Complete Guide to Having Fun on Ulan Butong Grassland

Complete Guide to Having Fun on Ulan Butong Grassland, Hebei 🌿🐎 Must-Read Before the Trip! Preparation Checklist ✅ ① Document pouch: ID card (required for accommodation/tickets), student ID (half-price discount!), driver’s license (don’t forget if self-driving~) ② Dressing tips: Summer: short sleeves + light jacket 🧥 (temperature difference over 10℃ between morning and night), long pants (to prevent insect bites), sun hat 👒, sunglasses 🕶️ Autumn/Winter: down jacket + scarf and gloves 🧤 (it may snow as early as October!), anti-slip boots (grassland roads are soft) ③ Essential gear: high SPF sunscreen 🧴 (strong UV rays), mosquito repellent (mosquitoes are fierce where wildflowers grow), power bank 🔋 (taking photos drains battery fast), folding chair (stop anytime to enjoy the view), trash bags (protect the grassland environment~) How to Get There? 🚗 Self-driving is the top choice: 5 hours direct from Beijing, recommended 4WD SUV (some road sections are bumpy)! Take Jingjia Road → Yuguan Line, avoid Saihanba Scenic Area (save 130 yuan on tickets); be sure to fill up at Weichang North Service Area ⛽, fuel is expensive in the scenic area~ Lazy option: High-speed train from Beijing to Chifeng in 2 hours, then carpool 1.5 hours to the scenic area (60 yuan/person); or taxi from Chengde/Chifeng airport, about 200 yuan direct Transportation inside the scenic area: attractions are scattered, recommend chartering a car (200-300 yuan/day) or renting an off-road vehicle (400 yuan/day, can reach less-visited places like Panlong Canyon) Tickets & Best Time to Visit 🎫 ① Ticket: 120 yuan/person, valid for 3 days! Includes all attractions, great value~ ② Best seasons: June-August: green grass like a carpet + wildflowers everywhere 💐 (great for family trips) September-October: golden birch forests + colorful mountains like a palette 🎨 (photography prime time) December-February: vast snowfields + ice waterfall wonders ❄️ (fewer people, wild scenery) Must-Visit Attractions 🌟 1️⃣ Film Base: Filming location for "My Fair Princess" and "Wolf Totem"! Walk 8 km wooden plank road, 27 movie-style photo spots 📸, hills bathed in golden light at sunrise, breathtakingly beautiful~ 2️⃣ General’s Pond: Ancient battlefield of Kangxi’s war against Galdan! At dusk, watch the “Ten Thousand Horses Treading Waves” 🐎, golden water splashes from hooves, paired with sunset clouds like a living oil painting~ 3️⃣ Princess Lake: The lake formed from Blue Qi Gege’s tears! White birch forests reflect in the water, autumn yellow leaves with blue water, every snapshot is wallpaper-worthy ✨ (go when morning mist lingers, like a fairyland) 4️⃣ Colorful Mountain: Like a spilled palette at the end of September! Red sand willows, orange maple leaves, yellow birches, layers covering the hillside, drone views are stunning~ 5️⃣ Panlong Canyon: A hidden gem! Only accessible by off-road vehicle, streams flow at the valley bottom, wolf poison flowers bloom in summer, ice waterfalls hang on rocks in winter, so few people you can have the whole place to yourself 🌊 Super Fun Experiences 🎡 🐴 Horse Riding Fun: At General’s Pond or the racecourse, 50 yuan/lap (beginners choose gentle horses with handlers), daredevils try “galloping horses,” wind rushing past ears is exhilarating~ 🌿 Grassland Off-roading: Find a local guide to drive an off-road vehicle into uninhabited areas, rush sand slopes, cross streams, spot wild deer and foxes 🦊 (remember to wear windproof clothes, lots of dust) 🔥 Bonfire Party: A must if staying in a Mongolian yurt! Dance to the morin khuur rhythm, eat roasted lamb leg and drink milk tea, and watch stars and the Milky Way 🌌 (grassland has little light pollution, Milky Way visible to the naked eye!) 👶🏻 Family Fun: Feed reindeer at the Royal Deer Park 🦌 (30 yuan/feed), play on the grassland mini train and grass sledding at the Iron Horse Culture Park, kids can have a blast all day~ What to Eat? Local Food List 🍖 1️⃣ Hand-held Meat 🥩: Bone-in lamb boiled in plain water, dipped in chive flower sauce, original flavor and super tender! Recommended “Bayanhangai Mongolian Restaurant,” freshly slaughtered and cooked~ 2️⃣ Roasted Whole Lamb: Crispy skin and juicy inside! Book one day in advance (60-80 yuan/jin), cost-effective for groups over 10, “Xiao Niu Restaurant” secret sauce is amazing~ 3️⃣ Mongolian Milk Tea 🍵: Salty brick tea boiled with milk, served with fried rice and milk tofu 🥛, warming and refreshing, “Gaowa Mongolian Restaurant” freshly brewed milk tea is a must-order 4️⃣ Sand Onion Buns: Stuffed with wild grassland vegetables, fragrant and slightly spicy, perfect breakfast with lamb offal soup! Street stalls 5 yuan each Where to Stay Comfortably? 🏡 ① Xiaohongshanzi Village: Top choice for photographers! Very close to the film base and General’s Pond, can shoot sunrise from the guesthouse rooftop, recommended “Grassland Pastoral Song Guesthouse” (has starry sky rooms) ② Ulan Butong Sumu: More dining options in town! Both Hanting and guesthouses available, recommended “Yudaokou Hotel,” clean standard rooms with breakfast included, but traffic jams likely in peak season~ ③ Mongolian Yurt Experience: For a unique stay, choose “Around Baicao Aobao,” fall asleep listening to the wind, but shower water may be inconsistent (ask in advance) Tips 💡 ❗ Poor signal on the grassland, download offline maps in advance! ❗ Do not trample grassland vegetation, drive only on existing roads~ ❗ When buying specialties, choose “air-dried beef jerky,” avoid very cheap ones (may contain starch) Keep this guide safe and come to Ulan Butong to breathe deeply and have a wild time~ 🌬️✨