Discover Inner Mongolia
Xilamuren Grassland
希拉穆仁草原
The closest stretch of open steppe to Hohhot and therefore the one most day-trippers see: rolling grass, a Mongol ovoo cairn, horse and camel riding, and herder-family visits. It is frankly commercialised, but it is the cheapest way to stand in genuine grassland and sleep in a yurt without committing two days to driving.
The story
What makes this place special
Xilamuren is the nearest developed grassland camp to Hohhot, in Damao Banner under Baotou, at around 1,700m, with hilly terrain and a large day-to-night temperature range. It is long-established as a tourist grassland, which is both why it is easy to reach and why it is the most worked-over: it was historically served by a monastery, Xilamuren Zhao, affiliated to Hohhot's Xilitu Zhao. Reported distances vary, with sources giving about 90km from Baotou and around 120km from Hohhot. Prices were brought under a unified scheme after a 2025 clean-up aimed at low-price tours and hidden charges, with a standard entry fee, a capped all-in experience package and a capped banquet price.
What you’ll discover
A managed camp rather than open steppe: rows of concrete or framed gers for tourists, a reception building, an arena for horse and wrestling displays, an ovoo cairn hung with prayer flags that visitors walk round, horse and camel rides on marked circuits, and an evening bonfire with singing and a lamb banquet. The grassland around it is real but grazed close and, in places, visibly degraded and sandy.
A little local insight
Good to know before you go
- Be realistic about what this is. It is a 90-minute drive from Hohhot and it is the most commercialised grassland in the region, with reports of thin and sandy grass by late August. If your expectation is empty steppe, this is not it and Hulunbuir is.
- If you only have one day out of Hohhot, this is the only grassland that works as a day trip, and that is its genuine advantage.
- Book through a mainstream platform with the total price written down, not with a driver or tout. The standing complaint here has been low headline prices with charges added on site for riding, the banquet and the show; the 2025 price scheme exists because of that.
- Agree the horse ride by route and duration before you mount, and do not accept being led further out and then asked for more. Wear long trousers and closed shoes.
- An ovoo is walked round clockwise, three times, adding a stone. Doing it the other way or climbing on it is rude.
- Nights at 1,700m are cold even in July, with a big temperature swing after dark, and the tourist gers are poorly insulated. Take a warm layer and expect to be cold if you stay over.
When to come
Late June to early August, which is when the grass is green and the weather warm. By late August the grass is already yellowing. From November to March temperatures commonly sit below minus 10C and a visit is pointless: the camps are shut or empty and there is nothing to see but frozen ground.
Getting around
Mixed but better than it looks. The camp is flat, vehicles drive to the gers, and the arena and dining hall are at ground level, so a wheelchair user can be present for the show, the banquet and the setting. The gers have a raised threshold, the ground between them is rough, and riding, the ovoo and any walk onto the grass itself are not accessible. A bad knee can manage the camp easily.
Worth knowing before you go
The bonfire-and-banquet evening show is aimed squarely at domestic tour groups; if that is not what you want, book a quieter independent yurt camp rather than the main scenic-area package.
Compare established providers
Check live tours and tickets
Search for Xilamuren Grassland in Inner Mongolia. Prices, availability, payment and confirmation are handled by the booking provider.
China Travel Select does not take payment or create the reservation. Confirm the exact name, dates, inclusions and cancellation rules on the provider’s page.
Take a closer look
Maps, videos & more
Prices and hours change. These are the places to check on the day.
