The Gobi Desert Tour, 13 days

Day 1. Ulaanbaatar

The contrast between ancient traditions and the dawning of a 20th-century democracy is most visible in Ulaanbaatar, where traditional gers (felt tents) and Buddhist monasteries coexist with modern high-rises. Upon arrival at the airport, you will be welcomed by your Zendmen Travel guide and transferred to a comfortable, centrally located hotel within walking distance of various museums and shops. You will visit the Gandan Monastery, the largest Buddhist monastery in Mongolia, where you can see a gigantic Janraisag Statue, the god of eternity, as tall as nine stories of an apartment block. In the afternoon, you will visit the National Museum of Mongolia, one of the 100 best museums in the world where you can see traditional costumes of different ethnic Mongols, archaeological discoveries of prehistoric people, and the Mongol Empire of the 13th century. Enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

            (Hotel****; L, D)

Day 2. Ih Gazariin Chuluu

Embark on an overland journey to the Gobi Desert. Through the rugged terrain, you will be greeted with stunning landscapes and picture-perfect sceneries. Ih Gazariin Chuluu is an exciting area where unusual rock formations and granite pinnacles stick out in the middle of the dusty plains. Spend half a day exploring caves and the area before continuing journey southwards Tsagaan Suvarga.

(Ger camp; B, L, D)

Day 3. Tsagaan Suvarga

Another fascinating area awaits you. Tsagaan Suvarga witnesses the geological history of ancient times down to date. Different minerals giving rise to different colours form the face of the cliffs. Enjoy hiking through the colourful natural cliffs. The Gobi sunset offers you an opportunity to shoot incredible photos and take advantage of the moment.

(Ger camp; B, L, D)

Day 4. Yolyn Am- The Vulture Valley

Some of the Gobi’s most breathtaking sights await you today. You will continue your journey driving to Yol Valley in the Gobi Gurvan Saihan National Park, cradled between the foothills of the Altai Mountains. An ancient river carved this surprisingly green valley. Now, its remnant streams create ice formations at the base of the valley that sometimes persists as late as July. You will hike at an altitude of 2,000m to reach the ice. A day hike is involved in reaching the valley.

 (Ger camp; B, L, D)

Day 5. Hongoriin Els
Hongoriin Els are some of the largest sand dunes in Mongolia, where it stretches for 180 kilometers across the desert. Stomping around the sand dunes with like-minded companions is genuinely memorable. You will drive to the west heading Hongor Singing Sand dunes. The Singing sand, named for the remarkable, low-pitched groan that it emits when the surface is disturbed. These dunes, reaching upwards of 1,400m, are the Gobi’s most magnificent sand dunes. Due to their isolation, the secret of this area’s beauty has been kept safe for thousands of years.

(Ger camp; B, L, D)

Day 6. Bayanzag- The Flaming Cliffs

Your journey will head to world-famous “Flaming Cliffs,” home to ancient dinosaurs where an American scientist Roy Chapman Andrews excavated the first known dinosaur eggs in paleontological history in 1923. The beauty of the place makes an exciting visit.

(Ger camp; B, L, D)

Day 7. Ongi Monastery

Start driving to the north with a stopover at the remains of historic Ongi Monastery, one of 750 worshipping places of Mongolia that were destroyed by communists in the 1930s. Days of driving may be rather discomforting. Therefore, you can take our complimentary full body massage at the Ongi ger camp in the evening. Overnight in a ger camp.

(Ger Camp; B, L, D)

Day 8. Historic Harhorin

Once the ancient capital that served Chinggis Khan and his vast Mongolia Empire, Harhorin has now become a popular attraction for locals and tourists alike. Enter the Erdenezuu monastery in time to join the monks and lay folk for the morning ceremonies. Erdenezuu Monastery was established on the ruins of Kharkhorum city by Avtai Sain Khaan in 1585, and some of the temples were built by the materials from the ancient city. A wall surrounds the stunning monastery made up of a chain of 108 stupas. There is a vivid difference between Mongolian and Tibetan architecture among monastery’ temples. Discover the Buddhist treasures inside the monastery museum and walk to one of the last remaining stones (turtles) of Ogodei Khan’s palace. The museum sections of the monastery display three gigantic statues of young, adult and mature Buddha along with numerous artefacts from different period including two different types of Tankas (Nagtan, Tagtan), paper-mache masks of Tsam dance, Zanabazar school statues made of silver, copper and gilded with gold and large silk appliqués of various portraits of Buddhas and Dalai Lamas.

(Ger camp; B, L, D)

Day 9. Art and Yoga Day

A part of your tour aims to connect your creativity to Mongolia’s nature and culture through art and yoga. This is our new initiative to take advantage of nature’s healing power and de-stress lifestyle in the modern technology-dominated world. You will receive an opportunity to paint the landscape that surrounds you in the morning light. In the afternoon, take part in a yoga session with your tour leader in the wilderness. Get the feel of a gentle breeze, fresh air, and vast steppes of central Mongolia.

(Ger camp; B, L, D)

Day 10. The Lake Ugii

Explore the historic Orhon valley; the area is renowned by its ruins of cities of ancient empires, including Turks, Uigurs, and Mongols. See the first known writing culture of nomadic tribes, Orhon-Enisei scripts and the memorial of Turkic Kultegen and the King Bilge, the 8th century AD, Khar Balgas of Uigurs are at Hoshoo Tsaidam. In the afternoon, a beautiful freshwater lake Ugii awaits you. You can spot a variety of migratory birds at the lake and visit a bird observatory on the shore of the Lake Ugii.

(Ger camp; B, L, D)

Day 11. Hustai National Park

Wildlife exploration in Hustai National Park will be one of the highlights of the journey where you will encounter the Wild Horse ‘Takhi,’ the only species of a wild horse in the world. Takhi has been reintroduced since the 1990s, and this is the only place you can see this beautiful animal in the wild. Enjoy your horse ride in the national park. When you arrive in the national park, you will check in your ger camp and will make traditional Mongolian ger as your home. After a short rest, you will have your lunch. There is a small museum in the ger camp where you can hear wild horse related information and about the Takhi reintroduction program in the national park.

(Ger Camp; B, L, D)

Day 12. Cultural Ulaanbaatar

Various art and cultural activities await you in Ulaanbaatar. You visit Mongolia’s Fine Art Gallery and Zanabazar’s Fine Art Museum. Last-minute shopping in Ulaanbaatar can be fitted to your itinerary. In the evening, you will enjoy Mongolia’s traditional folk concert with religious Tsam Dance by the Tumen Eh ensemble, followed by a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

(Hotel****; B,L, D)

Day 13. Departure

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the return flight. (B)