Overview
A 3-day private 4WD escape onto the vast Ulan Butong grassland, riding horses, crossing two prairies off-road, sliding the Hunshandake sand dunes and meeting wild deer.
About This Tour
Ulan Butong, on the southern edge of the Inner Mongolian steppe, is the closest taste of true grassland country to Beijing and one of China's most cinematic prairies, famous as a filming location for sweeping historical dramas. Run as a private tour for your group only, with an English-speaking guide and private 4WD vehicles, this trip swaps tourist crowds for open horizons. You ride horses across the Panlong Gorge pastures, drive deep into a little-visited corner of the steppe that links the Ulan Butong and Xilingol grasslands, picnic at a private camp, make a blessing at a sacred ovoo cairn, and slide the dunes where the Hunshandake sands meet the grass. On the final day you feed tame sika deer and alpacas at the Royal Deer Park before the drive back. The European-style rolling meadows are at their greenest from June to September, dotted with wildflowers, grazing cattle and the occasional roe deer. This easy, scenic journey suits families, photographers and anyone wanting wide-open landscapes and Mongolian culture within reach of the capital. Itinerary may adjust based on weather, road and local regulations. Good to know: • Best season: Jun-Sep for green meadows and wildflowers; nights are cold year-round • Fitness level: easy; mostly driving with light walking and optional horse riding • Large day-to-day temperature swings: bring a warm jacket even in summer • Sun protection and water essential; few facilities out on the steppe • The evening song-and-dance show and dune sliding may be cancelled in bad weather or for group-size/policy reasons • Off-road routes are adjusted on the day by local herders and conditions
Itinerary
1
Day 1: Beijing to Ulan Butong | Horse Riding & Prairie Night
Meet around 09:00 at the Banquan service area on the Jingli Expressway (S3801, Chongli direction) where you receive your gear and set off north for Ulan Butong, a drive of about 430km (roughly 6 hours) with a self-arranged lunch en route. Arriving near the Panlong Gorge horse field in the afternoon, you mount up for a ride across the open pastures, taking in the scale and beauty of the grassland. Your guide then drives you to the hotel to check in before dinner. In the evening you can join a Mongolian song-and-dance gathering, a complimentary show that captures the spirit of a prairie night. Meals: dinner included. Overnight: standard hotel room at Guo Erzi resort.
2
Day 2: Off-Road Crossing | Sacred Ovoo & Sand Dunes
After a buffet breakfast you set off at 09:00 for a full day of off-road driving with your guide, pushing into a quiet pocket of steppe that most visitors never reach and crossing between the Ulan Butong and Xilingol grasslands amid wildflowers and grazing herds. At midday you reach a private camp deep in the prairie for a wilderness-style lunch and a relaxed break under the open sky. In the afternoon you continue through Yushu Nuanshui to a sacred ovoo cairn, where you walk three times clockwise to make a wish in Mongolian tradition, then drive on to the Hunshandake sands where grass meets desert for some exhilarating dune sliding. You return to the hotel afterwards, with dinner self-arranged in the small town. Today's off-road loop covers about 100km over roughly 9 hours. Meals: breakfast and camp lunch included. Overnight: standard hotel room at Guo Erzi resort.
3
Day 3: Royal Deer Park & Return to Beijing
After breakfast you drive to the Royal Deer Park, where herds of sika deer and alpacas roam freely; you can buy a carrot and feed these gentle grassland animals up close, and in midsummer the flower-strewn meadows under blue sky feel like a storybook, with a chance of spotting roe deer. You then leave Ulan Butong and bid farewell to the European-style prairie, driving back toward the capital, about 400km over roughly 7 hours. The tour concludes at a service area within Beijing in the afternoon or early evening, where your guide can help arrange onward transfers. Meals: breakfast included. Overnight: not included (tour ends in Beijing).
What's Included
✓ Included
English-speaking guide Private 4WD vehicles & transfers Hotels per itinerary (twin share) Off-road grassland crossing and private camp lunch Horse riding at Panlong Gorge Meals as specified (2 breakfasts, 1 camp lunch, 1 dinner)
✕ Not included
International & domestic flights China visa Travel insurance Ulan Butong scenic-area tickets (optional, self-purchased) Meals not specified Personal expenses and optional activities Tips for guide and driver
Cancellation Policy
Free cancellation is available on most tours up to 24 hours before the start time. The exact cancellation terms for this tour are shown during booking.
Traveler Reviews
4.8★★★★★Based on 150 reviews
Thomas I.🇨🇦 Canada★★★★★2024-12
The part around Ulan Butong Grassland 3-Day 4WD Safari from Beijing was unhurried, which mattered more to me than squeezing in one more stop. Beijing was a good counterpoint.
Andreas H.🇮🇪 Ireland★★★★★2025-11
What helped was simple: our questions wandered well beyond the standard facts, and the guide stayed with them. That made the time at Beijing much more interesting.
Zoe S.🇿🇦 South Africa★★★★☆2024-06
Looking back, I would check the weather and dress in layers. We moved between the vehicle, open spaces and indoor sites often enough to notice the difference. The time around Ulan Butong Grassland 3-Day 4WD Safari from Beijing was not the part I would cut.
Sofia L.🇲🇾 Malaysia★★★★★2026-01
Looking back, this wasn't a “see everything” tour, and that was a strength. The time around Beijing felt specific to Beijing, not interchangeable with another city.