Discover Badain Jaran

Badain Jaran offers one of China’s most dramatic and otherworldly desert travel experiences, combining giant sand dunes, hidden desert lakes, wide horizons, starry skies, camel routes, off-road travel, and a rare sense of silence. Located mainly in Alxa, Inner Mongolia, it is known for its “sand mountains and lakes” landscape, where tall dunes and blue desert lakes appear together in a way that feels almost unreal.

A visit can include crossing the desert by 4x4, climbing dunes for sunrise or sunset, visiting desert lakes such as Badain Lake, trying camel trekking, photographing the contrast between golden sand and blue water, and staying overnight for stargazing. The best time to visit is usually May to June or September to October, when temperatures are more comfortable for desert travel and photography. Badain Jaran also works well with Zhangye Danxia, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang, Ejina Populus Euphratica Forest, Tengger Desert, and the Hexi Corridor.