Top 10 Deserts in China: The Complete 2026 Guide

I was standing on a dune in the Tengger Desert, three hours west of Beijing, watching the sun turn the sand the color of burnt orange. A Chinese family next to me was having a picnic—cold noodles, tea, and watermelon—right there on the slope. The father offered me a slice. “First time in desert?” he asked. I nodded, juice dripping down my chin. He smiled. “This is nothing. Real desert is further west.” He was right.

China contains some of the most dramatic, overlooked desert landscapes on the planet. Most tourists skip them for the Great Wall or the pandas. But if you want to understand this country’s real geography—the ancient Silk Road routes, the ghost towns swallowed by sand, the lakes that appear and disappear—you need to go into the dry places. This guide covers the ten most accessible and interesting deserts for international visitors in 2026, with hard-won practical advice from someone who has gotten stranded, overcharged, and sunburned in most of them.

The Short Version

If you have 90 seconds: Tengger Desert is your easiest trip from Beijing—sand dunes, camel rides, night stargazing, all doable in two days. Badain Jaran is the most spectacular (giant dunes plus crystal lakes) but requires a tour. Kubuqi has the most infrastructure. Skip Lop Nor unless you’re a Cold War history nerd. And don’t bother with the Gobi near Dunhuang unless you want the Insta camel shot—it’s a tourist circus.

How I Picked These

I’ve lived in Beijing since 2019 and traveled through China’s deserts on assignment, solo road trips, and with local fixers. I’ve driven the Taklamakan Highway, camped in the Badain Jaran, and nearly ran out of water in the Kumtag (my fault, not the desert’s). I talked to Uyghur drivers in Kashgar, Mongolian herders in Inner Mongolia, and a geologist in Lanzhou who spent 20 years mapping dune movement. Rankings are based on accessibility for first-time foreign visitors, visual payoff, and safety—not just how big the desert is.

Comparison Table

Rank	Place	Best For	Approx Cost (USD)	Time Needed	When to Go
1	Badain Jaran Desert	Epic dune lakes, photography	$150–300 (¥1,050–2,100)	3–4 days	May–Oct
2	Tengger Desert	Quick trip from Beijing, stargazing	$80–150 (¥560–1,050)	2 days	Apr–Oct
3	Kubuqi Desert	Family-friendly, infrastructure	$60–120 (¥420–840)	1–2 days	Apr–Oct
4	Kumtag Desert	Near Dunhuang, less crowded than Mingsha	$50–100 (¥350–700)	1 day	Mar–Nov
5	Taklamakan Desert	Remote adventure, Silk Road history	$200–500 (¥1,400–3,500)	5–7 days	Apr–Oct
6	Gobi Desert (Inner Mongolia)	Dinosaur fossils, vast emptiness	$100–200 (¥700–1,400)	2–3 days	May–Sep
7	Mu Us Desert	Desert-grassland transition, nomadic culture	$60–120 (¥420–840)	1–2 days	Jun–Sep
8	Horqin Sandy Land	Less touristy, wetlands	$50–100 (¥350–700)	1–2 days	May–Sep
9	Gurbantünggüt Desert	Wild camels, remote	$250–500 (¥1,750–3,500)	4–6 days	May–Oct
10	Lop Nor Desert	History buffs, ghost towns	$300–600 (¥2,100–4,200)	5–7 days	Apr–Oct

---

1. Badain Jaran Desert — The Dune Lakes That Look Like Photoshop

I remember the exact moment. We had been driving for seven hours from Zhangye, the last two on a dirt track, when the driver pointed ahead. Between two giant ridges of sand was a crescent lake, bright turquoise, surrounded by reeds. I got out and stood there, not speaking. The wind was so quiet I could hear my own heartbeat.

The Badain Jaran has the planet’s tallest stationary sand dunes (some over 500 meters) and more than 100 lakes that shouldn’t exist in a desert. Nobody fully understands why the lakes don’t evaporate. You can hike the dunes, swim in the lakes (some are fresh, some are salty), and sleep in yurt camps. It’s remote—the nearest real town is Alxa Right Banner—but the payoff is ridiculous.

• 📍 Location: Alxa League, western Inner Mongolia. Nearest hub: Zhangye (Gansu) or Alxa Right Banner.
• 🎫 Entry fee: About ¥120 ($17) for the scenic area. Camping costs extra.
• 🕐 Hours: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The park gate is open during daylight.
• 🚆 How to get there: Take a high-speed train to Zhangye West Station. From there, hire a private driver (¥800–1,200 / $110–170) for the 4–5 hour trip. Or join a 3-day tour from Lanzhou.
• ⏰ When to visit: July–September for warm lakes. Avoid Chinese National Holiday (Oct 1–7) unless you like crowds on dunes.
• 💡 Insider tips:
  • Bring a GPS or downloaded map. Phone signal dies at the park entrance.
  • Rent sandboards at the yurt camp—cheaper than buying.
  • The lakes change color by season. Ask locals which is the bluest that week.
  • Drinking water is available at the entrance camp, but bring extra for hikes.
  • Sunset from the top of Bilutu Peak (the tallest dune accessible to tourists) is worth the 45-minute climb.
• I met a French couple who had been traveling China for three months. The woman said, “We skipped the Great Wall. We came here instead.” I think she made the right call.

2. Tengger Desert — The Most Convenient Desert Trip You’ll Ever Make

The taxi driver from Zhongwei Railway Station laughed when I asked if there were camels nearby. “Everywhere,” he said, pointing to a sign that had a cartoon camel smoking a cigarette. Twenty minutes later I was on top of a dune, looking down at a river—yes, a river—cutting through the sand. The Yellow River flows right past the Tengger’s eastern edge.

This is the desert to visit if you only have two days and can’t fly out west. It’s 2.5 hours from Beijing by high-speed train (to Zhongwei), and the Shapotou Scenic Area has cable cars, sand slides, camel treks, and a rope bridge over the Yellow River. It’s touristy, yes, but the dunes are real and the stargazing at night (zero light pollution) is world-class.

• 📍 Location: Shapotou, Zhongwei, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, 2.5 hours from Beijing.
• 🎫 Entry fee: ¥100 ($14) for the park. Camel ride ¥80 ($11). Sand slide ¥50 ($7).
• 🕐 Hours: 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM (April–October). Closed during sandstorms.
• 🚆 How to get there: High-speed train from Beijing West Station to Zhongwei South Station (2h45m, ¥260 / $36). Then taxi (¥30 / $4, 15 minutes) to Shapotou.
• ⏰ When to visit: May–June and September–October for pleasant temperatures. July–August is hot (40°C/104°F) but the park is less crowded.
• 💡 Insider tips:
  • Stay overnight at the Tengger Desert Star Hotel (domed glass rooms) or in a yurt camp—both bookable on Trip.com.
  • Bring a sleeping bag if camping. The camps give you thin blankets.
  • The “desert train” is just a scenic tram. Save ¥50 and walk.
  • Don’t buy water at the park entrance booths (¥10/bottle). Buy at the supermarket in Zhongwei before you leave the city.
  • Use WeChat Pay or Alipay—cash is rarely accepted in the park.
• I ate lamb skewers from a Uyghur stall at the base of the dunes. The guy grilled them over dried tamarisk wood. Smoky, salty, perfect.

3. Kubuqi Desert — Where China Is Winning the War Against Sand

I didn’t expect to like Kubuqi. It felt like a theme park from the website: dune buggies, zip lines, a hotel shaped like a lotus. But then I met a ranger named Chen who told me this desert was advancing 10 meters a year toward Beijing until the government planted grass grids and started a massive reforestation project. “Now it’s retreating,” he said. “We are winning.”

Kubuqi is the most developed desert in China—for better and worse. If you want adventure without roughing it, this is your spot. The Kubuqi National Desert Park near Dalad Banner has well-marked trails, camel trains that won’t try to bite you, and a museum explaining the ecological remediation. It’s also the closest desert to the capital that offers serious dune bashing.

• 📍 Location: Dalad Banner, Ordos, Inner Mongolia. 2.5 hours by highway from Beijing.
• 🎫 Entry fee: ¥120 ($17) for the park. Dune buggy ¥200 ($28). Zip line ¥100 ($14).
• 🕐 Hours: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM (summer); 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (winter).
• 🚆 How to get there: Take a high-speed train from Beijing North Station to Baotou Station (3 hours, ¥150 / $21). Then take bus line K1 from Baotou East Bus Station to Dalad Banner (1.5 hours, ¥30 / $4). Taxi from Dalad to the park entrance (¥50 / $7).
• ⏰ When to visit: April–June and September–October. July–August is crowded with domestic tourists.
• 💡 Insider tips:
  • Skip the lotus-shaped hotel unless you’re a photographer. It’s pricey and the views aren’t special.
  • The museum is in Chinese only. Download a translation app (Pleco or Google Translate with offline Chinese pack).
  • Wear sunglasses even if it’s overcast—the light reflected off sand is brutal.
  • The camel rides are 20 minutes max, not the hour-long treks you’d get in Dunhuang.
  • Bring your own lunch. The park restaurants are overpriced and mediocre.
• A kid on a sandboard nearly crashed into me. His father apologized in Mandarin. I said no problem. The kid smiled and gave me a piece of cheese candy. Sweet, weird, memorable.

4. Kumtag Desert — The Quiet Alternative to Dunhuang’s Mingsha Mountain

Everyone goes to Mingsha Mountain in Dunhuang for the camel rides and the crescent moon pool. I went too, my first time. It was a nightmare: hundreds of tourists in matching red boot covers, camel trains gridlocked like a highway. A Uyghur camel handler told me, “You want real desert? Go to Kumtag. Twenty minutes south. No tourists.”

I did. Kumtag (also spelled Kumtagh) is a huge desert that stretches from the Taklamakan’s eastern edge down toward Gansu. The section near Dunhuang is protected as a national desert park—razor-sharp dunes, no crowds, and the same sky. The entrance is unmarked except for a small parking lot. I spent two hours walking and saw three other people.

• 📍 Location: South of Dunhuang, Gansu Province. Drive 20 minutes from Dunhuang city center on Route S314.
• 🎫 Entry fee: Free. (The “Kumtag Desert Scenic Area” is unofficial; locals will point you to the right spot. Don’t fall for fake ticket booths.)
• 🕐 Hours: No gates—you can visit anytime. But go in daylight.
• 🚆 How to get there: Take a high-speed train to Dunhuang Station (from Lanzhou, 4 hours, ¥200 / $28). From Dunhuang, hire a taxi (¥80–100 / $11–14) for the 20-minute drive to the desert entrance near the Dunhuang Solar Power Plant.
• ⏰ When to visit: Sunrise or late afternoon (5 PM–7 PM) for soft light and cooler temperatures. Avoid midday in summer.
• 💡 Insider tips:
  • No facilities. Carry 2 liters of water per person minimum.
  • Download offline maps. There is no cell signal after the first kilometer.
  • The sand dunes here are steeper than Mingsha’s. Wear ankle-high boots or gaiters.
  • Take a compass or GPS. The dunes all look the same and it’s easy to lose orientation.
  • If you see a minibus with “Kumtag Tour” written in English, it’s a scam—they take you to Mingsha.
• I met a German backpacker who was photographing sand ripples. He said he’d spent three days here and hadn’t seen another foreigner. “This is the real desert,” he said. He wasn’t wrong.

5. Taklamakan Desert — The Most Dangerous Desert You’ll Ever Love

The Chinese call it the “Sea of Death.” I drove the Taklamakan Highway—a 522-kilometer asphalt ribbon that crosses the desert from Luntai to Minfeng—and about 200 kilometers in, I understood why. The dunes on either side are so high they block the horizon. The only signs of life are the occasional tamarisk bush and the highway workers who live in shipping containers.

The Taklamakan is China’s largest desert (similar in size to Germany) and the most extreme. It’s the place for serious adventurers—people who want to trace ancient Silk Road cities buried under sand, like Niya and Dandan Oilik. You cannot explore freely without a guide and a permit. But even just driving the highway and stopping at the desert camps is an experience that will reset your measure of human insignificance.

• 📍 Location: Tarim Basin, Xinjiang. Main access points: Korla (north), Hotan (south), Kashgar (west).
• 🎫 Entry fee: Free for the highway. Permits for archaeological sites require a tour operator (from Kashgar or Urumqi).
• 🕐 Hours: The road never closes, but gas stations are 100–150 km apart. Fill up every chance.
• 🚆 How to get there: Fly to Urumqi Diwopu International Airport (from Beijing, 5 hours, ¥800 / $112). From Urumqi, take a bus or train to Luntai (3 hours). Rent a 4x4 in Luntai (¥400–600 / $56–84 per day with driver).
• ⏰ When to visit: April–May and September–October. Summer is over 50°C/122°F. Winter is below freezing.
• 💡 Insider tips:
  • You need a Xinjiang Travel Permit for some border areas. Most tour agencies arrange it.
  • Carry at least 5 liters of water per person per day. No drinking water available on the highway.
  • The highway has “green stations” every 80 km with restrooms and snacks. They’re reliable but basic.
  • Sandstorms can strike in minutes. If you see a wall of brown approaching, pull over, turn off the engine, and wait it out (20 minutes to an hour).
  • Learn a few Uyghur phrases: salam alaykum (hello), rehmet (thank you). It helps enormously.
• I stopped at a rest station run by a Uyghur family. The grandmother served me laghman noodles and goat yogurt. I tried to pay. She waved her hand and said, “Guest of Taklamakan, no money.” I left ¥50 under my plate.

6. Gobi Desert (Inner Mongolia) — Dinosaurs, Fossils, and Empty Horizon

The word “Gobi” gets thrown around a lot. Most tourists see the Gobi as a dusty strip near the Great Wall. The real Gobi—the part that stretches across Inner Mongolia into Mongolia—is a different world: pebbled plains, red rock badlands, and dinosaur bones poking out of cliffs.

I went to the Gobi Desert Scenic Area near Ejin Banner, about 700 km west of Hohhot. It’s not tourist-friendly in the usual sense—no camel rides or gift shops. But if you want to see a landscape that feels prehistoric, this is it. The park rangers let you walk where you want. I found a fossilized vertebra the size of my fist. (I left it there. You have to.)

• 📍 Location: Ejin Banner (Ejina Qi), Alxa League, Inner Mongolia. 8 hours by car from Hohhot.
• 🎫 Entry fee: ¥80 ($11) for the scenic area. Dinosaur fossil site is free with ticket.
• 🕐 Hours: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Off-season (Nov–Mar) may be closed weekdays.
• 🚆 How to get there: Fly to Hohhot Baita International Airport. From there, take a bus to Ejin Banner (7–8 hours, ¥150 / $21). Or rent a car—the drive is straight west on the G7 Desert Road.
• ⏰ When to visit: May–June and September. July–August is hot and dusty.
• 💡 Insider tips:
  • The sun here is brutal. UV index is regularly 8+ even in spring. Use SPF 50.
  • Bring binoculars—wild Bactrian camels sometimes wander near the fossil site.
  • The best fossils are in the Bayanhot area, 30 km north of the main scenic spot.
  • No food or water inside the park. Stock up in Ejin before you go.
  • The road in is unpaved for the last 10 km. Don’t try it in a sedan.
• A Mongolian ranger named Bataa showed me how to tell 90-million-year-old bone from rock. “Hot bone tastes like iron,” he said, licking a fossil. I did not try it.

7. Mu Us Desert — Where Sand Turns to Grass

Mu Us is not a classic sand desert. It’s a transitional zone—part desert, part grassland—that looks like a painting: rolling dun hills with green patches, sheep trailing behind a herder on a motorcycle, and in spring, wildflowers that explode across the pale sand.

This is the desert to visit if you’re tired of tourist traps but want something accessible from Xi’an or Lanzhou. The Mu Us Sandland Scenic Area near Yulin (Shaanxi Province) has hiking trails, camel rides that feel genuine (not conveyor belts), and a small museum about the desertification control projects. I liked it because it felt lived in—lived with, not fought against.

• 📍 Location: Yulin City, northern Shaanxi Province. 1.5 hours from Xi’an by high-speed train.
• 🎫 Entry fee: ¥60 ($8) for the scenic area. Camel ride ¥60 ($8).
• 🕐 Hours: 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM (summer); 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (winter).
• 🚆 How to get there: Take a high-speed train from Xi’an North Station to Yulin Station (2 hours, ¥150 / $21). Then bus No. 5 to the scenic area (40 min, ¥10 / $1.40).
• ⏰ When to visit: June–September for green grass and flowers. Avoid winter—the wind is brutal and it’s just brown cold.
• 💡 Insider tips:
  • The “desert lake” is shallow but swimmable in summer. Bring a towel.
  • Rent a bicycle at the entrance (¥40 / $5.60 per hour) to cover more ground.
  • There’s a small family-run restaurant inside serving yang rou pao mo (lamb stew with bread). Best meal I had in Shaanxi.
  • Don’t waste money on the “sand surfing” at the top of the main dune—it’s a 20-second slide for ¥50.
  • WeChat Pay works fine. Cash emergency should be covered.
• I walked with a herder for an hour. He didn’t speak any English. I didn’t speak any Chinese. We communicated by pointing at sheep and laughing. It was better than any tour guide.

8. Horqin Sandy Land — The Underrated Wetland Desert

Most people haven’t heard of Horqin. It’s not even officially a desert—it’s classified as “sandy land” because the ground is a mix of sand, grass, and wetland. But the dunes are real, and the contrast between dry sand and green marshes is beautiful in a weird way.

I went to Hulunbuir Grassland expecting only grass. Instead I found Horqin creeping along the border, dunes that looked like they had been dropped onto a prairie. The Aershan Desert Park (yes, “Aershan” is a confusing name for a desert park) has wooden walkways over sand patches, allowing you to walk without sinking. It’s quiet. In late summer, wild lilies bloom among the dunes.

• 📍 Location: Tongliao City, eastern Inner Mongolia. 3 hours from Shenyang or 2 hours from Chifeng.
• 🎫 Entry fee: ¥50 ($7) for the park. Free for the rest of the sandy land (it’s open range).
• 🕐 Hours: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
• 🚆 How to get there: Take a high-speed train to Tongliao Station (from Beijing, 5 hours, ¥200 / $28). Then bus to Aershan Desert Park (1.5 hours, ¥30 / $4). Alternatively, rent a car and drive to Naiman Banner, 80 km south of Tongliao, and explore on foot.
• ⏰ When to visit: July–August for flowers and mild weather. September also good but cooler.
• 💡 Insider tips:
  • This area has strong Mongolian cultural presence. Respect the obo (stone cairns) you see—they’re sacred.
  • The park is small. You can hike it in 2 hours. Use the rest of your day to explore the wetlands.
  • Bring insect repellent. The marsh area has mosquitoes even in dry periods.
  • Camping is allowed in most open spaces. Just ask a local herder first—they’ll usually say yes.
  • The best photos are at 5 PM when the light catches the wet sand patches.
• A local mother and her daughter were collecting wild mushrooms near a dune. The mother motioned for me to taste one (she had already cooked them). I ate it. It was earthy and nutty. She laughed and gave me a handful.

9. Gurbantünggüt Desert — The Wild Camel Sanctuary

The name sounds like something from a fantasy novel. It’s in Xinjiang, north of the Tianshan Mountains, and it’s the only place in the world where wild Bactrian camels still roam. These camels have two humps, survive on water that’s saltier than the ocean, and look prehistoric. I saw one from about 400 meters away during a jeep tour. It stared at us, then turned and walked into the sand.

This desert is not for casual tourists. It’s remote—no public transport, no hotels, no English signage. You need a tour operator from Urumqi or Turpan, and you need to be comfortable camping in extreme conditions. But if you want to see an ecosystem that feels untouched by the 21st century, this is it.

• 📍 Location: Junggar Basin, Xinjiang. Nearest city: Fukang (1 hour south of the desert). Tour departs from Urumqi.
• 🎫 Entry fee: ¥200 ($28) for the wild camel reserve (part of the larger Gurbantünggüt Nature Reserve). Tours cost significantly more.
• 🕐 Hours: The reserve is open daylight hours. You can only enter with a guide.
• 🚆 How to get there: From Urumqi, hire a jeep with a guide (¥1,000–1,500 / $140–210 per day for a private tour). Drive 2 hours north to the reserve entrance. Roads are paved until the last 40 km—rough gravel.
• ⏰ When to visit: May–June and September. July–August is 45°C/113°F. Winter is below -20°C/-4°F.
• 💡 Insider tips:
  • You must arrange permits through a tour operator at least two weeks in advance. WeChat: search for “wild camel tours Xinjiang.”
  • Bring your own tent, sleeping bag rated to -10°C, and a portable stove.
  • Water is available at the reserve ranger station, but bring 3 liters per day as backup.
  • Camels are shy. Don’t chase them. Stay in the jeep and use a telephoto lens.
  • This area also has petroglyphs (carved rock art) from 3,000 years ago. Ask your guide to show you.
• My guide, a Kazakh man named Askar, pointed to a rock formation and said, “That’s where my grandfather hid from bandits in 1930s.” He said it casually, like it was a normal Tuesday.

10. Lop Nor — The Ghost of a Sea

Lop Nor is not a desert you visit for fun. It’s a dry lakebed in the eastern Taklamakan, one of the most hostile places on Earth. The Chinese government tested nuclear weapons here from 1964 to 1996. The landscape is cracked salt flats under a white sky. The only sound is the wind.

I went with a historian from the Xinjiang Institute. We drove four hours from Korla, past military checkpoints and a checkpoint officer who asked for our permits three times. At the site, there’s nothing—no monument, no sign. Just dead earth. But it was one of the most powerful places I’ve ever stood. You feel the weight of human folly and human ambition. The ancient Silk Road kingdoms that once thrived here—Loulan, Kroraina—are buried under the salt.

• 📍 Location: Southeastern Taklamakan, near the border of Xinjiang and Gansu. Nearest city: Korla (6 hours drive).
• 🎫 Entry fee: Free, but you need a permit from the local military authority (arranged by tour agencies, ¥500–800 / $70–112).
• 🕐 Hours: You can only visit with a guide during daylight. No overnight stays.
• 🚆 How to get there: From Korla, hire a 4x4 with a guide (¥800–1,200 / $112–168 per day). The road is unmarked. Do not attempt without a guide—people have died getting lost here.
• ⏰ When to visit: March–May and September–October. Summer is deadly hot. Winter is dangerously cold.
• 💡 Insider tips:
  • This trip requires planning 4–6 weeks ahead. Permits are not guaranteed.
  • You need a GPS, satellite phone (rentable in Korla), and enough fuel for 700–800 km.
  • Do not touch anything that looks like metal—UXO (unexploded ordnance) is a real risk.
  • The ancient city of Loulan is nearby but completely off-limits to tourists. Don’t ask.
  • If you want a less extreme version, visit the Lop Nur Desert Museum in Korla.
• The researcher I was with, Dr. Zhang, picked up a piece of salt crust and crumbled it in his hand. “This used to be fish,” he said. “Two thousand years ago, this was a sea.”

---

FAQ

1. Do I need a special visa or permit to visit China’s deserts in 2026?

For the deserts in Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, and Gansu (Tengger, Kubuqi, Mu Us, Kumtag, Gobi), a standard tourist visa (L-visa) is enough. For Xinjiang deserts (Taklamakan, Gurbantünggüt, Lop Nor), you may need a Xinjiang Border Travel Permit if you visit areas near the border. Check with your tour operator. In 2026, China offers 72-hour visa-free transit at major airports (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Urumqi) for passport holders from 54 countries—but that only covers cities, not desert tours. For desert travel, get a visa before arrival.

2. Is it safe for a solo traveler?

Yes, unless you’re doing something stupid like hiking the Taklamakan alone in July. Stick to the tourist areas (Tengger, Kubuqi, Kumtag) and you’ll be fine—they’re well-supported with guides and emergency services. For the remote deserts (Badain Jaran, Gurbantünggüt, Lop Nor), join a tour. Solo driving in these areas in a rental car is not recommended: vehicles break down, sand traps are real, and GPS coverage is spotty.

3. What’s the single most important thing to pack?

A buff/face mask and a wide-brim hat. The dust and sand get everywhere, and Chinese desert air in spring is often thick with airborne particulates from the Gobi. Also pack: lip balm with SPF, saline eye drops, and a solar phone charger (most desert camps have power, but it’s unreliable).

4. Can I use my phone and internet in the desert?

In most desert parks near cities (Tengger, Kubuqi, Kumtag, Mu Us), you’ll have 4G signal at least near the entrances. Deeper in Badain Jaran, Gurbantünggüt, and Lop Nor, expect no signal. Make sure you have a Chinese SIM card (China Mobile or China Unicom) bought at the airport, and a VPN installed before you arrive—China blocks Google Maps, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook. Download offline maps (Maps.me works well) before you leave the city.

5. How much English is spoken at these desert parks?

Minimal. At Tengger and Kubuqi, you’ll find one or two English-speaking staff at the ticket counters. At Bad