7-Day Remote Gobi: Khermen Tsav Canyon
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Fly to Dalanzadgad β Bayanzag β Khongor Sand Dunes
We pick you up from your accommodation (the time is confirmed with your flight) and transfer you to the airport for the 1-hour flight to Dalanzadgad. On landing, your local guide and driver meet you and drive you about 100 km (2 hours on dirt roads) to Bayanzag. American explorer Roy Chapman Andrews named this place the 'Flaming Cliffs' in the 1920s, and many important dinosaur finds, including Protoceratops skeletons and the first dinosaur eggs ever discovered, were made here. The red cliffs are imposing from a distance and glow especially fiery in the light of the setting sun. Walk around the site, then after lunch drive about 150 km (4 hours on dirt roads) to Khongor, the largest sand dune field in the Gobi. The dunes stretch nearly 100 km long and 5 to 10 km wide, with crests rising 80 to 300 m, and on windy days the moving sand produces a deep booming sound that gives them the name 'Singing Sands.' A green oasis fed by the Khongor River lines their northern edge. Ride Bactrian camels to explore the dunes, and the energetic can climb a crest for endless views across a sea of golden sand.
Sevrei Petroglyphs β Nemegt Formation
After breakfast, drive about 60 km (2 hours on dirt roads) to the Sevrei rock paintings on Sevrei Mountain, one of the world's great collections of prehistoric petroglyphs. Figures were carved into the dark rock here over a period of some 3,000 years, depicting animal husbandry, hunting, navigation, dance, war, ploughing, and magic. Their number, the long span over which they were made, and their links to nearby archaeological sites make the collection exceptionally valuable. After lunch, drive about 140 km (4 hours on dirt roads) to the Nemegt Formation, a natural wonder and historic site protected as part of Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park. Its Late Cretaceous rocks are one of the richest dinosaur fossil beds on Earth, the source of Tarbosaurus and other famous finds, and fossilized remains can still be seen weathering out on the surface. Camp for the night in tents under the desert sky.
Naran Daats Spring β Zulganai Oasis: Hiking
After breakfast, drive about 60 km (2 hours on dirt roads) to the Naran Daats oasis. Walk around the spring and simply relax in the silence of the desert, where the only sounds may be the wind and the birds that gather at the water. After lunch, drive about 40 km (2 hours on dirt roads) to Zulganai Oasis, a classic Gobi oasis whose lush green carpet of shrubs and meadows sits in stark contrast to the barren hills behind it. Springs like these are lifelines in the desert for herders, their livestock, and wildlife alike. Walk through the oasis and discover it on foot, then camp for the night in tents.
Khermen Tsav: The Ultimate Wonder of the Gobi
After breakfast, drive about 40 km (1 hour on dirt roads) to Khermen Tsav, the most famous canyon in the Gobi Desert. Its name translates as 'citadel crack,' and it is the most legendary and impressive place in the region, with its vivid colors and dramatic contrasts. The deep canyon has been shaped over thousands of years by water and wind erosion, cutting through red, orange, and white sediments into towers, walls, and amphitheaters that look like a ruined fortress. It is a geological museum of epic proportions, where millions of years of Earth's history lie exposed, and its rocks have also yielded important dinosaur fossils. Spend the day walking around and exploring the site, then camp for the night in tents.
Khermen Tsav β Noyon Mountain: Toli Rock
After breakfast, drive about 240 km (7 hours on dirt roads) to Noyon Mountain. Here you find Toli Rock (Mirror Rock), a flat black rock face about 10 m wide and 3 m tall, so smooth and glassy that you can see your own face in it, just like a mirror. Nearby is Saran Spring, the only open water for a long way around, so it draws wildlife, and you might spot Siberian ibex, argali wild sheep, and other animals coming to drink. Walk around the mountain and explore the area, then camp for the night in tents.
Noyon Mountain β Yol Gorge β Dalanzadgad
After breakfast, drive about 190 km (6 hours on dirt roads) 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, watch for ibex and vultures on the cliffs, and visit the small natural history museum at the park entrance. An optional horse ride is possible here. Afterward, drive 50 km (1 hour on a paved road) to Dalanzadgad for the night.
Fly Dalanzadgad β Ulaanbaatar
After breakfast, transfer to the Gurvan Saikhan airfield for the 1-hour flight back to Ulaanbaatar, with a last aerial view over the desert you've crossed. On landing, our driver meets you and takes you to your accommodation. The tour usually ends in the morning, depending on the flight schedule.