Mongolian Gobi Desert & Nomads – Nomadic experience from the Gobi to Orkhon valley

Depending on your arrival time, you may visit Gandan Monastery, Sukhbaatar Square and

• Meal(s): Dinner is included
• Accommodation: Stay in a centrally located 4-star hotel in Ulaanbaatar, accommodation is twin-based.

Today we leave the city and head south toward the vast and rugged beauty of the Mongolian Gobi Desert. Your destination today is the Tsagaan Suvarga Cliffs, also known as the White Stupa: a formation that once lay beneath an ancient sea. Over time, erosion and mineral deposits have sculpted a palette of vivid colors across the cliffs, creating a surreal, layered landscape.

Upon arrival, take a leisurely hike among the formations and absorb the silence of the desert. As the day winds down, the setting sun casts a golden glow across the cliffs.

• Travel time: ~340 km on asphaltic road and 60-70km on dirt road. Approximately 8 hours of driving.
• Meal(s): Breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided, along with drinking water.
• Accommodation: Stay in Gobi Caravan Serai tourist lodge. Today’s accommodation is twin based.

Today you continue deeper into South Gobi province. The landscape changes from flat steppe to rocky mountains as you approach Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park. You visit the small local museum that explains the flora and fauna of the region, then take a walk through Yolin Am, a narrow gorge that often keeps ice and snow even into summer. If possible, you visit in the later afternoon to avoid the busiest hours. Marmots, small birds and sometimes wild sheep or ibex can be seen on the surrounding slopes.

• Travel time: ~200 km on the asphaltic road and 80 km on a dirt road. Approximately 5-7 hours of driving. Short photo stops and tea breaks are available en route to the Yolyn Am Valley.
• Meal(s): Breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided, along with drinking water
• Accommodation: You will stay in a traditional tourist camp. The accommodation is twin-based.

After breakfast, the adventure continues westward as you travel deep into the heart of the Gobi Desert to reach the spectacular Khongoryn Els, also known as the Singing Dunes.

The journey covers around 180 km of off-road terrain, showcasing ever-changing desert landscapes. Upon arrival, you’ll visit a local camel herding family to saddle up for a camel ride along the dunes and the Khongoryn River. For the adventurous, there’s also time to climb the dunes, an effort rewarded by stunning panoramic views, especially magical at sunset.

• Travel time: ~180 km off-road drive. Approximately 5-6 hours of driving, Short photo stops and tea breaks are available en route to Khongoryn Els.
• Meal(s): Breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided, along with drinking water
• Accommodation: You will stay in a traditional ger camp. The accommodation is twin based.

Today your Gobi journey continues to the legendary Bayanzag, famously known as the Flaming Cliffs. This area is world renowned for its rich paleontological significance. It was here in 1922 that American explorer Roy Chapman Andrews made groundbreaking discoveries, including the first ever dinosaur eggs and many fossilized remains that captured the imagination of the world.

After exploring the stunning red sandstone cliffs, you will continue to Ongiin Khiid, where you will stay overnight at a nomadic family camp. This stop breaks up the long drive comfortably and gives you a quiet, scenic place to enjoy a genuine nomadic experience.

• Travel time: ~320 km off-road drive. Approximately 8 hours of driving.
• Meal(s): Breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided, along with drinking water
• Accommodation: We will stay in a nomadic family camp. The accommodation is shared with other guests, depending on the nomadic family’s availability of the day.

Today you leave the desert behind and drive into the greener central part of Mongolia. The land gradually rises into hills and volcanic plateaus as you approach Orkhon Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape known for its long history of nomadic empires. You arrive at a nomadic family home where you will stay in a guest ger beside their own. After tea and snacks you can walk in the surrounding pastureland, meet the animals and simply enjoy the quiet valley.

• Travel time: ~250-280 km off-road drive. Approximately 6 hours of driving.
• Meal(s): Breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided, along with drinking water
• Accommodation: You will stay in a nomadic family’s ger in Orkhon valley. Today’s accommodation is shared with other guests.

You spend a full day in Orkhon Valley with your host family. You can ride horses to Orkhon Waterfall or walk there, depending on your preference and local conditions. The waterfall drops into a basalt canyon formed by ancient lava flows, and the surrounding area offers beautiful views and short hikes. During the day you have time to join some simple daily activities such as helping with livestock, collecting water or dung, or watching how dairy products like airag and aaruul are prepared in summer. This slow day is often a highlight, as it gives you time to connect with people instead of just moving from sight to sight.

• Travel time:
• Meal(s): Breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided, along with drinking water
• Accommodation: You will stay in a traditional eco-friendly tourist camp with shared restroom and shower. Today’s accommodation is triple based.

After breakfast at the nomadic camp, we say goodbye to our host family and drive to Kharkhorin, the site of ancient Karakorum, the former capital of the Mongol Empire. You visit Erdene Zuu monastery, one of the oldest Buddhist monasteries in Mongolia, surrounded by its iconic white stupas. Depending on time, you may visit a small local museum or market. In the afternoon you continue driving to Ulaanbaatar, arriving in the early evening. Your guide drops you at your hotel, and the tour ends.

• Travel time: Approximately 5-6 hours of driving.
• Meal(s): Breakfast, and lunch provided, along with drinking water.
• Accommodation: Stay in a centrally located 4-star hotel in Ulaanbaatar, accommodation is twin-based.