Inner Mongolia Family Grassland Camp

The capital of Inner Mongolia and one of the most comfortable cities in China for a Muslim traveller. A Hui quarter around the Great Mosque, Mongol culture on the same streets, and grassland an hour north.

The classic Inner Mongolian steppe: grass to the horizon, herders on horseback, gers on the open plain and a sky that goes on forever. Four hours north of Hohhot.

A UNESCO-listed global geopark of granite peaks, birch forest, volcanic lakes and grassland, three hours north of the Beijing road. The most varied landscape in Inner Mongolia.

A wealthy modern city on the Ordos plateau beside the Kubuqi desert, with the Mausoleum of Genghis Khan in the grassland south of it. Wide roads, big skies and very little traffic.

Founded in 1693, with a distinctive white-and-green complex and a minaret that has become the symbol of the Hui quarter. Wudhu on site and halal food on every side.

A good, quick introduction to Mongol history, the steppe empires and the grassland ecology before you drive north.

Open rolling steppe with herds, gers and cavalry displays in July and August.

Wrestling, horse racing and archery, held at different sites through July and August. Dates shift each year, so tell us your window and we will find the nearest one.

Birch and larch forest over granite, with a road that climbs through it and a viewpoint over the whole range.

A large soda lake on the steppe, with a bird reserve and one of the best sunsets in the region.

Inner Mongolian Hui cooking is excellent and underrated: hand-grabbed mutton, milk tea, Mongol-style halal hotpot, beef buns, and a very good halal roast lamb. The Hui quarter alone has well over a hundred kitchens. Hohhot Great Mosque is nearby, so you can pray and eat on the same street.

Mongol halal cooking done properly: hand-grabbed mutton, mutton kebabs, milk tea, dried cheese and fried rice. We confirm halal slaughter and no alcohol with the camp before you arrive. Xilingol mosque is nearby, so you can pray and eat on the same street.

Hui halal restaurants in the county town, plus Mongol halal cooking at the ger camps: hand-grabbed mutton, milk tea, dried beef and fried rice. We confirm halal with each camp. Keshiketeng mosque is nearby, so you can pray and eat on the same street.

Hui halal restaurants across Ordos city and Muslim-run kitchens at the desert park. Hand-grabbed mutton, mutton kebabs and halal hotpot. We pre-book the desert camp meals. Ordos mosque is nearby, so you can pray and eat on the same street.

Central, historic and very active, with a large wudhu hall. Jumuah is easy and the surrounding streets are halal.

One of the best cities on this whole site for salah. A major historic mosque, a Hui quarter built around it, and hotels used to Muslim guests.

In Xilinhot city. On the steppe we plan prayer in the ger camp with a mat and compass, with Fajr and Maghrib outdoors on open ground.

Prayer on the open steppe is genuinely easy: clean ground, a mat and a compass, and no buildings to hide the horizon. The herder families are overwhelmingly Muslim or entirely unfazed by it.

In the county town. In the park we plan prayer outdoors with a mat and compass.

Prayer in the county town before entering the park, then open ground with a mat and compass. The landscape is wide and clean, which makes it straightforward.

Central and active. At the desert we plan prayer at the camp or on clean sand with a mat.

A city mosque plus clean open desert for the dune days. Your guide carries a mat, a compass and a printed prayer sheet.

Hohhot Baita (HET) airport, high-speed rail from Beijing in about two and a half hours.

Overland, about four hours north of Hohhot, or fly to Xilinhot.

Overland, about three hours from Chifeng or a long day from Beijing.

Ordos Ejin Horo (DSN) airport, high-speed rail from Hohhot in about two hours.

June to September for the grassland. The city itself works all year.

July and August for green grass and Naadam. Late September is gold and empty.

June to September. Late September turns the birch gold and is the best week of the year here.

May to October. July and August are hot on the dunes, so we move to late afternoon.