Gobi Explorer

As you head south out of Ulaanbaatar - following the route of the Trans-Mongolian - you will start to get an understanding of the diversity of Mongolia’s natural habitats. You could observe wildlife native to the Gobi - especially herds of White Tailed Gazelle.

Your destination is Ikh Nart - a wildlife region of rocky terrain and canyons. Located in Dornogobi Aimag, this reserve harbours a wide diversity of flora and fauna and is a long-term study site between Denver Zoo and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences.

The studies aim to understand the ecology of the region, the behaviour of the resident species and to improve conservation management in the region.

Three projects are on-going - the Argali Sheep / Siberian Ibex Project, the Carnivore Project and the Cinereous Vulture Project. Although small (66,000 hectares), Ikh Nart represents a strong-hold for the globally threatened Argali Sheep - the largest mountain sheep in the world. It is also one of the most significant breeding sites for the CinereousVulture (European Black Vulture).

Spend the second day exploring independently. We usually also plan a short safari with Batbold the protected area ranger but this does depend on his own schedule.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Ikh Gazriin Chuluu is characterised by extensive granite rock formations and surrounded by steppe and semi-desert habitat with local protection. The views between the rock formations and expansive and this provides a great location to explore as well as just to relax and soak up the solitude.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

A transfer day through epic landscapes down to the southern Gobi – see it as a Mongolian road trip. We recommend removing your watch and let the day and the journey unfold. Do not spend time in the van thinking ‘when will we get there’- you are already there; surrounded by the beauty that is Mongolia.

On arrival into Dalanzadgad why not visit the surprisingly great Camel Museum with its presentation of the Gobi. The square with its dinosaur statues is where locals of all ages come to take the air. It is worth spending time in, especially in the evening and you may well be approached by local students wanting to practice their English or who just want to interact with a foreigner.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Explore the interior of the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park before heading to the home of the Batsuuri herding family. Gobi Gurvan Saikhan is Mongolia’s largest national park – a mountainous terrain rising out of the extensive desert plains and a region of incredible biological diversity. This mountainous region was formed by the same tectonic activity that created the Himalayas and is part of the Gobi Altai Range – the outer crumple zone of the Himalayan geological activity.

This includes exploring Yolyn Am – meaning Vultures Gorge/Mouth/Canyon it takes its name for the Lammergeier’s (Bearded Vultures) that you may see circling on the thermals. It is renowned for its sheet of ice several meters thick that forms during the winter in the narrow defile (often preserved until early July as the overshadowing peaks of Yolyn Am ensure a slow melt). The water tables beneath the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan were laid down by ancient processes – when the mountains began to lift, and fault lines cracked open, water squeezed up from below sought the easiest route downhill.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Drive to Khongoryn Els where you will saddle up for your one and a half day/one night camel trek. Why do we do this? Khongoryn Els itself has become a magnet for tour groups ... including 50-seater coaches. We still think that the sand dunes are worth including in an exploration of the Gobi but by exploring on a camel trek you’ll discover a more hidden side to the dunes.

During the trek there is plenty of flexibility and time for climbing and exploring the dunes. Not sure? Don’t be! The camel trek will be vehicle supported so if you need to hop off and take a break you can.

These are Mongolia’s highest dunes with the range stretching over 180km - known locally as Duut Mankhan - the singing sands. Mongolians say the Gobi consists of 33 different types of desert but only 3% is sand dunes.

Khongoryn Els dunes make up a large proportion of that percentage. What’s our favourite experience? Climbing to the top of the dunes for an outstanding view – best at sunrise or sunset. It’s not easy though and will require at least an hour’s challenging physical exertion!

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Spend four days exploring the remote Gobi region that form Sevrei, Khermen Tsav and Gurvantes. These are spectacular landscapes - treasure troves of significant paleontological and geological importance. You will have two camping nights at Khermen Tsav - a canyon flanked with beautiful oases, 6km in width and 15km in length. The canyon is characterised high natural formations of cliffs, of eroded sandstone. American scholar and palaeontologist Roy Chapman Andrews named this place "The End of the World." The beauty of the cliffs is accentuated by small groves of native Gobi Saxaul trees.

These four days combine to make the ultimate road trip. Don’t be put off by the thought of all that time spent in a van - they’ll be plenty of opportunities for stops and its the only way to explore these remarkable landscapes. We recommend removing your watch and let the day and the journey unfold. Do not spend time in the van thinking ‘when will we get there’- you are already there; surrounded by the beauty that is Mongolia.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Bayanzag is an ancient rock formation, one of the most important areas in Mongolia for dinosaur fossils. Bayanzag means ‘Rich in Saxauls’ and the name shows what is important for the Mongolian people – not the red sandstone cliffs named the ‘Flaming Cliffs’ by Roy Chapman Andrews but the small desert shrub that is nurtured by the rare outwash from the surrounding gullies.

En-route, visit the spectacular Khavtsgait rock petroglyphs en-route to the Flaming Cliffs. The petroglyphs show the culture, art and religious beliefs of the Bronze Age people who lived in the Mongolian Gobi and its neighbouring areas starting about 4000 years ago. The views are stunning.

You can also visit the small, windswept town community of Bulgan where the documentary A Weeping Camel was filmed. Enjoy a meal at the local family run restaurant that we’ve supported for over a decade - although it’s not luxurious in anyway, it helps show you what local life is like.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Erdenedalai is Mongolian for ‘Jewel Ocean’ and although far from the ocean this tight knit and traditional community located in the middle of the Gobi steppe provides a genuine insight into everyday life in Mongolia.

Even though annual precipitation in this area is low, with no permanent lakes and very few springs, roughly 5880 herder households make their home in this transition zone between steppe and desert. It is a beautiful region little visited by other international visitors as it's not considered a highlight by guidebook writers or tour companies and that's exactly why we make it one of our bases. As mentioned, it’s great for slow travel experiences of a more immersive kind. Although just wide stretching semi-desert steppe, the views are expansive.

Having arrived, the rest of your time will be spent at the homes of the herding families that we work with in the area - roughly 14km from the main centre of Erdenedalai. We don’t detail what you will do on your arrival - that’s because we do things a little differently and leave the plan flexible as this leads to a more respectful experience but expect to spend the second day exploring the local way of life through the eyes of the rural families we work with in the region.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

On arrival back into UB, we’ll transfer you to your accommodation in UB and the rest of the day will be yours to create your own experience. Remember you could use our UB guide to help you to explore the urban side of Mongolian life in downtown Ulaan Baatar. Alternatively, one of our trip assistants could be made available but please let me know in advance.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch