Welcome to Ulanqab, the most comprehensive travel guide

Of course! Here is an in-depth 5-day 4-night travel guide to Ulanqab from the perspective of a travel blogger, with a budget controlled within 10,000 RMB. It covers natural scenery, cultural experiences, and authentic local cuisine, perfect for those who love off-the-beaten-path secrets, grassland vibes, and slow-paced travel.---
🌄【Ulanqab · 5 Days 4 Nights Summer Escape】Grasslands, Volcanoes, Starry Skies & Slow Life｜Explore Inner Mongolia’s Hidden Gems for ¥9800 per person📍 Destination: Ulanqab City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region*📅 Trip Duration: 5 days 4 nights💰 Total Budget: About ¥9800/person (including round-trip airfare)🚗 Recommended Season: June-September (cool summer, average temperature 21℃, known as "China’s Grassland Summer Resort")---
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Why choose Ulanqab? Far from the bustling Hulunbuir, Ulanqab is like the backyard garden of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region—3 hours by high-speed train, 1.5 hours by plane from Beijing. Here you will find: ✅ Pristine grasslands ✅ Volcanic geological wonders ✅ Cool climate (no need for air conditioning in summer) ✅ Less crowded, great for photos ✅ A blend of Mongolian culture and modern art---
Itinerary Overview | Days | Highlights ||------|----------|| Day 1 | Arrive in Ulanqab → Chahar Right Rear Banner → Check in at volcano homestay || Day 2 | Explore No.3 Volcano & Pingdingshan → Starry sky camping || Day 3 | Horse riding on Huitengxile Grassland + Windmill Road → Huanghuagou Scenic Area || Day 4 | In-depth tour of Ulanhada Volcano Geological Park → Return to city || Day 5 | Cultural stroll in Ulanqab city → Departure |---
✈️ Day 1: Arrive in Ulanqab · First Encounter with the Volcano Secret Realm - Transportation Suggestions: - Beijing Capital Airport/Daxing Airport → Ulanqab Jining Airport (flight about 1.5h, ticket ¥600-900, early booking can be as low as ¥500) - Or high-speed train: Beijing North Station → Ulanqab Station (G-series train, about 2.5h, second class seat ¥150) - Trip Plan: - Rent a car after arrival (SUV recommended, about ¥300/day, total ¥1200 for 4 days) - Drive 1.5 hours to a homestay near the Ulanhada Volcano Group - Recommended stays: “Under the Volcano” eco homestay or “41°N Latitude” volcano tent hotel (including breakfast, double room ¥680/night) - Dinner: - Mongolian yurt dinner at the homestay: hand-held mutton + milk tea + sand scallion potatoes (about ¥120 per person) 🌙 Night talk: After dinner, look up to see the Milky Way, bring a tripod for star photography!---
🌋 Day 2: Explore the Volcano Group · Land on the “Mars Surface” - Morning: Visit No.3 Volcano (South Refining Furnace Volcano) - Hike to the summit, black basalt everywhere, like being on Mars - Photo tips: wear bright clothes for better shots, drone aerial shots are stunning - Noon: Picnic lunch (prepare sandwiches, fruit, bottled water in advance) - Afternoon: Head to Pingdingshan (No.6 Volcano) - The crater is perfectly round, surrounded by meadows, ideal for quiet meditation - Stop by the popular “Moon Castle” stone pile - Evening: Return to homestay or choose starry sky camping - Tent rental available (¥200/tent) + BBQ set (lamb skewers + beer, about ¥150 per person) 📸 Photo highlights today: crater overlook, weathered rock close-ups, star time-lapse photography---
🐎 Day 3: Enter Huitengxile Grassland · Windmills and Flower Seas - Drive 2 hours to Huitengxile Grassland (entrance fee ¥80) - “Huanghuagou” Scenic Area is the core, but the surrounding free grasslands are more pristine - Activities: - Horse riding on the grassland (1-hour experience ¥150, remember to bargain) - Walk along the Windmill Road: dozens of kilometers of white wind turbines, great for casual photos - In June-July, enjoy the golden lotus flower sea, yellow flowers covering the hills - Lunch: Grassland farmhouse - Recommended dishes: roasted lamb ribs (half portion ¥180), oat noodles, milk tofu (about ¥100 per person) - Afternoon: Enter Huanghuagou Scenic Area (combined ticket ¥220 including cable car) - Suggest taking the cable car up and walking down to see the canyon streams - The area is large, plan your time well - Accommodation: Stay deep in the grassland at Yun Valley Homestay (Tibetan style, with floor heating, ¥720/night)---
🔥 Day 4: In-depth Volcano Geological Tour · Science + Adventure - Morning: Return to Ulanhada Volcano Group - Visit No.1 Volcano (North Refining Furnace): best preserved, with educational panels - No.4 Volcano: has a lava tunnel inside (guided tours only, safety first) - Special experience: - Hire a local geology enthusiast as a guide (¥300/half day, learn about volcano formation history) - Collect volcanic rock specimens (small amounts allowed within limits) - Afternoon: Drive back to Ulanqab city (about 2.5 hours) - Dinner: City’s Mongolian Restaurant No.1 - Must order: whole lamb feast (half portion available, ¥380), milk tea hotpot, fried milk skin (about ¥160 per person) - Accommodation: Four-star hotel in city center Vienna International Hotel (¥400/night, convenient transportation)---
🏛️ Day 5: City Culture Wrap-up · Take Grassland Memories Home - **Morning**: - Visit Ulanqab Museum (free, reservation required) - Learn about Xiongnu, Xianbei, Mongolian history - See dinosaur fossils and volcanic geological models - Check out Jining Old Town Qing Dynasty street - Buy souvenirs: dried beef (¥80/jin), fermented milk cubes, camel wool scarves (starting at ¥150) - **Lunch**: Locals recommend Lao Suiyuan Shaomai Restaurant - Beef and scallion shaomai basket ¥28, paired with hot and sour soup very satisfying (about ¥50 per person) - Return: - Take high-speed train from Jining South Station back to Beijing (¥150) or fly back (depending on flight)
💰 Total Budget Breakdown (per person) | Item | Cost (RMB) ||------|----------------|| Round-trip airfare (Beijing-Ulanqab) | ¥800 || 4-day car rental + fuel + parking | ¥1500 || Accommodation (4 nights, mid-to-high-end homestays + hotels) | ¥2800 || Food (about ¥200/day) | ¥1000 || Tickets and activities (volcano, Huanghuagou, horse riding, etc.) | ¥600 || Camping/guide/photography services | ¥500 || Souvenirs & emergency expenses | ¥600 || Local transport & miscellaneous | ¥300 || Total ¥8100 | 🎯 Surplus about ¥1900, can be used to upgrade accommodation, private car service, or buy more specialties.---
Blogger’s Thoughtful Tips: 1. Clothing guide: large temperature difference between day and night, bring a windbreaker + light down jacket; sunscreen during the day (strong UV), mosquito repellent at night. 2. Network situation: weak signal in grassland and volcano areas, download offline maps in advance. 3. Eco-friendly travel: volcano and grassland ecosystems are fragile, do not litter or damage vegetation. 4. Photography advice: best light is early morning and dusk, drones must avoid no-fly zones. 5. Language communication: most people speak Mandarin, some herders speak Mongolian, a smile is the best pass.
🌿 Conclusion: Ulanqab is not a traditional “great grassland,” but it has a rugged yet gentle beauty—like the earth’s scars and nature’s poetry. Here, you can step on volcanic ash from 300,000 years ago, gaze at the pouring Milky Way, and hear the wind rustling through the grass waves. If you are tired of crowded tourist spots, come to this forgotten northern frontier and rediscover the original joy of travel. 📌 Follow me to explore China’s coolest hidden corners! Need a PDF itinerary, map annotations, or customized couple/family routes? Feel free to leave a message!

Post by Noah@012 Brown | Sep 10, 2025