Adventures in Grass and Sand | 5 Days in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia

Ulan Hada’s dark volcanic ground, Huitengxile’s open grassland and Xiangshawan’s dunes make an unusually varied five-day trip from Hohhot. I like that this is a private tour, so your group travels in its own vehicle, and that the package includes many of the big-ticket activities, from Huanghuagou’s sightseeing train to Xiangshawan’s desert rides.

I also like the overnight mix: a grassland yurt, city or Baotou hotels, and one or two nights at Lotus Hotel, depending on your choice. The trade-off is that this is still a broad regional circuit, with a long transfer on Day 3 and lunch and most dinners left to your budget.

• Four very different stops: See Ulan Hada Volcano, Huitengxile Grassland, Huanghuagou and Xiangshawan in one five-day route.
• A private vehicle for your party: Tours run for two or more adults, with vehicle size matched to group size.
• Activities are bundled in: Scenic tickets, battery cars, the Huanghuagou train and cable car, karting, and many Xiangshawan activities are included.
• Sleep under a grassland sky: The second night is at a Mongolian yurt, with hotel stays at other points on the route.
• Choose one or two Lotus nights: The one-night and two-night options differ on Day 3, so check which hotel pattern suits you.
• Meals need a little planning: Breakfast is included at the hotels, and Lotus Hotel includes two buffet meals per day. Other lunches and dinners are at your expense.

From Hohhot to volcano, grass and sand

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This tour is built around contrasts. You leave Hohhot for Ulan Hada’s volcanic terrain, spend a night on Huitengxile Grassland, take in Huanghuagou by train and cable car, then head to Xiangshawan for a desert stay and a slate of included activities.

That variety is the main reason to consider the trip. It gives you a broad taste of Inner Mongolia without asking you to arrange several separate hotels, drivers and attraction tickets yourself. In exchange, you accept a fairly packed route and some long drives.

The tour is private for parties of two or more adults. A five-seat vehicle is used for groups of two to four, while a seven-seat vehicle is listed for five people. The price includes fuel, tolls, parking, the driver’s meals and accommodation, and airport transfer services. It is a convenient setup for families or small groups who prefer to travel together rather than join a large coach.

The driver also acts as a guide, but is not a professional tour guide. Expect practical help with tickets, hotel check-in and getting between stops, rather than in-depth guiding at every attraction. Sister Zhou is one driver-guide praised for smooth driving, recommending local restaurants and taking care with older passengers. Driver assignments may vary, so don’t assume she will be yours.

👉 See our pick of the 9 Best Tours In Hohhot

Day 1: Hohhot at your own pace

The first day is for arrival in Hohhot and free time. The tour allows for a short transfer of about 20 kilometres, roughly 30 minutes, but does not set out a specific sightseeing programme. That gives you room to rest after your journey or make your own plans before the early road days begin.

Your first-night hotel is listed as the Hohhot Hilton Garden Inn, Weilai Hotel, Kyriad Hotel, Meilun Hotel or a similar property. The exact hotel may vary, so check the confirmed details before you travel. This night is a useful buffer: you arrive, settle in and meet the group’s travel arrangements without having to press straight on to the grassland.

Airfare and train tickets to Hohhot are not included. Pickup time is confirmed after booking, and the operator is expected to reconfirm it in advance. The return is in Hohhot, with the stated return window running from noon to late evening, so leave some flexibility in your onward plans.

Day 2: Ulan Hada’s volcanic ground and a yurt night

Day 2 takes you from Hohhot to Ulan Hada Volcano, about 120 kilometres and two hours by road, then onward to Huitengxile Grassland. Karting and an astronaut-suit experience are included. The suit photo stop is a playful change of pace from the wide-open terrain, while the volcano gives the day its more unusual setting.

The precise order and time spent at each stop can shift with traffic and weather. This is a private tour, but it is not an entirely free-form one: there are several destinations to cover, and the driver is managing a route across a large region. If you want to linger over photos or take a break, raise that early so you can see what fits.

The night is in a Mongolian yurt on the grassland. That overnight stay is one of the trip’s most distinctive parts, and it breaks up the driving between Hohhot and the next day’s sights. It also means trading a standard city hotel for a more setting-specific stay. The exact comforts or facilities of the yurt are not specified, so ask the operator if you have particular accommodation needs.

Day 3: Huanghuagou by train, then onward

Huitengxile leads to Huanghuagou, where the sightseeing train and cable car are included. These rides help you cover ground within the scenic area without relying only on walking, and make the stop easier to fit into a busy transfer day. The itinerary also includes the Happy Ranch, interaction with small animals and a horse-riding experience.

Those activities give the day a family-friendly feel, but the schedule is not just a string of short local stops. The drive is listed at about 270 kilometres and three hours on the one-night Lotus option, or 290 kilometres and about three and a half hours on the two-night option. Actual road time can change with traffic and weather, and you should expect a substantial travel day around the attractions.

Your hotel that night is the key difference between the two packages. With the one-night Lotus option, you stay in Baotou, at Zun Yue ZROYAL Designer Hotel, AMEGAVA Designer Hotel, Baogang Hotel or a similar property. With the two-night Lotus option, you go to Lotus Hotel instead. That changes the feel of the following days, so compare the hotel pattern rather than choosing only by the package name.

Days 4 and 5: Xiangshawan, island activities and Lotus Hotel

Day 4 brings you to Xiangshawan, also called Singing Sand Ravine, and its Xiansha Island and Yuesha Island areas. The transfer from Baotou is listed at about 50 kilometres and 50 minutes. A long list of desert activities is included, with examples such as desert surfing vehicles, desert motorcycles and a ropeway. Xiansha Island is specifically included, and the package describes the desert activities there as all-inclusive.

The breadth of included activities is a real value point. At a large attraction, separate rides and transport can add up quickly, so having scenic tickets, battery cars and listed activities covered makes costs easier to predict. It does not mean every personal expense is covered, though. Confirm the exact activities available on your dates, especially if weather or operating conditions affect the schedule.

Both routes include a night at Lotus Hotel on Day 4, with an exterior-view room listed. Exterior-view rooms are limited, so check availability before placing your order if that room type matters to you. The hotel’s swimming pool is estimated to open from June to August, with participation depending on temperature conditions. In other words, treat the pool as a seasonal possibility, not a guaranteed part of the trip.

Day 5 includes Xiangshawan VIP courtesy before the return to Hohhot, a drive of about 200 kilometres and two and a half hours. The exact meaning of VIP courtesy is not detailed, so ask what it covers rather than assuming a particular fast-track service. The day’s combination of another Xiangshawan stop and the drive back makes for a full finish.

Choosing two Lotus nights means you stay there on Day 3 as well as Day 4. That gives you more time based at the desert resort and avoids the Baotou hotel night, but the overall route still includes a return drive to Hohhot. The one-night version gives you a Baotou hotel night instead. Neither is automatically better: choose based on whether you value more time at Lotus or prefer the planned Baotou overnight.

What the price covers, and what it doesn’t

The tour’s advertised starting price is from US$969.50, while the package options are shown from US$843.05 for one Lotus night and US$1,231.09 for two Lotus nights. Those figures do not match, so treat them as starting prices rather than a final quote. Confirm the exact package, date and price for your party before booking.

The value comes from bundling transport, accommodation, attraction entry and many activities. Tickets, battery cars and listed experiences at Ulan Hada Volcano, Huanghuagou, the grassland ranch and Xiangshawan are included, along with the Huanghuagou train and cable car. Private transport also removes the need to coordinate separate transfers between Hohhot, the grassland, Baotou and the desert.

Meals are only partly covered. Hotel breakfasts are included, and Lotus Hotel includes two buffet meals per day. Other lunches and dinners are on your own, giving you flexibility to choose local restaurants and manage your spending, but you should budget for them. Drinks, laundry, personal purchases and activities outside the itinerary are also excluded.

The included vehicle costs and airport transfer services add practical value, especially for a small group. Still, do the arithmetic for your own party: the best comparison is not just the starting price, but the package’s hotel choice, meals, included activities and the cost of arranging equivalent transport and tickets yourself.

Who will get the most from this trip

I’d consider this tour if you want to see several of Inner Mongolia’s signature settings in a short visit and prefer a driver to handle the regional connections. Families and small groups may especially appreciate the private vehicle, flexible group format and included attraction activities. The account of Sister Zhou’s attentive help with older passengers is encouraging, but the tour does not promise a specific driver or a professional guide.

It also suits you if you like having some costs settled before departure, but don’t mind choosing your own lunch and dinner. The two Lotus options are useful for tailoring the overnight pattern, though the limited exterior-view rooms make advance confirmation sensible.

Think twice if you want slow mornings, long stretches at one attraction or detailed guided interpretation throughout the trip. Day 3 includes a long transfer, the itinerary covers four distinct destinations, and the schedule can change with weather and traffic. If your priority is relaxed time in one place, a shorter or more focused trip may suit you better.

Practical points before you book

Infants and children must be included in the passenger headcount. Larger bags count as two pieces, so check luggage arrangements if you are travelling with bulky cases. Most hotels do not offer extra beds or triple rooms; if a single male or female traveller cannot share a room or get an extra bed, a single-room supplement may apply.

The tour’s listed cancellation terms vary by how close to departure you cancel: cancellation more than seven days ahead is eligible for a full refund, with lower refunds closer to departure. Check the current terms with customer support before booking, since the policy is subject to the provider’s conditions. Confirmation is expected within 24 hours.

Should you book this Hohhot tour?

Book it if you want a private, five-day sampler of volcano, grassland and desert, and value having transport, tickets and many activities arranged together. The strongest reasons are the variety, the yurt night and the included Xiangshawan and Huanghuagou experiences.

Before paying, settle two details: whether you want one or two Lotus Hotel nights, and what your exact package price includes. Also budget for meals beyond breakfast and Lotus Hotel’s buffets. If those points suit you, this is a practical way to cover a lot of ground without arranging every transfer and ticket yourself.

FAQ

Is the tour private?

Yes. It is a private tour for groups of two or more adults. Groups of two to four use a five-seat vehicle, and a seven-seat vehicle is listed for five people.

What accommodation is included?

The itinerary includes a Hohhot hotel on Day 1, a Mongolian yurt on Day 2, a Baotou hotel or Lotus Hotel on Day 3 depending on the package, and Lotus Hotel on Day 4. The two-night Lotus option adds a Lotus Hotel stay on Day 3.

Are meals included?

Hotel breakfasts are included. Lotus Hotel includes two buffet meals per day. Other lunches and dinners are at your own expense.

Are attraction tickets and activities included?

Scenic tickets, battery cars and the listed activities are included, including Ulan Hada Volcano, Huanghuagou, Xiangshawan, the grassland ranch, karting, the astronaut-suit experience, Huanghuagou’s train and cable car, and many Xiangshawan activities.

Do children and infants count toward the booking?

Yes. Infants and children must be included in the passenger headcount.

How much luggage can I bring?

Larger bags are considered two pieces. Check with the operator if you need to confirm how your luggage will fit in the vehicle for your group.