Itinerary
- Day 1
Travel to Ulaanbaatar
Your Mongolia adventure starts with a travel day to Ulaanbaatar. The operator will handle getting you there, whether that's an overnight flight or the scenic Transsib train journey. Either way, you'll arrive ready to explore.
- Day 2
Ulaanbaatar
After arriving in Ulaanbaatar, head to your hotel to freshen up. Then you'll get a city tour covering the National History Museum and Dinosaur Museum with Gobi Desert skeletons. Stop at Genghis Khan Square and climb Zaisan Monument for views over the city. Wrap up the evening watching a Mongolian folklore performance.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit National History Museum
- Visit Dinosaur Museum
- See Genghis Khan Square
- Climb Zaisan Monument
- Mongolian folklore event
Landmarks/POIs National History Museum Dinosaur Museum Genghis Khan Square Zaisan Monument - Day 3
Ulaanbaatar to Amarbayasgalant
Start at Gandan Monastery, one of Mongolia's few working Lama monasteries and the country's Buddhist heart, where you'll watch monks perform ceremonies. Drive north through grain fields toward Erdenet and Amarbayasgalant Monastery. You'll reach the quiet monastery valley by evening and settle into your first yurt camp.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Gandan Monastery
- Watch lama monk ceremonies at Gandan Monastery
- Visit Amarbayasgalant Monastery
Landmarks/POIs Gandan Monastery Amarbayasgalant Monastery - Day 4
Amarbayasgalant
Spend your morning at Amarbayasgalant Monastery, arriving around 10 am when the horn signals the start of monk ceremonies. The 16th-century monastery was built to honor Zanabazar, founder of Mongolian Buddhism, and the architecture is worth taking time to see. After lunch, hike through the river valley surrounding the monastery.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Watch monk ceremonies at Amarbayasgalant Monastery
- Explore Amarbayasgalant Monastery architecture
- Hike in river valley
Landmarks/POIs Amarbayasgalant Monastery - Day 5
Uran-Togoo-Tulga Nature Reserve
Head westward to Uran-Togoo-Tulga Nature Reserve, which holds several extinct volcanoes. You'll take an excursion to explore one of these volcanic formations, likely Uran Uul, Mongolia's largest volcano. It's a chance to see geological history up close.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Excursion to extinct volcano in Uran-Togoo-Tulga Nature Reserve
Landmarks/POIs Uran-Togoo-Tulga Nature Reserve Uran Uul - Day 6
Lake Khövsgöl
Continue onward to Lake Khövsgöl, called the 'Blue Pearl' and Lake Baikal's little sister. The landscape around here feels like the Alps mixed with Norwegian fjords. You'll settle into your ger camp for the night with the lake as your backdrop.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Landmarks/POIs Lake Khövsgöl - Days 7 - 8
Khövsgöl Nuur National Park
Spend two days exploring Khövsgöl Nuur National Park, 70,000 square kilometers of pristine nature with beaches, lagoons, mountains, and taiga forests. Hike along lake shores and through larch forests. In summer, you might spot reindeer herders and their herds in this sacred shaman territory.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Hikes along lake shores
- Easy trekking in taiga forest
Landmarks/POIs Khövsgöl Nuur National Park - Day 9
Jargalant Sum
Head south from the taiga through mountain valleys toward Jargalant Sum. As you travel, the landscape shifts from forested areas to open valleys. You'll reach your yurt camp in this transitional zone, surrounded by changing scenery.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Day 10
Khorgo National Park
Drive via Ikh-Uul Sum and over the Solongot and Tsakhir Sum mountain passes to reach Khorgo. Your yurt camp sits next to an extinct volcano. Start exploring the national park with short hikes, watching for Maral deer, Siberian roe deer, wolves, and golden eagles while taking in dramatic basalt lava formations.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Hikes and excursions in Khorgo National Park
- Explore basalt lava formations
- Optional volcano climb
Optional Activities
- Climb Khorgo volcano
Landmarks/POIs Khorgo National Park Khorgo Volcano - Day 11
Lake Terkhiin-Tsagaan
After breakfast, head out to Lake Terkhiin-Tsagaan, one of Mongolia's most beautiful lakes formed by lava damming. Visit a yak and horse breeder family to learn about nomadic life firsthand. If you're interested, there's a chance to ride small Mongolian horses or try yak milk products.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Excursion to Lake Terkhiin-Tsagaan
- Visit yak and horse breeder family
Optional Activities
- Ride small Mongolian horses
- Taste yak milk products
Landmarks/POIs Lake Terkhiin-Tsagaan - Day 12
Lake Ögii
Leave Khorgo National Park and travel via Tsetserleg to Lake Ögii, a fish-rich lake at 1,387 meters. Stop at Taikhaar Chuluu, a 16-meter rock formation covered with roughly 150 inscriptions in different languages that's been a sacred site since ancient times.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Taikhaar Chuluu rock formation
Landmarks/POIs Lake Ögii Taikhaar Chuluu - Day 13
Karakorum and Orkhon Valley
Begin with hiking around Lake Ögii to observe the rich bird life, as this lake is a major stopover for migratory birds. Then travel to Karakorum, the old Mongol Empire capital. Take an excursion to the Orkhon River, one of Mongolia's longest, for picturesque views and short hikes. If you're interested, help camp staff build a traditional Mongolian yurt.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Hike along Lake Ögii
- Bird watching at Lake Ögii
- Visit Karakorum ruins
- Excursion to Orkhon River
Optional Activities
- Short hike through Orkhon Valley
- Learn to build a Mongolian yurt
Landmarks/POIs Lake Ögii Karakorum Orkhon River - Day 14
Orkhon Valley
Explore the Orkhon Valley, one of Mongolia's most scenic regions with major historical sites. Visit Erdene Zuu, Mongolia's oldest Lamaist monastery built in the 16th century from destroyed capital ruins. Then see the reconstructed ancient Karakorum ruins. In the afternoon, head to Khar Balga, black ruins of a former Uyghur Empire center with Turkic and Iranian inscriptions.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Erdene Zuu Monastery
- Visit reconstructed ruins of ancient Karakorum
- Excursion to Khar Balga ruins
Landmarks/POIs Erdene Zuu Monastery Karakorum Khar Balga - Day 15
Ongiin Khiid
Head toward the Gobi Desert as the landscape gradually transitions from valleys to endless steppe. You'll reach the Ongiin Khiid monastery ruins and settle into your ger camp nearby for the night, marking the beginning of your desert experience.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Ongiin Khiid monastery ruins
Landmarks/POIs Ongiin Khiid - Day 16
Flaming Cliffs and Gobi Desert
Welcome to the Gobi Desert! Visit the Flaming Cliffs dinosaur site, known for its flame-like glow at sunset and the dinosaur discoveries from the 1920s by Roy Chapman Andrews, including fossilized eggs. Continue to the Saksaul forest, a unique desert collection of small, bonsai-like trees.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Flaming Cliffs dinosaur excavation site
- Visit Saksaul forest
Landmarks/POIs Flaming Cliffs - Day 17
Khongor Sand Dunes
Travel to the famous Khongor sand dunes, Mongolia's largest and most dramatic dunes, poetically named the 'Singing Dunes.' Climb one of the towering dunes for expansive desert views. Visit a camel breeding family to learn about their way of life and their connection to this landscape.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Khongor sand dunes
- Climb sand dune
- Visit camel breeding family
Landmarks/POIs Khongor Sand Dunes Gobi National Park - Day 18
Khongor
This is a leisure day to explore the desert on your own terms. Take walks through the landscape at your pace, or if you're feeling adventurous, arrange a ride on a two-humped camel (payment collected on site). It's your time to experience the desert however you prefer.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Free exploration of desert landscape
- Walks in the area
Optional Activities
- Camel ride (two-humped camel)
Landmarks/POIs Khongor Sand Dunes - Day 19
Gurvan Saikhan Mountains
Leave the dune landscape and travel to the 'Three Beautiful Mountains,' the eastern foothills of the Gobi-Altai Mountains (Gurvan Saikhan Nuruu). These mountains rise steeply from flat plains, creating an striking natural backdrop for your yurt camp.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Landmarks/POIs Gurvan Saikhan Nuruu - Day 20
Vulture Gorge
Hike through Vulture Gorge (Yolyn Am) in Gurvan Saikhan Nuruu, a must-see location on any Mongolia trip. Starting early gives you the best chance of spotting vultures and other wildlife. Navigate through increasingly narrow canyon passages and enjoy a picnic lunch as you explore various trails and the landscape.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Picnic lunch during hike), Dinner
Included Activities
- Hike through Vulture Gorge (Yolyn Am)
- Explore trails and landscape
Landmarks/POIs Vulture Gorge (Yolyn Am) - Day 21
Tsagaan Suvarga
A longer drive takes you through the central Gobi where semi-arid vegetation starts appearing. Discover Tsagaan Suvarga, an extraordinary natural spectacle and sandstone mountain range in striking colors. This 30-meter-high limestone rock formation spans over 100 meters wide and is called the 'white stupa' for its color. Take a short hike to explore this unique phenomenon.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Tsagaan Suvarga rock formation
- Short hike at Tsagaan Suvarga
Landmarks/POIs Tsagaan Suvarga - Day 22
Baga Gazryn Chuluu
Reach Baga Gazryn Chuluu, a rocky granite and alaskite massif rising to 1,768 meters above the flat steppe. Local nomads worship these mountains where monks once lived in caves, leaving behind ancient rock paintings. Settle into your last yurt camp for the night under a starry desert sky.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Landmarks/POIs Baga Gazryn Chuluu - Day 23
Ulaanbaatar
Your last desert day begins with the long drive back to Ulaanbaatar. En route, stop at the monumental equestrian statue of Genghis Khan in Tsonjin Boldog, roughly 54 kilometers east-south of the city. The 30-meter statue stands on a 10-meter-high building with 36 pillars. Continue into Ulaanbaatar and check into your hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Genghis Khan statue at Tsonjin Boldog
Landmarks/POIs Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue - Day 24
Departure
Your Mongolia adventure comes to an end. Transfer to the airport or train station for your onward journey, taking memories of deserts, mountains, monasteries, and nomadic life with you.
