7 Days in Xilin Gol

Fly in from Beijing, about an hour, or take the overnight train from Hohhot. The lama temple dates to 1742; the 13-aobao hill behind it catches the sunset over the grassland.

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

Museum first, then the 15-km drive to the Xilin River bends and another 20 km to the Pingdingshan mesas for sunset; the rented-car loop totals about 80 km.

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

The 145-km drive east takes about two hours. Watch the wrestling, racing and archery program at Mongol Khan City, then overnight in a yurt camp on the grassland outside the banner seat.

1. xilin gol mongol khan city

Morning on Banlashan's grassland cliff, then roughly three hours northeast; walk the boardwalks above the Ulagai bends at golden hour and sleep near the management-district town.

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

Go to the wolves before 10 am, then Bulin Spring's cold groves and the 1960s bingtuan-era streets built for the film Wolf Totem (2015); continue about two hours west to East Ujimqin for the night.

1. xilin gol wolf valley
2. xilin gol bulin spring
3. xilin gol bingtuan town

Climb the granite domes of Wuliyasitai north of town in the cool of the morning, then drive the roughly 250 km back to Xilinhot — count three and a half hours with grassland the whole way.

1. xilin gol wuliyasitai mountain

Leave by 8 am for the 180-km drive south; the walls of Kublai's capital, founded in 1256 and UNESCO-listed in 2012, reward two unhurried hours before the run back for an evening flight.

1. xilin gol yuan shangdu site
2. xilin gol jinlianchuan grassland