Trip overview

A memorable 20-day trip to discover the iconic highlights of Mongolia. Witness the breathtaking views of Gobi desert, remarkable colorful cliffs, sand dunes, and canyons nestled in the southern part of Mongolia. Discover Saint Zanabazar's religious masterpieces from Unesco Heritage Monastic Museums and immerse yourself in the ancient rock art galleries of Ikh Bayan Mountain, telling a story that transcents time. Mt. Otgon Tenger, the highest part of Khangai Mountain Range, is a must-hike mountain for any hiking enthusiast, and explore a magical alpine lake named Badar Hundaga which lies in front of the mountain.

Highlights

Mongolian Gobi Discovery on a camel ride
Exploring the rich cultural heritage of Orkhon Valley
Sunset tour with wine and drinks
Guided hike to Mt.Otgon Tenger & Ikh Bogd
View Mongolian Desert Oases
Healing benefits of Tsenkher Hot Spring & Spa

Itinerary

DAY 1. TO TSAGAAN SUVARGA / WHITE CANYON /

Begin this 20 day trip with a long road trip to Middle Gobi province as we head south toward to Tsagaan Suvarga, know as White Canyon. A big limestone escarpment facing east, which looks like the Mars planet from its top. The canyon provides excellent scenery of the amazing limestone formations created by the wind, and once it was an ancient seabed aged over 70 million years and offers naturally formed sedimentary fissures, painted with multiple colors of ocher.

DAY 2. TO YOLIN AM / GOBI GURVAN SAIKHAN NATIONAL PARK /

Travel to Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park to visit Yolyn Am, a deep and narrow gorge with steep rock walls situated at the southern end of Altai Mountain Range. The Gorge is named after a vulture, named "Yol" in Mongolian. Today, we'll hike along a brook to explore the beautiful gorge after visiting a natural museum at the entrance of the park.

DAY 3. TO BAYANZAG / FLAMING CLIFFS /

After a hearty breakfast, we'll leave the Yolyn Am, and head north to visit the famous Bayanzag, known as Flaming Cliffs, which is the world-known place with its first discovery of dinosaur eggs. A red cliff surrounded by vast remote desert steppe and saxual shrubs tells a tale of the cretaceous period and a 70 million-year-old dried ocean bed.

DAY 4. TO KHONGOR SAND DUNES

Set off the journey to Khongoryn Els, the second largest and most spectacular sand dunes in Mongolia, which offer the iconic images of the Gobi Desert which we strive for. The dunes stretched an extraordinary 120km, 3-28km wide and about 300m high from its base to top. Here we’ll enjoy camel riding in the endless steppe and climb up to the peak of a singing dune to see a gorgeous sunset and amazing panoramic views of the surrounding oasis.

DAY 5. TO IKH BAYAN MOUNTAIN / ANCIENT ROCK PAINTING /

Our journey today leads us to Ikh Bayan Mountain in Bayan Khongor province, with an altitude of 1831m above sea level. The Ikh Bichigt Valley of Mt. Ikh Bayan is famous for its ancient rock paintings, dating back to 3000 years ago.

DAY 6. TO IKH BOGD MOUNTAIN VIA WHITE CAVE

Continue our trip to Ikh Bogd Mountain, the highest point of Altai Mountain Range, with an elevation of 3957m. On our way to Mt. Ikh Bogd, we'll visit a cave named White Cave, Tsagaan agui in Mongolian, located 40 km northeast of Bayanlig Sum in Bayankhongor Province. This 10m high and 8m wide cave has three main interconnected chambers, and its total length is 32 m. Traces of human habitation 700,000 years ago were found as a result of excavations conducted from 1987 to 1998.

DAY 7. TREKKING TO TURQUOISE & AZURE LAKES

Today, we'll spend the day trekking up the Ikh Bogd Mountain at our own pace to explore two azure and turquoise volcanic lakes, formed by an earthquake of magnitude 11.3 in 1957. After a hearty breakfast at 7am, we'll start our trek to the lakes after receiving some safety instructions from your tour guide.

DAY 8. TO BAYANBURD / GRANITE OUTCROP / VIA BUUTSAGAAN VILLAGE

Continue our trip to Bayan Burd Bag via Buu Tsagaan viilage in Bayan Khongor province. Upon our arrival at the place, we'll erect our tent in front of an attractively formed granite outcrop and enjoy the surrounding beauties.

DAY 9. TO OTGON TENGER STRICTLY PROTECTED AREA

Travel to Otgontenger Mountain, titled as Holly Bogd Ochirvaan is the highest part of the Khangai Mountain Range, 4021 meters above sea level, and its surrounding 95,510 hectares are categorized under a strictly protected area. The surroundings of the holly mountains consist of rugged mountains and an alpine lake formed during the Ice Age.

DAY 10. HIKING TO OTGON TENGER MOUNTAIN & BADAR KHUNDAGA LAKE

Today, we'll hike up the Otgon Tenger Mountain. Arrive at Badarkhundaga Lake, which lies in front of the holy Mt. Otgon Tenger. The fresh water lake is 400 m long and known as a magic lake, where locals throw a silver bowl into its bottom to make their dream come true.

DAY 11. HIKING TO MUKHART RIVER OASIS

Set out the journey to Bor Khyar Great Sand Dunes in Zavkhan province. Today, we’ll walk through sandy trails to reach the spectacular Mukhart river, a crystal clean stream which gushes beneath the Bor Khyar Sand Dunes and forms a beautiful oasis with river meadows, poplars and sea buckthorn fruit trees.

DAY 12. TO ULAAGCHINY KHAR LAKE VIA NATURAL ARCH ROCK

Drive to Ulaagchny Khar Lake, a freshwater azure lake that lies in the Great Lakes Depression in western Mongolia. The lake is bordered by Bor Khyar sand dunes to the south and Khangai mountains to the north.

DAY 13. TO TARVAGATAIN MOUNTAIN RANGE & IDER RIVER BASIN

After breakfast, we'll travel to Tarvagatain Mountain Range, an area boasting expansive steppes, forested deep valleys drained by numerous rivers, including the ider river, one of the headwaters of Selenge River in northern Mongolia, which is the main flow of Baikal Lake in Russia. Staying overnight in a temporary campsite and sitting around the campfire is an authentic wilderness experience.

DAY 14. TO KHORGO TERKH NATIONAL PARK

Continue our journey to Khorgo Terkh National park, famous for its attractive scenery, is situated in Arkhangai province. When reaching the destination, we’ll visit several small caves, formed by volcanic lava streams, then head to Great White Lake /Terkhyn tsagaan nuur/ where we’ll spend two nights on its shore. The lake is extremely beautiful with fresh water and prosperous species of fish and some rare water fowls.

DAY 15. TREKKING TO KHORGO CRATER VIA MINI VOLCANIC CAVES

Drive off. After breakfast, we’ll start our trek to khorgo crater and enjoy a panoramic view of a unique natural formation due to a volcanic eruption. On our way to the crater, we'll encounter some small volcanic caves.

DAY 16. TO TSENKHER HOT SPRING

Head to Tsenkher Thermal Spring, a sulfur spring that emerges from underground at a sizzling 86C and is located at an altitude of 1860m above sea level, the second-hottest spring in Mongolia. Watching the Milky Way on a starry night is a wonderful experience while taking a hot spa in an outdoor pool.

DAY 17. TO KHARKHORIN & ERDENE ZUU MONASTIC MUSEUMS

Drive to Kharkhorin village, an ancient capital of the Great Mongolian Empire, one of the most popular tourist attractions. Upon arrival in the village, we'll visit the earliest surviving monastery “Erdene Dzuu”, constructed with stones near the ruins of the ancient Mongolian capital of Kharakhorum in 1586 by Abtai Sain King. The Monastic complex was also inscribed on the List of World Heritage in 2004 as a part of the Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape.

DAY 18. TO HUSTAI NATIONAL PARK

Continue the trip to Hustai Mountain Range where the famous Mongolian wild horses, known as Equus Przewalskii, reintroduced from world zoos to Mongolia since 1992. Upon arrival at the national park, have a brief introduction to the Takhi horse and the biodiversity of Hustai national park and continue the drive to the habitat of the last surviving subspecies of wild horse “Takhi” to explore.

DAY 19. TO GORKHI TERELJ NATIONAL PARK

Today, we'll explore the most popular national park in Mongolia, named Grokhi Terelj, located in Tuv province. Upon arrival at the place, we'll visit a beautifully formed granite stone that resembles a turtle, then we'll will hike to a Buddhist meditation temple.

DAY 20. DRIVE BACK ULAANBAATAR CITY VIA CHINGGIS KHAAN'S STATUE

On our way back to Ulaanbaatar city, drive east from Gorkhi Terelj national park for a stop at a historical place called Tsonjin Boldog to check out the tallest equestrian statue of Chinggis Khaan.