Outdoor accommodation in China has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years. A decade ago, camping was largely a DIY affair for serious hikers. Today, the country has a booming “glamping” (高端露营, gāoduān lùyíng) industry with tent resorts near every major scenic area, Mongolian yurt camps across the grassland provinces, and luxury “forest camp” operators catering to Chinese urban travelers who want nature without sacrificing comfort.
For international visitors, this creates real options — but also requires knowing which facilities are designed for foreigners, which are sanctioned versus technically illegal, and what to expect from each type.
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Open Table of contents
Yurt Stays (Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang)
Inner Mongolia Grasslands
Inner Mongolia is the obvious first choice for yurt accommodation. The grasslands around Hulunbuir (near the Russian border in the northeast) and the areas around Hohhot (accessible from Beijing by bullet train in 2.5 hours) both have established yurt camp operations.
What to expect: A furnished Mongolian ger/yurt (蒙古包, ménggǔbāo) on a working or semi-working grassland. Beds, basic furniture, sometimes electricity and electric blankets in the cooler months. Shared bathroom facilities in a separate block — don’t expect en-suite. Meals are typically included: lamb hot pot, roast lamb, dairy products (the yogurt and fresh milk in Inner Mongolia is genuinely good).
Price range: ¥200–450 per yurt per night, usually including dinner and breakfast. The wide range reflects the difference between genuinely rural operations and tourist village setups with staged horse riding and folk performances.
Seasonality: The grasslands are at their best June–September. Outside this window, it’s cold, dry, and the landscape is brown. The Naadam festival (July) is a worthwhile time to visit if you’re interested in Mongolian wrestling, horse racing, and archery.
Foreigner access: Inner Mongolia yurt camps generally welcome foreign visitors. Hulunbuir is close to the Russian and Mongolian borders, so there may be some zones with access restrictions — check before traveling to remote areas.
Xinjiang Grasslands
The Ili Valley area in western Xinjiang (around Nalati and Sayram Lake) and the Kanas Lake region in the far north have yurt camps operated by local Kazakh and Kyrgyz communities. The landscapes are extraordinary — snow-capped mountains, green meadows, alpine lakes — and the yurt accommodation is more authentically pastoral than most Inner Mongolia operations.
Practical note: Foreign visitors to Xinjiang need to be prepared for more registration checkpoints and ID checks than elsewhere in China. This is manageable but different from the rest of the country. Your passport will be checked at train stations, when entering scenic areas, and possibly at police checkpoints on roads. All of this is routine and shouldn’t deter you from going, but it’s worth knowing.
Price range: ¥150–350 per night for yurt accommodation. Kanas Lake area tends to be more expensive due to the scenic area entrance fees and remoteness.
Camping Near Qinghai Lake
Qinghai Lake (青海湖), China’s largest saltwater lake, is a popular outdoor destination for Chinese cyclists and campers. The lake loop — roughly 360 km — is a classic cycling route.
Sanctioned camping: The area around Heimahe village on the western shore and Niaodao (Bird Island) have designated camping areas with basic facilities. Pay a small fee (¥20–50), get a numbered pitch, access to toilets. This is the straightforward option.
Wild camping: Many travelers camp wild along the lake shore — there are no specific rules prohibiting this in most areas, but environmental management is getting stricter. Stick to established campsites near the main viewing areas to be safe and to avoid leaving traces in protected wetland areas around the bird sanctuary.
What to bring: At 3,200m altitude, nights at Qinghai Lake are cold even in July and August (temperatures regularly drop to 5–10°C). A three-season sleeping bag is minimum. Wind is a constant factor — a freestanding tent with good pegs is far more practical than a tunnel tent that requires perfect pitch angles.
Glamping Near Dunhuang
The Mingsha Sand Dunes south of Dunhuang have become one of China’s most photographed glamping locations. Several operators run luxury tent resorts at the base of the dunes, where waking up to a desert sunrise over 200-meter sand mountains is a legitimate once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Price range: ¥800–2,500 per night for a luxury tent or “geodome” with proper beds, air conditioning (genuinely needed — summer temperatures in Dunhuang can reach 42°C), and private bathrooms. More basic tent sites near the dunes run ¥200–400.
Booking: These properties book out in peak summer season (July–August). Trip.com has most of the inventory; some of the newer high-end operators also have English-language direct booking websites.
The camel ride trap: Many sand dune “glamping” operators bundle in mandatory camel rides, performances, or tours at marked-up prices. Check what’s included vs extra before booking.
Forest Camps and Mountain Tent Resorts
One of the more interesting developments in Chinese outdoor accommodation is the “forest camp” (森林营地) model — fixed tent or cabin operations set up in forest and mountain areas near hiking destinations. These aren’t wild camping; they’re managed resorts where the accommodation happens to be in tents or small wooden cabins.
You’ll find these near:
- Huangshan (Yellow Mountain): Several tent resorts in the foothills, some with views of the peaks
- Wulingyuan/Zhangjiajie: Properties in the forest outside the park boundaries
- Taihang Mountains (Henan/Shanxi border): Multiple tent resort operations serving Beijing-weekend-escape tourism
- Tianmen Mountain (Zhangjiajie): Cliffside tent operations that are more aesthetic statement than practical hiking base
Price range: ¥300–1,200 per night, with luxury geodomes and private cliff-view platforms at the high end.
Jiuzhaigou: Camping Is Not an Option
To head off a common question: camping in Jiuzhaigou National Park is not permitted. The park has strict environmental controls, and accommodation is limited to hotels in the nearby Jiuzhaigou village outside the park boundaries. The overnight option inside the park for serious photographers (catching dawn light on the lakes) requires a special permit arranged through official channels and is not something individual travelers can arrange independently.
What to Pack for Outdoor Accommodation in China
Sleeping bag liner: Even in summer, can be essential if yurt mattresses seem questionable.
Headlamp: Yurt camps and basic campsites often have limited lighting after dark. Essential for bathroom trips at 3am.
Warm layers: Altitude changes everything. Qinghai Lake (3,200m), Kanas Lake (1,374m), Xinjiang grasslands (varies) — temperatures drop sharply at night regardless of how warm the daytime is.
Water purification: For wild camping or remote yurt stays where tap water quality is uncertain, a filter bottle or purification tablets.
Cash: Remote campsites and yurt camps often don’t accept cards or mobile payment reliably. Bring small denomination cash.
Altitude medication: For Qinghai Lake, Tibet, or high-altitude Xinjiang, consult a doctor about acetazolamide (Diamox) if you’re flying directly to altitude from sea level. Don’t underestimate how real altitude sickness is.