Inner Mongolia & Ningxia Grand Journey: From the Mongolian Steppe to the Deserts of Ningxia

Tour Highlights

• One journey, extraordinary contrasts — from the open Mongolian steppe to the deserts, lakes and mountains of Ningxia
• Live the grasslands: yurt stays, milk tea and dairy foods, archery, Mongolian dress and a bonfire evening
• The dramatic cones of Ulan Hada Volcanic Geopark — with an astronaut-costume photo experience
• Camel riding and the desert train at Resonant Sand Bay in the Kubuqi Desert
• The Genghis Khan cultural shrine, modern Kangbashi and a Naadam-style equestrian programme in Ordos
• Ningxia's deep history — Helan Mountain rock art, the Western Xia Imperial Tombs, Shuidonggou and the Xumishan Grottoes
• A night beneath desert stars at the Desert Star Hotel, with sunset over the Tengger Desert at Shapotou

Itinerary at a Glance

1. Day 1: Australia – Hohhot — Depart Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Adelaide on your international journey to Hohhot, capital of Inner Mongolia — a crossing into immense grasslands, young volcanoes and golden deserts. Today is pri
2. Day 2: Arrive Hohhot — Arrive in the 'Blue City', where modern streets meet Mongolian heritage. Our local team meets you and transfers you to the hotel; this evening, a welcome dinner introduces northern Chinese cuisine.
3. Day 3: Hohhot | Inner Mongolia Museum, Dazhao Temple & Old Street — The Inner Mongolia Museum opens the story — archaeology, nomadic history and the natural steppe. Continue to Dazhao Temple, the city's best-known Tibetan Buddhist temple, then stroll Saishang Old Stre
4. Day 4: Hohhot – Ulan Hada Volcanoes – Huitengxile Grassland — Stand among the dark volcanic cones of Ulan Hada Volcanic Geopark — lava fields under huge skies, with a fun astronaut-costume photo experience included. Continue to Huitengxile Grassland for sunset o
5. Day 5: Huitengxile – Dalad Banner — A morning of Mongolian traditions on the grassland: milk tea, dairy foods, archery and costume photographs. After lunch, farewell the pasture and travel towards Dalad Banner on the Ordos Plateau as th
6. Day 6: Dalad Banner – Resonant Sand Bay – Ordos — After an introduction to local paper-cutting, enter the Kubuqi Desert at Resonant Sand Bay by cableway — golden dunes, camel riding, the desert train and cultural performances on the included Yuesha I
7. Day 7: Ordos | Genghis Khan Cultural Shrine & Kangbashi — Visit the Genghis Khan cultural attraction with guided interpretation of Mongolian historical memory, then explore modern Kangbashi's broad avenues, monumental architecture and public art. Dinner feat
8. Day 8: Ordos Grassland | Naadam Activities & Bonfire Evening — Back onto the grassland for a Naadam-style programme — traditional wedding performance, equestrian show and grassland recreation (subject to local operations). A bonfire evening of music and dancing e
9. Day 9: Ordos – Wuhai — Travel west to Wuhai, where desert meets open water. Visit Wuhai Lake on the Yellow River for lakeside views and photography — open water, desert tones and immense skies in a single panorama.
10. Day 10: Wuhai – Sand Lake – Yinchuan — Cross into Ningxia and cruise Sand Lake, where dunes, reeds, wetlands and birdlife share one horizon. Continue to Yinchuan, the celebrated oasis between the Helan Mountains and the Yellow River plain.
11. Day 11: Yinchuan | Helan Mountain Rock Art, Zhenbeibao & Winery — See ancient rock carvings in the Helan Mountain foothills, then the earthen walls of Zhenbeibao Western Film Studios. In the afternoon, visit a Helan Mountain winery to learn the terroir and taste thr
12. Day 12: Yinchuan | Western Xia Imperial Tombs & Shuidonggou — The weathered earthen mausoleums of the Western Xia Imperial Tombs create one of Ningxia's most mysterious landscapes — museum and multimedia bring the lost kingdom to life. Continue to Shuidonggou, w
13. Day 13: Yinchuan – Qingtongxia Canyon – Zhongwei — Begin with a generous Wuzhong-style tea brunch, then cruise the Qingtongxia Yellow River Grand Canyon beneath the 108 Pagodas. Continue to Zhongwei for the signature stay — the Desert Star Hotel at Sh
14. Day 14: Zhongwei | Shapotou & Gaomiao — Wake in the desert and explore Shapotou on the Tengger's edge, where golden dunes run down to the curving Yellow River (local transport included between areas). Later, the layered pavilions of Gaomiao
15. Day 15: Zhongwei – Liupan Mountain – Guyuan — Watch the desert turn to green hills as you travel south to Liupan Mountain National Forest Park — forest, streams and cooler mountain air. Dinner is the traditional local 'Ten Bowls' feast.
16. Day 16: Guyuan – Xumishan Grottoes – Yinchuan — Visit the Xumishan Grottoes, carved into the loess hills along the eastern Silk Road — monumental Buddhist imagery against a rugged landscape. Return to Yinchuan for a warming regional hotpot farewell
17. Day 17: Yinchuan – Australia — Breakfast and free time according to your flight schedule, then transfer to Yinchuan Airport for your international journey home.
18. Day 18: Arrive Australia — Arrive home with enormous skies, yurt nights, desert sunsets, ancient rock art and the life-giving Yellow River behind you.

What's Included

• Return economy-class international airfares Sydney/Melbourne–Hohhot and Yinchuan–Sydney/Melbourne
• Adelaide and Brisbane departures add $400, Perth $600 per person
• Fifteen nights in listed hotels and desert resort, including two grassland yurt nights, twin share with breakfast
• Meals shown in the itinerary — Mongolian lamb, Yellow River carp, Wuzhong tea brunch, Ningxia hand-grabbed lamb and a regional hotpot farewell
• Air-conditioned touring coach, generally 2+1 seating
• Cableway and local attraction transport as listed