Taking the kids to Zhongwei! 5 days exploring the desert and Yellow River, with plenty of delicious food to enjoy

Finally took the kids to the much-anticipated Ningxia Zhongwei! In 5 days, we fully enjoyed the desert and ate to our heart’s content. While organizing the trip guide, the kids were drawing little camels beside me~

DAY1️⃣ Hohhot → Zhongwei: Sleeper train is super convenient
To avoid wasting time, we chose the 7 PM sleeper train from Hohhot, arriving in Zhongwei promptly at 7 AM. The kids had dinner on the train, played with picture books for a while, then fell asleep without fussing, making it much easier for this tired mom~

DAY2️⃣ Shapotou: Check off all the family-friendly activities
Took a taxi from the train station to a guesthouse near the Shapotou Waterwheel Gate, dropped off our luggage, and headed straight to the scenic area! We bought a double 618 combo ticket plus transportation tickets; kids under 1.2 meters are free. We paid extra for the Feihuangtengda (100 RMB) and sheepskin raft speedboat (60 RMB).
👉Super smooth itinerary:
1. Enter through Waterwheel Gate, first take the speedboat to feel the Yellow River’s speed, then get off and take the cable car to experience flying over the Yellow River. The instructor helps secure the kids’ safety harnesses, with excellent protection throughout.
2. After the second cable car ride up, visit the Wang Wei statue for photos—the desert and Yellow River views are stunning. Took lots of pictures of the kids.
3. Pre-order KFC on the phone, pick it up at the restaurant, then take the shuttle bus to the desert area.
4. In the desert area, first ride camels. The little camels walk slowly; the kids pet them and laughed. Then they played on the dune buggies—bumpy and thrilling, the kids kept shouting to play more.
5. Return to the Yellow River area for sand sliding, which is super stress-relieving. Finally, take the sheepskin raft out of the scenic area to end a perfect day~
In the evening, we ate local farmhouse dishes opposite the guesthouse. The kids loved the stir-fried sand scallions with eggs and hand-pulled lamb.

DAY3️⃣ Tengger Desert: Stay inside the desert
The Tengger Desert is a bit far from Shapotou. The desert hotel we booked sent a car to pick us up, so no need to find transport ourselves—super convenient! We chose a room with a private bathroom, more comfortable than tents or cabins. The hotel has a restaurant and a small shop, making it easy to buy food and snacks.
In the afternoon, a study guide taught the kids about desert knowledge—identifying small desert plants and how to find water. Although the kids got a bit of heatstroke (make sure to dress kids in breathable clothes and keep them hydrated), after resting they were full of energy again~
At sunset, we took the kids sand sliding while watching the sun paint the desert orange—so healing! The evening bonfire party was lively, with the kids playing tug-of-war and watching fireworks with other children. Looking up, the sky was full of stars, and the kids said, “The stars look like we can reach out and touch them”~

DAY4️⃣ Zhongwei → Yinchuan: Night market fun
Took the high-speed train to Yinchuan and stayed near Gulou. We planned to visit Lanshan Park for sunset, but it rained, so we went shopping for local specialties instead (goji berries and cassia seed tea were great).
At night, we hit Huaiyuan Night Market! It was crowded but lively. Bought the kids grilled rice cakes and milk fermented glutinous rice, and I tried spicy porridge and lamb offal—everything was a hit. We strolled for almost 2 hours before reluctantly leaving~

DAY5️⃣ Yinchuan → Wuhan: A small regret but still wonderful
We planned to visit the Ningxia Museum but realized it’s closed on Mondays (everyone must check opening hours in advance!). So we wandered around the old alleys near Gulou, bought some local snacks, then headed to the airport for the return trip. Although we missed the museum, the kids said, “The desert is more fun than the museum,” so this trip was already perfect~

Accommodation tips: Top luxury wild hotels recommended
1. Shapotou area: The hotels in "Yellow River · Suji" are amazing, like Dalezhiyie, with a Chinese style, windows facing the Yellow River, and family craft activities. Kids can play all afternoon while parents relax with tea in the courtyard.
2. Tengger Desert: The "Tengger Desert Star Hotel" is a must! Private starry sky rooms where you can lie in bed and watch the stars at night, plus family activities like desert hiking and starry sky lectures. The experience is incredible; the kids didn’t want to leave~