Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is a massive region in northern China, with an area of 463,323 square miles (1.2 million square kilometers). It borders Russia and Mongolia in the north, so there’s a rich mix of Chinese ethnic minority culture, Mongolian culture, and Russian culture. You’ll notice elements of nomadic culture, Tibetan Buddhism, as well as Genghis Khan culture.
Inner Mongolia is also rich in natural resources. Its massive land is home to a wide range of amazing inland landscapes, including grasslands, deserts, forests, alpine meadows, mountains, and wetlands. It has attracted countless visitors from home and abroad to witness this land of treasure personally.
However, because of its remote location and massive size, transportation can be a daunting task for many people planning their Inner Mongolia tour. This article will provide you with a comprehensive guide to Inner Mongolia transportation, including different modes of traveling, prices, getting around the three major cities, Hohhot, Hulunbuir, and Ordos.
Getting to Inner Mongolia
How to Get to Inner Mongolia by Flight
Choose your departure city: There are a number of airports in Inner Mongolia. Most travelers fly into Hohhot Baita International Airport (IATA: HET). Many cities in China offer direct flights to Hohhot, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu. If you’re flying in from outside of China, you may need to connect through one of these cities or another major hub.
Book your flight: Many major airlines have flights to Hohhot, including Air China, China Eastern Airlines, Hainan Airlines. You can book directly with an airline or through a booking website. For your reference, a flight from Beijing is about 1.5 hours, 3 hours from Shanghai, 2 hours from Chengdu.
Arrive at Hohhot Baita International Airport: When you arrive at the airport, you have the options of taxis, buses, and shuttles to reach your final destination in Inner Mongolia. Or you might need to transfer for other flights in Hohhot.
Consider other airports: Other airports in Inner Mongolia include Hulunbuir Dongshan International Airport, Baotou Erliban Airport, Ordos Ejin Horo Airport. It may be easier to fly into one of these airports instead depending on where you’re traveling to.
How to Get to Inner Mongolia by Train
If you don’t mind spending more time on the road and would like to witness a change of scenery across China, taking a train to Inner Mongolia is also viable.
Direct trains connect major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, Chengdu with Inner Mongolian cities such as Hohhot, Baotou, Ordos, and Tongliao. The cost and duration of the train rides depend on train type, start point, and destination. For reference:
| Train Type | Start Point | Destination | Duration | Estimated Cost |
| hard sleeper train | Beijing | Hohhot | 6.5-11 hrs | CNY 150 |
| hard sleeper train | Shanghai | Hohhot | 19-25 hrs | CNY 400 |
| hard sleeper train | Xi’an | Baotou | 9-14 hrs | CNY 200 |
| hard sleeper train | Chengdu | Ordos | 24-30 hrs | CNY 500 |
How to Get to and around Hohhot
Getting to Hohhot
By Flight: Hohhot Baita International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in Inner Mongolia. It’s connected with major domestic and international cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Urumqi, Zhengzhou, Harbin, Ulan Bator. It’s only about 9.3 miles (15 kilometers) from the city center, easily accessible by airport shuttle or taxi.
By Train: Trains are also a convenient means of transportation in Inner Mongolia. Hohhot has two major railway stations, Hohhot Railway Station and Hohhot East Railway Station with both high-speed and normal train services. You can board a train to Hohhot from many cities in China, including Beijing, Datong, Zhangjiakou, Shanghai, Xi’an, Chengdu.
By Bus: Several long-distance bus stations in Hohhot have buses to and from nearby places such as Baotou, Ordos, Wulanchabu. You can buy tickets ahead of time online or at the station when you get there.
Traveling around Hohhot
Taxi: Hailing a taxi is the easiest and quickest way to get around the city. Cost is calculated by a CNY 8 starting price for the first 1.9 miles (3 kilometers) adding CNY 1.5 per kilometer thereafter.
Bus: Hohhot has a well-designed network of buses that connects most of the city’s attractions and city center. The fare is usually only CNY 1 per person. Check online for bus routes and schedules. You can even find out when the bus will be arriving at your station.
Subway: Hohhot has two subway lines, Line 1 and Line 2. They operate from 6:30 to 22:00 daily. The fare varies from CNY 2 to 6 depending on the distance. You can buy tickets at the station, or if you’ll be using the service extensively, you can buy a subway card.
Bike: Hohhot has a public bike-renting system that covers most of the city’s area. There are rental and return points almost everywhere across the city. To use this service, you need to register with your phone number and pay a deposit of CNY 200. The rental fee is CNY 1 every hour. It’s a cheap option for short journeys or exploring the city at your own pace.
Recommended Hohhot Travel Tours
How to Get to and around Hulunbuir
Getting to Hulunbuir
By Air: Hulunbuir Dongshan International Airport (HLD) is the second busiest airport in Inner Mongolia, only about 5.3 miles (8.5 kilometers) from the downtown area. A taxi ride will be around 20 minutes. It makes flying to Hulunbuir very convenient from major cities like Beijing, Hohhot, Harbin.
By Train: Hailar Railway Station is the primary train station in Hulunbuir. There are services to and from large cities such as Beijing, Hohhot, Harbin. The station is 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) away from city center.
Traveling around Hulunbuir
By Car: Transportation can be difficult in Inner Mongolia because there are remote and vast areas of natural landscapes like grasslands, forests, lakes, and deserts.
So when you explore Hulunbuir, the most flexible to get around is to either rent a car or hire a private driver. However, you need to have a valid Chinese driver’s license or an international driver’s permit to drive in China. Navigating remote areas can be challenging as well.
By Bus: There are long-distance buses at Hailar Bus Station, around downtown area of Hulunbuir, that connect other cities and towns in Hulunbuir such as Manzhouli, Genhe, and Ergun.
By Train: The train service runs between Hailar Railway Station and other places in Hulunbuir, such as Manzhouli, Genhe, and Ergun. But keep in mind that the trains can be relatively slow and infrequent. Still you’ll get to enjoy a change of scenery across Hulunbuir.
Recommended Hulunbuir Travel Tours
- 5 Days Inner Mongolia Hulunbuir Grassland Tour
- 9 Days Hulunbuir Grassland Tour with Reindeer Experience
How to Get to and around Ordos
Getting to Ordos
By Air: Ordos Ejin Horo Airport (DSN) is the primary airport in Ordos City. There are flights to and from major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xi’an, Chengdu. The airport is about 9.3 miles (15 kilometers) from downtown Ordos, which is a 20-minute drive.
By Train: If you travel to Inner Mongolia by train, Ordos Railway Station and Dongsheng West Railway Station are two of your options. There are services to and from cities such as Beijing, Hohhot, Baotou, Datong. The two stations are about 18.6 miles (30 kilometers) and 40 minutes away from downtown Ordos by car.
By Car: If Ordos is not your first stop in Inner Mongolia, it’s also viable to drive there from nearby cities such as Hohhot, Baotou, and Yulin.
Traveling around Ordos
By Car: Again, the easiest way of transportation in Inner Mongolia is probably driving yourself or hiring a driver, so you can explore the beauty of Ordos Plateau and Kubuqi Desert.
By Bus: At Ordos Bus Station, you’ll find long-distance buses that connect Ordos’ Kangbashi District with other places, such as Dongsheng District, Dalad Banner, and Ejin Horo Banner.
By Taxi: Taking a taxi is convenient and efficient for getting around the city. Cost is calculated by a CNY 8 starting price for the first 1.9 miles (3 kilometers) adding CNY 1.8 per kilometer thereafter.
Recommended Ordos Tours
· 5 Days Classic Inner Mongolia Tour with Leisure Hike
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