1. The upper reaches (Qinghai, Gansu)
You'd have to be pretty dedicated to head to the upper reaches of the Yellow River, which flow through remote territory in mountainous Qinghai Province, but it's worth the effort. By the time it passes through Lanzhou, a major city in Gansu province, the river has already assumed the yellow colour from which it takes its name - and this is before reaching the Loess Plateau, where it picks up most of its silt.
2. Shapotou (Ningxia)
As the river enters tiny Ningxia Province, it skirts alongside the Tengger Desert. Firing past sand dunes, the mighty river is quite a sight to behold at this point, particularly at the miniature resort of Shapotou, where you'll be able to go sand-skiing, or fly over the river on a zip line.
3. Bautou (Inner Mongolia)
Inner Mongolia is next on the river's lengthy course, and you'll be able to stroll its banks just south of Baotou, a scruffy city famed for its gigantic metal furnaces - and the resultant green (and sometimes purple) sunsets. It's also home to Wudangzhao, one of China's most important Lamaist monasteries.