Nature at Its Finest
Our beautiful landscape is out in full force on this tour mingled with our culture.
Kharkhorin and South Gobi Tour
Enjoy breathtaking horse rides on the Takhi horses, and mingle with the local nomadic people
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.
What we expect
Realistic travel conditions, comfort level, and daily experience explained clearly
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.
Itinerary
Day-by-day travel plan with highlights, distances, and activities
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)
Price & Date
Tour cost, departure dates, and price differences
Pax based price
Pax 1
3,104 USD
per person
Pax 2
2,013 USD
per person
Pax 3
1,666 USD
per person
Pax 4 or more
1,468 USD
per person
What's included
Accommodation, transport, meals, guide, and entrance fees covered
Services included
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
Services not included
Personal expenses
Optional activities
Camera fee for museum & monastery
Travel Insurance www.WorldNomads.com
Single supplement
Good to know
Important tips, weather, packing advice, and local travel notes
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.
Reviews
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2-Day Tour of Khustai and Terelj National Parks in Mongolia
I booked a private 2-day tour through DiscoverMongolia, coordinated by Shinee, and had an incredible experience from start to finish. Shinee was extremely responsive, organized, and helpful throughout the planning process, making everything smooth and easy.
My guide, Odka, was absolutely amazing: warm, insightful, and incredibly accommodating. She made me feel comfortable right away and was a wealth of knowledge about culture, history, nature, and nomadic traditions. I felt like I could ask her anything, and she always had thoughtful answers and explanations...
Great tour in the city and then to the semigobi.
Jack is an amazing guy that will tell everything about Mongolia and its history. The city has many gems to discover and the long trip by car to the desert is worth it.
The best first tour of Mongolia!
Discover Mongolia's "Discover Mongolia" tour was absolutely amazing! Very well-organised tour, with each day organised very well (driving in the first part of the day, and activities in the second part of the day). They tailored the itinerary a little to accommodate my husband and I with our two boys (12 and 5). There is a lot of driving around the country (unpaved roads) but this was the best way to see the beauty of the country and the children handled the long driving hours very well.
The tour guide (Uka) was amazing - well-informed and able to give us the background about everything we saw and did. She was so lovely and friendly, and our boys loved her. She was always very upbeat and happy and this was infectious...
Great first experience in Mongolia
We had a great 7 day experience with Discover Mongolia. The itinerary was well thought out and included a variety of activities, from riding camels/ horses, visiting a nomadic family to seeing the amazing scenery at the Flaming Cliffs and Eagle Valley.
Shoutout to our guide Tugu who took the time to connect with us and made sure everything was taken care of. His in-depth explanations allowed us to better appreciate the country’s culture and history. Our driver Tsend was equally helpful in ensuring a safe and comfortable journey. Also huge thanks to the tour manager, Shinee, who was very responsive to our queries and made us feel assured...
An unforgettable trip with beautiful Mongolian nature
A three-night and four-day trip to Mongolia with Discover Mongolia was a really special memory. Discover Mongolia was chosen by many travel agents for its fast, honest response, reasonable rates, and convenient online payment system.
During the journey, the rich experience and expertise of the driver Bodia became a great force. He drove safely when passing the non-powered road or mountain range, especially the crossroads he indicated on the way from the Orcano Falls to Hanher were a memorable highlight. The heavenly...
Amazing
It was perfect, safe and amazing
Professional Guide Tugu - Best Choice for Mongolia
Tugu is an exceptional professional guide! During our 7-day tour, he demonstrated deep knowledge of Mongolian history, excellent English skills, and outstanding organizational abilities.
What impressed me most was his storytelling about nomadic culture and Genghis Khan's history - every excursion became a captivating journey through time. Tugu was always punctual, detail-oriented, and genuinely cared about the group's comfort.
His connections with local people helped us get an authentic experience - from staying in traditional gers to tasting local cuisine. Safety was always a priority, and his good humor made even long drives enjoyable...
from 1,468 USD