5 Days Tour to Ningxia: Wine Tasting and Desert Camping

Tour Overview

The 5-day Ningxia tour will head to Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia. First visit the Ningxia Museum for an in-depth understanding of the Ningxia history. Appreciate rock paintings about the life of ancient people at Helan Mountain Rock Art. Then visit the magnificent Western Xia Imperial Tombs to learn about the Xixia culture. And you will have the opportunity to taste the wines at a local winery. Later experience interesting desert activities at Shapotou Scenic Area and camp in Tengger Desert Camping Base. Finally, overlook the Yellow River at Qingtongxia Grand Canyon and explore the life of prehistoric humans at Shuidonggou Site.

Travel destinations: Yinchuan, Zhongwei
Suitable for: History Lovers, Culture Lovers, Wine Lovers, Adventurers
Tour type: Private

Highlights of this tour:

Learn about the rich Ningxia culture at the Ningxia Museum.
Explore the ancient stone carvings in Helan Mountain Rock Art.
Visit the Western Xia Imperial Tombs, the best-preserved mausoleum of the Xixia Dynasty.
Taste the wine made from grapes grown in a local featured winery.
Enjoy the beautiful scenery and experience exciting desert activities at Shapotou Scenic Area.
Spend an unforgettable camping night in the Tengger Desert and immerse yourself in the mesmerizing sunrise.
Experience the Yellow River culture in the Qingtongxia Grand Canyon.

Day-by-day Itinerary

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Day 1: Yinchuan Arrival

You will start the private Ningxia tour in Yinchuan, which is the capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Upon arrival, the local guide and driver will transfer you to the hotel for check-in. You can spend the rest of the day relaxing or exploring the city on your own.

Accommodation: in Yinchuan
Day 2: Yinchuan Cultural Tour
Explore Splendid Ningxia Culture and Taste the wines

After breakfast, we will visit Ningxia Museum, which shows Ningxia’s rich history, culture and folklore. There are nearly 40,000 pieces of cultural relics here, and you will appreciate many exquisite national cultural relics such as Gilded Bronze Ox. Also learn about Ningxia’s ancient history, revolutionary history, and colorful regional culture at various exhibitions.

Ningxia Museum

Later explore Helan Mountain Rock Art, known as the “History Book on Stone”. These rock paintings are huge in number and rich in content, including human face images, animal figures, sun pictures. As you admire these wonderful paintings, you will understand the life of ancient people such as grazing, hunting and rituals.

Then move to Western Xia Imperial Tombs. The architectural style of these tombs is unique and is known as the “Pyramids of the East”. Also explore vivid stone carvings and some religious murals. In addition, visit a large number of Xixia cultural relics in the Xixia Museum and learn about the imperial history of the region.

Western Xia Imperial Tombs

And before returning back to the hotel, we will spend a nice time tasting the wines grown at a local featured winery and enjoy the sunset over the vast vineyards.

Accommodation: in Yinchuan

Wine Tasting
Day 3: Desert Tour with Camping
Experience Fantastic Desert Adventure

Today, continue your tour in Ningxia from the Shapotou Scenic Area. It is a natural landscape area integrating the desert, the Yellow River, mountains and oases.

Here immerse yourself in the famous “singing sand dunes”, Tengger Desert, and beautiful desert oasis. Also participate in exciting activities like sand sliding, quad biking, and camel riding. In addition, you have the opportunity to experience sheepskin rafting on the Yellow River (at your own expense).

Experience Sand Sliding in Shapotou

The highlight of the day is heading to the camping base to experience overnight in the desert. (Only public washrooms are available due to the limited accommodation facilities in the desert)

Accommodation: Tengger Desert Camping Base

(If you want, we can also arrange a hotel for you. And you will have to stay overnight in a hotel between November and the end of April due to the cold weather.)
Day 4: Shapotou to Zhongwei Tour, Back to Yinchuan
Marvel at the Wonderful Nature and Prehistoric Culture

Admire an amazing sunrise view in the camping base before breakfast.

Next, drive about 2 hours to Qingtongxia Grand Canyon, a natural scenic site with the Yellow River culture as its theme. Discover some human landscapes such as Qingtongxia Hydro Junction and Qingtongxia Yellow River Iron Bridge. And climb up the 108 Pagodas to admire the majestic Yellow River and spectacular mountains.

Qingtongxia Grand Canyon

Explorers can hike along scenic trails, witness the wonders of nature, and enjoy picturesque landscapes.

After lunch, go to the Shuidonggou Site, one of the founding places of Chinese prehistoric archaeology. There are Paleolithic cultural sites, as well as military defensive projects such as the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty and beacons. At the Shuidonggou Ruins Museum, you can visit many paleolithic artifacts and learn about the life of prehistoric people. Also enjoy natural scenery like deserts and clear lakes.

Accommodation: in Yinchuan

Shuidonggou Site
Day 5: Yinchuan Departure
Today the 5 days Ningxia tour is over. In the morning you are free to walk around the streets or taste the local food. Afterwards, the driver will take you from the hotel to the airport or train station.

Accommodation: N/A