Discover the Gobi Desert Tour

Day 1: Tour to Baga Gazariin Chuluu

Meet with your guide and driver. Start the tour to Baga Gazariin Chuluu, a zone of granite stone mountains; the highest peak is 1700 m above sea level. It has been keeping some historical remains such as ruin of a monastery, ancient tombs, etc. Challenge your imagination seeing unique features of the granite formations in Baga Gazariin Chuluu, discover ruin of the old monastery and captured by the emptiness of the Gobi.

Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Day 2: Tsagaan Suvarga colorful mud cliffs

Tsagaan Suvarga means “White Stupa.” It is one of the most famous highlights in the Gobi. Tsagaan Suvarga is a strange natural formation of colorful, massive mud cliffs that look like stupas, mound-like structures containing relics. Hiking through the cliffs offers the chance to take amazing photographs.

Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Drive to Gobi Gurban Saikhan Mountain National Park, visit Eagle Valley

The Gobi Gurban Saikhan means “Three beautiful mountains in the Gobi.” The Gobi Gurban Saikhan Mountain is a beautiful national park itself rich in wildlife and scenic places. Among them, Yoliin Am/Eagle Valley is the one accessible by car. After our vehicle brings us to a designated parking area, we will walk through the resplendent valley into the depths of a sheer rock canyon, which accepts no sunlight. Therefore, it has ice until the end of June. The hiking continues 2.5 to 3 hours for travel into the valley and back to the vehicle. Golden eagles, elusive wild sheep and ibexes are indigenous to the valley.

Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Khongor Sand Dunes, camel riding

Our journey will continue to Khongor, the largest sand dunes. After reaching the sand dunes, we’ll go hiking along the green river shore, climb sand dunes, visit a nomad family and have an hour of camel riding. If you can climb one of the tallest sand dunes, don’t forget to spread the sand northwards against the wind to find the reason hy locals call the sand dunes “Singing Sand.” The views are fantastic from the top of the sand dunes.

Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Flaming Cliffs

Our adventure will continue to the Flaming Cliffs, where American explorer Roy Chapman Andrews found the remains of dinosaurs including the first dinosaur eggs ever discovered in the world. We will enjoy exploring the cliffs in search of dinosaur fossils we may find and visit the Gobi tree grove named “Bayanzag.” Which means “rich in saxaul trees.” This tree only grows in the Central Asian Gobi.

Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6: Drive to Ongi Monastery on the open steppes

     Drive first through slate mountains and next on 80 km Ongi steppes leading to Ongi Monastery, one of the biggest seven monasteries in Mongolia. There were two separate monasteries consisting of more than 30 temples on the shores of the Ongi River surrounded by the Gobi mountains; however, the temples were destroyed during the socialist purge of the 1930s. Now the ruins of the monasteries cover a huge area. Visit a new active temple, a ger museum, explore the monastery ruins and climb a nearby mountain to have panoramic views of the surrounding areas.

Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7: Kharkhorin, ancient Monastery Erdenezuu

This day’s tour takes place in the transition zone from the Gobi desert to the mountain steppes. Kharkhorin, formerly known as Kharakhorum, was once a capital of Chinggis Khaan’s Great Mongol Empire in the 13th century. After the move of the Mongolian capital to Beijing, and the fall of the Empire, Karakorum was abandoned and then destroyed by Manchurian soldiers in 1388. Today, in the vast valley of the Orkhon River, the awe-inspiring ancient monastery Erdenezuu coexists with Kharkhorin town. See some valuable religious artifacts in the monastery museum, view its stunning architecture and the Kharakhorum Museum display remnants of the ancient city.

Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8: Visit nomads, horse riding and return to Ulaanbaatar

Today is the last day to spend in the beautiful countryside of Mongolia. On our way to Ulaanbaatar, we will visit a horse herding nomad family and have some horse riding. We also join the nomads for lunch. Arrive in Ulaanbaatar and check in a hotel.

Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 9: Transfer to the airport/railway station

We will transfer you to the airport/railway station.

Meals: Breakfast

TOUR PRICE PER PERSON

• 2 PAX  1650$

• 3 PAX  1340$

• 4 PAX 1270$

• Group Tour  1215$

(Single supplement 220$)

DISCOUNTS:

• For children of a family trip
• One free space for every 16 pax
• Rebooking discount
• Low season discount:  5-10%   (May, September)

• Please contact us for more trip details.

The tour includes:

• 1 nights in *** hotel
• 7 nights in ger camps
• Four wheels driving vehicle transfer
• Drop off service
• English speaking guide
• Daily bottled water
• Horse & camel riding
• Entry fees to national parks and museums
• Meals as indicated in the itinerary.

The tour excludes:

• Items of personal use
• International travel
• Alcoholic drinks & beverages
• Bar bills, laundry, telephone calls
• Travel & medical insurance
• Visa fee
• Single supplements
• Optional activities & additional services
• Gratuity for guides & drivers/optional

Background

Is this Mongolian Gobi tour suitable for me?

   This is a regular tour includes overnight stays in ger camps in the countryside and a hotel in Ulaanbaatar. The tour does not include any demanding physical activities. Traveling in Mongolia always requires long driving through changing landscapes and steppes with scenic views. Even though, we tried to plan the trip to have as little driving as possible. Approximate day driving will be 3-6.5 hours (6.5 hours long driving day will be only one day). The itinerary includes some light activities such as 1-3 hours soft hiking, horse and camel riding with the help of local wranglers. The most challenging experience of the tour is climbing the high sand dunes in the Gobi, which is not mandatory and you can enjoy the sand dunes and yourself while climbing one of the foothills of the sand dunes.

Meals

Tour meals are included according to the itinerary. In the countryside, ger camps serve occasional European but mainly Mongolian meals. Meat is the main ingredient for meals and is served for lunch and dinner along with vegetables, salads, and soups. There will be more meat in traditional Mongolian meals. A typical breakfast is tea or coffee, bread, jam, butter, eggs and sausage. There are some cookies, cheese, cereals, pancakes and more at some of the ger camps for breakfast. For lunch, meals include salads, Mongolian soups and a main course (pasta, rice, vegetables, beef/mutton/chicken/fish near lakes/rivers), and dessert and tea. Salads, a main course, a dessert, and tea will be served for dinner. With nomads, you will try authentic Mongolian meals. Different types of meals offered simultaneously are not customary in Mongolian tradition. If you are a vegetarian or have other dietary restrictions, please inform us in advance, and we will make arrangements accordingly. We will supply two 0.5L bottles of water a day. Supplying one larger bottle (1.5 liters) of water instead of 2 small bottles of water is available upon request. More informarion on Mongolia meals

Accommodation

Mongolian tourism depends highly on the season, and seasonal accommodation ger camps are fully open between 15 May and 20 September. During other months, the ger camps are partially open and closed in winter. For more detailed information about accommodations, please visit our recommended hotels in Mongolia and Mongolia Ger camps

Guides

The majority of our company’s guides are English speaking. We also have guides who speak German, French, Spanish and Japanese. They are all friendly, helpful and most of them were born and raised in the Mongolian countryside. Therefore, they have good knowledge about every aspect of Mongolia and have at least three years or more years of guiding experience. During the camel riding, a local guide will support you.

Transportation

Regarding land transport, most of our tours were designed for four-wheel drive Japanese off-road vehicles driven by experienced, friendly and knowledgeable mechanic-drivers. You may check the travel vehicle details at Mongolia transportation.

When is the best time to travel to Mongolian Gobi?

The most suitable time to travel the Gobi is between 10 May and 5 October. During this period, the weather will be warm and enjoyable. The Gobi or southern Mongolia is the most temperate region in Mongolia. The annual temperature is usually 2-10 degrees higher than other parts of Mongolia. However, you should not expect warm weather during the trip or in some periods as Mongolia is elevated at least 700 m high above surrounding Siberian plateau and Chinese territory. Therefore, the weather fluctuates a lot; hourly, daytime and at nights. The temperature drops 10-20 degrees in the evening and at nights. There will be occasional chill wind in May, September, and October while wind storm is frequent in March, April and the first half of May. Average monthly temperatures are +20 degrees, highest 30 degrees daytime and the night temperature may drop to +8 degrees at the end of May, June, late August and in September. July could be the hottest or be the wettest. Average day temperature is +28 degrees, the hottest +40 degrees and night temperature could drop to +12 degrees although some nights could be sultriness, particularly in July. The temperature could dramatically fall if it rains. For your pre-departure preparation, you may check discovery tour detailed packing list of the discovery tours.

To plan your dream holiday or customize the tour exclusively for you, what to do and see in Mongolia page may help you.

As well as, please check attractions in the Mongolian Gobi, Central Mongolia, and Northern Mongolia.

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