Nomad Stay – Living Mongolia

A tour guide and driver welcome you at the airport and transfer to the hotel in 50 km. We kindly advise you to take a very good rest.

You will have breakfast in the hotel. The guide will pick you up from the hotel in the morning.
Today we start our journey heading to our next destination. On our way, we would have
lunch at a local dining place in a town 75 miles away. Afterwards, we would drive to Elsen
Tasarkhai or Sand Dunes, which is around 80 km/ 50 miles long of sand in Uvurkhangai
province. We visit an old temple called Uvgun – Old Man, which is right before reaching the
sand dunes. By the sand dunes, we build our tents, have dinner and rest in the tent at
night. The sand dunes are located 173 miles away from the capital. You can walk with your
bare foot on the dunes and have leisure time. (Breakfast – hotel, Lunch & Dinner – Elsen
Tasarkhai)

In the morning, our cook prepares breakfast for us. After we disassemble and upload the
tents, we drive to the next destination called Shargaljuut hot and cold spring water treatment
center in Bayankhongor province. On our way, we would have lunch at a dining place in
Arvaikheer town while we would drive through and continue our journey. Our final
destination for today is a hot spring water area 350 km/ 218 miles away from the sand
dunes. We would stay in tents after dinner. Spring water from underground is rich with
hydrocarbonate, mainly salt cake – chemical element, and the temperature is between 43-
95C degree /109-203F. Treatment center requires at least a week stay under the
supervisor’s advice, therefore we would not have the treatment. (Breakfast – tent camp,
Lunch – Arvaikheer city, Dinner – Shargaljuut)

Day 4-7: Nomad family stay in Bayankhongor province 

These days would be an unforgettable experience and a new page for your entire lifetime especially for children to see authentic nomad lifestyles dealing with livestock and herders’ family daily routine. You would watch how nomadic people treat animals, milk yaks, make foods, and produce national cuisines. Children can play with new offspring and stay closer to nature these days. The sun, the moon, the earth, starry nights would be your true friends in the wilderness. As for activities, we would drive to a beautiful gorge named Tamch and Erkhet 60 km/ 37 miles away, which was formed due to an ancient breaking/cracking and mountain water cut volcanic basalts. Gorge depth is 380 meters, which makes it impossible to see the sun at the bottom during winter. Locals collect wild onions and medical plants such as black berries, barberries, dog rose, roseroot and wire grass as well. It is also possible to go fishing downhill of the gorge. In the evening, we would watch and enjoy how nomadic people deal with their livestock such as roping horses, taming horses, milking cows etc. Full board meal would be served.

In the morning, we would load our stuff to the van as usual after breakfast and drive to Bayanlig village. On our way, we would stop by the nomad family in the Gobi, where you can see picturesque places. After lunch, we would drive to the gallery of petroglyphs, which is a rich historical mountain and rocks. We would stay in the tent by the particular place in the evening.  Full board meal would be served.

Today we would leave Bayankhongor province behind driving to South Gobi province. It is a day to visit a nomad family in the South Gobi to try camel riding when we reach the Sand dunes – Khongor Els. Warm hospitality of nomad families would continue in different places as before. We would stay by the nomad family to have a nice conversation. The sand dunes cover 925 square kilometers and are situated at an altitude of 1040 – 1840 meters above sea level. The dunes are 150 km long, between 3 and 20 km wide and the highest peak is 195 meters from the prominence. 

Full board meal would be served.

In the morning after breakfast, we would drive to Bayanzag, known as Flaming Cliffs exploring the ‘Gobi Dinosaur Cemetery’ and the trail of Roy Chapman Andrews and his team. It is a cliff and you can walk down with the tour guide instruction to the floor to try to feel the place where ancient dinosaurs used to walk. People hope to see or find some parts of the ancient burial site of the dinosaurs or egg, but it is impossible today. When we reach the cliff, we will have lunch. If the sky is clear without clouds, you can enjoy a sunset in a flat desert area, which is a romantic action. Overnight in the tent. Full board meal would be served.

In the morning, we would drive towards the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park for hiking till the end of the valley and an opportunity to take photographs of stunning landscape, the Gobi Glacier and intriguing wildlife. Depending on when, we may see the glacier or not. It means that in early July, we definitely see it, but later the glacier melts completely due to global warming and no chance to see it. There is a parking place for cars and vans and we will walk to the end of the valley both ways. It is probably 2.5 km/1.5 miles one way. Afterwards, we will drive back to the main entrance and to the city of Dalanzadgad to stay at a local hotel. You will enjoy a peaceful evening in the beautiful surrounds of the Gobi Desert. Full board meal would be served.

When we say goodbye to the family, we will depart to the capital Ulaanbaatar. On our way, we will stop by a small town to have lunch and continue our journey. When we reach the capital,  we will have farewell dinner at a restaurant to try traditional food. Overnight at a selected hotel. (Breakfast – by the family, Lunch – local dining place, Dinner (farewell) – restaurants)

Tour guide and bus driver would pick you up and transfer you to the airport. Hope you all have a very nice and memorable trip in Mongolia with the help of us and see you again. It is a great pleasure to assist you to travel here adding a new page to your life. Have a safe and joyful trip back to your home.