience
Full day in the grasslands. Dawn horse ride, sheep husbandry demonstration, traditional Mongolian archery. Naadam-style games. Dinner in the yurt camp — hand-stripped lamb (手扒羊肉) and fermented mare's milk.
Stay in: Grassland yurt camp.
Day 5 · hulunbuir
Fly to Hulunbuir, Hulun Lake
Morning flight to Hailar (Hulunbuir) in northeast Inner Mongolia. Hulunbuir Grassland — a Sea of Grass (草海) at peak lushness June–August. Hulun Lake, a vast freshwater lake with migratory swan populations.
Stay in: Hailar city or lakeside camp.
Flight Xilinhaote → Hailar (Hulunbuir), 1.5h, ¥400–700.
Day 6 · hulunbuir
Genhe Wetlands, Ergun River border area
Road trip northwest to the Ergun River — the natural border with Russia. The wetlands along the river are among the least visited in northern China. Russian-influenced log-cabin architecture in Enhe village.
Stay in: Hailar or grassland camp.
Day 7 · hulunbuir
Manzhouli border town, departure
Road trip to Manzhouli — the largest land port between China and Russia, characterised by Russian architecture, Russian signs, and Russian tourists. Matryoshka Square. Afternoon flight back to Hohhot or onward connection.
Flight Hailar → Hohhot 2h, ¥500, then onward; or direct flight Hailar → Beijing 3h, ¥700.
Budget guide (CNY per day)
| Backpacker | ¥4000 |
| Mid-range | ¥9000 |
| Comfortable | ¥18000 |
Per person 7 days. Internal flights approximately ¥2,500. Grassland yurt camps ¥200–600 per night including meals. Horse riding ¥100–200/h.
Cities covered
Other itineraries visiting Hohhot
- Inner Mongolia Naadam Festival Circuit, 5 days
5d · A focused grassland trip timed to coincide with Naadam festival — wrestling, horseracing, and archery competitions on the open steppe near Hohhot or Xilinhaote.
- Inner Mongolia in winter — 7 days
7d · Hohhot to Hailar to Manzhouli to Hulunbuir in winter — frozen lakes, reindeer sledding with Ewenki communities, the Russian-Chinese frontier at Manzhouli, and the Mongolian steppe under snow. For specialist visitors seeking winter wilderness and cultural depth over beach and city tourism.
- Beijing to Inner Mongolia by Rail, 10 days
10d · Overnight train from Beijing north through Zhangjiakou and Hohhot to the Mongolian steppe — combining Great Wall railway heritage, Inner Mongolia grasslands, and the ruined Xanadu of Kublai Khan.