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Voykit pocket guide · China
Erenhot
二连浩特
One day is enough for Erenhot: see the Dinosaur Museum, stroll the dinosaur plaza, and catch a bus to the border – no overnight needed.
Erenhot is a small Inner Mongolian border town. Its main attractions – the Dinosaur Museum, a dinosaur‑themed plaza and the grassland tour gateway – are close to each other and can be visited in a half‑day. Transport links (train, bus, cheap taxis) make a same‑day round‑trip to the Mongolia border feasible, so most travellers stay just one night or skip lodging entirely.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 二连浩特
- Best months
- May–Oct
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, some border closures)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CNY
- Money
- Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones are free), and per-payment and yearly caps apply — check the app. Keep a second way to pay.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥150–250 excl. bed · Mid ¥300–450 excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- A roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, C, I · 220 V · 50 Hz · Many sockets take flat two-pin (A), round two-pin (C) and angled three-pin (I) plugs; UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.; Taxis and DiDi: No tip.; Tour guides and drivers: Expected on organised tours: about ¥100–200 a day for a guide, ¥50–100 for a driver.; Hotel porters: Not expected; ¥10–20 in luxury hotels.
- Water
- Not for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5, and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms. Restaurants serve hot water or tea.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls. Carry tissues — many have no paper.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Taxi within town | ¥5 flat |
| Taxi to border | ¥10 |
| Bus to border | ¥1 |
| Dinosaur Museum entry | ¥30–50 |
| Street barbecue meal | ¥30–70 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ERL · Erenhot Airport
- Capital Airlines flight from Beijing; about 1 h 30 min
Typical fares
- Airport → city centre bus
- Free
- Taxi town centre → border
- ¥10 flat
- Bus to Mongolia border
- ¥50 per person (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Taxis flat ¥5 within town, ¥10 to the border (2020 data). The number‑one bus to the border costs ¥1. Walkable distance between train station, museum and plaza.
See and do
Known for
- Dinosaur Museum
- Dinosaur Plaza
- Gateway to Erlian Grassland Tour
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Zamiin‑Uud (Mongolia border) | Bus from Erenhot station, ¥50 per person (2023); ~1½ h travel | ≈2 h total |
| Xilinhot | Early‑morning bus, around ¥95, 12 h ride | ≈12 h |
Sleep
- Budget hotels near train station
- Rooms ¥50‑60 per double; basic amenities
- Ruyi International Mansion
- Largest hotel; rooms from ¥330
- Geely Hotel
- ¥80 triple; air‑con, Wi‑Fi, near Xilin St
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | 对不起duìbuqǐ |
| Thank you | 谢谢xièxiè |
| How much is it? | 多少钱？duōshǎo qián? |
| Where is the border? | 边境在哪儿？biānjìng zài nǎr? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
- Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
- Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
- Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
- Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
- Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
- Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
- Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4
Scams and watch-outs
- Border crossing may be closed on Chinese New Year and some holidays; check dates before travel.
- English is rare; basic Mandarin or Mongolian helps.
- Some buses and jeeps can be crowded; keep belongings secure.
Generally safe; main risks are traffic on border roads and language barrier.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Erenhot yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Dinosaur Museum
- Dinosaur Plaza
- Gateway to Erlian Grassland Tour
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Erenhot, revision 5331155 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5331155
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/erenhot). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.