9 Most Famous Deserts in China: Breathtaking Desert Landscapes

Written by Veronica | Updated February 03,2026

The vast territory has endowed China with diverse landscapes. It is home not only to majestic mountains, lush forests, turbulent rivers, vast oceans… but also to some of the most remarkable deserts in the world.

Is it possible to ride camels in Chinese deserts? Yes. Camel rides are available in most of the deserts such as Dunhuang, Badain Jaran, and Shapotou.

Did the Silk Road pass through China’s deserts?  Absolutely. You can see the traces of The Silk Road traversing the Taklamakan, Gobi, and Hexi Corridor deserts. And there are also many ancient ruins and cultural heritage you can explore when having a desert tour.

In this article, we will take on an in-depth journey through the 9 most famous deserts in China, each possessing its own unique charm and features that will make your China tours or China Silk Road tours more unforgettable.

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• 1. Badain Jaran Desert in Inner Mongolia
• 2. Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang
• 3. Shapotou Desert in Ningxia
• 4. Echoing-Sand Mountain & Crescent Lake in Gansu
• 5. Gurbantunggut Desert in Xinjiang
• 6. Kubuqi Desert in Inner Mongolia
• 7. Tengger Desert in Inner Mongolia
• 8. Qaidam Desert in Qinghai
• 9. Ulan Buhe Desert in Inner Mongolia
• The 9 Famous Deserts of China: At-a-Glance Comparison
• Practical Tips for Desert Visiting
• Enjoy an Ultimate Natural Adventure Tour with China Xian Tour

1. Badain Jaran Desert in Inner Mongolia

Located in the north of Inner Mongolia, one of the most beautiful deserts in China, Badain Jaran Desert not only boasts its title as the fourth largest desert in the world but is also home to some of the tallest stationary dunes on the planet. The desert enjoys the reputation as “the Kingdom of Singing Sands”, for housing the largest singing sand area on earth.

As one of the famous deserts in China and a UNESCO heritage, it is also known throughout the world for five natural wonders – sheer hills, singing sands, lakes, springs and ancient temples.

Highlights:

• Mount Bilutu –Qomolangma in the Desert

It is a huge stationary sand dune but with a significant vertical drop of around 500 meters, which is even higher than the Empire State Building in New York. Conquer the mountain and take in great vistas. You will also have an all-around view of 7 tranquil lakes embedded in the sands and glittering in the sunshine.

• Baori Taolegai –World’s Largest Singing Sands Area

Singing sand dunes around Baori Taolegai measures 200 meters high, with a relatively steep slope. If you slither down from the hill ridge, a peculiar humming sound resonates through the air, which can be heard miles away. Even slides of finger will make sizzling sounds.

• Dageitu Lake –A Romantic Pink Lake

Dageitu Lake, hidden deep in Badain Jaran Desert, is like a beautiful ruby that contrasts markedly with the surrounding yellow sands. You can enjoy the most splendid view during July – September, when the pink color is at its brightest.

• Badain Jaran Temple –“Forbidden City” in the Desert

Founded in 1755, it is a typical monastery of Tibetan Buddhism. It is now a vital place for local people to hold gatherings and worship Buddhas.

Best Time to Visit: May – October

Suggested Travel Length: 2-3 days

How to Get to:

Going to Badain Jaran Desert needs visitors first go to Lanzhou, Jinchang, or Alxa Left/Right Banner. After arriving in these cities, visitor will need to take a bus or hired car to Badain Jaran Town or Yabulai Town. One thing special here is that it requires visitors to take local 4WD vehicles or guided tours to explore the dunes, public transport cannot enter the desert. The nearest airports are Zhangye (≈150 km/ the nearest) and Lanzhou (≈500 km/ the most convenient).

✔ Recommended Tour:

• 5 Days Badain Jaran Desert Tour
• 3 Days Badain Jaran Desert Tour: Yurt Camp & Jeep Safari

2. Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang

Spanning an area of about 330,000sq km, Taklimakan Desert, also called the “Sea of Death” by locals, is the world’s second largest flow desert, just smaller than Rub al Khali in Saudi Arabia. The average annual rainfall is no more than 100mm but the evaporation capacity all through the year can reach up to 2,500-3,400mm. The arid conditions make it one of the most desolate places on earth, but the best destination to witness raw majesty of desert.

Located on the ancient Silk Road, Taklimakan Desert in northern China also witnessed countless caravans taking a long trek through the sands. There used to be prosperous cities and towns around the region. Today, you can explore historical sites in the desert to trace the glorious past.

Highlights:

• Various Desert Activities, including sand sliding, sand-surfing, camel riding, cross-country, hiking, camping, bonfire parties…
• Mount Shengmu: Consisting of 2 huge sand dunes colored in red and white, with a wind-eroded mushroom on the top, which is large enough to shade around 10 people.
• Ruins of Luntai City and Niya City, both of which were important transport hubs along the Silk Road, offering an exploration into their past prosperity.

Best Time to Visit: October – November

Suggested Travel Length: 2-3 days

How to get to:

Visitors should firstly reach Urumqi by plane or train. Once arrived at Urumqi, you can choose to either fly to Tazhong Airport or drive to Luntai (Bügür) or Kuqa. Then finish the rest of the journey by local transport through desert highway.

✔ Recommended Silk Road Tour:

• 7 Days Silk Road Dunhuang –Turpan – Urumqi – Kashgar Tour
• 14 Days Silk Road and Northern Xinjiang Tour

3. Shapotou Desert in Ningxia

Nestled along the Yellow River, Shapotou Desert is also one of the famous deserts in China, offering an incredible blend of sand dunes and the flowing river. It is more like a desert-themed amusement park housing a great variety of entertainment. Apart from typical desert activities, like sand sliding and camel riding, visitors can have more fun around the Yellow River. For example, you can embark on a local sheepskin raft to drift down the river, overfly the river by cableway slide, go bungee jumping, walk along the 3D glass bridge across the Yellow River…

Best Time to Visit: July – November

Suggested Travel Length: 4-5 hours

How to Get to:

Shapotou Scenic Area is located near Zhongwei city. In downtown Zhongwei, Bus No. 2 travels directly to the scenic spot (last return bus departs at 17:35, don’t miss it). If you want to self-frive or hire a private transfer, just simply navigate to “Shapotou Visitor Service Center (Yellow River Area)”. The scenic area is divided into the Yellow River Zone and the Desert Zone, both are clearly signposted.

✔ Recommended Tours:

• 3 Days Ningxia Desert Tour with Winery Experience
• 5 Days Ningxia Tour: Wine Tasting & Desert Camping

4. Echoing-Sand Mountain & Crescent Lake in Gansu

In the heart of Dunhuang City, Gansu Province lie Echoing-Sand Mountain and Crescent Lake.  The serene lake as well as the golden sand dunes present a spectacle that can be rarely seen in other deserts in China.

Once you get in the scenic area, the Echoing-Sand Mountain, of around 200 meters high, will pop into your eyes. With every step on the hill, you will hear a low humming sound resonated by sand grains, just like a piece of beautiful music.

As you hike up to the top, a panoramic view of the Crescent Lake, a glistening oasis nestled amidst the rolling dunes, unveils in front of you. The crystal-clear spring is in the shape of a new moon, and hence the name.

Travel Tips:

A lot of tourists would like to enjoy the marvelous sunrise and sunset at Echoing-Sand Mountain. It is suggested to arrive at the scenic area at around 5:30 a.m., climb to the hilltop and wait for the sun to come up. The sunset time varies from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in different months. Please check the specific hour in advance.

Best Time to Visit: May – October

Suggested Travel Length: 4-5 hours

How to get to:

Echoing-Sand Mountain and Crescent Lake trip usually starts from Dunhuang city. Once arrive at the Railway Station, take a taxi to the spot as most travelers would do. Taxis are convenient and inexpensive, only 10–15 RMB is enough to cover a ride. Traveling by bus No. 3 is also ideal. This option is even more budget-friendly and runs straightly to the scenic area.

✔ Recommended Tour: 

• 2 Days Dunhuang Classic Tour
• 3 Days Dunhuang Desert Camping Tour

5. Gurbantunggut Desert in Xinjiang

Covering an area of over 48,000 square kilometers Gurbantunggut Desert is the second largest desert in China, situated in the remote area of Xinjiang. Its untouched charm offers a unique experience for those seeking to disconnect from the modern world and immerse themselves in the raw beauty of nature.

As you traverse the golden desert, you will encounter extraordinary landforms, including fixed and semi-fixed sand dunes, oases, and Yardang landscape, and also come across manmade groves, like poplar trees, red willows, wormwood, and Haloxylon ammodendron.

Best Time to Visit: September – December

Suggested Travel Length: 2-3 hours

How to get to:

First you need to travel to Urumqi by air or train. Then take a direct coach to Shihezi from Urumqi. Usually, there will be 3–4 departures daily and a journey takes about 3 hours on the road. And from Shihezi, you can find frequent buses run to 150th Regiment, followed by another ~100 km to Tuoling Mengpo. Due to the long distance and limited public transport, self-driving or hiring a car is the most practical option.

6. Kubuqi Desert in Inner Mongolia

“Kubuqi” means “bowstring” in Mongolian. The desert gets this name because it forms a perfect shape of bow together with the Yellow River in this region. Kubuqi Desert is the 7^th largest desert in China, and is also the closest one to Beijing.

Today, a few scenic areas have been develotopped in Kubuqi Desert, including Singing Sand Ravine – a comprehensive desert resort in the eastern end of desert, Night Singing Sand – renowned for both desert landscapes and diverse entertainment activities, Seven-Star Lake – a resort built on a large-scale oasis in the heartland of the desert…

How to get to:

You can go to Kubuqi Desert from mainly two places. The first is to start from Ordos. Then take a bus, taxi, or minivan in the city and keep heading toward the desert. Start from Hohhot city is also ideal. 3 hours one the toad, the taxi ride will drop you down directly at the scenic area. Besides, it is also ideal to take long-distance buses from Hohhot to arrive at Baodongsheng, which is quite near to Xiangshawan (cheaper but cost longer time).

✔ Recommended Tour: 

• 3 Days Inner Mongolia Grassland and Desert Tour
• 4 Days Huitengxile Grassland & Kubuqi Desert Tour

7. Tengger Desert in Inner Mongolia

Located in the southeast of Alxa Region of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, between the Helan Mountains and the Yabulai Mountains, the Tengger Desert covers an area of more than 30,000 square kilometers, which is the fourth largest desert in China and the second largest desert in Inner Mongolia. In the interior of Tengger Desert, dune, lake basin and grassy beach, mountain and shallow hills and plains are interleaved. The dune area accounts for 71%, and 7% of the dunes are fixed or semi-fixed. The Tengger Desert has a relatively rich ecosystem, so it is not as dry as many other deserts in china. It is also one of the important wind power bases in China.

Tengger means “heaven” in Mongolian. There are various ideas on the name’s origin: 1) The immense expanse of sand resembles an infinite sky.1) As high as the sky, the desert is steep and lofty. 3) The expansive desert drops out of the sky.

Best Time to Visit: From March to May and September to November

Suggested Travel Length: 3-5 days

How to get to:

Tengger Desert is relatively near to Yinchuan. Travelers need to first come to this city here by flight or train. Later continue to Zhongwei for the spot in southern area or to Alxa Left Banner for the northeast site. However, no matter which direction you choose, hiring a car with a driver is always the most convenient and ideal way to continue the journey.

✔ Recommended Tour: 3 Days Ningxia Desert Tour with Winery Experience

8. Qaidam Desert in Qinghai

Qaidam Desert is one of the eight major deserts in China, located in the Qaidam Basin in the northwest of Qinghai Province. It is the highest desert in the world. The desert area of the Qaidam Basin is about 34,900 square kilometers, accounting for about 1/3 of the total area of the Qaidam Basin. Sand dunes, Gobi, salt lakes, salt plains crisscross. The area of desert and wind-eroded land is 35,000 square kilometers, of which about 70% is quicksand, dominated by barchan dune chain. The Gobi covers an area of 45,000 square kilometers.

With the change of climate and the increase of human activities, vegetation in sandy areas has been seriously destroyed, which makes the original desertified land area continue to expand. And the water volume of rivers is decreasing day by day.

The spectacle of “mirage” often appears in the Gobi desert of Qaidam under sunny days. The sand dunes of the Gobi desert are constantly changing color under the influence of sunlight and floating clouds, and the reflections of the surrounding “sparkling lake” are faint and changing rapidly.

Best Time to Visit: From June to August

Suggested Travel Length: 2-3 days

How to Get to:

Basically, visitors going to the Qaidam Basin would first fly to Xining Caojiabao International Airport or Golmud Airport, Xining offers more flights so this might be a better choice. From the airport, travelers can hire a car or use local transport to go to the site.

✔ Related reading: 10 Weirdest Landscapes in China

9. Ulan Buhe Desert in Inner Mongolia

“Ulan Buhe” means “red bull” in Mongolian.

The Ulan Buhe Desert is situated at the northeastern base of the Yinyi Basin, in the western Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, between Bayannur City and the Alashan League. It is 170 kilometers long from north to south and 110 kilometers wide from east to west, with a total area of about 10,000 square kilometers and an altitude of 1028-1054 meters.

The southern part of the desert is full of quicksand, the central part is full of ridge dunes, and the northern part is full of fixed and semi-fixed dunes. The climate of Ulan Buhe Desert is relatively dry, but there are still many unique plant and animal species, such as Mongolian almond, grassland rabbit and so on.

Best Time to Visit: From May to October

Suggested Travel Length: 1-2 days

How to Get to:

Hohhot is often the starting point of Ulan Buh Desert. After arriving, take a flight or train to Alxa Left Banner, then transfer by taxi or local transport to the desert area. The road condition can be quite harsh and complex, so self-drive may only suit the drivers who are experienced in such condition. From Alxa Left Banner, taxis provide a convenient direct option.

If you are working on your China tour itinerary, feel free to contact us! Our expert travel consultants are glad to help you customize a perfect trip according to your interests.

The 9 Famous Deserts of China: At-a-Glance Comparison

Practical Tips for Desert Visiting

Packing List

• Lightweight, breathable clothing, plus a jacket for cool nights
• Sunglasses, hat, and sunscreen
• Plenty of water and snacks
• Comfortable shoes for sand trekking

Health and Safety Tips

Is it safe to travel in the deserts? Yes. But for a smoother and safer experience, do remember to travel with professional guides.

• Stay hydrated and plan your tour in morning or late afternoon to avoid midday heat
• It’s really important to travel with a licensed guide for safety
• Always let someone knows about your location if exploring remote areas

Best Travel Time

Spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) are undoubtedly the best time of year to visit the Gobi Desert to avoid extreme temperatures.

Enjoy an Ultimate Natural Adventure Tour with China Xian Tour

Exploring China’s deserts provides one of the most unique travel experiences, and it can fulfill all your imaginations of an adventurous tour with cultural and historical exploration. However, planning a desert trip can also be extremely overwhelming, so that you can consider traveling with China Xian Tour.

What activities can you have in the deserts when traveling with us? Camel riding, sandboarding, jeep safaris, camping, photography, and popular and unique programs.

With over ten years of experience of helping people craft their private trips across China, our travel experts knows so well about how to give you a fully customized itinerary that fits your preference. With us taking care of all the details, the only thing you need to do along the way is to immerse yourself in the desert’s unparalleled beauty.