Things to Do in the Gobi Desert
1. Ride Two-humped Bactrian Camels
Have you ever ridden two-humped camels? If not, you should do this during your Gobi desert tour in Mongolia. The two-humped camels walk gently so that you will feel comfortable between their two humps rather than riding the one-humped camels. And your picture on the camelback by the sand dunes might remind you of the experience.
2. Climb Khongor Sand Dunes
Khongor sand dunes are one of the tallest sand dunes in Mongolia. It continues 100 km, towers 300 m above the Gobi steppes, and with a width of 1-7 km. The sand dunes are one of the most beautiful where photographers like to shoot amazing pictures. Climbing the sand dunes is an experience itself. You will have the most stunning views of the Gobi desert from its top. Climbing the higher dunes allow you to have stunning views, but seems a challenge for many people. Our advice is not to ascend in a hurry to be at the top of the dunes. Make it easy and gentle. Once you are on the top of the dunes, slide the sand northwards against the wind. You will hear a sound like an aircraft - the sand singing. You can listen to the sand singing when the sand is dry.
3. Stay in traditional dwelling ger
A ger is the traditional dwelling of the nomads and the main accommodation of the ger camps. Your Mongolian travel will not be complete without a stay in the ger. You can stay in any ger - ger of nomads, a ger of ger camps, or a ger of a guest house/ger. You will feel more comfortable while staying in the ger camps' ger while the ger of nomads will let you have more experience.
4. Visit the Gobi desert nomads
The Gobi desert nomads visit can be one of the best experiences you will have in Mongolia. It’s amazing to be invited into a ger and witness the age-old customs of these nomadic people. The Gobi desert Nomads are the best nomads among the nomads of the other parts in Mongolia. You know the Gobi desert has a shortage of pastureland, water, and wood. The Gobi desert receives the least precipitation within Mongolia. Therefore, the Gobi nomads move often than the nomads in the other regions. Due to the demand to migrate regularly, the Gobi desert nomads prefer smaller gers and less furnishing. You should make at least one time visit to a Gobi desert nomad family to see their distinctive life.
5. Explore dinosaur fossils
The Gobi desert is the second important paleontology site in the world. It was first discovered that the dinosaurs laid eggs after the complete nest found in the Flaming Cliffs, which is one of the main attractions in the Gobi desert. Almost all tours include the former dinosaur excavation area Flaming Cliffs. It is a beautiful area, but dinosaur fossils are found randomly due to the tourist crowd. Where else can you explore the dinosaur fossils in nature now? You can do this while traveling along our Gobi Desert Highlights and Central Mongolian Scenery Tour.
6. See the Gobi desert sunset and sunrise
A general picture of the Gobi desert is endless steppes edge with the horizon. Seeing the Gobi desert sunrise and sunset over the steppes will be one of the beautiful sceneries you will see in the Gobi. The daylight heat, refreshing evening, and morning air of the cloudless sky make the sunlight even more picturesque with sharper color.
7. Stargazing
The Gobi desert sky is the brightest with countless stars and cloudless blue daytime. The Gobi desert is the best area for stargazing.
8. Hiking in the Gobi Gurban Saikhan
Gurban Saikhan is a beautiful green mountain in the Gobi desert that has many picturesque valleys. One of them is Yoliin Am or Eagle Valley, where the Golden Eagles/Lammergeyers nestle in the rocks. Hiking through the green and cooling air canyon of the Gobi desert will be a refreshing experience. Of course, you will see the Golden Eagles hovering over here and there.
9. Enjoy 360°views
The main picture of the Gobi is flat steppes edge with the horizon. Wherever you go, you will enjoy 360°views. And the Gobi desert rural accommodations located in the most stunning view areas.
10. Thousand Camel Festival
The Thousand Camel Festival in the Gobi desert of Mongolia and is a celebration of the endangered Bactrian camels. The camels have been playing in an important role for the Gobi desert nomads' life. The nomads use the camels for transportation, make dairy products, eat meat, use hides, and as well as beautiful warm and soft clothes, blankets, etc. are made of the camel wool. During the festival, you will see many camel related customs and activities such as camel competition, camel polo, camel race, best ornament camels, beautifully dressed camel herder competition, how nomads transport ger on the camelback and things made of the camel wool. If you wish, you can ride the camels. Seeing hundreds of camels at once is something special. The camels are marvelous in their winter coat. The Camel Festival takes place on 6 and 7 March, annually.
