10 Days / 9 Nights
Tour grade: Easy
Style: Join in Group Tour, Join in Group Departure
Arrival in Ulaanbaatar, private transfer to the hotel
Arrive in Ulaanbaatar, our driver will meet you at the airport (or train station) after completing customs formalities and transfer you to your hotel.
In the evening, enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. The rest of the day is free for you to relax, recover from jet lag, and prepare for your upcoming journey across Mongolia.
Meals Included
Ulaanbaatar city tour
Meet your guide at 9:00 a.m. to begin your city tour of Ulaanbaatar. Start at Gandan Monastery, home to the 26-meter statue of Janraisag, the deity of compassion, and attend the morning chanting at one of the historic temples. Next, visit the National Museum and Sukhbaatar Square, where you’ll see statues of Chinggis Khaan and his descendants in front of the State House. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, drive to the Giant Genghis Khan Statue Complex to explore its impressive grounds. Later, return to Ulaanbaatar and transfer to your hotel.
Accommodation
Hotel
Meals Included
Karakorum - the ancient capital
After breakfast at the hotel, we will pack the vehicles and begin our journey west toward Karakorum, the ancient capital of Mongolia. On the way, we will stop at the Mongol Nomadic ger camp to watch a traditional nomadic show and experience the everyday life of a Mongolian herder family. You’ll see how the five main types of livestock are bred and how nomads move from place to place using ox, yak, camel, and horse carts. You will also observe the preparation of traditional dairy products and have the chance to taste some.
After lunch, we continue driving and arrive in Karakorum in the evening, then transfer to a ger camp for overnight stay.
Meals Included
Ongi Monastery Ruins
After breakfast, visit the legendary Erdene Zuu Monastery, the first Buddhist monastery in Central Mongolia, founded in 1586, and explore its surroundings. Afterwards, drive south through the Gobi steppes to the ruins of Ongi Monastery along the Ongi River. Enjoy a short walk around the ruins before transferring to a tourist ger camp for dinner and rest.
Meals Included
Bayanzag aka Flaming Cliffs
Continuing our journey south, we head toward the renowned Bayanzag, also known as the Flaming Cliffs. Upon arrival, we will visit the information center, which features insightful exhibits and a short documentary to enhance your understanding of the area. Then, immerse yourself in the wilderness as you explore the striking natural formations and hike along a designated trail (easy hiking). As the day comes to an end, we will drive to our ger camp, enjoy a delicious dinner, and spend the night in comfort.
Meals Included
Khongor Sand Dunes ; Camel ride
On this day, we will drive to Khongor sand dunes after breakfast. Our expedition continues as we make our way to the Khongor sand dunes, renowned as Mongolia's longest dunes. The drive to reach these dunes will span approximately 4 to 5 hours, traversing vast desert badlands that stretch as far as the eye can see. Along the way, remote mountains silhouette the horizon, and solitary gers dot the landscape as nomads travel on camelback or horseback, creating surreal mirages. The desert floor itself is adorned with an array of colorful rocks and rare minerals. It's the Gobi at its most rugged and striking, offering countless opportunities to pause and capture the stunning landscapes and the people who call this place home. Upon reaching the ger camp, we will have a satisfying lunch. Later in the afternoon, as the heat wanes, climbing to the dunes (2-3 hr moderate climbing), we witness the mesmerizing sunset from their summit. You'll even have the chance to experience a camel ride. As the day ends, settle in for a cozy dinner and a peaceful overnight stay.
Meals Included
Yolyn Am Gorge, gurvan Saikhan National Park
Today we take the southern road back through the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan Park in a drive that takes five to six hours, stopping for photography and possibly lunch along the way. The road runs alongside the Khongor dunes for some time before the dunes disappear into a massive desert steppe, bounded by the last of the Altai Mountain Range. Your route passes the 'Three Beauties', the final peaks of the range, and then cuts through the range itself, crossing between the crags of the spectacular Dungenee Pass as you make your way to Yolyn Am. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to partake in a one-hour hike from our parking spot (2-3 hour easy hiking), immersing yourself in the breathtaking natural beauty. Optional Horse riding around. Eventually, we’ll transfer to ger camp/ local hotel.
Meals Included
Tsagaan Suvarga aka White Stupa
Today’s expedition leads us to Tsagaan Suvarga, a remarkable sedimentary formation that harks back to an ancient seabed. Our journey spans approximately 3 hours. Upon our afternoon arrival at the camp, you’ll check in and settle in for a rewarding adventure. We’ll embark on an excursion to the Tsagaan Suvarga scarps, where you can revel in a captivating hike amidst the vibrant cliffs, ascending toward the summit for breathtaking views (1 hr basic walking). After this invigorating exploration, we’ll return to the camp to savor a delicious dinner and spend the night in comfort.
Meals Included
Ulaanbaatar city
Check out from our camp early in the morning and travel to Ulaanbaatar with 5-6 hours drive. Arrive in Ulaanbaatar in the late afternoon and check in to hotel. If time permits, you can engage in some optional shopping for cashmere and souvenirs.
In the evening, experience the richness of Mongolian culture with a traditional folklore concert. Your journey concludes with a warm and memorable farewell dinner—a perfect way to reflect on your adventure and say goodbye.
Meals Included
Departure from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
You are transferred to the airport/train station after breakfast. End of service.
Meals Included
INCLUDED SERVICES
EXCLUDED SERVICES
Aug 10, 2012. Gobi & Karakorum Explorer tour
Our recent "The Gobi & Karakorum Explorer" tour with you was excellent, everything exceeded our expectations! It was a super trip in our lives and we loved our Mongolia holiday so much. Our guide Joe was kind, well organised, accurate and informative, polite and caring and always provided us with timely information. And our driver Jack is super, very friendly, professional and always on time.
We are wild travelers, having been to many places in the world - but Mongolia is still truly unspoiled and uncontaminated. Selena Travel's services were perfect right from the very first email. We would like to thank Selena Travel, our guide and our driver for having made this Mongolia experience a truly beautiful one with so many wonderful memories.
by Rafaella, Benedetta, Lidia
Sending you some of our nicer pictures. Some are chosen for their beautiful scenery while the rest are just us happily playing and goofing around. There are a couple of shots of us doing some Mongolian wrestling, as suggested by Oyuna since we missed out on the mini-Naadam festival. She said since we missed it, we might as well organise our own festival by playing some Mongolian games. Haha... We had so much fun playing those games!!! :)OK, I hope you like the pictures we send you. Best regards to everyone at Selena Travel and thank you once again for all your assistance.
by Margaret Suganda
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