Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Ulaanbaatar, a capital of Mongolia

Our guide and driver will greet you at the airport/railway station. Depends on the time of your arrival, you will be taken on a city sightseeing tour. First, we will visit Gandantegchilen Monastery. The monastery is a favored place for locals as well as foreigners due to its interesting religious artifacts and peacefulness. A 26 m gilded statue of a Buddha (in Megjid Janrasag temple) is another thing of interest. Next, visit the National Museum of Mongolia followed by a visit to Central Square and drive to Zaisan Memorial to see the panoramic view of Ulaanbaatar. In the evening, attend a traditional cultural performance which is one of the most exciting and must-see things in Ulaanbaatar. Have a welcome dinner in a traditional Mongolian restaurant.

Accommodation: 3* hotel
Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Day 2: Start the journey to Ikh Gazariin Chuluu

Ikh Gazariin Chuluu is one of the least traveled areas and collection of granite stone mountains located in the middle of nowhere on the Gobi steppes. Today we will drive on open steppes, hike through the granite stone mountains, and enjoy the calmness of the Gobi desert.

Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Tsagaan Suvarga mud cliffs

Tsagaan Suvarga is an area of 20 to 60 m high, 400 m long colorful clay cliffs. Tsagaan Suvarga means "White Stupa," which could be seen at the bottom of the sea long ago. The mud has been eroded by rain and the wind for years and shaped them into the unusual formation. It suddenly appears on the steppe and looks like a fortress or ruin of an ancient city from far. People occasionally find petrified dinosaur eggs and skeletons. Hike through Tsagaan Suvarga for your best photoshoot and explore a nearby cave.

Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Visit Eagle Valley (Yoliin Am) in Gobi Gurban Saikhan National Park

The Gobi Gurban Saikhan means "Three beautiful mountains in the Gobi." The national park is one of the biggest and unique national parks in Mongolia. Also, the end of the Altai mountain range. There are many scenic places in the national park. Among them, Yoliin Am/Eagle Valley is the accessible one by a car. After our car parks at an allowed area, we will walk through the beautiful valley into depths of the sheer rock canyon. The bottom of the canyon does not accept sunlight. Therefore, it has ice until mid-June. People are always amazed when they see such a lush green valley in the Gobi desert. Golden eagles, very shy wild sheep and ibexes are indigenous to the valley. The hiking takes 2.5 hours in the two ways.

Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Largest Sand Dunes Khongor

You will see combinations of massive sand dunes, open steppes, and rugged mountains while driving to the Khongor dune. Khongor is the largest dune in Mongolia with a length of 100 km and a width of 7 km. They rise 50-300 m above the surrounding area. Bank of the Khongor River flows on the northern side of the sand dunes is summer camp of many nomad families and their animals. We arrive at a ger camp near the sand dunes by lunchtime. After lunch, we visit a nomad family and ride camels through sand dunes. Next, climb the sand dunes. 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 why 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 6: Journey continues to remotest Gobi area and explores rock drawings at Bichigt Valley

Our journey continues to more distant and less traveled areas of the Gobi desert driving along the Khongor sand dunes. On the way, see beautiful Gobi oasis called “Bazar Buurchiin Tugul” and explore the rock drawing gallery of the different historical period (3000 BC the Bronze Age through the 8th century) in Bichigt Valley. The Bichigt Valley rock drawings are the best in Central Asia due to their quantity, subject, style of engraving and craftsmanship. We will arrive at a ger camp on the foothills of Ikh Bogd Mountain. Explore the surrounding picturesque area while hiking.

Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7: Explore Tsagaan Cave and Bayankhongor Province

Continue the journey on arid and empty Gobi desert area heading provincial center town Bayankhongor of Bayankhongor province. On the way, we explore ancient human settlement Tsagaan Cave/White Cave in a limestone mountain, where archeologists found some evidence of ancient people lived 800,000 to 700,000 years ago. We drive out of the town and have an overnight in a ger camp.

Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8: Snowcapped Otgontenger Mountain

Today, we will enter a mountainous area and reach one of our travel highlights Otgontenger Mountain. The snowcapped Otgontenger Mountain (4031m) is the highest mountain in the Khangai Mountain Range in the western part of central Mongolia. The region is incredibly beautiful and pristine; it has a lot to capture the visitors’ eyes.

Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9: Short drive to the mountain, hiking to Badar Hundaga Lake and the snow edge

Badar Hundaga is a beautiful small lake lies just below the permanent snow cover of the Otgontenger Mountain. The mountain has been worshiped since 1779 and protected since 1992. Short driving and hiking to Badar Khundaga Lake. If you are an active traveler, you can hike to the permanent snow edge of the mountain, but do not walk on snow. You also see a huge deity of Ochirvaani Buddha in nature and worshipped presidential ovoo “pile of stones, a ritual area with some shrines.”

Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10: Khorgo Terkhiin Tsagaan National Park

Tour to forested Arkhangai province driving along the Buyant River and passing the highest mountain pass of our route. On the mountain pass, you can have some nice photo shootings of surrounding areas and see snowcapped peak of the Otgontenger Mountain from a distance. We also visit authentic nomad families of less-traveled rural areas on the way. Arrive at Khorgo Terkhiin Tsagaan national park late afternoon. Visit a nomad family, experience nomadic life and stay with the nomads.

Accommodation: Nomad Family
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11: Day tour in Khorgo Terkhiin Tsagaan National Park and horse riding

The Khorgo volcano became extinct 6000-8000 years ago. It is considered last of Mongolian over 300 volcanoes became extinct. The Khorgo is not only the volcano in the vicinity, there are several more, but it is the biggest one. The Terkhiin Tsagaan, a freshwater lake was formed after lava flow from the volcanoes blocked the North and South Terkh Rivers. Thick basalt covers the area surrounding the volcanoes. After breakfast, we will drive to Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake and climb Khorgo volcano. Spend rest of the day riding horses. Continue discovery of the nomadic life and have an overnight with the nomads.

Accommodation: Nomad Family
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12: Drive to Kharkhorin, visit local market and explore deer stones

On our way to Kharkhorin stop by the freshwater Chuluut River flows between 30-50 m lava canyons. Next, we will visit an interesting local market and explore some deer stones date back to The Bronze Age. The tour continues to Kharkhorin a modern town. Kharkhorin, formerly known as Kharakhorum, was once the 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 13: Visit Erdenezuu monastery, drive to Ulaanbaatar

In the morning, we visit Erdenezuu monastery museum and see monks’ chanting. The journey continues back Ulaanbaatar. On our way, we will visit a nomad family and have some horse and camel riding. Arrive in Ulaanbaatar late afternoon. Check in a hotel and be refreshed from the long adventures. Free time until dinner or shopping time.

Accommodation: 3* hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 14: Transfer to the airport/railway station.

We will transfer you to the airport/railway station.

Meals: Breakfast

Tour Price

Background

This is a moderate tour to explore the most interesting attractions and scenic places of the Gobi desert, western Mongolia, and central Mongolia within 14 days. First, we will travel along the main tourist route to the Gobi desert and turn our wheel to the more remote western part of the Gobi desert and snowcapped Otgontenger Mountain. To discover the attractions of different natural zones of vast-open Mongolia, we will have slightly longer driving on a few days. The average driving distance is 200 km and the longest driving is 280 km. Depending on the condition and distance of the road, we will drive 4 to 6 hours of driving per day. The longest driving day will be only two days and drive approximately 6.5-7 hours a day. We will stay in fine tourist-class hotels in Ulaanbaatar and ger camps in the countryside. The ger camp near the snowcapped mountain is not western friendly and local due to its remote location. Some ger camps have limited electricity. The nomad family stay could be one of the tour highlights from the cultural side, but cannot provide much comfort the same as the ger camps. Western WC, running water, standard table, chairs, and electricity available at the ger camps. The tour has not included any demanding physical activities, but some soft hiking of 2-4 hours and an extinct volcano climb. The altitude level differentiates in different parts. The altitude in the Gobi desert is between 1350 m and 1550 m above the sea level and it reaches over 2000 m in mountainous areas of the west. The camel and horse riding will be supported by your guide and local wranglers. You may not familiar with the riding, even though you wish to have this experience, the local wranglers will lead your camel and horse.

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

Due to the weather condition, the tourism season in Mongolia is short. Mongolian tourism depends on the season and seasonal accommodation ger camps are open between 20 May and 30 August in the areas where our tour takes place. During other shoulder months, the ger camps are partially open and close in winter. About our Visit Less Traveled Wildernesses of Mongolia Tour, we include 2 hotel nights in Ulaanbaatar, 10 nights’ ger camp stays and 2 nights’ nomad family stays. For more detailed information about the main accommodation ger camp, please visit Mongolia Ger camps, Mongolia nomad family stay 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, 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.

Most of our tours were designed with four wheels driving Japanese vans driven by experienced, friendly and good mechanic-drivers. You may check the travel vehicle details at Mongolia transportation

The most suitable time to travel along this itinerary is between 20 May and 30 August. During this period, the weather will be warm and enjoyable. However, you should not expect warm weather during the trip either you travel in summer because the vast Mongolian territory differentiates a lot in altitude and earth surface. Overall, Mongolia is elevated at least 700 m high above the surrounding Siberian plateau and Chinese territory. Therefore, the weather is extreme and fluctuates a lot hourly, daytimes, and at night. Receiving snowfalls is common in May, at the beginning of June and end of August in the high elevated mountainous areas. Average monthly temperatures are +25°C, highest +32°C daytime in May, the first half of June, and last half of August in the Gobi desert. On average, +22°C, highest +30°C daytime in the mountainous areas. Summer temperature (middle and last half of June, July and beginning, and mid of August) will be 5 to 10°C higher than above. The temperature drops by 10-20°C in the evening and at night. The temperature drops below 0 in early summer and late autumn some days of some year. The tour is available either in May and September accommodating local hotels and nomad families instead of the ger camps. For your pre-departure preparation and an idea to prepare for this inflexible weather condition, you may check our 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 Central Mongolia, Gobi desert attractions and Northern Mongolia.

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