Khongoryn Els Mongolia

LOCATION: 180 km from the provincial center Dalanzadgad in Umnugobi province

100 km long, up to 7 km wide Khongor sand dunes or the Khongoryn Els, also known as the SINGING DUNES is one of the top attractions in the Gobi desert. The dunes tower about 300 m above the Gobi desert plain. The locals call the highest dune as a Singing Dune because of the high-pitched airplane engine like sound created by the wind blow over the dune. Climbing the highest dune is a challenge. Therefore, most visitors choose to climb bit lower peaks where people can hear the Sand Singing when spreading the sand northwards against the wind.
Khongor sand dune covers 965 km2 of area and is a part of the Gobi Gurban Saikhan National Park.

The northern edge of the dune borders with green meadows of a small river Khongoryn Gol, fed by underground sources from the surrounding mountain while majestic Noyon and Sevrei Mountains towers in the south of the sand dune.
The Khongor sand dune stretches east to west – the eastern edge of the dunes parallel with Bayan Bor Nuruu /mountain in west Saikhan Mountain while the western edge meets another 80 km long sand dunes.
A tour to the Gobi desert is incomplete without a visit to Khongoryn Els.
Visitors who climb one of the higher dunes will be rewarded with awe-inspiring views of the surrounding area or see spectacular Gobi desert sunrise and sunset. The ascent takes an hour and three hours in a return way.

A piece of advice for the Khongor sand dunes climbers

-Carry some water
-Make sure your camera, phone, and devices are protected from the sand. Climbing barefooted is easier, but be careful from the sticky plant on the lower dunes
-Climb the sand early in the morning and late in the evening
-Make sure you stay in an accommodation where you can have a shower to clean the sand

Additionally, there is an annual mini Naadam held by Khongor sand dunes on 15 August.