5 Days in Xilin Gol

Arrive by the morning flight from Beijing, about an hour in the air, or the slow overnight train from Hohhot. Beizi Temple dates to 1742, and the 13-aobao hill behind it is the town's sunset viewpoint.

1. xilin gol beizi temple
2. xilin gol erdun aobao

Museum in the morning, the river bends 15 km south after lunch, and the mesas of Pingdingshan another 20 km on for sunset — a rented car covers the whole loop, about 80 km return.

1. xilin gol league museum
2. xilin gol xilin river bends
3. xilin gol pingdingshan volcanoes

The 145-km run east takes about two hours. Mongol Khan City stages wrestling, horse racing and archery displays in high summer, and yurt camps spread across the grassland around the banner seat — sleep in one tonight.

1. xilin gol mongol khan city

Climb Banlashan, the "half mountain" that ends in a sheer grassland cliff, in the morning, then make the roughly three-hour, 180-km run northeast; the Ulagai bends wear boardwalks along the bluffs and suit the golden hour.

1. xilin gol banlashan
2. xilin gol ulagai nine bends

Wolf-feedings draw crowds before 10 am, so go early; after the cold riverside groves of Bulin Spring, budget the four hours back to Xilinhot for an evening flight or the night train.

1. xilin gol wolf valley
2. xilin gol bulin spring