The Gobi
The Gobi
The Gobi is not empty sand but a huge, varied desert of gravel plains, saxaul scrub and mountains. Climb Khongoryn Els at sunset and the dunes may hum under your feet, then camp where the night sky reaches the ground on every side.
Sweeping gravel plains, towering dunes and fossil-rich cliffs in Mongolia's south, home to herders and their two-humped camels.
Places to know
Highlights
- 01Climbing Khongoryn Els at sunset
- 02Riding Bactrian camels with herding families
- 03Golden light on the Flaming Cliffs
- 04Walking the narrow walls of Yolyn Am
- 05Some of the darkest night skies in Asia
Best months
- January
- February
- March
- April
- May, recommended
- June, recommended
- July
- August
- September, recommended
- October, recommended
- November
- December
Getting there
Domestic flights to Dalanzadgad take around 1.5 hours from Ulaanbaatar; by road it is a long day of about nine to ten hours. Khongoryn Els is several hours' further drive from Dalanzadgad.
Adventures in the Gobi
Things to do here
Staying with Nomad Families
Sleep in a family ger, help with the herds and share the rhythm of a working nomadic camp.
Camel Trekking
Travel the Gobi on the back of a two-humped Bactrian camel, guided by the herders who raise them.
Dinosaur Fossil Sites
Walk the Flaming Cliffs of Bayanzag, where the first recognised dinosaur eggs were found in the 1920s.
Stargazing
Some of the darkest skies in Asia, with the Milky Way rising over the Gobi and the steppe.
4x4 Overland Journeys
Cross the country by UAZ furgon or Land Cruiser on tracks that link valleys, deserts and mountains.
Cooking with Herders
Make buuz and khuushuur, taste airag and learn the dairy traditions of the steppe with herding families.
The Gobi, your way
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