Gobi Desert & Central Mongolia

Today, we will explore Ulaanbaatar on a city tour. We will visit Gandan Monastery, one of Mongolia’s most important Buddhist monasteries, and the Chinggis Khaan National Museum. In the evening, we will enjoy a traditional Mongolian concert.

We drive to Baga Gazriin Chuluu, a granite mountain known for its unusual formations, where rock layers appear cut and stacked horizontally. This distinctive landscape is home to ibex, argali (mountain sheep), and Mongolian gazelles. Among the rocks lie the remains of a 17th-century temple, an “eye spring” believed by locals to benefit eye health, and ancient burials and petroglyphs. Enjoy hiking through the rocky terrain and a clear, star-filled summer sky. Baga Gazriin Chuluu is ideal for travelers seeking nature, history, and tranquil landscapes.

Tsagaan Suvarga is a striking cliff formation rising up to about 60 meters (197 feet) high and spreading roughly 400 meters wide. The sedimentary layers were once the bottom of an ancient sea that covered this part of the Gobi. In the early morning light, the white, orange, and red colors slowly change, giving the landscape an almost otherworldly feel and often bringing to mind scenes from Mars.

Yol Valley (Yolyn Am) is a narrow mountain gorge in the Gobi Desert, where ice can remain in shaded areas for much of the year. The valley is home to wildlife such as bearded vultures, eagles, argali (wild mountain sheep), and ibex. We will hike approximately 3 km through the gorge before returning along the same route, covering a total distance of around 6 km.

Looking across the landscape, the sand dunes stretch for about 180 km (112 miles), bordered by rocky mountains to the south and a river-fed green oasis to the north. The tallest of these dunes is Duut Manhan, also known as the Singing Dune. From the top, wave-like patterns spread across the golden sand. On windy days, warm sand slides down the steep face of the dune, creating a soft whistling sound that gives the dune its name. This part of the Mongolian Gobi is also one of the few places where two-humped camels are found. We will hike up the sand dunes and enjoy a one-hour camel ride.

The name Bayanzag, meaning “rich in saxaul,” comes from the saxaul plants that once grew widely across the area. In 1922, American explorer and paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews and his team uncovered dinosaur eggs and fossils here, bringing international attention to the site. As the sun lowers in the evening sky, the clay cliffs take on deep shades of red and orange, a sight that led Andrews to name the area the Flaming Cliffs.

Ongi Monastery was once one of Mongolia’s largest and most important Buddhist centers. Founded in 1660, it stood on both sides of the Ongi River, with two temple complexes that together included around 28–30 temples, four Buddhist universities, and space for over 1,000 monks at its height. During the political purges of the late 1930s, the monastery was destroyed, leaving only ruins behind. After Mongolia’s democratic transition, restoration work began, and a temple was rebuilt in 2004. Today, the site is active on a small scale, and during the summer months, young monks can sometimes be seen practicing mantras.

The Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape is one of Mongolia’s most important historical and cultural regions and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For centuries, the valley has been a center of nomadic life and an important part of Central Asian history. Today, we visit the beautiful Orkhon Waterfall.

We spend another day in the area, riding horses and hiking through the valley.

Tsenkher Hot Spring is one of Mongolia’s highest-temperature hot springs, reaching around 86 °C (186 °F). This alkaline hot spring rises from deep underground and contains hydrogen sulfide and silicon compounds. After several days of travelling, we will relax and rejuvenate in a natural hot spring.