A sand mountain and a crescent of water that has no business surviving there. You buy a scenic ticket. Camels, shoes, and a toboggan are extras sold with enthusiasm. The walk up the dune is enough.
Take water and a cover for your camera. The wind is part of the place.
The spring is small. The dune is the scale. Shoes you can dump sand out of are the right shoes.
Getting there
South of town, a short taxi. The dune is the climb. It is steep sand, not a marked hiking trail, which is why this page is nature and not a trek.
Staying nearby
Town, unless you have booked one night in a camp and already hold the Mogao ticket for a different morning. Sand in the bed is the product and the drawback.