Kharkhorin and South Gobi Tour (7 days)
What to expect
Nature at Its Finest
Our beautiful landscape is out in full force on this tour mingled with our culture.
Experience Daily Domestic Life
We will show you how domestic animals, particularly camels, are important to us.
Hunt for Ancient Dinosaurs
You’ll love coming face to face with these incredible dinosaurs from millions of years ago.
Experience Amazing Przewalski Horses
The Przewalski wild horses are one of our most notable and gorgeous wild species.
Breathe Vegetation’s Lovely Perfume
Our lush and wild vegetation emits a calm and relaxing scent as you travel.
- Get to see the daily nomadic lifestyle of the people of central and southern Mongolia. See how they live with their livestock.
- Be amazed at the galloping herds of wild Przewalski horses, as they move amongst the livestock on the rolling plains.
- Enjoy the historical artifacts and relics found in the historic cities of Kharkhorin and Ongi, which are conveniently next to each other.
- Get giddy at the tantalizing aroma of the wild flora that is found on these amazing plains.
- Enjoy breathtaking horse rides on the Takhi horses, and mingle with the local nomadic people.
- Shared accommodation at Ger camp
- Private transfers
- Internal air tickets - free luggage allowance is 15 kg
- English speaking guide
- All meals as listed
- All entrance fee
- Horse, camel ride
- Personal expenses
- Optional activities
- Camera fee for museum & monastery
- Travel Insurance www.WorldNomads.com
- Single supplement
Overview
This is one of our classic tours, covering the central and southern parts of Mongolia. During this tour, you could witness and experience the highlighting species of flora and fauna such as inhabitation of Przewalski wild horses, relics of Gobi dinosaurs, duties of domestic animals, in particular camels, and the irresistible smell of wild vegetations growing in different natural zones.
A couple of major religious and historical sites - Kharkhorin and Ongi - are included conveniently after each other. During the whole trip, you will see the amazing shifts in natural scenes and its components. Find out more in the tour itinerary below.
The price per person will depend on the size of the group as shown below.
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My 3rd trip to Mongolia and my 2nd time with Discover Mongolia.Was with them last year for a 15 days Northern Mongolia and now 9 days Gobi with 3 days camping in tents.
Am very satisfied with the services provided by them.Most importantly the company took in all my comments from my previous trip and much improved in this trip.
The guide,Marla though young at just 20 was really good in her role to make our trip a memorable one.She has a bright future ahead of her.
The 2 drivers,Zulaa & Tugruk were really good drivers and they were important for our trip as they drove us over 3500km in our 9 days trip.
Would recommend anyone to try this local rather than foreign based companies
First of all, Bat in the travel agency office was great in organzing the tour for us, giving advice and support!
We booked a private trip via Kharkhorin to South Gobi with our kids, 8yrs, 5yrs and our baby-boy. The trip has been absolutely amazing!
Our guide Uuganaa (Uka) and our driver Erdenesuren have been so lovely and supportive and warm-hearted with us and especially with our kids and the baby. Uuganaa’s English was perfect, she gave us deep (and child-friendly) insights into the Mongolian culture and the lives of the nomadic families. She was always fully supportive to our individual requests, e.g. she was organizing some local Mongolian food for us at lunchtime.
Our driver was very professional and carefully driving. It was always very impressive for us how he seems to have an “internal GPS” knowing his country really by heart!
We slept in ger camps which are really comfortable and a great adventure for the kids.
Mongolia is such an amazing and beautiful country! We loved the landscapes, the sceneries, the wideness, the green grass and the so blue sky, and then on the other side the sandy, dry Gobi desert, which especially impressed us so much. You are so lucky to live in such a beautiful country! What an experience for us and the kids! Our sons said, this was their best holiday ever!
Thank you, Discover Mongolia Travel Team!
Excellent personal service provided by Ibo and Kamba. My trip included stays in several gers, climbing in the Eagle Valley and dunes, the Altay mountains and many other amazing sights in the Gobi desert.
Itinerary
Meet in Ulaanbaatar and then drive to Hustai National Park and see Takhi, the Asian wild horse. If you have a chance, see a wolf, argali sheep, and deer. Enjoy small hiking and photographing the charming landscape and wildlife. Horse ride an hour.
Visit Takhi's small museum and overnight in a tourist camp. (L+D)
After breakfast at the tourist camp, drive to Kharkhorin, the symbolic ruins of the 13th century capital of the Mongol Empire. Visit Erdene Zuu, the oldest monastery, with 108 stupas, built in 1586. Then visit the Kharkhorin museum and see the Great Mongol state period, Stone Age, Bronze Age, Ancient state period halls.
Overnight in tourist camp by Orkhon River. (B+L+D)
Drive to Ongi Temple which had about a thousand lamas. On the way, we will visit an authentic local nomad family. There we have an opportunity to experience their way of life, their culture and traditions. It is a ruin of big monastery Bari Yonzon Hamba on the bank of the river.
Overnight in the tourist camp. (B+L+D)
Today we will drive to Bayanzag, (known as a Flaming Cliffs where the first nest of dinosaur eggs found in 1922) a site famous for the remains of dinosaurs which lived here 60 million years ago. You can walk around where dinosaurs once roamed and see saksaul trees and other classic desert vegetation.
Overnight in tourist camp. (B+L+D)
After breakfast, you will be driven to Khongor sand dunes. These are Mongolia's largest sand dunes, reaching a height of 300 meters in some areas.
In the afternoon, you will be riding on two-humped Bactrian camels to explore Khongor sand dunes. Plus, you will have an opportunity to visit a camel herdsman's family to explore their way of life, their culture and traditions. The sand dunes change color with each hour of the day, from yellow to silver to rose-colored at (dawn/ sundown).
Overnight in tourist camp. (B+L+D)
Today's destination is Yolyn Am, or 'Eagle Valley'. Take a trip to Yol Am and Dungene valley - a wonderfully picturesque place with ice in summer, and surrounded by sheer rocky walls, forming incredible canyons.
Enjoy small hiking and photographing the charming landscape and wildlife. Visit the Gobi museum. These areas are situated in the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park that encompasses the "Three Beauties" peaks and the most easterly points of the Altai Mountains.
Overnight in tourist camp. (B+L+D)
After breakfast, you will have a flight back to Ulaanbaatar.
End the trip. (B)
Good to know
- The best time to make this trip
May to September is the best season, with the peak season in July for the Naadam Festival. July and August are also the wettest months of the year but be assured, our climate is such that you will still have many sunny days at this time. The best time to visit the Gobi is June or September.
- Accommodation:
We believe that comfortable, welcoming accommodation is vital to the enjoyment of your trip. You will be staying in a standard 3-4 star hotel in Ulaanbaatar and a tourist ger camp (traditional dwelling) with currency (220V), shower and other useful services (2 to 4 people per ger) in the countryside. All accommodation offered by Discover Mongolia is personally checked by our staff to ensure high standards.
- Meals:
In Ulaanbaatar, you will be dining at fine European and Asian cuisine restaurants. Mutton, beef, rice, and noodles form the basis of the Mongolian diet, so your meals will be based around this. However, the trail rations may include vegetables, eggs, peanut butter, cheese and sometimes yak! On some days there will be lunchboxes from tourist camps. It is good food and our experience has been that guests are happy with this arrangement. Please let us know in advance if you are a vegetarian. Alcohol is not provided on the trip but tourists are free to bring their own.
- Transport:
Discover Mongolia use the highest level, latest model, air-conditioned private vans or 4WD vehicles for the maximum comfort on your touring days. A day's drive in the countryside will be approx 200-250km.
- Personal things to bring with you:
Warm thin layers of clothing are the best such as bring a waterproof jacket, and a hat and headscarf to protect you from the sun and winds. Don't forget insect repellent, sun cream, lip-gloss, water purifying tablets and first aid kit (medicine for headache, cold, diarrhea, runny nose; bandages; any medicine prescribed for you ). All your camera equipment.
