Badain Jaran Desert, located in the west of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is one of the four major deserts in China, with a total area of 47,000 square kilometers. Among them, Bayannaoer and Quijote sand hill are the highest sand dunes in the world. The annual precipitation in the Badain Jaran Desert is less than 40 mm, but there are more than 100 lakes in the desert. The towering sand mountains, the mysterious and unpredictable sounding sand, the quiet lakes and wetlands constitute the unique and charming landscape of the Badain Jaran Desert, attracting tens of thousands of domestic and foreign tourists every year. In August 2009, the Badain Jaran Desert Geopark was upgraded to the world’s first desert global geopark. You will experience the fantastic Desert Safari and wild trekking in the hidden treasure of Northwest China.
Features
Chinese Name: 巴丹吉林沙漠 [ bā dān jí lín shāmò]
Location: located in the west of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
Popular activities: desert adventure, photography, sightseeing, camel riding, wild trekking
Suited to: everyone
Time needed: 1-2 days
Highlights
Enjoy the Vast and Beautiful Gobi Desert Scenery
Badain Jaran Desert listed as the top 1 of the most beautiful deserts China, and is hailed as the “curve drawn by God” by China National Geographic. It is also the best trekking route in the desert.
In the vast desert, a gust of wind can erase all footprints and the sky is high and the road is far away, and many wonderful stories will dissipate in the wind. In addition, Badain Jaran Desert can satisfy all your imaginations and fantasies about the desert. The vast desert is wild and wide, with bright yarns and ripples left by the wind. With many lakes, it is a real desert oasis not visited by many tourists.
Things to Do
Ride a camel to explore the desert & photography
There are many tourist attractions in the desert to visit and explore. For example, Nuoertu, where sand and water reflect each other, and water and sky are connected. The sandy hills and ridges overlap each other, reflecting the blue sky into the lake, like a parallel and symmetrical painting. The reeds on the shore and the flower sticks in the sand nest sway with the wind, adding a bit of agility to the "desert wonderland". And the Yinderitu Lake, the “sacred spring” in the hearts of the locals is in the lake. There are 108 springs on a reef of less than 3 square meters. Sweet spring water is gushing day and night. Perhaps the sun of a thousand years ago was scorching Wuzhen’s broken robes. Perhaps it was this miraculous spring that saved them. Their lives have strengthened their faith. Besides, the Quasi-jigede lake - Accompanied by purple and blue on the spectacle lake. And knowing that this kind of spectacle only belongs to Badain Jaran, walking out of this desert, it has become a beautiful legend that is extolled by people but no one can believe. Moreover, there is a well-known temple - the Badain Jaran Temple. This "Desert Palace" was built during the Qianlong period (AD 1755). It lived deep in the desert hinterland, and all bricks and woods were transported from outside the desert. Although hiding in the desert and standing alone for more than 260 years, this sacred building is still dazzling. Therefore, it is a good option to ride a camel to explore more about the mysterious Gobi desert. Here you can take some nice photos and videos too. The best time to take pictures is one hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset. At this time, the desert light and shade effect is good, which can show the beauty and magic of the desert. And you also can stay in the desert and see the stars at night if the condition permits.
Climbing the world’s largest sand peak - Bilutusha Peak
Bilutusha Peak, which is the world’s largest sand peak located in the hinterland of Badain Jaran, is rarely climbed by outsiders.The relative height of more than 500 meters is more than 70 meters higher than the second highest sand peak in the world in the Sahara Desert. Climbing to the “Desert Mount Everest” and looking into the distance, there are endless sandy mountains, and six crystal seas are scattered among the sandy mountains. The yellow sand and clear water are both true and illusory. If you are interested in climbing, don’t miss this chance to experience the unusual desert adventure.
Travel Tips
Best time for visiting
The Badain Jaran Desert belongs to the temperate arid and extremely arid climate zone, with scarce precipitation, high temperature in summer, strong wind in winter and spring, so the best time to travel is from late September to late October every year.
When you go to the desert, you must wear long clothes and trousers, preferably jackets or quick-drying pants, which can protect your body well when crossing the Gobi desert. Don’t wear jeans when you are on a long journey, because if you sweat or rain, jeans are easy to get wet, which will affect the movement of your legs and become a burden on walking. In addition, when traveling in the desert, a sun hat is essential. You can also choose to wear a headscarf, which has better heat dissipation.
How to get to the Badain Jaran Desert
The nearest bus to Badain Jaran Desert is to the government of Ayou Banner. After that, there is no public transportation to reach Badain Jaran Desert. It is recommended to charter a car or drive to the desert.
Travel Information
Opening Time: Open all year round
Customer Service Phone: 0483-6026555
