Stop crowding Shahu! Explore the true secret northwest for 2000 yuan, 3 days and 2 nights staying in a desert starry sky room

Stop crowding Shahu! Explore the true secret northwest for 2000 yuan, 3 days and 2 nights staying in a desert starry sky room, ride camels to watch the sunrise🔥🏜️** This is the Ningxia you see on social media— 📸 Sand dunes packed with people sliding down, queues in front of popular photo spots, homestays more expensive than five-star hotels... You think you’re visiting the “Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall,” but it feels like a “desert version of a May Day holiday crowd”😅 But the real Ningxia is— 🌙 Lying in the desert at night counting stars, the Milky Way so clear it looks photoshopped 🐪 Riding camels through golden dunes at dawn, the wind chimes ringing, the world so quiet you only hear your breath 🍇 Biting into Zhongwei selenium sand melon during the day, so sweet it makes your heart tremble, even more addictive than milk tea🍉 This isn’t a movie scene, it’s **China’s most underrated treasure province**— **Half wilderness, half oasis; one foot in the desert, one foot in poetry.** 🏜️🌿 Today, a travel blogger who has self-driven through Ningxia 5 times shares from the heart— ✅ Spend less ✅ Play wildly ✅ Take magical photos ✅ And avoid 99% of tourist traps with this 【Ningxia 3 days 2 nights deep travel guide｜Max 2000 yuan per person｜Students welcome】! Save this = you’ve found a treasure, share this = save your bestie from “Instagram photo fails”! **Itinerary Overview｜3 days 2 nights · Core highlights of Zhongwei｜Budget ≈1980 yuan/person** > 🎒 Suitable for: Couples | Besties | Solo travelers | Anyone wanting to escape the city > 🧥 Gear suggestions: Sunscreen + sunglasses + hat + light jacket (big temperature difference day and night) + comfortable sneakers 🌄 Day 1: Arrive in Zhongwei｜First experience of Tengger Desert, overnight at desert edge - ✈️ Transport: Fly to Yinchuan or take train from Xi’an/Chengdu/Chongqing → Zhongwei high-speed rail station (book discount tickets early, round trip ≈600-800 yuan) - Tip: Buy a cheap high-speed train ticket from Xi’an to Lanzhou, get off at Zhongwei (about 120 yuan, 2.5 hours) - 🚌 Local transport: Taxi or carpool from high-speed rail station to near 【Shapotou Scenic Area】 (about 40 yuan, 30 minutes) - 🏡 Accommodation: Stay at budget desert-themed homestays near 【Mingsha Village】 or 【Desert Station】, double room ≈180 yuan/night 👉 Why recommended: Walking distance to desert entrance, affordable, some rooms have star-gazing windows✨ - 🚶 Itinerary: - Afternoon: Don’t go to the main Shapotou scenic area yet! Head straight to the free outer areas of 【Tonghu Grassland】 or 【Golden Sand Island】 - Free horseback riding experience (negotiate 30 yuan per round), perfect for epic photos🐎 - Evening: Hike 1 hour into the heart of 【Tengger Desert】 - Find a tall dune to sit and wait for a **desert sunset**🌅 - Photo tip: Wear a long dress + headscarf, backlit silhouettes look very storybook - Night: Join a 【bonfire party】 or bring your own snacks and lie on the dunes to watch the stars🌌 - The Milky Way is visible to the naked eye! Remember to bring a camera for “star trails” 🐫 Day 2: Light Shapotou play + Yellow River rafting + starry night - 🌞 Morning: Get up early! Enter 【Shapotou Scenic Area South Zone】 before 7:30 (ticket + shuttle 80 yuan) - ⚠️ Don’t buy combo tickets! Don’t slide down dunes! Don’t follow the usual route! - The right way: 1. Walk through the desert area (free and a test of willpower💪) 2. Take the eco-friendly shuttle to the Yellow River bank 3. Experience 【sheepskin raft rafting】 (60 yuan/person)—ancient river crossing method, thrilling and healing🌊 4. Walk across the 【Yellow River cableway】 (one way 40 yuan), overlooking the desert and river - 🍜 Lunch: After leaving the scenic area, find a local restaurant to try 【Huixiaochi】 and 【Artemisia noodles】, about 35 yuan per person - 🌿 Afternoon: Head to 【Route 66】 (Ningxia’s “American West style”) - Free! Maximum desolation vibe, every shot looks like a movie still🎬 - You can rent an off-road motorcycle (80 yuan/30 minutes) for an adrenaline rush! - 🌌 Evening: Return to homestay or upgrade to a night in a 【desert starry sky tent】 (off-season special ≈380 yuan/room including breakfast) - Why recommended: Fully transparent dome, lie in bed watching meteor showers🌠 - Bonus: Ethnic costume photo shoot + travel photography service (extra 50 yuan for 3 retouched photos) 🚜 Day 3: Desert dawn + Western film city or goji berry picking 👉 **Choose one based on your interest!** ✅ Option A: Zhenbeibu Western Film City (a must for artsy travelers) - Ticket 80 yuan (10 yuan discount if bought online in advance) - Filming location of “A Chinese Odyssey” and “New Dragon Gate Inn”! - Must-visit spots: - “Confession stage of Zixia Fairy” on the city wall - Pose at the entrance of “Silk Worm Cave” - Shop assistants shouting “Welcome, honored guest!” instantly get you into character🎭 - 💡 Tip: Wear Hanfu or vintage style to instantly travel back to the martial arts world! ✅ Option B: Zhongning Goji Berry Picking Experience (foodies’ top choice) - Free entry! Pick goji berries and pay by weight (about 30 yuan/jin) - Experience drying and processing, and buy vacuum-packed berries to take home🎁 - On the way, stop by 【Yellow River Palace】 for photos outside (free), shaped like a giant river clam🐚 - 🚄 Afternoon: Return according to train/flight schedule, perfect ending! 💰 **Total budget breakdown (per person):** | Item | Cost | |------|------| | Round-trip transport (train/flight) | 750 yuan | | Local transport (taxi + carpool) | 120 yuan | | Accommodation (2 nights) | 560 yuan (including 1 night starry sky room) | | Food (6 meals + snacks) | 200 yuan | | Tickets + experiences (Shapotou + film city etc.) | 220 yuan | | Emergency fund | 100 yuan | | **Total** | **≈1950 yuan** | 🎉 Leftover can buy two packs of goji berries + a bag of selenium sand melon as gifts for parents, healthy and thoughtful! 🚫 **Warning! Don’t do these!** - ❌ Spend 300+ yuan on all entertainment at Shapotou main scenic area? Very low cost performance! - ❌ Enter the desert only in the afternoon? The sun is so harsh you’ll regret it, go early and return late! - ❌ Stay in city hotels? Far from attractions, 2-hour commute will kill your mood - ❌ Don’t apply sunscreen? Your face will darken three shades by the end of the day, regret guaranteed! Ladies!! If you’re tired of the concrete jungle, Want a place to clear your mind, listen to the wind, and watch the Milky Way— This time, trust me— **Ningxia isn’t a distant northwest, it’s the “just go” answer in your heart.** Who do you most want to watch the desert sunrise with? The one who stayed up late with you? Or a brother you haven’t seen in a long time? 📌 Remember: The world is big, but there’s always a desert willing to light up the whole Milky Way for you. **And Ningxia’s romance is hidden between the yellow sand and starlight.** 🌌🐫