You can plan a trip to Ulanqab from three perspectives: the train connection from Beijing, regional dishes, and nearby scenic destinations. When planning your overnight stay, it’s worth treating your journey there and your excursions as separate parts of the trip.

Getting Here from Beijing

A travel guide updated on November 14, 2024, lists nearly 40 high-speed and express train services on the Beijing–Ulanqab route; the train journey takes two hours. This is a useful point of reference, but routes and journey times may change. Before departure, check the latest timetable and factor your journey into your plans for an overnight stay in Ulanqab. If you’re looking for a hotel in Ulanqab, first consider whether traveling by train will set the framework for your trip or whether your main priority is planning regional excursions.

Regional Cuisine: Shouba Rou and Youmian

In the wider Ulanqab area, Shouba rou, also called “Hand-Served Mutton,” is considered a typical dish served to welcome visitors from elsewhere. To prepare it, high-quality grassland mutton is scored, cooked in cold water with a little salt, cut into small pieces, and served with dipping sauces. The dish thus combines a regional tradition of welcoming guests with a specifically described method of preparation.

In the wider Ulanqab area, Youmian is one of the “three treasures” of traditional whole-grain foods. Dozens of distinctive dishes have been created from it in the wider Ulanqab area. Oat noodles and rolled oat dough are two examples; each has its own shape and flavor. The two culinary highlights are therefore quite distinct: Shouba rou is a typical welcoming dish, while Youmian provides the basis for many different dishes. If you’re interested in regional cuisine, you can explore both a specific dish and the variety of a traditional whole-grain food.

Scenic Destinations Nearby

Two nearby scenic destinations offer different highlights. Ulaanhada Volcano Geopark in Qahar Right Wing Rear Banner features well-preserved Holocene volcanic formations and a lake formed by volcanic damming. Sumu Mountain Forest Park in Xinghe County is considered the largest man-made forest in northern China. The geopark focuses on volcanic formations and the lake formed by damming, while the forest park is known for its man-made forest. This comparison can help you choose between a volcanic landscape and a forest park.

Many notable grassland and volcanic attractions are some distance from Ulanqab city center. For trips there, it is recommended that you rent a car locally or book a car with a driver. Plan the drive as a separate part of your excursion, and consider the destinations you actually want to visit when deciding where to stay.

Discover more destinations: Wuhai, Baotou, Ordos, Hohhot, Hulun Buir, Bayan Nur, Tongliao, Alxa

For the broader travel overview: Inner Mongolia.