3-Day South Gobi: Drive Out, Fly Back
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Ulaanbaatar β Dalanzadgad β Yol Gorge
We pick you up from your accommodation at 06:00 and drive south to Dalanzadgad, about 600 km and 9 hours on a paved road. Watch the green steppe slowly give way to the dry plains of the Gobi. From Dalanzadgad, continue about 50 km (1 hour on a paved road) to Yol Gorge in the Gurvan Saikhan mountain range. 'Yol' means bearded vulture in Mongolian, and the gorge stretches for more than 10 km. At its narrowest point only three or four people can walk side by side, and the high rock walls shade the valley floor from direct sun, so ice formed by its small stream in winter often survives until mid-July. Enjoy an hour's hike through the gorge in the soft evening light, keep watch for ibex and vultures on the cliffs, and visit the small natural history museum at the park entrance. Spend the night nearby. (If you fly to the Gobi instead, you take a morning flight to Dalanzadgad and the same sights follow.)
Yol Gorge β Khongor Sand Dunes: Camel Ride
After breakfast, drive about 190 km (5 hours, mostly on dirt roads) to Khongor, the largest sand dune field in the Gobi Desert. The dunes stretch nearly 100 km long and 5 to 10 km wide, with crests rising 80 to 300 m above the surrounding land. On windy days, the moving sand produces a deep booming sound that carries a long way, which is why locals call them the 'Singing Sands.' A green oasis fed by the Khongor River lines their northern edge. Today you ride Bactrian camels to explore these massive dunes, and the energetic can climb one of the crests for an unforgettable view across a sea of golden sand. Spend the night near the dunes.
Bayanzag (Flaming Cliffs) β Flight to Ulaanbaatar
After breakfast, drive about 150 km (4 hours on dirt roads) to Bayanzag. American explorer and zoologist Roy Chapman Andrews named this place the 'Flaming Cliffs' in the 1920s, and many important dinosaur finds were made here, including Protoceratops skeletons and the first dinosaur eggs ever discovered. The eroded red sandstone cliffs are imposing from a distance and glow especially fiery in the light of the setting sun. Walk around the site and along the cliff edge. After lunch, head to the Gurvan Saikhan airfield and fly back to Ulaanbaatar, about 1.5 hours in the air. When you land, our driver picks you up and transfers you to your accommodation. (If you flew in, today ends with the drive back to Ulaanbaatar instead.)