The grassland immediately around Erlian is drier and more open than the famous meadows further east near Hailar and Hulunbuir, but it has a starkness that its own appeal. This is the Mongolian steppe at its most uncompromising — short grass, enormous sky, and a horizon that extends without interruption to where China ends and Mongolia begins. The lack of tourism infrastructure compared to the Xilamuren grasslands near Hohhot means you are unlikely to encounter tour groups here.
Short grassland tours can be arranged through guesthouses in Erlian for very reasonable prices. Typically these involve a half-day ride to a yurt camp some distance from town, where horse riding and a simple meal are included. The camps here are smaller and less polished than those near Hohhot, and the experience is correspondingly more genuine. Sunset is the best time to head out — the light on the short steppe grass turns gold in the late afternoon, and on a clear evening you can watch the day end over Mongolia from Chinese territory.