Inner Mongolia and Chinese Ghost City Tour

Saturday 4th July – Ordos, China

• Arrive at your convenience into Ordos Ejin Horo International Airport – the Chinese Ghost city of Inner Mongolia which have flights connected from a few cities within China such as Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao, Zhengzhou, & Lanzhou.
• Meet our driver at the airport and transfer to hotel to check-in (available for CA1149)
• Pre-tour meeting will be held at the lobby of the hotel at 7:00pm to discuss tour itinerary and to meet your fellow travellers and YPT tour leader.
• Head out for dinner and explore the unique nightlife of a ghost city.
• Overnight in Ordos.

Sunday 5th July – Ordos – Kangbashi

Morning 

• Breakfast at hotel
• Make our way over to Kangbashi and begin our day with touring Kangbashi city centre which will include Genghis Khan Square with its giant Mongol statues, the museum built in the shape of a beret, the city’s library built to resemble three books on a shelf, and on to the skyscrapers on the riverfront.
• Visit the 80,000-seater Kangbashi Stadium, gymnasium, and swimming pool – built to hold the 2015 Chinese Ethnic Minority Olympic Games.
• Explore the Athletes Village of the Ethnic Olympics – this huge residential area was built specially for the athletes and now lies completely empty in the middle of nowhere.

Afternoon

• Lunch in town and begin our drive to Dongsheng People’s Hospital – a newly built but incredibly empty hospital.
• Visit the city’s Mosque – built for three local Muslim families and with the idea that this will help attract more Muslims to move into the city.
• Head over to a huge, abandoned mansion complex – this would have been a tight security and gated residents for millionaires, but the money ran out halfway through the project and the mansions stand as hollow shells in a development gone wrong.
• Dinner and drinks at a traditional Mongolian establishment.
• Overnight in Kangbashi.

Monday 6th July Kangbashi – Kubuqi Desert   

Morning 

• Breakfast at hotel
• Drive 1.5 hours to the Mausoleum of Genghis Khan – learn and listen to about the life and legacy of the Mongolian emperor who shaped much of the world’s history. At its height in the late 13th century the Mongol empire covered over 23 million square kilometres, from modern-day Hungary to the west and China to the east.

Afternoon 

• We’ll grab a quick lunch and venture 2 hours further into the vast and picturesque Kubuqi Desert. The desert is renowned for its singing sand dune which stretches some 200 meters wide and has a gradient of 45 degrees rising to approximately 110 meters high.
• On arrival we’ll check-into our hotel and enjoy activities such as camel riding, sandboarding, and dune buggies. Let´s get dusty!
• We’ll go to our classic spot for you to enjoy the sunset over the golden sand dunes accompanied by an occasional sighting of a camel.
• Enjoy a traditional Mongolian-style dinner and the starry desert sky.
• Overnight in hotel near Kubuqi Desert.   

Tuesday 7th July – Kubuqi Desert – Xilamuren Grassland 

Morning 

• After breakfast in the hotel, begin our 5-hour drive to Xilamuren Grassland and stop for refreshments, photo opportunities and breaks along the way.

Afternoon 

• Arrive at Xilamuren Grassland and its endless green steppes.
• Experience a warm Mongolian welcome with the traditional “dismount wine” ceremony, an honour reserved for guests from afar.
• Our local guides will demonstrate how to hop on and ride a horse, and then take you across the grasslands, riding towards Aobao mountain to see the ancient rock carvings.
• Upon return we’ll catch the sunset and enjoy a Mongolian BBQ amongst traditional yurts nestled on the vast grasslands, accompanied by traditional singing and dances. Dare to join?
• As night falls, the surprisingly clear view of the Milky Way will create an unforgettable backdrop for your adventure.
• Overnight in a yurt on the grassland, with washrooms available.

Wednesday 8th July – Xilamuren Grassland – Hohhot – Erenhot

Morning 

• Optional early wake up to enjoy the sunrise
• Head to the largest sacred mountain on the Xilamuren grassland, the Hongger Aobao, and experience the highly decorated horseback performance: Legends of the southern desert. Advanced horsemanship, storytelling, and lots of action await you. It’s a must-see of the region!
• Depart for Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia, which blends traditional Mongolian culture with Chinese influences. Hohhot means “Blue City” in Mongolian, symbolising the sky and eternity.

Afternoon 

• Lunch upon arrival in Hohhot.
• Head to the Inner Mongolia Museum, which features exhibits on Mongolian history, the nomadic culture and dinosaur fossils. It’s a great way to understand the region’s past. 
• Discover Dazhao Temple, one of Hohhot’s oldest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries. Admire its architecture, intricate carvings, and the impressive Buddha statue. The scent of incense and the sound of chanting monks are adding to the atmosphere, allowing for a little travel between dimensions. As twilight descends, the temple glows, offering a last touch rounding off the experience. 
• Stop by Saishang Old Street, where you can find local handicrafts, souvenirs, and milk-related products. Take in the traditional Chinese and Mongolian-style buildings while strolling around and observing the busy market bustle.
• Enjoy a final Mongolian feast in Hohhot at a traditional restaurant. 
• Group A members: tour concludes in Hohhot – YPT is able to arrange post-tour accommodation or advice for onward flights. 
• Group B members (full tour): transfer to Hohhot Railway Station and board the overnight sleeper train to Erenhot departing at 10:30pm

Thursday 9th July  – Zamyn Uud, Mongolia – Ulaanbaatar

Morning

• Arrive Erenhot at 6:49am
• Cross the border from Mainland China’s Erenhot to Mongolia’s Zamyn-Uud by international bus. 
• Check-in to your hotel room for the day to rest between the train journeys and gather your energy for the upcoming Naadam Festival.
• Stroll around at your leisure and take in the unique atmosphere of life in this distant and remote border town. Explore the subtle differences between Inner and Outer Mongolia.

Afternoon

• Mongolian lunch in town.
• Check-out late in the afternoon and transfer to train station.
• Board the Trans-Mongolian train at 6:05pm from Zamyn Uud to Ulaanbaatar – the capital of Mongolia.
• Enjoy a very scenic ride, taking approximately 14 hours. Tasty onboard meals will accompany you while gazing out at the never-ending landscapes: vast steppes, rolling hills, and the beauty of Mongolia’s wilderness. No wonder this train ride is part of so many books an poems.
• Overnight on train to Ulaanbaatar. 

Friday 10th July – Ulaanbaatar

Morning

• Breakfast on train and enjoy the change of scenery rolling into the city.
• Arrive in Ulaanbaatar at 9:20am and tour concludes
• For those group members continuing onwards you’ll be transferred to our hotel to meet members of our Mongolia Naadam Festival tour.