6 Day Beijing Sino-Mongolian Border and Dinosaur Exploration Tour

Pick up from your hotel around 18:30 and transferred to Beijing Fengtai Train Station. Take overnight train to Hohhot from Beijing by K89 for Hohhot. 4 people sharing one compartment.

Arriving at Hohhot in the early morning, met by our English speaking tour guide at Hohhot Railway Station and transferred to a nice hotel for buffet breakfast. After breakfast, drive to the Gegentala Grassland. Gegentala Grassland is 140km northeast from Hohhot, about 2 hours' drive.

Arriving at Gegentala Grassland, you will receive a welcoming ceremony - you will be warmly welcomed by the local Mongolians colorfully dressed. They will present each of you a silver cup of wine and Hada ( white or blue silk scarves which are tokens of greetings in Inner Mongolia ).

Then check in your yurt for the overnight stay here. You will be arranged to stay either in chariot yurts or deluxe yurts. Two people share one yurt. Then go to the main restaurant for lunch. Afer lunch, go to the stud farm to select the horse for your horseback riding. The cost for horseback riding is not included in the tour package. Usually RMB 150 per round per person including the horse riding, visiting Aobao and a herdsmen's family, which usually takes about 2-3 hours. The horseback is the hightlight of the tour.

After horseback riding, you are arranged to see the Performances of Mongolian style wrestling, Horse racing and Equestrian at 5:00pm. The first program is wrestling competition performed by local Mongolians. Most of them are very vigorous. Then followed by Horse racing and Equestrian.

Dinner will be also arranged in the main hall of the Gegentala Restaurant. Most of dishes are the local products in the inner Mongolia. The local people are very hospitable. Several local girls drink toasts to the clients during supper. You are supposed tp pay the singer if you order a song from these pretty girls.

So, after dinner, take a break till 9:pm when you go to an open place in front of the main complex to enjoy bonfire party. There is a large stage for the performers. A bonfire is ignited in front of the stage. Almost all the people on the grassland will gather her in the evening. They form a circle and dance or let off fireworks. People enjoy the wonderful local songs and dances presented by the local Mongolians under a stary sky.

After breakfast, head to the border city - Erlianhot, 280km northeast of Gegentala Grassland. The drive takes about 3.5 hours. Erlianhot is a county-level city under the administrtion of Xilin Gol. It is a border city abutting Mongolia.

It has gained much international attention since the 1920's with the discovery of dinosaur fossils in the Erlian Basin. The Gate of People's Republic of China is a must visit attraction if you first visit Erlianhot. Another not to miss spot is the Dinosaur Museum. the Erlian Basin Dinosaur Museum near the archaeological dig site. More than ten dinosaur species have been found in this area alone, and DNA evidence from fossils found here has further proved that birds likely evolved from dinosaurs.

You will be also arranged to do shopping at the local Mogolian-Russian Market. After dinner, check in at the local hotel in Erlianhot.

After breakfast, drive back to Hohhot, 390km from Erlianhot. The drive takes about 5.5 hours. After lunch in Hohhot, you will be arranged to visit Dazhao Monastery, and Jiangjun Yashu at Suiyuan City. Dazhao Monastery is the largest and best preserved lama temple in Hohhot. Jiangjun Yashu at Suiyuan City was originally built for the general of the Suiyuan city, covers an area of 15,000 square meters in Qin Dynasty (1644-1911). After dinner, check in at your hotel in Hohhot.

You will have a free and easy morning to recharge yourelf. After lunch in Hohhot, you will be arranged to visit Inner Mongolia Museum. It is located in the heart of Hohhot and is the largest and best museum in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It has an area of 3,500 square meters with four parts - Ancient Biology, Historical Relics, Folk Custom, and Modern Relics, displaying the natural landscapes and social development of Inner Mongolia.

After dinner, connect overnight train overnight train K90 (Dep: 21:35 Arr: 07:11 next morning) for Beijing.

Arrival in Beijing at 07:11 am. Met and tranferred back to your hotel in Beijing.