Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Ulaanbaatar, transfer to a hotel and city tour

Your guide and driver will meet you at the airport and transfer to the Shangri-La/Kempinski Hotel. If time permits, you will have a city sightseeing tour. First, you’ll visit Gandantegchilen Monastery, a monastery favored by locals and foreigners due to its interesting religious artifacts and tranquility. A 26m gilded statue of a Buddha (in Megjid Janrasag sum) is another feature of interest. Next, you visit the National Museum of Mongolia, followed by a visit to Sukhbaatar Square. In the evening, attend a traditional cultural performance, which is one of the most attractive things in Ulaanbaatar with its play of the horse-headed fiddle, throat singing, contortion, and colorful dance.

Accommodation: 5* hotel
Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Day 2: Khongor sand dunes, visit nomads, camel riding

Meet at the hotel lobby and transfer to the airport for the Gobi desert flight. The flight to the Gobi takes 1.5 hours. Enjoy the beauty of the vast open and empty Gobi desert while driving to Khongor Sand Dunes. Khongor is the tallest sand dunes in Mongolia, reaching a height of 300 m above the surrounding area at its highest, 5-35 km wide, and 100 km long. The dunes are also called “Singing Dunes” because of their sound caused by the wind. Visit a camel herding nomad family, learn about their unique life, see and experience what they do daily, and have some camel riding. Next, we will drive short an area where you can find a path to climb the dunes. The highest tops of the dunes can be climbed, and the views of the desert from the dune top are indescribably beautiful. If you can climb one of the tallest sand dunes, don't forget to spread the sand northwards against the wind to find out why locals call the sand dunes "Singing Sand.” Sand singing is available when the sand is dry.

Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Three Camel Luxury Lodge and Flaming Cliffs

After breakfast, we will drive through West Saikhan Mountain and over the steppes. Arrive at Three Camel Lodge by lunchtime. After lunch, we will drive to Flaming Cliffs and Bayanzag. Flaming Cliffs (former dinosaur excavation site) is an area of red cliffs formed through the erosion of sand and rock over many thousands of years. American explorer Roy Chapman Andrews found a cemetery of dinosaurs in 1922 and named the place after its appearance. This place is renowned for the discovery of the first dinosaur eggs in the world. See Flaming Cliffs and hike through the cliffs if you want. In addition, there is a grove of saxual trees located 5 km from the cliffs. The Saxual tree grows only in Central Asian semi-desert. The tree is always green in dry summers as it has long roots. Return to Three Camel Lodge, relax, and enjoy the beauty of the Gobi desert from an open terrace.

Accommodation: Three Camel Lodge/Dream Gobi Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Hiking in Eagle Valley and explore rock drawings

Eagle Valley is one of the most beautiful valleys in the Gobi Gurvan Saihan Mountain/National Park. People are always amazed when they see this beautiful green valley in the Gobi Desert. If you are there at the right time, you will have a chance to see wild animals such as ibex, mountain sheep, and deer. In the morning, when the upper parts of the canyon accept sunlight, as well as when the sun goes down in the evening, bearded eagles can be seen flying from their nests. The valley was named after these birds. 2-2.5 hours of soft hiking through the beautiful valley, heading to the rocky canyon in the depths of the valley. You can hire a camel or a horse instead of hiking. If you are an active traveler, hiking through the Eagle Valley from the south to the north of Zuun Saikhan Mountain is available. Today, we also explore petroglyphs dating back to the Bronze Age.

Accommodation: Three Camel Lodge/Dream Gobi Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Fly back to Ulaanbaatar and free day

Fly back Ulaanbaatar and transfer to the hotel. Free day.

Accommodation: 5* hotel
Meals: Breakfast

Day 6: Departure

Our driver will transfer you to the airport.

Meals: Breakfast

Tour Price

Background

This is a VIP and easy-access tour to discover highlights of the beautiful Gobi desert within 3 days after a one-and-a-half-hour domestic flight. You will stay in the nomadic dwelling Gers of the Ger camps in the countryside. The tour has not included any demanding physical activities. You will have only 3.5-4.5 hours of daily driving on steppes and through scenic views between the attractions. The rest of the day, you will have some light activities such as 1-3 hours of soft hiking, short camel riding, visiting a nomad family, seeing the attractions, exploring rock drawings and surrounding areas, etc. The most challenging experience of the tour could be climbing Khongor sand dunes. If you wish, you can enjoy the sand dunes and yourself while climbing one of the low sandhills instead of climbing the higher dunes.

Tour meals are included according to the itinerary. In the countryside, ger camps serve both European and 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 information on Mongolia meals

You will stay at the Kempinski Hotel or Shangri-La Hotel in Ulaanbaatar. You will have 3 overnights in the Gobi desert; one day in an ensuite wood house at Gobi-Erdene ger camp. On the More information about the main accommodation ger camp and Mongolia hotels.

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 and helpful. 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 or more years of guiding experience. During the camel riding, a local guide will support you.

The tour includes a return domestic flight to the Gobi desert. The domestic flights fly every day between 1 June and 31 August. However, runs on certain days in May, September, and the beginning of October. About land transport, Toyota Land Cruiser jeeps serve you in the countryside. The vehicle type differs in the city depending on the number of participants in the tour. You may check the travel vehicle details at Mongolia transportation

Generally speaking, 15 May and 30 September is the most suitable time to travel to the Gobi Desert. During this period, the weather will be warm and enjoyable. The beginning of October is another no-crowd good time, but the weather is crisp in the morning and evening. The Gobi Desert is the warmest region in Mongolia. The annual temperature is usually 5°C to 10°C higher than in the other parts of Mongolia. The temperature drops by 10°C to 20°C in the evening and at night. A chill wind is occasional in May, September, and October. Average monthly temperatures are +20°C, highest +30°C daytime at the end of May, June, late August, and September. The night temperature may drop to +8°C. July is the hottest month. The average day temperature of July is +28°C, the hottest is +38°C, and the night temperature could drop to +12°C. Although, some nights could be sultriness. The temperature dramatically falls if it rains. For your pre-departure preparation, you may check the discovery tours packing list.

As well as, check the Gobi deser facts at Gobi Desert Facts, Gobi Desert attractions and Central Mongolia

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

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