Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights
Type: Desert Expedition / Cultural Adventure
Start & End Location: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Language: English-speaking local guides
Group Size: 2–12 persons
Season: June to September

Sample Departure Dates (2025)

• June 10–17, 2025
• July 8–15, 2025
• August 5–12, 2025
• September 9–16, 2025

Private departures available upon request.

DAY 1 – ARRIVAL IN ULAANBAATAR & WELCOME BRIEFING

• Airport/train station pick-up and hotel check-in
• Guided visit to the Gandan Monastery and Sukhbaatar Square
• Briefing on Gobi geology and cultural insights at the National History Museum
• Welcome dinner with Mongolian fusion cuisine

Accommodation: 3★ Hotel in Ulaanbaatar

Meals Included: Dinner

DAY 2 – FLY TO DALANZADGAD & DRIVE TO YOLYN AM (EAGLE VALLEY)

• Morning domestic flight to Dalanzadgad, gateway to the Gobi
• Drive to Yolyn Am Canyon, a lush gorge home to ice fields and rare wildlife
• Hike through dramatic rock formations and enjoy alpine desert flora
• Overnight in an eco-lodge-style ger camp

Accommodation: Ger Lodge in Yolyn Am

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 3 – KHONGORYN ELS: THE SINGING SAND DUNES

• Drive west through desert steppe to the towering Khongoryn Els Dunes
• Visit camel-herding families and learn about desert nomadism
• Climb the dunes (up to 300m high!) and listen to their famous “singing” sound
• Camel ride across the sandy expanse at sunset

Accommodation: Ger Camp near Khongoryn Els

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 4 – DAY WITH CAMEL HERDERS & OASIS HIKE

• Participate in camel-milking, herder routines, and storytelling
• Hike along a desert oasis river bed and learn about water sources in the Gobi
• Enjoy traditional Mongolian barbecue (khorkhog) prepared by your hosts
• Optional stargazing with telescope in clear desert skies

Accommodation: Ger Camp

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 5 – BAYANZAG: FLAMING CLIFFS & DINOSAUR DISCOVERY

• Travel to the iconic Bayanzag Flaming Cliffs, world-renowned for dinosaur fossils
• Walk the red sandstone bluffs where paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews made history
• Visit a local museum and fossil interpretation center
• Campfire and Gobi legends shared by local elders

Accommodation: Ger Camp near Bayanzag

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 6 – ONGI MONASTERY & GOBI STEPPE TRANSITION ZONE

• Cross the semi-desert to Ongi Monastery ruins
• Visit restored temples and learn about Buddhist revival after Soviet suppression
• Short hike along the Ongiin River and enjoy a picnic lunch
• Stay at a peaceful ger camp by the river

Accommodation: Ger Camp at Ongi

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 7 – RETURN TO ULAANBAATAR & CULTURAL SHOW

• Drive back to Dalanzadgad and take flight to Ulaanbaatar
• Check-in at city hotel and rest or shop at local markets
• Farewell dinner and traditional performance with throat singing and contortionists

Accommodation: 3★ Hotel in Ulaanbaatar

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 8 – DEPARTURE DAY

• Breakfast at hotel
• Private transfer to airport or train station
• End of services

Meals Included: Breakfast

✅ WHAT’S INCLUDED

• Round-trip domestic flights (Ulaanbaatar ↔ Dalanzadgad)
• 7 nights accommodation: 3★ hotel and ger camps
• English-speaking cultural guide
• Private transport with professional driver
• All meals listed in itinerary
• Entry fees and permits
• Guided camel ride, local host visits, and fossil site tours
• Airport/train station transfers
• Bottled water, snacks, and cultural welcome kit

❌ NOT INCLUDED

• International flights
• Travel insurance (required)
• Alcoholic drinks and personal expenses
• Gratuities (optional but appreciated)

🧳 WHAT TO BRING

• Sun hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses
• Windproof jacket and layered clothing
• Sturdy walking shoes or boots
• Small backpack and refillable bottle
• Flashlight/headlamp
• Power bank (some areas have no electricity)
• Personal medications and first aid

💡 WHO THIS TRIP IS FOR

Perfect for:

• Adventurers and explorers of all ages
• Wildlife and fossil lovers
• Cultural enthusiasts seeking immersion
• Families, couples, or solo travelers (private room upgrades available)