5-Day Fly-In Gobi with Camel Trek
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Ulaanbaatar β Dalanzadgad (flight) β Bayanzag
We pick you up from your accommodation (pickup time to be confirmed) and transfer you to the airport for the 1-hour flight south to Dalanzadgad, the capital of the South Gobi province. From the air, watch the green steppe fade into the brown and gold plains of the desert. On landing, your local guide and driver meet you and drive about 100 km (2 hours on dirt roads) to Bayanzag. American zoologist and explorer 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 red sandstone 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 nearby.
Bayanzag β Khongor Sand Dunes: Dune Climb
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, in striking contrast to the bare sand. Explore the area and climb one of the dunes, a tough but rewarding effort that rewards you with an unforgettable view across an endless sea of daffodil-colored sand. Spend the night near the dunes.
Khongor Sand Dunes: Camel Trek
After breakfast, set off on a 5-hour camel trek around the Khongor Sand Dunes. Mongolia is the largest home of the two-humped Bactrian camel, which has carried nomads and their goods across the Gobi for centuries, and local herders still rely on camels for milk, wool, and transport. The camels are very comfortable to ride: they walk slowly and gently, and you sit well supported between their two humps, swaying along the edge of the dunes and through the grassland of the oasis. After lunch, enjoy free time to relax, wander the dunes, or watch the evening light play across the sand. Spend another night near the dunes.
Khongor β Yol Gorge β 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 the hot summer months until mid-July. Enjoy an hour's hike through the gorge, watching 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 for the night.
Dalanzadgad β Ulaanbaatar (flight)
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the 1-hour flight back to Ulaanbaatar, a last chance to see the desert spread out below you. After landing in the city, our driver picks you up and takes you to your accommodation. The end time depends on the flight schedule, but it's usually in the morning, leaving you the rest of the day free in the capital.