Itinerary · 5 days · active
Inner Mongolia Naadam Festival Circuit, 5 days
A focused grassland trip timed to coincide with Naadam festival — wrestling, horseracing, and archery competitions on the open steppe near Hohhot or Xilinhaote.
Naadam (那达慕, Nà dá mù, meaning 'games' in Mongolian) festivals take place across Inner Mongolia from late July through August, though the regional capital Hohhot (呼和浩特) hosts a major event in late July. The three traditional Mongolian sports — wrestling (bökh), horseracing, and archery — are staged on the open grassland. This itinerary is built around attending at least one Naadam event while combining it with the grassland camps near Hohhot.
Inner Mongolia (内蒙古) is the Chinese autonomous region bordering Mongolia to the north — a vast territory of steppe grassland, desert, and forest. The Mongolian cultural traditions here are related to but distinct from those of the independent nation of Mongolia; the Naadam festival as practiced in Inner Mongolia has absorbed some Han Chinese entertainment elements but the core sports remain genuinely traditional.
The grassland camps north of Hohhot (Gegentala, Zhunge'er, Xilamuren) are the standard tourist accommodation option — yurt (蒙古包, mǒnggǔbāo) compounds offering full board, horse riding, and cultural performances. The quality varies considerably from basic tourist-camp experiences to more authentic smaller family operations. The camp distance from Hohhot means that day trips to Naadam require either staying at the festival location or arranging transport with the camp. Confirm Naadam dates before booking.
Day by day
Day 1 · hohhot
Arrival Hohhot, Mongolian cultural orientation
Arrive Hohhot. Inner Mongolia Museum for context on Mongolian nomadic culture, the grassland ecosystem, and the history of the Mongolian Empire. Mongolian restaurant dinner — huoshao (baked meat-filled pastry) and tsuivan noodles.
Stay in: Hohhot city centre.
Day 2 · hohhot
Transfer to grassland camp, horse training
Transfer to a grassland camp 80–120km north of Hohhot (Zhunge'er or Gegentala area). Afternoon horse riding introduction. Camp set-up watching. Mongolian throat-singing performance in the evening.
Stay in: Grassland yurt camp — full board included.
Day 3 · hohhot
Naadam — wrestling, horseracing, archery
Full day at Naadam games. Men's Mongolian wrestling (博克, bökh) — no weight categories; the match ends when any body part above the knee touches the ground. Horseracing across the steppe (children are jockeys). Women's archery. Spectators are expected to wander freely.
Stay in: Grassland yurt camp.
Day 4 · hohhot
Steppe riding, dairy products, evening in Hohhot
Morning ride across open grassland — this is genuinely open country, not a confined riding ring. Mongolian dairy tasting: airag (fermented mare's milk), suutei tsai (salted milk tea), aaruul (dried curd). Afternoon transfer back to Hohhot.
Stay in: Hohhot city centre.
Road transfer camp → Hohhot, 1.5–2h.
Day 5 · hohhot
Dazhao Temple, Hohhot Old Town, departure
Morning at Dazhao Lamasery and the Mongolian old quarter of Hohhot. Depart by flight or HSR to Beijing or onward connection.
HSR Hohhot → Beijing, 4h, ¥280; or flight HET → Beijing 1h, ¥400.
Budget guide (CNY per day)
| Backpacker | ¥2500 |
| Mid-range | ¥5500 |
| Comfortable | ¥10000 |
Per person 5 days. Grassland camp full-board package ¥500–900/night. Naadam event attendance free or small local charge. Internal travel by private vehicle ¥400–600 per transfer.
Cities covered
Other itineraries visiting Hohhot
- Inner Mongolia Grasslands — Hohhot to Hulunbuir, 7 days
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- 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.