Gobi Desert tours take in one of the world's most geologically varied deserts, covering southern Mongolia across roughly 1.3 million km². Despite its reputation, only around 5% of the Gobi is sand dune. The rest is gravel plain, eroded escarpment and dry valley, each section holding its own landscapes and wildlife. It is a cold desert, sitting mostly between 900 and 1,500 metres, with temperatures that swing from –40°C in winter to +45°C in summer.
The Key Sites
The majority of the Gobi's iconic sites sit within Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park in Ömnögovi Province. Bayanzag, known worldwide as the Flaming Cliffs, is where American palaeontologist Roy Chapman Andrews discovered the first scientifically recorded dinosaur eggs in the 1920s, along with Velociraptor and Protoceratops fossils. The red sandstone erodes to produce the amber glow at sunset that gives the site its name. The Khongor Sand Dunes stretch for more than 180 km with the tallest ridges reaching 300 metres; on windy days the sand produces a sound like a plane engine that earns them the local name Singing Dunes.
Yolyn Am gorge cuts deep into the Gurvansaikhan Mountains, its narrow walls rising to 200 metres and blocking enough sunlight to keep ice on the gorge floor well into summer. Moltsog Els, a smaller but well-shaped dune system, is also visited on several small group guided tours and is particularly good for camel riding and photography.
Visiting with Undiscovered Destinations
Both our Mongolia tours spend 6 days in the Gobi with a maximum of 12 travellers and an English-speaking local guide. Our Mongolia – Naadam Festival tour (14 days, from £3,045, June/July departures) covers Baga Gazriin Chuluu, Tsagaan Suvarga, Yol Gorge, the Khongor Sand Dunes with a camel ride, and a sunset visit to Bayanzag, with ger camp accommodation throughout the desert section. Our Mongolia – Eagle Festival tour (15 days, from £4,695, September departures) bases you at Three Camels Lodge for 3 nights, with dedicated days at Moltsog Els, Bayanzag and Yolyn Am gorge. Both tours are guaranteed to depart with no minimum group size requirement.
