22 Days Inner Mongolia Grand Tour: Grasslands, Desert & Populus Forest

Arrive at Hailar Gasa International Airport or Railway Station and greet your local guide. Drive north through rolling grasslands where herds of sheep dot the emerald expanse. Stop at the Morigele River, whose winding waterways carve a silver path through the lush steppe. Continue to Ergun, a quiet border town beside Asia’s largest wetland. Settle into your hotel and stroll the peaceful streets as the evening sun casts long shadows over the grassland.

Morning drive north from Ergun through open grassland and birch forest. The road follows the Argun River toward Shiwei — China's only Russian-ethnic township. Wooden houses with carved window frames line the quiet streets. An onion-domed church stands against the sky. You walk the riverbank path and look across at Russia — wooden houses, a border marker, and the last light fading over the water. Your guide shares stories of the families who settled here generations ago.

Optional Excursions

Aoluoqi Manor & Giant Swing

Cross into the Russian borderlands at Aoluoqi Manor, a scenic estate right on the China-Russia border where the Ergun River curves past wooden cottages and open fields. Stroll the grounds, take in the border views, then climb aboard the giant swing for a sweeping look over the river valley and grasslands. A shuttle bus carries you between the manor's highlights.

+$42.00

Advisor quoted

Leave Shiwei and enter the Moerdoga primeval forest — one of the last intact boreal forests in China. The road winds through ancient larch and birch, their canopy filtering golden light onto mossy trails. You step off the road and the air changes — cool, damp, smelling of earth. White birch trunks gleam against dark green undergrowth. Your guide leads you down a quiet path where the forest floor is thick with fallen leaves. The driver waits while you shoot light through the canopy.

Optional Excursions

Forest Mini Train

Board the vintage mini train and roll 9.8 kilometers into the heart of the Greater Khingan range. Once the lifeline of the logging era, it now carries visitors past wetlands, larch and birch forests, wildflowers, and even reindeer. Four stops along the way—step off, breathe in the pine air, and let the forest come to you.

+$31.00

Advisor quoted

Jiliu River Speedboat

For those who want the scenery without the slow drift. Zip along the Jiliu River by speedboat—same dramatic cliffs, same ancient forest, same emerald water, but with the wind in your face and the engine humming. A quick, exhilarating way to take in the river's sharp bends and quiet inlets.

+$38.00

Advisor quoted

Jiliu River Rafting

Drift down the Jiliu River through a 10-kilometer water gallery, winding past steep cliffs and primeval forest on both banks. Mountain poplars stand like welcoming hostesses, white birches line up like immortals in formation. Where the river widens, islands slip past your boat; where it narrows, you're floating through a forest on water.

+$46.00

Advisor quoted

ATV Forest Crossing

Take the wheel and tear through the Greater Khingan forest on a 6-kilometer all-terrain route. This is the forest up close—mud, roots, and pine needles under your tires, with the raw smell of larch and birch all around. A hands-on, adrenaline-fueled way to feel the wilderness that most visitors only see through a window.

+$46.00

Advisor quoted

Drive south from Moerdoga to Manzhouli, a vibrant border city where Russian, Mongolian, and Chinese architecture mingle. The dense forest gradually gives way to open steppe as you approach the border. Check in and freshen up, then head out for the famous Manzhouli night view. The city center glows with European-style lighting, and the Matryoshka Hotel towers above the skyline. Stroll along the pedestrian streets and sample Russian-style cuisine at a local restaurant.

Explore Manzhouli's Golden Street, lined with Russian-style storefronts and souvenir shops. Visit Matryoshka Square, home to the world's largest matryoshka doll tower, and climb to the top for a panoramic view of the city and distant grasslands. Browse the Sino-Russian Trade Zone for imported goods, from Russian chocolate to Mongolian cashmere. Your guide translates as you bargain with Russian merchants, turning a simple shopping stop into a cross-border conversation.

Leave Manzhouli and drive northeast across open grassland toward Hulun Lake — one of China's largest freshwater lakes. The North Shore is quiet and wild, with reed beds stretching to the horizon and migratory birds feeding along the shallows. You walk the shoreline where waves meet grass. Further along the route, a stone marker marks Genghis Khan's Hitching Post — the legendary spot where the Great Khan tethered his horse before crossing the lake. Your guide recounts the Mongol cavalry campaigns that swept across this plain.

Optional Excursions

Hulun Lake Cruise

Step aboard and sail out onto Hulun Lake—the "Pearl of the Grasslands," one of China's largest freshwater lakes. Glide across open water where sky and lake blur into one, with vast grasslands stretching to the horizon on every side. A quiet, breezy way to take in the sheer scale of the northern frontier.

+$30.00

Advisor quoted

Drive south from Manzhouli back to Hailar, where the journey began. The road retraces open grassland, giving you a last look at the steppe rolling toward the horizon. Back in Hailar, take a slow day to restock, repack, and rest. Some travelers end their trip here and fly home. Others stay on for the second segment — south through Alshan and beyond. Tonight is a quiet hotel night and a proper shower after a week on the road.

Depart Hailar and drive south through changing landscapes from steppe to volcanic terrain. Arrive at Arxan, a small town famous for its natural hot springs and volcanic geology. Visit the Arxan Hot Spring Museum to trace the geothermal forces beneath your feet — volcanic eruptions, mineral springs, and Mongolian healing traditions. Then sink into the mineral-rich thermal pools yourself, surrounded by forest and mountain silence.

A full day inside Aershan National Forest Park. Begin at Tianchi Lake — a volcanic crater lake ringed by pine slopes, its surface still and dark. Hike the boardwalk through the Forest Sea, where larch and birch crowd so thick the sky disappears. Descend to the Unfrozen River, a geothermal stream that never freezes even at minus thirty. Steam curls off the water into the cold air. Your guide explains the volcanic fault lines that heat the river from below.

Begin a long drive west to Xilinhot, the capital of Xilingol League. The landscape shifts from forested mountains to open grassland steppe. Arrive in the evening and visit Beizi Temple, a historic Buddhist monastery that has served as a spiritual center for Mongol herders for centuries. The temple's white stupas and prayer halls stand quietly against the grassland sky. Your guide points out the main hall's faded murals — scenes of nomadic life and Buddhist teachings layered over centuries.

A full day exploring Xilinhot — China's Horse Capital and heart of the Xilingol Grassland. Begin at Mongolian Khan City, a recreated imperial-era settlement where yurt palaces and banner squares evoke the Mongol court. Your guide walks you through the legacy of Genghis Khan's successors and the tribal politics of the steppe. Out on the open grassland, horse herds graze in the distance. The wind carries the smell of grass and horses — the raw material of Mongol history.

Long drive south from Xilinhot to Hohhot, capital of Inner Mongolia. The grassland slowly gives way to farmland and city outskirts. Arrive in the afternoon and check in. Hohhot feels different from the steppe — broad boulevards, blue-tiled mosque domes, and bilingual shop signs in Chinese and Mongolian. Your guide gives a brief orientation walk near the hotel, pointing out where to find local food and the old quarter's alleys.

Morning at the Inner Mongolia Museum, where exhibits trace the region from dinosaur fossils to Mongol empire artifacts — gold saddles, bone combs, and shaman drums behind glass. Walk to Saishang Old Street, where Qing-era brick facades house leather workshops and tea shops. End at Five Pagoda Temple, its tower carved with Buddhist deities and a rare Mongolian astronomical map etched in stone. Your guide deciphers the constellations mapped on the temple's rear wall.

Drive west to Wudangzhao, the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Inner Mongolia. White stupas dot the hillside and prayer flags snap in the mountain wind. Your guide leads you through the main halls where butter lamps glow before gilded Buddhas. Monks chant in the courtyard as incense drifts. Continue south to Ordos, a modern city rising from the steppe. Check in and rest for tomorrow's desert trip.

Day trip to Xiangshawan in the Kubuqi Desert. The dunes rise suddenly from the grassland — golden sand against blue sky. Climb to the dune crest and listen: the sand hums beneath your feet, a low resonant drone that gives the place its name. Sled down the slopes and walk the ridge as shadows lengthen. Return to Ordos. This marks the end of Segment 2 — travelers may leave the group here or continue west for the desert chapters.

Optional Excursions

Dalad Solar Leader Base & "Junma" Power Station

Witness the front line of China's war on desertification. Visit the Dalad Photovoltaic Leader Base, where millions of solar panels double as sand-fixation barriers—a marvel of new energy and ecological restoration. From the viewing platform, take in the "Junma" solar power station, the world's largest solar panel-shaped array, spread across the desert like a silver sea.

+$0.00

Advisor quoted

Sand Therapy

Try the traditional Mongolian sand therapy—a local wellness practice said to ease joint pain and draw out dampness. Let the desert sun warm you as you're gently buried in the sand. A strange, soothing, and unforgettable desert ritual, available right on site.

+$0.00

Advisor quoted

Kubuqi 07 Desert Highway

Drive the legendary desert highway straight through the heart of Kubuqi, China's seventh-largest desert. Sand dunes rise on both sides as the road cuts a clean line through the sea of sand—one of the most striking drives in Inner Mongolia. Hop out for photos, feel the scale of the desert, and watch the dunes shift with the wind.

+$0.00

Advisor quoted

Long westward drive from Ordos into Alxa Left Banner. The landscape dries as you go — grassland thins to gravel plain, then sand. Arrive at Bayanhot, a small desert town that serves as the gateway to the Badain Jaran. Streets are quiet, the air sharp with dust and cold. Your guide briefs you on tomorrow's desert crossing — what to pack, what to wear, and what to expect when the road ends.

Leave paved roads behind. A 4WD climbs over dune ridges and drops into basins between them — the Badain Jaran, where some dunes rise over 500 meters, the tallest on earth. You camp near a spring-fed lake, its blue water ringed by sand. The silence is absolute except for wind moving the dune crest. Your driver sets camp while your guide explains the underground springs that keep these lakes alive in the desert.

A full day deep in the Badain Jaran. Climb Bilutu Peak — at 1,600 meters the highest fixed dune in the world. The view from the crest stretches to the horizon in every direction: sand, lake, sand, lake. Descend to Badain Lake, its surface mirroring the dunes above. At Yinderitu Lake, a natural spring bubbles from the lakeshore — your guide cups the water and invites you to drink from the desert's own well.

Exit the desert by 4WD and drive northwest to Ejina, an oasis county on the edge of the Gobi. The road crosses gravel plain and dry riverbeds until green patches appear — poplar trees and farmland fed by the Heihe River. Continue to Juyan Lake, a vast wetland where migratory birds gather in season. Cranes and geese feed along the reeds at dusk. Your guide reads the wind and light to find where birds are most active.

Optional Excursions

Migratory Bird Observation Experience

Your guide will take you to the optimal bird-watching spots around Juyanhai Wetland during peak avian activity hours, adjusted in real time based on your actual arrival time and weather conditions. （ Migratory bird observation is highly seasonal. The sighting of any specific bird species cannot be guaranteed.）

+$0.00

Advisor quoted

A full day among the Ejina poplar forest — trees that live a thousand years standing, a thousand years falling, a thousand years rotting, yet never dying. Walk the 2nd Bridge boardwalk where golden leaves reflect in the river. At the 4th Bridge, ancient trunks twist skyward against blue. The 8th Bridge brings desert populus — lone trees on sand, their roots reaching deep. Your guide explains how these trees survive where nothing else can.

Drive to the Black City ruins — a Tangut fortress abandoned to the desert 600 years ago. Crumbling earthen walls rise from the sand; pottery shards scatter underfoot. Your guide traces the Silk Road trade route that once passed through these gates. Continue to the Strange Forest — a stand of dead poplar trees, their bleached trunks frozen in twisted shapes against the sky. At sunset the silhouettes turn the landscape into a black-and-gold photograph.

Final drive south from Ejina to Wuhai, where the Yellow River bends through the desert. The road crosses gravel plains and dry mountains one last time. Arrive in Wuhai by late afternoon — the city sits between river and sand, a fitting endpoint. Your guide helps with luggage and checks your departure logistics. Travelers fly home from here, or catch the high-speed rail east. The Inner Mongolia crossing is complete — steppe to forest to desert to river.