Ningxia 4 Days 4 Nights High Cost-Performance Off-the-Beaten-Path Secret Journey

This is "the Northwest that least resembles the Northwest of China," a land of majestic desert smoke rising straight into the sky, and also the Eastern Bordeaux with the aroma of fine wine beneath Helan Mountain! In 4 days and 4 nights, ride camels across the Tengger Desert, stay at a starry sky camp, check in at Zhenbeibu Western Film Studio, explore the Western Xia Imperial Tombs, taste Ningxia red wine, and enjoy Tan mutton. Amid the symphony of sand and river, become a poet of the "majestic desert smoke rising straight."

📍 Destinations: Ningxia · Yinchuan + Zhongwei
📅 Duration: 4 days 4 nights
💰 Total Budget: About 3980 RMB/person (including round-trip transportation)
🎯 Keywords: Shapotou | Tengger Desert | Zhenbeibu Western Film Studio | Western Xia Imperial Tombs | Helan Mountain | Red Wine | Tan Mutton
✅ Total Budget Breakdown (per person)

| Item | Cost (RMB) | Description
✈️ Round-trip Transportation | 1800 | Flights (Xi’an → Yinchuan 1.5h / 500 RMB; Chengdu → 2.5h / 800 RMB; Zhengzhou → 2h / 600 RMB; Beijing → 2h / 700 RMB; early bird special tickets available)
🏡 Accommodation (4 nights) | 800 | Comfortable hotels + desert camp (200 RMB/night), 2 nights in Yinchuan + 2 nights in Zhongwei
🍖 Meals | 800 | 200 RMB/day average, including Tan mutton, hand-grabbed rice, Artemisia noodles, red wine tasting
🎫 Tickets + Experiences | 480 | Shapotou 80 + Camel ride 100 + Western Film Studio 80 + Western Xia Imperial Tombs 95 + Winery free
🚌 Local + Intercity Transport | 100 | Yinchuan ↔ Zhongwei bus 60 RMB/one way × 2
🎒 Emergency Supplies | 100 | Sunscreen, sunglasses, headscarf, thermos, small gifts
| Total | ≈3980 RMB | Fully controlled within 4000 RMB!

💡 If departing from Lanzhou, flight tickets cost only 400 RMB, and the total budget can be reduced to 3300 RMB

🗓 Itinerary: Sand + Film + Tomb + Wine Quartet

🌄 Day 1: Arrive in Yinchuan + Zhenbeibu Western Film Studio + Huaiyuan Night Market Step into the movie world starting with "A Chinese Odyssey"

- Afternoon: Flight arrives at [Yinchuan Hedong Airport] → 40 minutes by subway or taxi to downtown
- The airport is right at the junction of the Gobi Desert and oasis, desolate yet poetic

- 🏡 Accommodation Recommendations:
- [Kempinski Hotel Yinchuan] with a prime location
- Or a guesthouse near [Huaiyuan Night Market], walking distance to the snack street
- Price: about 200 RMB/night

- 🎬 Afternoon: Check in at [Zhenbeibu Western Film Studio] (ticket 80 RMB)
- Filming location for "A Chinese Odyssey," "New Dragon Gate Inn," "Red Sorghum"
- Must-try experiences:
- Dress up as Zixia Fairy / Supreme Treasure for photos (50 RMB/set)
- Walk through "Pansi Cave," "City Gate Ruins," "Qingcheng Old Street"
- Shout "I love you for ten thousand years!" in front of the "One Smile for a Hundred Years" wall

- 🌃 Evening: Stroll through [Huaiyuan Night Market] (Ningxia’s largest night market)
- Must-eats:
- Spicy Hot Pot (Ningxia style mala tang)
- Mutton hand-pulled noodles
- Grilled eggs (grilled lamb kidneys, locals’ favorite)
- Ding Beibei spicy lamb trotters
- Eight Treasures Tea (with goji berries, red dates, longan)
- Per capita: 60 RMB, eat while walking

🏰 Day 2: Western Xia Imperial Tombs + Helan Mountain Rock Art + Winery Tasting Enter the "Eastern Pyramid," listen to the silence of a thousand-year Western Xia

- 🚗 Morning: Head to [Western Xia Imperial Tombs] (ticket 95 RMB)
- Royal tomb complex of the Western Xia dynasty, pyramid-shaped
- Must-visit:
- Twin Tombs Site (most complete)
- Western Xia Museum (see scripts, weapons, Buddha statues)
- Climb high for a panoramic view, nine tombs scattered in the yellow sand

- 🗿 Afternoon: Explore [Helan Mountain Rock Art] (ticket 80 RMB)
- "History book" carved on stones by primitive humans 6000 years ago
- Find the "Sun God," "Human Face," "Hunting Scenes," like an archaeological adventure

- 🍷 Evening: Visit [Zhihuiyuan Stone Winery] or [Anthropomorphic Head Winery]
- Ningxia is the "China Red Wine Golden Triangle," quality comparable to Bordeaux
- Free tasting of 2-3 dry reds (recommended: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot)
- Vineyard + Helan Mountain backdrop, perfect for photos

- 🍽️ Dinner: Authentic [Ningxia Hand-Grabbed Mutton]
- Recommended: [Guoqiang Hand-Grabbed]
- Tan mutton is not gamey, boiled in clear water + garlic vinegar sauce, melts in your mouth
- Per capita: 90 RMB

🐫 Day 3: Yinchuan → Zhongwei + Shapotou Desert Crossing Ride camels, sandboard, Yellow River rafting, explore the "Desert Capital of China"

- 🚌 Morning: Bus/train to [Zhongwei] (2h / 60 RMB ticket)
- Step out of the station into the "desert oasis" atmosphere

- 🏡 Accommodation Recommendations:
- [Zhongwei Shapotou Desert Star Hotel] high-end (for higher budget)
- Or [Comfortable guesthouse in Zhongwei city] cost-effective, 200 RMB/night

- 🏜️ Afternoon: Check in at [Shapotou Scenic Area] (ticket 80 RMB)*
- National 5A level, combines desert, Yellow River, oasis, and mountains

- 🐪 Must-try activities (optional combos):
- Camel ride across Tengger Desert (100 RMB/segment, about 30 minutes)
- Sandboarding (slide down a hundred-meter sand dune, super thrilling)
- Yellow River sheepskin raft rafting (60 RMB/person, original river crossing method)
- Desert dune buggy (80 RMB/person, bumpy fun to laughter)

- 🌅 Evening: Watch the sunset by the Yellow River
- Where desert meets Yellow River, a divine light and shadow spectacle!

- 🍜 Dinner: Zhongwei specialty [Artemisia noodles] + whole roasted lamb (can share)
- Artemisia noodles are intangible cultural heritage snack, fragrant and chewy
- Per capita: 70 RMB

🌌 Day 4: Tengger Desert Light Hiking or Starry Sky Camp + Return Spend the last night in the desert, gazing at the Milky Way

🌠 Option A: Stay at the desert camp, watch the stars (highly recommended!)
- Head to [Star Hotel] or [Desert Camp] (participate in activities without staying overnight is possible)
- Join starry sky explanation + bonfire party + desert breakfast
- If budget allows, stay one night (about 800 RMB/room), but this guide calculates with regular accommodation

🚶 Option B: Light hiking + return
- Early morning walk on the desert edge, capture "majestic desert smoke rising straight"
- Return to Zhongwei city, buy souvenirs

- 🛍️ Souvenir shopping:
- Zhongning Goji berries (China’s best)
- Ningxia red wine (small bottles, can be checked in)
- Tan mutton leather paintings (handmade souvenirs)
- Eight Treasures Tea gift box

- ✈️ Return to Yinchuan Hedong Airport before noon for departure

Tips

1. 🌞 Climate reminder:
- Large temperature difference between day and night (30°C daytime, 15°C night), bring a jacket
- Strong UV rays, sunscreen + sunglasses + headscarf are essential

2. 📸 Photo hotspots:
- Shapotou where Yellow River meets desert
- Zhenbeibu Film Studio "City Gate Ruins"
- Western Xia Imperial Tombs pyramid group
- Helan Mountain Rock Art "Sun God"
- Starry sky camp Milky Way (best from June to September)

3. 🍷 Red wine trivia:
- Ningxia red wine has won multiple international awards
- Long grape ripening period, perfect sugar-acid ratio
- Most wineries offer free tours and tastings

4. 🐑 Food list:
- Must-eat three treasures: Tan mutton, hand-grabbed rice, spicy hot pot
- Must-drink: Eight Treasures Tea, goji berry original juice
- Must-try: Artemisia noodles, grilled lamb kidneys, lamb offal soup

5. 🚗 Transportation advice:
- Yinchuan → Zhongwei recommended by bus (cheap) or train (fast)
- Attractions are scattered, carpool or join day tours

📷 Final thoughts: Ningxia is not a barren desert, but a frontier poem written with sand, wine, lamb, and stars. It gently tells you that the beauty of China is not only the misty rain of Jiangnan but also the majestic spirit of the vast desert smoke rising straight. For less than 4000 RMB, you can have a visually stunning, taste-bud striking, soul-escaping first experience of the Northwest.