4-Day Budget South Gobi by Bus (No Guide)
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Ulaanbaatar → Dalanzadgad → Bayanzag (Flaming Cliffs)
We pick you up from your accommodation at 07:00 and transfer you to the bus station for the ride south to Dalanzadgad, the provincial center of the South Gobi, about 600 km and 9 hours on a paved road. Watch the green steppe slowly give way to the dry plains of the Gobi. On arrival, your local driver meets you and drives you about 100 km (2 hours) on dirt tracks 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 in the evening, then spend the night in a local ger guesthouse.
Bayanzag → Khongor Sand Dunes
After breakfast, drive about 150 km (4 hours 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. Explore the area around the dunes, and if you have the energy, climb one of the crests for an unforgettable view across a sea of daffodil-colored sand. An optional camel ride is possible here. Spend the night in a local ger guesthouse near the dunes.
Khongor → Yol Gorge → Dalanzadgad
After breakfast, drive about 190 km (5 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 through the hot summer months until mid-July. Enjoy an hour's hike through the gorge, keep 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 about 50 km (1 hour on a paved road) to Dalanzadgad and spend the night in a local ger guesthouse.
Dalanzadgad → Ulaanbaatar
After breakfast, you are transferred directly to the local bus station to catch the bus back to Ulaanbaatar, about 600 km and 9 hours on a paved road, a good chance to watch the desert turn back into steppe and look through your photos. On arrival in the city at around 18:00, we pick you up and take you to your accommodation.