Hey friends, I’m here to update you on a 3-day, 2-night itinerary from Yinchuan to Zhongwei!
The best time to visit Ningxia is from May to October every year, during which the weather is pleasant and the scenery is beautiful. After October, Ningxia quickly enters winter.
Due to its geographical location, winters here are cold and dry. If you want to stay overnight in the desert to watch the stars, the Milky Way, and the sunrise, it can be quite challenging, and it’s even less recommended if you’re bringing children.
The National Day holiday is considered the last golden time to visit Ningxia, but the only drawback is that there will definitely be a lot of people.
So today, I mainly want to write about a 3-day, 2-night driving route that can avoid the crowds:
Yinchuan – Five Lakes Crossing – Tengger Desert (watching the stars and desert sunrise) – Route 66 – Tengger Jinshahai Scenic Area & Shapotou Scenic Area (choose one of the two) – Yinchuan
Day 1
Five Lakes Crossing – Watching the stars and sunrise in the desert
It’s recommended to choose a morning flight. Let’s take Hangzhou as an example. It takes about 3 hours to fly from Hangzhou to Yinchuan. If you land before noon, you can have a quick meal and rent a car to head straight to the Five Lakes Crossing.
It takes more than 2 hours to drive to the desert entrance of the Five Lakes Crossing. You can navigate to the Mozi Leisure Resort Co., Ltd. and take the 307-315-218 national highway. Among them, the scenery along the 218 national highway is the most beautiful, and you can see the Ming Great Wall, Northwest landforms, grasslands, cattle, sheep, camels, etc. along the way.
Some things to know about the “Five Lakes Crossing”.
When you search for guides, you probably often come across the tag “Yinchuan Five Lakes Crossing”, right?
In fact, the “Five Lakes Crossing” is not within the jurisdiction of Ningxia but in the Tengger Desert of Inner Mongolia, strictly speaking, it’s the part of the Tengger Desert that borders Ningxia.
There are more than 400 lakes in the Tengger Desert. It’s important to note that the “Five Lakes Crossing” doesn’t refer to any specific five lakes. As long as you choose any 4 lakes around Lake Wulan, it’s fine, but they must be on the way. If the distance is far, you need to pay extra.
Also, you can’t drive through the “Five Lakes Crossing” by yourself. You have to park your own car at the parking lot at the desert entrance.
You can only find a local off-road vehicle driver to go in, as they are more familiar with the location of the lakes. Even if you can drive a modified off-road vehicle yourself, there is a risk of getting lost.
You can find drivers for the “Five Lakes Crossing” on the all-powerful Taobao or Mafengwo. By the way, when communicating with the driver, you can ask: how many hours the crossing takes, whether you can stop and take photos at any time along the way, and so on.
Be sure to bring a drone when you go to the Five Lakes Crossing! Most drivers only include aerial photography of 2 lakes.
For those who get car sick, remember to take some motion sickness medicine in advance. Apart from checking in at the Heart of the Earth, the most worthwhile part of the “Five Lakes Crossing” is experiencing the whole process of off-road driving over the sand dunes. I’ll post a GIF for you to get a feel for it. It’s really bumpy and exciting.
Next, I’ll introduce the route I took for the crossing, which takes about 3-5 hours in total. I’ll also mention other lakes that are currently accessible, so that you can better communicate with the driver in charge of the crossing and choose the lakes.
Crossing route: Swan Lake – Longan Feicui Lake – Heart of the Earth Wulan Lake – Camel Lake – (passing by Haizhang Family Lake) – Guitar Lake
Swan Lake
It’s the lake closest to the desert entrance and the starting point of the “Five Lakes Crossing”. The driver said that it’s called Swan Lake because swans stay by the lake every year. In the past, Swan Lake had a large area, but due to the continuous drought this year, it’s now only half of its original size.
Swan Lake is more like a wetland, with grasslands, lakes, deserts, trees, cattle, birds, etc. all in the same frame, making it stunningly beautiful. Every shot taken casually has a strong sense of layers.
Longan Feicui Lake
Longan Feicui Lake is said to be an artificial attraction that was dug out. You must use aerial photography to see its full appearance. When you fly up to a height of about 120 meters, you can see the shape of the entire lake.
The lake water is really green! Oh right, this is also a habitat for birds, and you can see birds drinking water by the lake.
Heart of the Earth Wulan Lake
Wulan Lake is the highlight of the “Five Lakes Crossing”. I was quite lucky because it had just rained two days before my crossing. I heard that previously, Wulan Lake had already dried up by half, and its color had changed from bright red to pink. So, you can check the weather before crossing, as the experience will be better after the rain.
The name Wulan Lake comes from Mongolian, where “Wulan” means red, so the locals also call it “Red Lake”. The “Heart of the Earth” image that often goes viral is actually located in the protected area of Wulan Lake.
When the drone flies over the wooden sign of the protected area, you don’t need to go very high, about 100 meters or so, and you can see it (if you don’t see it, you can rotate the drone’s view). In fact, it’s just a small part of Wulan Lake that presents a “heart shape” in red, not that the entire Wulan Lake looks like a “heart” from the air.
You can walk into the lake along the white alkali to take photos, but this can only be captured by drones. If you go during the National Day holiday, it’s not recommended to fly the drone yourself. The driver said that during holidays, there are hundreds of drones here, and crashes are common. If it falls into the lake, you can only send it back to the factory for a replacement.
Camel Lake
Camel Lake is a pink salt lake. It’s called Camel Lake because it looks similar to a camel from the air. When I went there, I saw flocks of sheep grazing on the grassland beside the lake. The nearly dried-up lake water turns into a light pink color, which is also very beautiful.
There is a supply station at Camel Lake where you can buy ice cream and snacks. An old popsicle costs 10 yuan, which is understandable given that it’s really difficult to transport supplies in the desert, let alone frozen foods like ice cream.
Haizhang Lake
You will pass by this lake on the way back. I asked the driver to stop the car on the high ground to take a few photos. Haizhang Lake has the same nature as Swan Lake, but it’s much larger. There are many cattle and sheep drinking water and grazing by the lake, giving a pure sense of a desert oasis.
Generally, you can ask to stop and take photos at any time, after all, the price of the Five Lakes Crossing is not cheap, and most people will only do this crossing once in the short term, so be sure to communicate with the driver in advance.
Guitar Lake
Guitar Lake is also a red salt lake, and you need to fly a drone to see it. Only then can you vaguely see that the entire lake is shaped like a guitar. When I went there, there wasn’t much water, and about half of the lake water was very light in color, so I recommend you to check out other lakes.
Other Unique Lakes
Sun Lak: This place also requires a drone to see its stunning beauty. The yellow lake water surrounded by white alkali shores has a clear structure when viewed from the drone’s perspective.
Egg Yolk Lake: Located on the west side of Wulan Lake, this is a niche attraction that has only been discovered in recent years. You must use a drone to take photos to clearly see its beauty. From a high altitude, the lake water appears in patches of light yellow.
If you go at this time, you can probably only see the state where most of the lake water has dried up, as shown in the picture below. It’s more recommended to go in July, August, or September. In summer, there’s more rain, and the lake is more spectacular when it’s full.
Dual-Color Lake: The usual Five Lakes Crossing route does not include this lake. It’s said to be hidden in a deeper part of the desert. When there’s sufficient rainwater, you can see the lake water overlapping in blue and pink. You can communicate with the travel agency in advance and ask them to send recent photos of the Dual-Color Lake before deciding whether to go or not.
Maple Leaf Lake: It’s named after its shape resembling a maple leaf, with the best viewing season in July and August. After the rain, the maple leaf shape becomes fuller. If you go now, there’s an 80% chance that it will be like when I went to see Guitar Lake.
Tengger Desert
There are many campsites in the Tengger Desert. If the weather is good, you can see the stars and the Milky Way at night when staying in the desert. The Milky Way is usually visible from 23:00 to 02:00. The next day, you can also conveniently watch the desert sunrise.
When I went, it was cloudy. I only saw a little bit of the sunrise, but unexpectedly, I caught the Tyndall effect. The light pouring out from the gaps between the large clouds was absolutely stunning!
Day 2
Route 66 – Choose between Jinshahai & Shapotou
Route 66
For friends who want to take photos on the road, I suggest going early in the morning. The earlier you go, the fewer people there will be. It takes about 1 hour to drive from the Tengger Desert campsite. Along the way, you can see the sight of the Yellow River rushing between the canyons.
The Route 66 sign is one of the must-visit spots. Further down, there is an observation deck where you can walk deep along the steps. The scenery from the observation deck is very magnificent, featuring landforms unique to the Northwest.
As you drive along Route 66, you will pass by a road coffee truck. A latte costs 28 yuan per cup. Taking photos with the prop truck requires a fee, but the road signs next to it are public and free for check-ins.
North Changtan
As you drive along the road and keep going down, you will reach the North Changtan village. This is the filming location for the TV series “Shan Hai Qing” and “The Past Ten Years of Us”.
Here, you can see typical raw soil buildings in the Northwest, which give a different feeling from Huanghe Suji. The buildings here have stood the test of time. Only a few households remain in the entire village, and the elderly who still live here have lived their entire lives and are reluctant to move away.
It’s worth mentioning that before you even enter the village, you can see elderly women blocking the road to sell dates. I bought a bag for 8 yuan, which was a lot and impossible to finish, but the dates were very sweet!
I bought a bag of dates, but the girl who carpooled with me didn’t. Two or three aunties came up to the side of the car one after another to promote their dates… The girl was very confused but didn’t know whose dates to buy, so she refused them all. After that, no one came to promote anymore.
Tengger Jinshahai & Shapotou
The two scenic spots are not far apart, and no matter which one you go to, it’s convenient to drive back to Yinchuan. The difference is that Jinshahai has fewer people and is more pristine. Opposite the project area, there is a road with sand dunes on both sides where you can go up and take photos (but you can’t go deep).
Shapotou is better developed and more commercialized. Next, I will give you a detailed explanation based on cost-effectiveness, features, and suitable crowds.
Cost-effectiveness
In terms of cost-effectiveness, Jinshahai is definitely higher. First of all, Jinshahai doesn’t have a separate entrance ticket; they are all package tickets with included activities.
I’ll take the B2 package as an example. It includes a quad bike, a warrior self-drive, a camel ride, and complimentary sand sledding and desert elves. Buying offline costs 200 yuan per person, while buying on the platform is 15 yuan cheaper. You can drive the quad bike and warrior self-drive yourself, and the camel ride is a round trip of about 2 kilometers.
For the complimentary sand sledding, you can get the board yourself and play for as long as you want (but you need to climb up and slide down yourself). To enter Shapotou, you have to pay a 60 yuan per person entrance fee first, and then if you want to do any activities inside, you have to pay extra. The sand sledding is also only for a single time (but there will be a car to take you to the top of the slope).
Features
When comparing these two scenic spots, Shapotou definitely has more unique features. Just the Yellow River zipline and sheepskin raft, these two projects alone are incomparable to Jinshahai, which only has conventional desert activities.
Suitable Crowds
Jinshahai is more suitable for families with young children, as it’s less crowded, quiet, and has unlimited time for sand sledding; Shapotou is more suitable for young people and adults to play. Although the cost-effectiveness is not high, the activities incorporate the Yellow River culture and are more distinctive.
Day 3
Go to the food street to eat and stroll
Yang Ji Hand-Grabbed
This restaurant is where my chartered driver took us to eat on the way back (because my driving skills are not very good, so I chose to charter a car). He is a local from Yinchuan and often comes to eat here. We ordered hand-grabbed mutton, braised mutton, and stir-fried baby bok choy.
You can taste the freshness of the mutton, which is simply cooked with salt. The light salty taste further highlights the deliciousness of the mutton, which is completely different from the mutton we usually eat! The mutton here is fragrant but not gamey, and the meat is very soft but retains a chewy texture. I really fell in love with it after eating.
The braised mutton also didn’t have too many added condiments, only radish slices and vermicelli noodles were added to braise together. The mutton was tender, and the radish slices were soaked in the broth. One bowl was filling enough. Each portion was very generous. The three of us spent a total of just over 100 yuan, which was very cost-effective.
Huaiyuan Night Market
Ding Tiemin’s roasted eggs and Su Xiaomeng’s beef pies are must-visit spots. Ding Tiemin has several stalls in Huaiyuan, and any of them are delicious.
Even on rainy days, there are queues for Su Xiaomeng’s beef pies… It really surprised me. The freshly baked beef pies are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a lot of meat filling. One pie for 4.5 yuan can make you very full.
Milk Egg Lao Zao
Milk Egg Lao Zao is made by putting Lao Zao into milk and simmering it for a while. After adding eggs and stirring evenly, ingredients such as goji berries, raisins, and sugar are added. A cup can be made in two minutes, and the price is 10 yuan per cup.
Xiao Qiang Potato Cake
The potato cakes here are different from what I usually see. There are four flavors: tomato, spicy, cumin, and hot and spicy. They are all 4 yuan each. I ate the spicy one. The outer layer is very crispy, and the inside is soft and delicious.
Jia Hao Wang Dry Sauce Spicy Hu Hu
Local friends all say that the Spicy Hu Hu here is very authentic. Unfortunately, when I went, the last two portions were bought by soldiers. If you have time when you go to Yinchuan, please remember to help me taste it and see if it’s good (wipes tears).
Ningxia Square B1 Food Street
The most frequented place by locals is the B1 floor of the mall opposite Huaiyuan. When you first go down to B1, you might feel a bit confused. At first glance, there are stalls selling clothes and repairing mobile phones, but if you keep walking forward, you will see that almost all the stalls inside are food stalls, and the scale seems to be no less than Huaiyuan Night Market.
Wei Mei Te Skewers
Their store uses spicy paste as a dipping sauce for oden. The boss said that the spicy paste itself is actually in powder form, and the soul lies in diluting it with water. It can be used to cook hot pot, stew dishes, and stir-fry dishes.
The basic price of the skewers is 1 yuan each, with a few special ones at 3 yuan each. The soup base is spicy, and I really love it with the spicy paste! I spent less than 10 yuan to eat my fill here, and almost all the customers are locals.
Milk Egg Lao Zao
This store is the most recommended and liked in the comment section of a certain book. Everyone says it tastes better than the one in Huaiyuan Night Market, but personally, I still prefer the one I drank in Huaiyuan (don’t hit me, locals who like this one).
I ordered both with less sugar, but the sweetness and sourness of the Milk Egg Lao Zao here are stronger than the one in Huaiyuan, so the taste should be more authentic.
The food in the Great Northwest really hits the spot for me! No wonder before I went, my colleagues all reminded me to bring a 256G stomach. It feels like even if I eat 8 meals a day, I can’t finish all the delicious food here.
Later, I will also publish a collection of food from various cities in Ningxia~
If there’s any food in Yinchuan that I haven’t mentioned, everyone can leave a comment in the comment section. The accommodation and transportation guide will be posted below as usual!
Transportation Guide
Yinchuan has an airport and a high-speed rail station. Departing from Yinchuan Airport will be more convenient. In addition to Yinchuan, Zhongwei also has an airport, so whichever is convenient works.
Recommended Accommodation
- The best accommodation conditions here should be the Desert Stars, which need to be booked in advance, otherwise it’s very easy to be fully booked.
- Tengger Jinshahai also has accommodation. The price of the train hotel is 800-1000 yuan, and it’s said to be converted from abandoned trains, which is very special.
- The Tengger Desert Camp will be a bit cheaper. There are many campsites inside, and the accommodation conditions are average, with prices ranging from 200 to 400 yuan.
