The Great Gobi Tour
About this tour
This is the most common Gobi tour route in Mongolia. It takes you to all the main highlights of the famous Gobi desert such as Khongor sand dunes, Yol valley, and Bayanzag cliffs. Activities such as horse riding, camel riding, and hiking are included. Everyday you will be experiencing various and immense scenarios of the Gobi desert.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to Baga Gazariin Chuluu, Mongolia
The tour starts from pick-up service in Ulaanbaatar in the morning. The team then heads to south to Baga Gazriin Chuluu, the first destination of the tour. Lunch is scheduled to be around 12-2pm in a local town. Baga Gazriin Chuluu is a series of granite rock formation, located in Delgertsogt soum, Dund-Gobi province. The intriguing rock formation makes it one of the most attractive spots in the Gobi. The main attractions there include Bolor cave, ruins of ancient temple, eye treating spring etc. It is also home to various wild animals including Argali (wild sheep) and Siberian Ibex (wild goat), and gazelles. The team has plenty of time to experience the natural beauty of this place through walking and hiking. The team will then travel to their accommodation for the night. Dinner is served around 7-8 pm. Overnight stay in a guest ger nearby the granite rocks. Total distance 260 km.
Day 2: Baga Gazariin Chuluu, Mongolia to Tsagaan Suvarga (White Stupa), Mongolia
The team moves more down to south where our destination for today is- Tsagaan Suvarga or White Stupa. Lunch is scheduled to be around 12-2pm in a local town. The team is expected to reach today's destination in the late afternoon. Tsagaan Suvarga is a massive scarp that once was a seabed featuring sedimentary structures. The different minerals on its surface make this place a very colorful site. It is also believed that the timeline of Tsagaan Suvarga’s history can be identified through its colored layers in the cliffs. Activity at this place is walking or exploring the cliffs, taking beautiful photos, as this is one of the most photogenic sceneries in Mongolia. The team will then travel to their accommodation for the night. Dinner is served around 7-8 pm. We believe that the beautiful sunset, stars and milky way vision at night in this area will refresh your soul. Total distance 250 km.
Day 3: Tsagaan Suvarga (White Stupa), Mongolia to Yolin Am Ice Field, Mongolia
The team will be heading further south to Dalanzadgad, the provincial center of Umnu-Gobi province, after breakfast at Tsagaan Suvarga. You will be riding through endless steppe and passing by herds of camels, goats and horses. The team has lunch in Dalanzadgad town and reach the destination for Day 3- Yol valley. Yol is a splendid gorge found in the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park (since 1965). The national park is a home for many wild animals such as the Siberian ibexes, Argali, snow leopards, lynxes, foxes, wolves, and especially the Lammergeiers. The gorge is named after by an old vulture called Yol (in Mongolian) or Lammergieier (in English). Yol is the highest flying (4000m), and yet one of the biggest birds in Mongolia with a wingspan of 2-2,5 m. At an elevation of 2200 meters above sea level, Yol features sheer cliffs rich in juniper as well as a pure stream that freezes in winter and forms a huge ice field like a glacier. The formation of ice starts around December and would stay as ice the whole year around. Unfortunately, the ice usually disappears by the end of July nowadays, due to the global warming. It is an ideal place for horse riding, trekking, and bird watching. Activity for the team at this place is walking in this beautiful valley, breathing fresh air, the smell of grass and stream. Horse-riding is also available on request. The team then heads to accommodation for the night. Dinner will be served around 7-8 pm. Free time and rest. Overnight stay in a guest ger. Total distance- 200 km
Day 4: Yolin Am Ice Field, Mongolia to Hongorïn Els, Mongolia
The team takes off to Khongor sand dunes after breakfast in the morning. Approximately after 4-5 hours of off-road driving, we will reach the destination. The sand dunes of Khongor are located in Sevrei, Umnu-Gobi province. The 185km long sand dunes extend on the north side of Sevrei and Zoolon mountains. Known as Duut or the Singing dunes, the highest peak of the dunes reach up to 240m. The team rides camels for an hour, and hikes to the top peak of the sand dunes for sunset view in the evening. The view around sunset time at the top of Khongor sand dunes and the camel ride by the dunes will indeed be the most memorable activities of this trip. Meals will be served at the scheduled timeframe. Overnight stay in a guest ger. Total distance 180 km.
Day 5: Hongorïn Els, Mongolia to Ongi Monastery, Mongolia
Today will be a long and adventurous day for the team. We will be covering over 300km and discovering two attractions in one day. Firstly, we visit Bayanzag or Flaming cliffs, 130km away from the Khongor sand dunes. Bayanzag is a formation of red sandstone cliffs located in Bulgan sum, Umnu-Gobi province. The name, Bayanzag, is derived from the saxaul tree in the Gobi desert, whose wood is coarse and bark is spongy. An American paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews led an expedition in the South of Mongolia, and discovered the first ever dinosaur eggs in the world along with hundreds of dinosaur skeletons at Bayanzag in 1922. The expedition stopped due to harsh sandstorm in the south. When the sun shines right at the red sandstone cliffs, it looks almost as if the cliffs were on fire; hence Bayanzag is sometimes called the flaming cliffs as well. The team is given an hour to explore the beautiful site. We will then travel for another 140km to the ruins of Ongi temple. After exploring the ruins of Ongi temple, th e team will be heading to their accommodation by the bank of Ongi river.
Day 6: Ongi Monastery, Mongolia to Elsen Tasarkhai (Sand Dune Mini Gobi), Högönö-Taranaiin-Hüree, Mongolia
The team gets out of the Gobi region a enters to Central Mongolia zone before the end of the tour. Following breakfast in the morning, we start the day by driving to Erdene zuu monastery located in Kharkhorin town. You will be amazed with the change of sceneries from Gobi to mountainous areas. The team discovers the beautiful Erdene zuu monastery, one of the biggest and oldest monasteries in Mongolia. Lunch in Kharkhorin town. Our final attraction before getting to UB is the beautiful Khugnu-Tarni national park. We will get to a lovely nomad family residing by the Khugnu Khan Mountains. Activities by Khugnu Khan Mountains include horse-riding, hiking, and fun time with local family.
Day 7: Elsen Tasarkhai, Högönö-Taranaiin-Hüree, Mongolia to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Our 7 day adventure ride comes to an end today. We say goodbye to the local nomad family and drive back to Ulaanbaatar. Lunch is scheduled to be served in one of the local towns on the way to Ulaanbaatar. All members of the tour will be taken to their respective hotels and hostels. -End of the tour.
What's included
-Insurance -Alcoholic beverages -International or domestic flights
What to know
This tour can be customized. Please get in touch with me.
Route & locations
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to Baga Gazariin Chuluu, Mongolia