Region

Western Inner Mongolia

Base in Ordos or Baotou for the desert and grasslands; 3–5 days covers the Badain Jaran Desert, Alxa Geopark and the grasslands.

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Key facts · China

Best months: Apr–May, Oct
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Chinese yuan (CNY / RMB, ¥)
Language: Mandarin in Simplified characters
Plugs: A · C · I · 220 V
Time zone: UTC+8 nationwide

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 7

East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
China ↗Most nationalities need a visa, a unilateral visa-free entry (the list and end dates change) or the transit exemption below. Confirm your route on the official sites before you buy a ticket.
China ↗Transit stay without a visa: up to 240 hours (10 days) for citizens of about 55 listed countries who pass through China to a third country or region, with a confirmed onward ticket and a stay inside the permitted area (Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei count as one area). It replaced the 144-hour rule in December 2024, which some older pages still quote. Use the transit lane at immigration, show the onward ticket, and check the current nationality list. Hong Kong and Macau count as separate regions; check whether your ticket qualifies.
China ↗Foreign visitors must register their address with the police within 24 hours; hotels do it at check-in with your passport. Carry the original passport at all times: hotels, trains, museums, Tiananmen Square and police checks ask for it.
China ↗Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card before you fly. QR payment is the default in shops, taxis and many stalls, and some places refuse cash or a foreign card. Carry cash as a backup.
China ↗Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and many news sites are blocked. Use an eSIM with roaming (it routes through your home network) or install and test a VPN before you fly; VPN sites and app stores are hard to reach inside China, and only government-approved VPNs are officially permitted.

Western Inner Mongolia is a vast, arid region of dunes, grasslands and the Badain Jaran Desert. Distances are large — 200–400 km between towns — so pick one base (Ordos for the desert, Baotou for grasslands and access) and day-trip. Public transport is sparse; a hire car with driver or a tour is the practical option.

Where to sleep

4 places in this region

Sleep base

OrdosCity guide
Closest to the Badain Jaran Desert and Alxa Geopark; the city itself has a huge, empty new town.
Best May–Jun, Sep–Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Ordos →
BaotouCity guide
Larger city with grasslands nearby (Xilamuren) and good flight connections.
Best May–Jun, Sep–Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Baotou →

Day trip

WuhaiCity guide
Small city on the Yellow River; a stop between Ordos and the desert.
Best May–Jun, Sep–Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Wuhai →
Bayan NurCity guide
Agricultural area; limited sights.
Best Jun–Sep
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Bayan Nur →

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

3 nights: Ordos 3, day-trip to Alxa Desert National Geopark
5 nights: Baotou 2 (Xilamuren grassland) + Ordos 3 (Badain Jaran Desert)

Distances are large; a hire car with driver or a tour is the practical option.
The Badain Jaran Desert is remote; carry water and fuel, and inform someone of your route.
Summer (June–August) is hot, 35 °C (95 °F)+; spring (March–May) has dust storms.Summer (June–August) is hot, 95 °F (35 °C)+; spring (March–May) has dust storms.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Alxa Desert National Geopark	Ordos	180 min	check	A full-day trip; arrange a driver or join a tour.
Badain Jaran Desert	Ordos	240 min	check	Overnight recommended; the desert is 3–4 hours by car.
Xilamuren Grassland	Baotou	90 min	check	Half-day trip; bus or taxi.

Bags between cities

Luggage forwarding between cities is available through China's express delivery services (SF Express, etc.), but not hotel-to-hotel as in Japan; check with your hotel.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Ordos	×	×	ok	ok	go	go	×	×	go	go	ok	×
Baotou	×	×	ok	ok	go	go	×	×	go	go	ok	×
Wuhai	×	×	ok	ok	go	go	×	×	go	go	ok	×
Bayan Nur	×	×	ok	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	×
China (country-wide)	ok	×	ok	go	ok	ok	ok	ok	go	go	go	go

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Western Inner MongoliaDesert and steppe	cool	cool	ok	best	best	hot	hot	hot	ok	best	cool	cool

best: dry, mildok: workablecool: jacket, greyhot: short walking windows

Western Inner Mongolia: Best months: April–May and September–October. Summer (June–August) is very hot, 35 °C (95 °F)+; winter (November–March) is cold, −10 °C (14 °F) to −20 °C (−4 °F). Dust storms are common in spring.Best months: April–May and September–October. Summer (June–August) is very hot, 95 °F (35 °C)+; winter (November–March) is cold, 14 °F (−10 °C) to −4 °F (−20 °C). Dust storms are common in spring.

The best months are also the most comfortable for desert travel; avoid Chinese public holidays (Golden Week in October, May Day) when domestic tourists fill hotels.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
Hohhot Baita International Airport (HET)	Ordos / Baotou	High-speed train or bus	~2 h to Ordos, ~1 h to Baotou	Hohhot is the main gateway; flights from Beijing, Shanghai and other major cities.
Baotou Donghe Airport (BAV)	Baotou city centre	Taxi or airport bus	~30 min	Flights from Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an.
Ordos Ejin Horo Airport (DSN)	Ordos city centre	Taxi or airport bus	~40 min	Flights from Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu.
Beijing	Baotou / Ordos	High-speed train (G-series)	~3 h to Baotou, ~4 h to Ordos	Multiple trains daily; book in advance.

Regional passes

Verdict first

China Rail Pass

skip

Not available; buy individual tickets.

High-speed train tickets

buy

Book via Ctrip or 12306; reserve in advance for popular routes.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Mongolian hotpot	Baotou, Ordos	Lamb-based broth with vegetables and noodles; a winter staple.
Roast lamb (kao yangrou)	Grassland restaurants	Whole lamb roasted over an open fire; a celebratory dish.
Dairy products (milk tea, yogurt, cheese)	Grassland yurts	Traditional Mongolian dairy; milk tea is salty.
Shaomai (steamed dumplings)	Baotou	Lamb or pork filling; a breakfast staple.

Go next

Central Inner Mongolia

planned

High-speed train ~1–2 h

Hohhot, grasslands and the Xilamuren area.

Eastern Inner Mongolia

planned

Train or flight ~3–4 h

Hailar, Hulunbuir grasslands and the Greater Khingan range.

Beijing

High-speed train ~3–4 h

Capital city with the Great Wall and Forbidden City.

Gansu

Train or flight ~5–6 h

Dunhuang, Jiayuguan and the Hexi Corridor.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Where to sleep: 2 bases
Day trips: 3, 1 h 30 to 4 h
Nights suggested: 3–5 nights
Ways in: 4 listed
Best months: Apr, May, Oct

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

Open Inner Mongolia guide Up to China

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

secondaryWikivoyage: Western Inner Mongolia, revision 4914142 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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