DURATION:
12 days
GROUP SIZE:
Any
This tour kicks off and wraps up in Ulaanbaatar, taking you on a well-paced adventure through Mongolia’s incredible landscapes and culture. We’ve kept the daily drives manageable so you can enjoy more time exploring and not just constantly bouncing around in the car. We’ve also planned stops at just the right times for the best light—perfect for your photos!
You’ll stay in a mix of cosy tourist camps, eco-camps, and even spend a night with a nomadic herder family to experience their unique way of life.
The route covers everything from the stunning desert landscapes to the lush central regions, with plenty of natural beauty and fascinating history along the way.
And, of course, we can tweak things to fit what you’d like!
Cost
USD $2650 per person
Day 1
Chingiss Khan Equestrian Statue, and 13th Century Village Complex
Your driver will pick you up from your accommodation at an arranged time, taking you from the bustling city of Ulaanbaatar, into the Mongolian countryside.
You'll travel about 55 kilometers east (around 1.5 hours) to visit the awe-inspiring Chinggis Khan Statue at Tsonjin Boldog—the largest equestrian statue in the world.
From there, continue to the 13th Century Complex, where you’ll step back in time to experience life as it was during the era of the great khans.
Return to Ulaanbaatar for dinner, then rest up: tomorrow, the adventure into the majestic Gobi begins!
Day 2
Baga Gazriin Chuluu
Your guide and driver will pick you up from your accommodation at an agreed time and whisk you away from the noise and the crowds of Ulaanbaatar, heading into the vast open landscapes of Mongolia.
After a drive of around 260 km (about 4 hours), you’ll arrive at Baga Gazriin Chuluu, a stunning area known for its unique rock formations. Here, you can explore monastery ruins, mysterious caves, and the fascinating ‘eyewash spring,’ the smallest permanent spring you’ll likely ever see.
Spend the night in a comfortable tourist ger (yurt) camp, surrounded by the beauty of this remarkable location.
Day 3
Tsagaan Suvarga (White Stupa)
After completing your explorations of Baga Gazriin Chuluu, drive around four hours to Tsagaan Suvarga, a magnificent limestone rock formation believed to be an ancient seabed - keep an eye out for fossils! Up to 60 metres tall and 400 metres long, Tsagaan Suvarga resembles an ancient city slowly being reclaimed by the desert, or an long-abandoned Buddhist shrine (hence its nickname ‘White Stupa’).
Stay again in a tourist ger camp for the night.
Day 4
Yoliin Am (Eagle Canyon)
Optional: arise pre-dawn and drive about ten minutes to stand on the cliff tops to photograph the sunrise over Tsagaan Suvarga. Return to the ger camp for breakfast.
Drive 5-6 hours through the provincial capital of Dalanzadgad, and then on to Yoliin Am, also known as Eagle Canyon or the Ice Canyon. This area is home to many Bearded Lammergeiers - large vultures famous for being the world's highest flying bird! Incredibly, the canyon is so deep that despite the blistering heat of the desert summer, ice remains often throughout the entire summer in the depths of the canyon.
Stay the night in a nomadic family’s eco-camp, enjoying a home-cooked traditional Mongolian dinner.
Day 5
Khongoriin Els (The Singing Sand Dunes)
Drive approximately 200km over desert roads and visit the ‘Singing Sands’, known locally as 'Khongoriin Els'. The nickname derives from the distinctive sound made by the sand as the dunes are constantly shifted and shaped by wind and weather.
A climb up to the top of the sand dunes will be rewarded with an awesome view, and if timed to arrive late in the afternoon, you may catch a breathtaking sunset.
Explore the sand dunes by camel with a guide for an hour or so.
Stay in a tourist ger camp, and enjoy a hot shower.
Day 6
Petroglyphs, and Bayanzag (Flaming Cliffs)
Drive north to the Flaming Cliffs of Bayanzag. Enroute, stop and take a 20-30 minute hike to a hilltop where hundreds of petroglyphs (rock drawings) may be found, dating back to the Bronze Age (2600-800 BC).
Explore Bayanzag, an area where many dinosaur bone fossils have been found, as well as some of the first dinosaur eggs in the world. For the photographers, make sure to catch the cliffs at sunset for some stunning shots.
Stay the evening in a comfortable tourist camp nearby.
Day 7
Ongiin Hiid (Ongi Monastery)
Continue your drive north to Ongiin Hiid (Ongi Monastery) complex, near the town of Saikhan Ovoo. This is the site of what was once one of the largest monastery complexes in Mongolia, but was destroyed in the Russian purges of 1937 and following years. Recent decades have seen a growing community of monks work to rebuild this significant religious site.
Explore the ruins, visit the small museum, and stay the night in a comfortable ger camp with dinner and breakfast.
Orkhon Valley
Today, witness the stunning contrast of the Mongolian landscape as we take you only a 4-5 hour drive from the dunes and sun-beaten crags of the Gobi to the lush Orkhon River Valley.
Enjoy lunch on the road before arriving at the Orkhon Waterfall (Ulaan Tsutgalan). Formed by geological activity 20 000 years ago, this waterfall is perhaps the largest in the country.
After taking in the spectacle, continue to your camp for the evening.
Day 8
Day 9
Orkhon Valley
Spend your day enjoying the natural beauty of the Orkhon Valley.
With a team from your ger camp, load all the elements for constructing a ger onto a yak-drawn cart. Drive it a short distance to the edge of the Orkhon River and work with the team to construct the ger and prepare it as your accommodation for the night.
A traditional wood stove and cooking equipment, along with all the ingredients to prepare a traditional meal, will be provided. This is a unique opportunity to get a hands-on experience of how the nomads of Mongolia have lived for centuries.
Day 10
Tuvkhun Monastery and Kharhorin
After breakfast, drive around two hours through a lava field, along the Orkhon River Valley, and then to Tuvkhun Monastery nestled high up on a rocky crag overlooking larch forest.
It is about an hour's hike to the monastery, though it may be possible to pay a small fee to go up by horse. Explore this fascinating working monastery rich in history and living culture.
Afterwards, make your way to the ancient capital city of the Mongolian Empire, Kharkhorin. Visit the active Erdenezuu Monastery which is built on the foundations of the ancient capital from the 14th century.
Visit the Kharkorin museum before making your way to your ger camp for the night.
Day 11
Kharhorin and Khustai National Park
After exploring Kharhorin and surrounds to your heart’s content, drive about 90 mins to the Elsen Tasarkhai sands–nicknamed Mongolia’s ‘Mini Gobi’–for camel rides (optional) surrounded by scenic vistas of windblown dunes surrounded by mountains and grasslands.
Continue your drive on to Khustai National Park, home to the endangered and protected Prezwalski Wild Horses, widely held to be the only truly wild horses left in the world.
If time permits, explore the park in the early evening for glimpses of the wildlife in the park.
Day 12
Khustai National Park and Ulaanbaatar
Rise early, as the dawn gives the best opportunities to see the wildlife in the National Park: the Prezwalski wild horses, elk, deer, marmots, foxes, and–if you are very lucky–wolves. Keep an eye to the sky for the chance to see eagles, falcons, and vultures too. Since 1993, the Khustai NP has been at the forefront of conservation efforts in Mongolia.
Return to Ulaanbaatar. Enjoy a final farewell meal with your guide and driver.
Day 13
Day 14
