Stop crowding Shahu! Explore the true secret northwest for 2000 yuan, 3 days and 2 nights staying in a desert starry sky room

Stop crowding Shahu! Explore the true secret northwest for 2000 yuan, 3 days and 2 nights staying in a desert starry sky room, ride camels to watch the sunrise🔥🏜️**

This is the Ningxia you see on social media—
📸 Sand dunes packed with people sliding down, queues in front of popular photo spots, homestays more expensive than five-star hotels...
You think you’re visiting the “Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall,” but it feels like a “desert version of a May Day holiday crowd”😅

But the real Ningxia is—
🌙 Lying in the desert at night counting stars, the Milky Way so clear it looks photoshopped
🐪 Riding camels through golden dunes at dawn, the wind chimes ringing, the world so quiet you only hear your breath
🍇 Biting into Zhongwei selenium sand melon during the day, so sweet it makes your heart tremble, even more addictive than milk tea🍉

This isn’t a movie scene, it’s **China’s most underrated treasure province**—
**Half wilderness, half oasis; one foot in the desert, one foot in poetry.** 🏜️🌿

Today, a travel blogger who has self-driven through Ningxia 5 times shares from the heart—
✅ Spend less ✅ Play wildly ✅ Take magical photos ✅ And avoid 99% of tourist traps with this 【Ningxia 3 days 2 nights deep travel guide｜Max 2000 yuan per person｜Students welcome】!

Save this = you’ve found a treasure, share this = save your bestie from “Instagram photo fails”!

**Itinerary Overview｜3 days 2 nights · Core highlights of Zhongwei｜Budget ≈1980 yuan/person**

> 🎒 Suitable for: Couples | Besties | Solo travelers | Anyone wanting to escape the city
> 🧥 Gear suggestions: Sunscreen + sunglasses + hat + light jacket (big temperature difference day and night) + comfortable sneakers

🌄 Day 1: Arrive in Zhongwei｜First experience of Tengger Desert, overnight at desert edge

- ✈️ Transport: Fly to Yinchuan or take train from Xi’an/Chengdu/Chongqing → Zhongwei high-speed rail station (book discount tickets early, round trip ≈600-800 yuan)
- Tip: Buy a cheap high-speed train ticket from Xi’an to Lanzhou, get off at Zhongwei (about 120 yuan, 2.5 hours)

- 🚌 Local transport: Taxi or carpool from high-speed rail station to near 【Shapotou Scenic Area】 (about 40 yuan, 30 minutes)

- 🏡 Accommodation: Stay at budget desert-themed homestays near 【Mingsha Village】 or 【Desert Station】, double room ≈180 yuan/night
👉 Why recommended: Walking distance to desert entrance, affordable, some rooms have star-gazing windows✨

- 🚶 Itinerary:
- Afternoon: Don’t go to the main Shapotou scenic area yet! Head straight to the free outer areas of 【Tonghu Grassland】 or 【Golden Sand Island】
- Free horseback riding experience (negotiate 30 yuan per round), perfect for epic photos🐎
- Evening: Hike 1 hour into the heart of 【Tengger Desert】
- Find a tall dune to sit and wait for a **desert sunset**🌅
- Photo tip: Wear a long dress + headscarf, backlit silhouettes look very storybook
- Night: Join a 【bonfire party】 or bring your own snacks and lie on the dunes to watch the stars🌌
- The Milky Way is visible to the naked eye! Remember to bring a camera for “star trails”

🐫 Day 2: Light Shapotou play + Yellow River rafting + starry night

- 🌞 Morning: Get up early! Enter 【Shapotou Scenic Area South Zone】 before 7:30 (ticket + shuttle 80 yuan)
- ⚠️ Don’t buy combo tickets! Don’t slide down dunes! Don’t follow the usual route!
- The right way:
1. Walk through the desert area (free and a test of willpower💪)
2. Take the eco-friendly shuttle to the Yellow River bank
3. Experience 【sheepskin raft rafting】 (60 yuan/person)—ancient river crossing method, thrilling and healing🌊
4. Walk across the 【Yellow River cableway】 (one way 40 yuan), overlooking the desert and river

- 🍜 Lunch: After leaving the scenic area, find a local restaurant to try 【Huixiaochi】 and 【Artemisia noodles】, about 35 yuan per person

- 🌿 Afternoon: Head to 【Route 66】 (Ningxia’s “American West style”)
- Free! Maximum desolation vibe, every shot looks like a movie still🎬
- You can rent an off-road motorcycle (80 yuan/30 minutes) for an adrenaline rush!

- 🌌 Evening: Return to homestay or upgrade to a night in a 【desert starry sky tent】 (off-season special ≈380 yuan/room including breakfast)
- Why recommended: Fully transparent dome, lie in bed watching meteor showers🌠
- Bonus: Ethnic costume photo shoot + travel photography service (extra 50 yuan for 3 retouched photos)

🚜 Day 3: Desert dawn + Western film city or goji berry picking

👉 **Choose one based on your interest!**

✅ Option A: Zhenbeibu Western Film City (a must for artsy travelers)
- Ticket 80 yuan (10 yuan discount if bought online in advance)
- Filming location of “A Chinese Odyssey” and “New Dragon Gate Inn”!
- Must-visit spots:
- “Confession stage of Zixia Fairy” on the city wall
- Pose at the entrance of “Silk Worm Cave”
- Shop assistants shouting “Welcome, honored guest!” instantly get you into character🎭
- 💡 Tip: Wear Hanfu or vintage style to instantly travel back to the martial arts world!

✅ Option B: Zhongning Goji Berry Picking Experience (foodies’ top choice)
- Free entry! Pick goji berries and pay by weight (about 30 yuan/jin)
- Experience drying and processing, and buy vacuum-packed berries to take home🎁
- On the way, stop by 【Yellow River Palace】 for photos outside (free), shaped like a giant river clam🐚

- 🚄 Afternoon: Return according to train/flight schedule, perfect ending!

💰 **Total budget breakdown (per person):**

| Item | Cost |
|------|------|
| Round-trip transport (train/flight) | 750 yuan |
| Local transport (taxi + carpool) | 120 yuan |
| Accommodation (2 nights) | 560 yuan (including 1 night starry sky room) |
| Food (6 meals + snacks) | 200 yuan |
| Tickets + experiences (Shapotou + film city etc.) | 220 yuan |
| Emergency fund | 100 yuan |
| **Total** | **≈1950 yuan** |

🎉 Leftover can buy two packs of goji berries + a bag of selenium sand melon as gifts for parents, healthy and thoughtful!

🚫 **Warning! Don’t do these!**

- ❌ Spend 300+ yuan on all entertainment at Shapotou main scenic area? Very low cost performance!
- ❌ Enter the desert only in the afternoon? The sun is so harsh you’ll regret it, go early and return late!
- ❌ Stay in city hotels? Far from attractions, 2-hour commute will kill your mood
- ❌ Don’t apply sunscreen? Your face will darken three shades by the end of the day, regret guaranteed!

Ladies!!
If you’re tired of the concrete jungle,
Want a place to clear your mind, listen to the wind, and watch the Milky Way—
This time, trust me—
**Ningxia isn’t a distant northwest, it’s the “just go” answer in your heart.**

Who do you most want to watch the desert sunrise with?
The one who stayed up late with you? Or a brother you haven’t seen in a long time?

📌 Remember:
The world is big, but there’s always a desert willing to light up the whole Milky Way for you.
**And Ningxia’s romance is hidden between the yellow sand and starlight.** 🌌🐫