The capital of Inner Mongolia: the Inner Mongolia Museum, 400-year-old temples such as Dazhao and Xilitu Zhao, the Hui Muslim quarter and grasslands nearby. Mongolians come for shopping, medical and dental treatment and Mongolian culture. Under 2 hours by direct flight from Ulaanbaatar, or overland by train and bus via Erenhot. Mongolian citizens need a Chinese visa.
🛂 Visa: Visa required · 30 days✈ Flight: 1.8h · direct☀ Best months: May, June, July, August
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: May, June, July, August, September.
Things to see (12)
🧸 for kids
Inner Mongolia Museum
CultureFree (show your passport)9:00–17:00, closed Mondays
One of China's biggest regional museums: Mongol history from the Xiongnu to Chinggis Khaan and the Yuan dynasty, nomadic artefacts, dinosaur skeletons, a space hall. Allow half a day.
A Gelug Buddhist temple founded in 1579 under Altan Khan; a silver Buddha statue and murals. In the old town centre, next to Saishang Old Street.
Travel guide
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goHohhot is close, but it is still the Chinese border: sort out the visa, payment apps and internet at home.+
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Visa: Chinese Embassy (Ulaanbaatar)
Mongolian citizens with an ordinary passport need a visa for mainland China — Erenhot and Hohhot included. Tourist L visa: single entry $53, double $79, 6-month multiple $106, standard processing 4 working days (express +$20/$30). Some Mongolian lists say '30 days visa-free', but that applies only to diplomatic and service passports.
Tip: If you travel often for treatment or shopping, a multiple-entry visa pays off.
If you are going for treatment, agree the appointment and prices over WeChat beforehand and bring earlier test results and scans. The Inner Mongolia International Mongolian Medicine Hospital sees many patients from Mongolia. Check whether your travel insurance covers medical trips.
If you are shopping, check Mongolian customs' duty-free allowance for personal goods and the banned items (medicines, meat, dairy) in advance. Sending large amounts of goods through a cargo company avoids trouble at the border.
🛬Landing and getting to the cityBaita Airport is east of the city, close to the centre; the main railway station is in the middle of town.+
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From the airport
Baita Airport is 17 km from the centre (Xinhua Square). Metro Line 1 takes about 35 minutes; airport bus Line 1 runs every 15 minutes for ¥15 and takes about 50 minutes; a taxi takes about 30 minutes.
The international train from Ulaanbaatar and trains from Erenhot arrive at Hohhot's main station, 2 km from the centre and on the metro. Hohhot East, the high-speed station, is 12 km out.
By land: train to Zamyn-Üüd, then cross to Erenhot by bus or jeep. About 4 trains a day run from Erenhot to Hohhot, averaging 8 h 13 min; book with your passport on Trip.com.
Google, WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram are blocked in China. Roaming on your Mongolian operator or an international eSIM (Airalo, Holafly and so on) routes through a foreign network, so they work — no VPN needed. Activate it before you leave.
Tip: Install and register WeChat, Alipay and Amap while still in Ulaanbaatar.
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A Chinese SIM
China Mobile and China Unicom shops sell SIMs with your passport; a Chinese number makes Alipay, taxis and deliveries easier. But foreign apps won't open on it, and the legal status of VPNs is unclear.
🚇Getting aroundTwo metro lines cover the core of the city; for the rest, DiDi and taxis.+
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Metro
Line 1 (red) runs west from the airport side past the Inner Mongolia Museum; Line 2 (blue) runs north to south. 2 lines, 44 stations. Tickets from machines or with the Alipay QR code.
Taxis start at ¥8 for the first 2 km, then ¥1.5 per km — more at night. The DiDi app works in English; paste the address in Chinese. Don't get into unlicensed 'black taxis'.
Public transport to Xilamuren or Gegentala is impractical; book a tour or hire a car with a driver. Ask at your hotel reception and agree the price in advance.
Almost everything in China is paid by QR code. Link a Visa/Mastercard to Alipay: transactions up to ¥200 are free; above ¥200, 3% of the whole amount. Your bank may add its own fee.
Small shops and markets take cash, but sometimes can't give change. Get yuan from a bank in Ulaanbaatar or from Bank of China and ICBC ATMs in Hohhot with a foreign card.
🍜FoodWhere Mongolian, Hui and Chinese cooking meet: mutton, shaomai dumplings, hot pot.+
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Shaomai — Hohhot's dumpling
Hohhot is famous for shaomai: thin wrappers, mutton filling, eaten with tea in the morning. Plenty of places in the Hui quarter and around Dazhao.
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Mongolian and Hui food, hot pot
Roast lamb, mutton on the bone, milk tea, cheese and aaruul in Mongolian restaurants. Hui (Muslim) restaurants serve pork-free noodles and grilled meat. Hot pot (火锅) with thin-sliced mutton is the winter favourite.
Tip: Choose from picture menus or use the translation built into Alipay/WeChat.
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Shops and groceries
Dairy (Yili and Mengniu are based in Hohhot), dried meat and sweets from supermarkets. Mall food floors have plenty of cheap, clean options.
🛡️Safety and health+
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Emergency numbers
Police 110, ambulance 120, fire 119 — free. Get a Chinese speaker nearby to help. Consulate General of Mongolia in Hohhot: +86 471 490 2262.
The city is safe, but pickpockets work malls, markets and stations. Don't trust people on the street steering you to a 'cheap clinic' or 'cheap goods'; choose your own clinic and shops.
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Hospitals
The Inner Mongolia International Mongolian Medicine Hospital and Inner Mongolia People's Hospital are in the centre. Some doctors and staff speak Mongolian. Payment is usually up front in cash or Alipay, so keep receipts for your insurer.
You will be welcomed as kin, but don't argue about politics, borders or language. Dialects and vocabulary differ — don't make fun of them. Greeting in Mongolian script or Chinese is polite.
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Temples and the mosque
Walk clockwise in temples and check whether photos are allowed inside. Enter the mosque fully covered and not during prayers; don't bring pork or alcohol into the Hui quarter.
📱Useful apps+
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Payments and messaging
Alipay — every payment, the metro, deliveries. WeChat — messenger, WeChat Pay, contacting clinics and shops. Verify both with your passport before you leave.
Baita Airport is 17 km from the centre; about 35 minutes on metro Line 1 or 30 minutes by taxi. Arrive 2–3 hours before an international flight; the metro may not run for MIAT's night flight, so book a taxi.
If you've shopped a lot, check your airline's baggage allowance and buy extra baggage in advance — it's expensive at the airport. Check what Mongolian customs bans and the rules for prescription medicines.
A 1727 stone pagoda topped by five small pagodas and carved with over 1,500 Buddha images; at the back, an astronomical chart labelled in Mongolian script — a rare treasure.
A 7-storey brick pagoda from the Liao dynasty, over 1,000 years old, near the airport. You can climb inside; a good stop on arrival or before your flight.
A Chinese-style mosque from 1693 with a minaret. The surrounding Hui quarter has shaomai dumplings, mutton, noodle dishes and sweets — one for food lovers.
NatureFree (horses and shows extra)Best May–October
Grassland ~90 km north of Hohhot: ger camps, horses, wrestling, roast mutton. Familiar to Mongolians but a look at Inner Mongolian life; Gegentala (~140 km) is also popular.
A big mall near the Inner Mongolia Museum: clothes, shoes, electronics, cinema and a food floor. One of Mongolians' favourite shopping spots; Chinese brands cost less than in UB.
