Inner Mongolia Grassland 4-Day Tour: Hohhot + Xilamuren Grassland + Hongge'er Oboo (Horse Riding + Yurt)

Welcome to Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia! After arriving at Hohhot Airport or Railway Station, our driver will meet you at the exit and escort you to a carefully selected downtown Hohhot hotel for check-in. You can then arrange your time freely and enjoy the scenery of the "Blue City." Hohhot, meaning "Blue City" in Mongolian, is located in central Inner Mongolia and is the gateway to Xilamuren Grassland, Huitengxile Grassland, and Kubuqi Desert. The city's story begins in 1581—Altan Khan, a descendant of Genghis Khan, settled here and built city walls from the bluestone of Daqing Mountain, giving rise to the name "Blue City." Because of the many temples in the city, it is also called "Temple City." Today, it is also known as "China's Dairy Capital," home to the headquarters of Yili and Mengniu. Free time activities 1. Inner Mongolia General's Yamen Museum: Visit the residence of the Suiyuan City General in the Qing Dynasty and appreciate the weight of history in "one general's mansion, half of Blue City's history." 2. Qing Dynasty Princess Gulun Kejing's Mansion (closed on Mondays): Explore the mansion of Emperor Kangxi's sixth daughter, one of the best-preserved Qing Dynasty princess mansions in China, with exquisite architecture. 3. Kuanxiangzi Ethnic Food Street: Stroll through Kuanxiangzi in the Hui district and taste authentic lamb shaomai, rich Mongolian milk tea, sizzling lamb skewers, and various halal delicacies. You can also visit the nearby Hohhot Great Mosque to experience the blending of diverse cultures. Practical tips 1. Climate and clothing: The average altitude of the region is about 1,000-1,500 meters, and UV rays are strong, so it is recommended to bring sunglasses, a hat, and sunscreen. The temperature difference between day and night is large, so no matter when you visit, it is advisable to bring a warm jacket and comfortable sneakers. 2. Food and festivals: Local cuisine is mainly beef, mutton, and wheat-based foods, with rich flavors. If you visit in July or August, you will coincide with the Naadam Festival (usually lasting 3-7 days) in various places, giving you the chance to witness exciting horse racing, wrestling, and archery—the "Three Manly Skills." If you would like to participate, feel free to contact our customer service at any time. How to arrive 1. How to fly to Hohhot: Currently, arrivals are at Hohhot Baita International Airport (HET), about 20 km from the city center, with direct flights to and from major Chinese cities such as Beijing (1 hour 20 minutes), Shanghai (2 hours 50 minutes), Chengdu (2.5 hours), and Guangzhou (3 hours 20 minutes). Since some routes do not operate year-round, it is recommended to check flight schedules in advance before traveling. (Note: The under-construction Hohhot Shengle International Airport is expected to be put into use in the future and will replace Baita International Airport; please watch for the latest updates before traveling.) 2. How to take high-speed rail to Hohhot: You can take high-speed rail to Hohhot East Station or Hohhot Station. High-speed rail services to Hohhot are available from places such as Beijing (2 hours 50 minutes), Datong (1 hour 28 minutes), Taiyuan (3 hours 40 minutes), Shanghai (12 hours 11 minutes), and Xi'an (6 hours 35 minutes).

This morning, you will depart from Hohhot and drive about 2 hours to Xilamuren Grassland in Darhan Muminggan Joint Banner, Baotou City, to experience authentic Mongolian nomadic life. Along the way, you will cross the Daqing Mountains, which belong to the famous Yinshan Range. Since ancient times, this has been a natural dividing line between farming and nomadic cultures, and it is also a great place for locals to hike on weekends and escape the noise of the city. After arriving at Xilamuren Grassland, the hospitable Mongolian herders will present a traditional welcome ceremony for you who have come from afar, offering a dismounting wine and presenting hada, letting you feel the warmth of the grassland right away. As the grassland closest to Hohhot, Xilamuren is also one of the earliest developed grassland scenic areas in Inner Mongolia. Here the sky is high and the land is vast, and the pasture is lush. It is a great place to escape the summer heat and allows you to immerse yourself in the authentic nomadic life of the grassland. Optional Grassland Activities: (at your own expense) Grassland horseback riding: When the weather is clear, you can choose to ride a horse across the Xilamuren Grassland. Beginner experience: A herder leads the horse, and you ride safely within a designated area, most suitable for first-time visitors. Free riding: If you are an experienced rider, you can also rent a horse and ride freely. However, this method is at your own risk and is generally not recommended for beginners. Warm reminder: The two riding methods have different fees. Please confirm the price and riding duration with the herder before getting on the horse. Afterwards, go to the Hongge'er Oboo Scenic Area, the largest oboo on the Xilamuren Grassland, with a history of several hundred years. You can follow in the footsteps of the locals and experience the traditional ritual of walking around the oboo to pray for blessings—in the hearts of Mongolians, the oboo is a sacred place where people worship heaven and earth and make wishes. Standing on the oboo and looking around, you can take in the entire grassland scenery. If you are interested, you can watch a breathtaking large-scale live equestrian drama on the grassland. The performance uses heaven and earth as its stage and truly recreates the bravery and boldness of the Mongolians. You will witness the exciting contests of the "Three Manly Skills"—horse racing, wrestling, and archery. Optional Dinner: (at your own expense) If you want to experience the most authentic Mongolian feast, you can change into gorgeous Mongolian clothing and attend a traditional Zhamma Banquet, taste imperial dishes such as roast whole lamb, enjoy ethnic songs and dances, and experience the grand ceremony of toasting with silver bowls and hada blessings. After dinner, the lively bonfire party begins. Accompanied by the melodious sound of the morin khuur, you can enjoy wonderful Mongolian song and dance performances and dance and sing with the locals, bringing the day to a perfect close. In the evening, stay in a traditional yurt and enjoy the brilliant starry sky over the grassland.

If you don't want to miss the most beautiful moment of the grassland, you can get up early this morning (around 4 AM) and quietly wait for the sunrise on Xilamuren Grassland (optional). When the first ray of sunlight slowly rises and spreads over the boundless sea of grass, the entire grassland is dyed a gentle golden color, very healing. Afterwards, you will visit a local Mongolian herdsman family and experience their daily life. You can learn to cook a pot of fragrant Mongolian milk tea with the hostess, feed the fluffy little lambs with your own hands, try milking a cow once, or put on a beautiful Mongolian robe for photos (optional). If interested, the herdsman will also bring out the horse-head fiddle and tell you stories and legends of the grassland. Even just sitting in the yurt drinking a bowl of milk tea and chatting, you can feel the simplicity and warmth of nomadic life. After experiencing grassland life, you will head to Hohhot (about 90 kilometers, 2 hours by car) to explore the core soul of this "Temple City" - Dazhao Temple. [Dazhao Temple] (full Tibetan name "Dazhao Wuliang Temple") was first built in 1579 by Altan Khan, leader of the Mongolian Tumd tribe. It is the earliest Tibetan Buddhist temple in Hohhot and the largest Tibetan Buddhist holy site in Inner Mongolia. The temple enshrines a statue of Sakyamuni Buddha cast from 30,000 taels of pure silver, so it is also called the "Silver Buddha Temple." This silver Buddha, together with the coiled dragon pillars and Ming Dynasty murals in the hall, are known as the "Three Wonders of Dazhao"—the silver Buddha is kind and solemn, the dragon carvings are lifelike, and the murals are still brightly colored after hundreds of years, all precious relics of the Ming Dynasty. In addition, the architecture of Dazhao Temple is also very impressive. It spreads along the central axis, integrating Han, Tibetan, and Mongolian styles. The Han-style hip-and-gable roofs and Tibetan-style flat roofs are arranged in a staggered manner, simple and solemn. In the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Kangxi stayed here during his western expedition against Galdan, so Dazhao Temple was also honored as the "Imperial Temple." To this day, the temple still enshrines Emperor Kangxi's memorial tablet, as well as imperial gifts such as dragon-phoenix peacock umbrellas and pearl octagonal palace lanterns. When you walk out of the main hall, don't forget to see the Eight Stupas of Sakyamuni on the square—eight white stupas in a row, symbolizing the eight merits of the Buddha's life, and also a favorite place for tourists to take photos. If you happen to be there on the 15th day of the first lunar month or the 15th day of the sixth lunar month, that is a rare fate. These two days are the Buddha Thangka Festival of Dazhao Temple (also called "Cham Festival"). The huge thangkas treasured in the temple will be brought out and hung high on the thangka pole. Lamas will also wear masks and perform the mysterious "Cham Dance." The scene is very grand. Free time recommendations 1. Visit more temples in Hohhot: Opposite Dazhao Temple is Xilitu Zhao (walking distance, can visit at your own expense). About 1 kilometer east is the Five Pagoda Temple Museum (closed on Mondays). If time permits, you can visit them together. 2. Explore Hohhot cuisine: Next to Dazhao Temple, Saishang Old Street and Tongshun Lane are two old streets full of lively atmosphere. Ming and Qing style buildings hide many local snacks and handicrafts—grilled milk tofu, yogurt cakes, Mongolian knives, leather paintings... Just stroll around, and you might find a little something you like.

Today, you will embark on a cultural journey through thousands of years. First, visit the Inner Mongolia Museum (closed on Mondays). [Inner Mongolia Museum], founded in 1957, is a national first-class museum with a collection of over 150,000 items, like a three-dimensional "encyclopedia", telling the story of this plateau from prehistoric to modern times. Here you will see: Dinosaur Fossils: The largest Cretaceous dinosaur in Asia - the Chagan Nur dinosaur fossil. Standing in front of it, you can almost hear ancient footsteps. Xiongnu King's Gold Crown (Warring States Eagle-shaped Gold Crown Ornament): Weighing 1,934 grams, it is a relic of the Xiongnu king and the "treasure of the museum" of the Inner Mongolia Museum. Painted Wooden Coffin (Liao Dynasty): Over a thousand years old, the paintings on the coffin are still vivid, telling the Khitan people's views on life and death. Jun Kiln Incense Burner (Yuan Dynasty): Because the bottom is inscribed with the four characters "Xiao Song Zi Zao", it is also called "Xiao Song Zi Zao Incense Burner", an outstanding representative of Yuan Dynasty Jun porcelain. Deer Head Gold Step Shake Crown (Northern Wei), Liao Dynasty Gold Mask... Each artifact is a piece of dusty history. Warm Tip: If the Inner Mongolia Museum is closed or the exhibition halls are adjusted, we will arrange a visit to the Inner Mongolia Natural History Museum - which also has shocking dinosaur fossils and vivid natural ecology exhibitions, taking you through time and space to appreciate Inner Mongolia's forests, grasslands, and deserts. Then, come to [Zhaojun Museum] located by the Dahei River. The most eye-catching landmark here is a tall, truncated pyramid-shaped mound - the legendary Zhaojun Tomb, locally called "Green Tomb", named because it is said the grass on the tomb remains green all year round. Entering the museum, first visit the Xiongnu Culture Museum. This is the only museum in China with the theme of Xiongnu culture. It houses artifacts related to Xiongnu history and tells the rise and fall of this nomadic people who once roamed the grasslands. Today's protagonist is Wang Zhaojun - one of the Four Great Beauties of ancient China, a remarkable woman known as "Falling Wild Goose". In 33 BC, the Xiongnu Chanyu Huhanye came to Chang'an, expressing his willingness to form a marriage alliance with the Han Dynasty. Wang Zhaojun, in Emperor Yuan of Han's harem, volunteered to marry far beyond the frontier. Legend has it that on the way out of the frontier, she played the pipa, and the mournful music and her stunning beauty made the wild geese flying overhead forget to flap their wings and fall to the ground - hence the name "Falling Wild Goose". Zhaojun's marriage alliance brought over sixty years of peace between Han and Xiongnu. Her life became a symbol of ethnic unity and friendship. In the core area of the museum, you will see a group of bronze statues: Wang Zhaojun and Huhanye riding side by side, as if talking softly. This is not only a witness to their love but also symbolizes the mutual understanding and integration of the Han and Xiongnu peoples. Free Time Suggestions (If Time Permits) 1. Inner Mongolia Natural History Museum (about 8.5 km from Dazhao Temple): If you want more dinosaurs and natural ecology, this is a good choice. From ancient creatures to forests and grasslands, lifelike exhibits seem to take you through Inner Mongolia's four seasons. 2. Dashengkui Museum Group (about 1.1 km from Dazhao Temple): Includes Dashengkui Culture Museum (closed on Mondays), Yongsheng Ceramics Museum, Morin Khuur Museum, etc. Dashengkui was the largest business firm on the "Ten Thousand Miles Tea Road" founded by Shanxi merchants in the Qing Dynasty. It was said to have "half of Guihua City" and brought commercial prosperity to Hohhot. Strolling through it, you can almost hear the bells of the camel caravans of that time. After the tour, your 4-day Inner Mongolia Grassland Tour is about to end. Extension Suggestions 1. You can extend your Hohhot trip to other destinations in Inner Mongolia, such as Baotou, Ordos, Badain Jaran Desert, and Hulunbuir. If needed, please let us know at any time, and we can assist you in arranging your itinerary. 2. You can also extend your Inner Mongolia trip to other destinations in China, such as Beijing, Shanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Xi'an, Luoyang, Chengdu, and Shanghai, etc.