Recently, Air China moved its morning return flight schedule from Beijing to Xilinhot forward by more than one hour, posing us with a logistical challenge for runners with travel packages opting to leave the grasslands on Sunday morning. In order to make these people’s visit in Xiwuqi as rewarding as possible, Nordic Ways can introduce an extra bus service from Beijing and back.
The extra bus will leave Beijing (Madian Qiao, North 3rd ring road) at 7 a.m. on Friday, 5 July and return from Xiwuqi on Sunday morning with an estimated arrival time back in Beijing of 8.30 p.m. This extra bus is open for everybody but is particularly attractive for participants in the Grassland Marathon run (mountainbikers taking this bus will miss the 1st stage).
It is possible to book a seat one-way, too. This means you could take the airplane to Inner Mongolia on Friday morning (flight is almost full), and return by our bus if you feel that a wake-up call at 4 a.m. on Sunday morning is a bit on the early side. By taking the bus, people staying at the Mongolian Yurt City will be able to see the sunrise over the green hills. The bus will leave Xiwuqi’s Mongolian Tent City at 9 a.m. and pass by the town to pick up people at 9.30 a.m.
The price for a seat is 400 RMB one way and 600 RMB return. Booking in advance is essential! You can do this via our online registration form, or by sending an email to Kate Liu (kate.liu@nordicways.com). Note that the bus can only run if there is sufficient interest.
People insisting on air travel, can consider transitting in Hohhot rather than Beijing on Sunday. China Eastern has a Sunday noon flight to Hohhot, but the price is high. To Beijing, there are the evening flights with United Airlines (to BJ South airport) and China Eastern at 22:50. Check agent sites such as Elong or Ctrip for more info.
Finally, remember there is also a bus service leaving Beijing (Madian Qiao, North 3rd ring road) at 7 a.m. on Thursday, which remains the recommended options for mountainbikers and for runners who wish to have a relaxing day before their Grassland Marathon run. This bus returns to Beijing at 16:00 on Sunday afternoon.