2-Day Karakorum Express
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Ulaanbaatar → Karakorum (Kharkhorin)
We pick you up from your accommodation at 08:00 and drive west to Karakorum, about 360 km and 6 hours on a paved road across the rolling steppe of Central Mongolia. Karakorum was the capital of the Great Mongol Empire, founded under Chinggis Khaan and built up by his son Ögedei into a cosmopolitan city of merchants, envoys, and craftsmen from across Eurasia; today a small township stands on the site. Some 200 years after the city was sacked by Chinese armies, builders reused materials from its ruins to found Erdene Zuu in 1586, the first Buddhist monastery in Mongolia, ringed by a wall topped with 108 white stupas. Visit Erdene Zuu Monastery, whose temples still hold fine Buddhist statues and paintings, the Karakorum Museum with its finds from the imperial capital, and other historical sights around the town, such as the ancient stone Turtle Rock. Spend the night nearby.
Elsen Tasarkhai Sands → Ulaanbaatar
After breakfast, drive about 75 km (1 hour on a paved road) to the Elsen Tasarkhai Sands, whose name means 'piece of sand.' Considered the northern edge of the Gobi, this narrow strip of small dunes runs through the lowland between the legendary Khugnu Khaan and Bat Khaan mountains, a surprising slice of desert set amid green steppe. After lunch, ride Bactrian camels across the sand. The two-humped camels are very comfortable to ride, as they walk slowly and gently and you sit well supported between their humps. Then drive back to Ulaanbaatar, about 270 km and 5 hours on a paved road, and we transfer you to your accommodation, arriving at around 19:00.