Inner Mongolia Family Trip, Explained Clearly (Around Hohhot)
day1️⃣ 2️⃣ Arrive at Xiangshawan
Depart from Xi’an, take the train (soft sleeper for one night) to Dalate West Station, avoiding backtracking. If you really don’t want to take the train, you can fly to Baotou.
Stay at Fusha in Xiangshawan for the best value. The hotel includes unlimited scenic area tickets, transportation, three meals buffet, VIP wristband, cable car—all-inclusive at the best price, much better value than staying outside the scenic area. If you want to play in Xiangshawan for two days, this is much more cost-effective. (❗If time is limited and you can only play in Xiangshawan for one day, special forces don’t need to stay inside the scenic area; you can choose hotels in Dalate city.)
day3️⃣4️⃣ Hohhot
We flew back from Hohhot, so we rented a car for both ways in Hohhot. Take the high-speed train 🚅 from Dalate to Hohhot.
🏠 Accommodation: Highly recommend Shangri-La Hotel Hohhot, right next to the Old Bull Children’s Exploration Museum (a public welfare project by the CEO of Mengniu). Free 🆓 for kids to play, a whole day is not enough. Visit Dazhao Temple for travel photography, check in at various food spots, Kuang Alley, etc. Two days are quite tight.
day5️⃣ Chilechuan Alpine Grassland
(There are three Chilechuan, don’t get the name wrong. Nearby is Naobao Village.)
If time is tight, you can stay only one day in Hohhot and one day in Chilechuan.
🏠 Accommodation: Qingzi Yunchuan Hotel, next to the hotel is an exciting equestrian show with a large venue. The rooms are clean; recommend the room type with a terrace. If you have time, you can visit Naobao Village, which closes at 10 PM. It has a Jiangnan water town feel. For detailed travel routes, please refer to my daily detailed notes.
day6️⃣ Ulanqab Huitengxile Grassland
This grassland is a must-visit! We stayed at Anda Resort Center, inside Mongolian yurts, relatively new and clean. Next to it is Niubaba Happy Grassland, with many activities like grass sledding, horseback riding, feeding lambs, go-karts, small trains, and more.
day7️⃣ Ulanqab Wulan Hada Volcano
🏠 Accommodation: Qingyin | Villa Leisure Resort (Wulan Hada Volcano Branch)
Close to the volcano, the owner is nice, the food is delicious, the accommodation environment is excellent, the bedding and hygiene are the best in the village, with good aesthetics. The owner will help you buy discounted volcano tickets and provide volcano travel guides.
day8️⃣ Yunduo Gacha · Barwan Ecological Pasture Homestay
🚗 Self-driving from Ulanqab back to Hohhot. This homestay is perfect for families; kids won’t want to leave.
day9️⃣ Return
The scenery along the way continues to heal.
This trip covers: desert, volcano, grassland, and water activities, with close encounters with various animals like 🐮🐴🐏🦌🫏. It’s rich and not tiring, very suitable for bringing elders and children. Accommodations are chosen close to or inside scenic spots, with high cost performance. Feel free to add more suggestions!