Giving up on Guilin, this place is just too amazing

! In Ulanqab, we chased the starry sky, climbed volcanoes, and devoured hand-held lamb meat. Three days of wild and thrilling fun—although we hit some snags, we still want to go back for round two?! This "Grassland Starry Sky City" hides surprises and pitfalls; here’s a guide to help you avoid the traps and find the gems 🌌

Reasons to Recommend

20℃ summer + grassland volcanoes, who wouldn’t love it?! But the wind is strong enough to mess up your hairstyle (my wig almost flew away) 💨 Luckily, you can drink salty milk tea for 6 yuan, eat your fill of Youmian Wowo for 30 yuan, watch the grassland sunrise for free, and ride horses in Huanghua Valley. After avoiding the pitfalls, the experience is top-notch and totally worth it!

Transportation Guide

✈️ Plane: Taxi from Jining Airport to downtown takes 30 minutes (50 yuan), airport shuttle bus 5 yuan direct
🚄 High-speed rail: Taxi from Ulanqab Station to downtown takes 10 minutes (15 yuan), super convenient with Alipay’s “Inner Mongolia Transportation Code”
🚗 Local transport: Must rent a car! The volcanoes and grasslands are too spread out. Car rental costs 200 yuan/day, parking fee at scenic spots 10 yuan/time

Itinerary

Day 1: Huitengxile Grassland - Huanghua Valley
Morning: See the "alpine meadow" at Huitengxile, wind turbines like a giant phalanx, horse riding 50 yuan/hour is super fun 🐎
Noon: Eat hand-held lamb meat, boiled lamb dipped in chive flowers, 38 yuan/portion with milk tea is amazing
Afternoon: Take the cable car in Huanghua Valley (80 yuan), see the canyon forest, the cable car overlooks the grassland like a green carpet
Evening: Stay in a Mongolian yurt, roast whole lamb shared equally at 60 yuan per person, the starry sky is so bright you can see the Milky Way

Day 2: Ulanhada Volcano Group - Volcano No. 3
Morning: Climb the plank road of Volcano No. 3, wear a spacesuit for photos (50 yuan/set), pretend you’re on the moon 🌕
Noon: Eat Youmian Wowo with lamb soup, 20 yuan/portion, shaped like a honeycomb, super fun
Afternoon: Collect volcanic stones at Volcano No. 5, black rocks with pores, free and great for photos
Evening: Eat barbecue in the city, grilled lamb kidney 8 yuan/skewer, paired with Dayao guest beer to cut the grease

Day 3: Sumushan - Return Trip
Morning: Climb "Inner Mongolia’s Little Huangshan" at Sumushan, forest oxygen bar hiking, cool off by stepping in the waterfall water 💦
Noon: Eat yellow rice jelly, glutinous rice wrapped with red bean paste, 15 yuan/portion dipped in sugar, sweet to the core
Afternoon: Buy beef jerky and milk skin as souvenirs

5 Must-Visit Attractions

1. Ulanhada Volcano Group: "China’s only dormant volcano group," Volcano No. 3 is the most photogenic, Volcano No. 5 is great for stone collecting, free admission 🌋

2. Huitengxile Grassland: Less crowded than Hulunbuir! Wind turbines + grassland are super healing, perfect for beginner horse riders 🐎

3. Huanghua Valley: "Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall," cable car views of the canyon and grassland junction, wildflowers are stunning in summer, ticket 80 yuan 🌼

4. Sumushan Forest Park: Free! Inner Mongolia’s largest artificial forest, hike to breathe fresh air and cleanse your lungs, great for kids 🌳

5. Jining Battle Memorial Hall: Free! Learn about red history, the sculpture group is very impressive, perfect for gaining knowledge 🗿

Food Recommendations

1. Hand-held lamb meat: 38 yuan/portion, the soul of the grassland! Bone-in lamb cooked tender, dipped in chive flowers is super fragrant, garlic helps cut the grease 🐑

2. Youmian Wowo: 20 yuan/portion, honeycomb-shaped noodles made from oat flour, served with lamb soup, a local breakfast staple 🍚

3. Salty milk tea: 6 yuan/pot, brick tea boiled with milk and salt, served with milk tofu, once you get used to it, it’s addictive 🥛

4. Roasted lamb leg: 50 yuan/jin, charcoal-grilled to juicy perfection, crispy outside and tender inside, tearing it apart is super satisfying 🍖

5. Yellow rice jelly: 15 yuan/portion, yellow rice is stickier than glutinous rice, red bean paste filling is sweet but not greasy, a perfect summer treat 🍘

6. Milk skin: 10 yuan/portion, milk boiled to form a creamy skin, eaten directly or soaked in milk tea, rich milky flavor 🥛

Accommodation Recommendations

1. Grassland Mongolian yurt: 100 yuan per person, immersive experience, some with private bathrooms, perfect for stargazing at night 🏕️

2. City hotels: Standard rooms from 120 yuan, close to food streets, convenient for barbecue, includes parking 🅿️

3. Volcano homestay: 90 yuan per person, 20 minutes from the volcano group, rooftop views of the starry sky, the owner’s milk tea is super fragrant 🏡

Tips

1. Wear a windproof jacket! The grassland wind is strong + UV rays are intense, bring a hat and sunglasses or you’ll get sunburned like a coal ball ☀️

2. Don’t buy beef jerky at scenic spots! City supermarkets sell it for 40 yuan/jin, half the price of scenic spots, look for vacuum packaging 🐂

3. Choose yurts with electricity! Some yurts have no air conditioning, those with power can charge devices and stay cool, don’t be cheap 🌬️

4. Bring motion sickness medicine! Grassland mountain roads are winding, drive slowly if self-driving, take medicine in advance if prone to motion sickness 🤢

Travel Checklist

• Bring: windproof jacket, sneakers, power bank (star photography drains battery fast), trash bags (protect the grassland!)
• Do: horse riding on the grassland, volcano photography, watch the Milky Way, drink salty milk tea
• Shoot: volcano spacesuit, grassland wind turbines, starry sky Milky Way, Huanghua Valley cable car
• Buy: dried beef (40 yuan/jin), milk tablets (20 yuan/bag), instant Youmian noodles

Although Ulanqab is windy, the grassland and starry sky are incredibly healing! Already thinking about bringing hair gel next time~ Quickly your travel buddy to avoid pitfalls and go for it 💕