Alxa League
One of the most spectacular desert regions in China, famed for the towering dunes and lakes of the Badain Jaran Desert and the golden autumn poplars of Ejin.
Alxa League lies at the far western end of Inner Mongolia, bordering Ningxia and Gansu, with Mongolia to the north, and contains three major deserts: Badain Jaran, Tengger and Ulan Buh. Highlights include the towering dunes and lake clusters of the Badain Jaran Desert; the Euphrates poplar forests, Juyan Lake and Khara-Khoto ruins in Ejin Banner; and the old town of Dingyuanying in Alxa Left Banner. The best time to see the poplars in Ejin is usually early to mid-October. The league seat, Bayanhot, is relatively close to Yinchuan, and Ejin has an airport.
Destinations
Itineraries
- Badain Jaran Desert & Ejina Populus Euphratica Crossing – Enter from Yinchuan and exit from Jiayuguan, traverse Alxa, venture deep into the desert, and catch the golden autumn P…
- Yinchuan & Shapotou 5-Day Classic First-Time Tour – See the Western Xia Tombs and Helan Mountains in Yinchuan, and take a high-speed train to Zhongwei to stay by the deser…
- Ningxia 9-Day North-to-South Panoramic Self-Drive Loop – Drive from Yinchuan along the Yellow River to Zhongwei, then head south to Guyuan, covering northern, central, and sout…
- Helan Mountain East Foothill Wineries & Western Xia Heritage – Based in Yinchuan, spend one day exploring the Jinshanzhen and Zhenbeibu wine regions, and another day heading south to…
- Yinchuan, Hexi Corridor & Dunhuang 11-Day Silk Road Rail Tour – Travel from Yinchuan through Zhongwei and Lanzhou, across the Hexi Corridor to Dunhuang, on a long-distance Silk Road j…
- Jiayuguan-Ejina Populus Euphratica Round Trip – Travel in and out of Ejina from Jiayuguan, covering Heicheng, the Weird Forest, the Populus Euphratica Forest, and Juya…
- Western Inner Mongolia Yellow River & Desert Crossing – A one-way journey from Yinchuan to Hohhot, passing through Tengger, Wuhai, Hetao, Yinshan, and Wudangzhao.