Tucked into the far south of the Gobi, Badain Jaran is China's third-largest desert and one of its best-kept secrets, a UNESCO World Heritage site since July 2024. In Mongolian its name means the "desert of the mysterious lakes" — more than 100 lakes, some turquoise, some blood-red, fed by water travelling underground for hundreds of kilometres from the Tibetan plateau. The trip mixes camel travel and hiking, and climbs Bilutu, the tallest stationary sand dune on Earth.
Trip Highlights
Over 100 lakes in an ocean of sand
Fed by water that travels underground for hundreds of kilometres from the Tibetan plateau, these lakes — some turquoise, some blood-red — are everything a desert isn't supposed to have.
A UNESCO World Heritage desert since 2024
Recognised for a landscape unlike anywhere else on the planet: a dry, wind-scoured sand sea concealing this many lakes.
Three hours by camel
Day 3 starts with a camel crossing of the dunes past Heaven Lake, the way travellers have crossed this land for centuries, before continuing on foot.
Badain Jaran Temple, 270 years old
A Tibetan Buddhist sanctuary built in 1755 on the shore of Temple Lake, still welcoming pilgrims, herders and travellers today.
Climbing Bilutu
Rising close to 500m from base to summit, Bilutu is among the tallest stationary sand dunes on Earth — a steep push through soft sand rewarded by an ocean of dunes and lakes below.
Route Overview
Arrival in Zhangye or Wuwei
Settle in at the desert's edge, Gansu.→ Badain Lake
Enter the UNESCO Geopark, first night on the water's edge.→ Twin Lakes
3h by camel, 4h on foot; homestay with a desert family.→ Red Lake → Temple Lake
7h hike; a 1755 Tibetan Buddhist sanctuary on the shore.→ Bilutu → Nuoritu
7h hike, climbing one of the tallest dunes on Earth.→ Alxa
Spectacular drive out over dune after dune.Alxa → Wuwei or Zhangye
Transfer onward.Full Itinerary
Arrival in Zhangye or Wuwei
Your journey starts in either Zhangye or Wuwei, two Gansu towns sitting a similar distance from the desert — pick whichever suits your route in. Zhangye has direct flights from Beijing (daily) and Shanghai, and this ancient Silk Road town is worth the detour on its own, famous for its rainbow-striped Danxia mountains. Wuwei is just an hour from Lanzhou by high-speed train. Either way, settle in for the night and get ready to head into the dunes tomorrow.
Zhangye or Wuwei → Badain Lake
A scenic drive brings you to the gates of Badain Jaran UNESCO Global Geopark. A stop at the geopark museum sets the scene — the science and legends behind these turquoise lakes hidden among 500-metre dunes — before the track climbs deeper into the sand to Badain Lake. Spend the night at a comfortable desert lodge right on the water's edge, watching the dunes turn gold at sunset.
Badain Lake → Twin Lakes
Today starts with a change of pace: a 3-hour camel ride across the dunes, past Heaven Lake and deep into the heart of the desert, the way travellers have crossed this land for centuries. After a picnic lunch in the sand, you continue on foot for another 4 hours, weaving between towering dunes to reach Twin Lakes. Tonight you stay with a local family whose home has become a simple guesthouse.
Twin Lakes → Red Lake → Temple Lake
A big hiking day (about 7h). The morning trail leads to Red Lake, a striking pool whose mineral-red waters glow against the pale sand, one of the desert's most photogenic and least-visited corners. In the afternoon you reach Temple Lake, the desert's most storied site, where Badain Jaran Temple, a Tibetan Buddhist sanctuary built in 1755, has welcomed pilgrims, herders and travellers for over 270 years.
Temple Lake → Bilutu → Nuoritu
The toughest and most rewarding day of the trip: today you climb Bilutu, the highest dune in the Badain Jaran desert and one of the tallest stationary sand dunes on Earth, rising close to 500m from base to summit. The final stretch is a steep push through soft sand, but the view from the top, at roughly 1,610m above sea level with an entire ocean of dunes and lakes spread out below, is worth every step. You then descend to Nuoritu Lake for a well-earned rest.
Nuoritu → Alxa
A long but spectacular drive carries you out of the desert's depths, the track rolling over dune after dune like a roller-coaster, with plenty of stops for photos along the way. You leave the sand behind at the Mongolian town of Alxa Right Banner, where you spend the last night of the trip.
Alxa → Wuwei or Zhangye
Transfer to Wuwei or Zhangye, homeward bound or on to your next Chinese adventure, with the memory of a desert like no other.
What's Included
Booking Terms
- Cancellation terms depend on how close to departure you cancel, and are confirmed in writing when your trip is booked.
- If a visa application is refused, we ask for the official refusal letter from the consulate and refund what we can once any costs already committed on your behalf are deducted.
- A confirmed place can usually be transferred to another eligible traveller.
- If safety conditions or government restrictions force a change, we'll adapt or refund the unused portion of the trip.
Get in Touch
We don't take bookings online — this site is here to show you the treks. Reach out and let's talk through dates, group size and what you're looking for.
