One Week Mongolia Gobi Desert Itinerary

Planning a Trip in Mongolia

Tour Operator

So, you want to start doing some research on the Gobi tour? The best way to look for a tour is to do it when you are in Ulaanbaatar. The tour you booked from abroad is almost always more expensive than when you booked it here. If you are on a budget, I recommend coming to Ulaanbator earlier and spending a day finding good deals.

Since I was on a budget, I went with the tour organized by Sun Path Guesthouse. They were extremely reliable and professional. The guide was well-informed and spoke excellent English, while all the vehicles and gear they provided were reliable and sufficient to make my life quite comfortable.

Included in the price were unlimited drinking water, three meals per day, transportation, unlimited snacks, and sleeping bags.

Doljmaa, the owner of the guesthouse, speaks perfect English and can provide you with any information you need about Mongolia. I booked the tour with her the day before, and she was able to put me in one of the ongoing tours the next day by having her husband drive me all the way to the meetup point, which was 4 hours away from Ulaanbaatar. I have no idea how she manages all the logistical nightmares while catering to all the customers' needs, but she is really good at it, and she will find a way for you to have the best trip of your life in Mongolia.

For a 7-day Gobi Desert tour visiting Yol Valley, Khongor Sand Dunes, Flaming Cliffs, Bayanzag, horseback riding, staying with nomad families, the Terelj National Park, and visiting the Genghis Khan statue, I paid 420 USD.

It may seem a bit expensive, but considering that it is all-inclusive for 7 days, I think it is pretty reasonable.

If you want to email Doljmaa and ask her something, try going to her website or emailing her directly at info@sunpath-mongolia.com.

If you do not mind the price and are looking for a great and comfortable experience exploring the Gobi desert, I highly recommend you browse through some of the Gobi desert listings here.

If you prefer booking online beforehand, here are some other recommended Gobi Desert tours that you can do with different itineraries to fit your needs.

• 4-Day Mongolia Gobi Desert Tour (4 days)
• 4-Day Gobi Desert Dream Tour
• 8 Days Tour: Gobi Desert and Kharkhorin (8 Days)
• Nomadic Trails (13 days)
• 15-day Combination of Gobi and Central Mongolia (15 Days)
• Nomadic Trails (13 days)

Quick Notes about the tours:

• You will be staying in a ger with the nomad families every day in the middle of nowhere, so don't expect to have access to power outlets, showers, and the internet.
• The tour I took stopped at a proper restaurant with power outlets every 2-3 days, so you can also charge your stuff there. However, don't rely on them too much.
• Seven days in the desert, we only had access to a warm shower once, so don't expect your hygiene to be at its best all the time. Plus, no one on the tour will care at that point.

One Week Itinerary in Mongolia

Day 1: Ulaanbator (1 day)

Ulaanbaatar is a great city to learn about modern Mongolian culture. First off, go check out Sukhbaatar Square and all the museums around the area to learn more about the country. On a Sunday evening, you may be able to see concerts or cultural events happening in the square. I was there when they held a breakdance battle. Who would have thought I would be seeing that in Mongolia!

Go to the national museum, and you will learn that there was once a Mongolian cosmonaut who went to space! I never knew that before! You will also see how big the actual Mongolian Empire was.

Once you are done with the museums, hail a cab - and by that, I mean hail every car on the road, and don't hesitate to get into the car that stops for you because that is how taxis work in Ulaanbaatar. Any car can be a taxi, and they will charge you based on the kilometers on the car's dashboard. Bizarre, right? But it works quite efficiently!

After you get a cab, head over to the Winter Palace of Bogd Khan in the south to get a glimpse of what the Tibetan religion is like.

After you have walked around the palace, grab another taxi outside and head south to the Zaisan Monument. Then, climb to the top.

The Zaisan Monument is my favorite spot in Ulaanbator. The Soviet-era monument depicts a beautiful illustration of the camaraderie between soldiers who fought in wars. The monument is located on top of a mountain, which gives you the best view of all Ulaanbator.

The colorful illustration and concrete structure really showcase the aesthetics of the people of Mongolia during the Soviet era.

From behind the monument, you can also see the mountains that surround Ulaanbaatar, protecting it from invaders for many centuries.

If you are looking for a great night out with the locals, head over to the LUX club around midnight and party your way through the city until morning.

Day 2: Yol Valley (1 day)

The first stop for the 7-day Gobi Desert tour is the Yol Valley. Prepare to get really cold and wet while hiking this bad boy.

The valley is located and structured in a way that intact ice blocks can still be seen deep in the valley. This is the kind of place I did not expect to see in a desert.

It should take you around an hour to walk through the beautiful green valley until you have to walk on ice, which allows you to explore all the ice tunnels and streams up close.

Day 3: Khongor Sand Dunes (1 day)

It takes around 8 hours to get from Yol Valley to the sand dunes, and once you arrive, you can take a camel ride around the desert and become familiar with the land.

In the evening, right before sunset, head over to the sand dunes and hike up to the top to watch the sunset. This was one of the most surreal experiences of the entire trip, hands down.

As the sun dipped further on the horizon, you would witness the sand dunes turning golden while the sky turned purple.

The sand dunes may seem small from afar, but trust me, it was a challenge to climb up them. Walking on the beach is difficult enough, but now imagine the beach on a freaking mountain, and you have to climb up the sand.

But the view was totally worth the sweat!

It is also quite rewarding to run down the sand dunes.

Day 4: The Flaming Cliffs (1 day)

The Flaming Cliffs has found its popularity due to the important fossil discovery here when the American paleontologist discovered the first dinosaur eggs.

Other fossils were also found here, such as specimens of Velociraptor and eutherian mammals.

The sandstone cliffs will turn bright orange when the sun is setting, hence the name "The Flaming Cliffs".

When you are back at the ger, go for a walk to one of the few green areas in the desert located on the cliff near the ger and enjoy the sunset from up there.

At night, wake up around 4 AM while the moon is setting, and you will be greeted with a glimpse of the Milky Way for a while until the sun comes up at 5 AM.

Day 5: The Saikhan Ruin (1 day)

The Saikhan ruin was once a grand Buddhist temple until the Soviets came and turned it to ashes, forcing all the monks to forget their religion and believe in the state's ideology only.

Behind the temple, there is a small hill that you can climb to get a view of the landscape surrounding the temple.

In the evening, go back to the ger and participate in the nomad family's activities, such as helping them milk their goats, etc. This girl you see above was a badass, by the way, wrestling with goats like a real champ.

Day 6: Kharkorin (1 day)

Kharkorin was once the capital of the Mongol Empire before it fell, and what remained was the beautiful temple complex with a massive wall surrounding it. Spend some time and talk to the guide to learn more about how significant this religious site was in the past.

There was a glimpse of Tibetan-style architecture in some of the temple's buildings, such as the one shown above.

The iconic wall of Kharkorin was built after the death of Genghis Khan in order to protect his city from invaders.

Day 7: Khogno Tarna National Park (1 day)

After traveling in the desolate desert of the Gobi for a few days, a little green hill and rocky mountains were a welcome change. The Khogno Tarna park is filled with stunning rocky mountains that beg you to climb and green rolling hills as far as the eyes can see.

This is one of my favorite places in Mongolia. You can really see how vast Mongolia is from one of the mountain peaks here.

Go on a horse and ride around the park like Genghis Khan, enjoying the sunset while galloping into the Land of the Blue Sky. I actually imagined myself doing just that when I rode a horse in Mongolia.

Day 8: Terelj national park (1 day)

The Terelj National Park is a change of pace from living in a ger with the minimum basic needs to staying in a nice ger converted into a hotel.

Not just that, but since the park is so close to Ulaanbaatar, it attracts many locals, which makes the place seem a little too crowded for my liking. I personally preferred living in nature before, but a little comfort was good too.

Hike up to one of the temples on the side of the cliff to get a view of the entire park.

Also, if you like rock climbing, go and climb the iconic Turtle Rock. We didn't do that because it was pouring all day.

Last but not least, drop by this massive Genghis Khan statue and go up on his horse to reach the lookout point, where you can see the beautiful landscape of Mongolia before you return to Ulaanbaatar.

Fun fact: The statue is the tallest man-on-a-horse statue in the world, 40 meters from the ground up.

Watch it on Youtube

Why Go To Mongolia?

Mongolia is not a popular destination among backpackers compared to places like Thailand or Indonesia, primarily due to the expensive airfare and the fact that most backpackers prefer not to go out of their way.

However, it is certainly not because of a shortage of beautiful places for them to explore. The advantage of this is that it preserves the country and its natural surroundings for the rest of us adventurers who enjoy deviating from the mainstream.

What Mongolia is well known for is its variety of landscapes, from steppes, valleys, and mountains, to deserts. In the Gobi desert, we were able to see a wide range of different landscapes, like the rainy valleys of Yol, the green rolling hills of Khogno Tarna, and the desolate rock formation of the Flaming Cliffs, all in one trip.

It was one of the most diverse deserts I have ever witnessed. Not to mention the century-old nomadic lifestyle they have perfected over the years, the mysterious culture of shamanism and Tibetan Buddhism, and you will get to experience all of that in the Gobi desert. Mongolia is truly one of a kind.

When to go to Mongolia?

The best time to visit is in the summer, from June to August. If possible, try to align your visit with their annual Nadaam celebration. The Nadaam celebration is when the whole country erupts with sports competitions, from archery to wrestling, and it occurs on the 11th of July every year. Mongolia is most active during this time.

One word of warning: stay as far away from Mongolia as possible during winter because the temperature can drop below -40°C!

How to Get to Mongolia?

The best way to get here is to fly into Ulaanbaatar. There are only a few flights flying into Mongolia, most of which will either go through Hong Kong, China, or Kazakhstan. I would recommend you browse through Skyscanner or Expedia to find a cheap flight from where you live to Ulaanbator that best fits your itinerary.

What to Pack for Mongolia?

If you go with Sunpath Guesthouse's tours, your backpack will be much lighter because water, sleeping bags, and food are all provided. What you have to pack yourself is:

• Clothing for the whole trip: Pack some layers (1 fleece jacket and an outer shell jacket) as well since the desert can get really cold sometimes. Here are the jackets I recommend you get for the trip: fleece jacket and the beautiful orange Columbia outer-shell jacket.
• Snacks for the ride: Keep in mind that every day, you will be riding the jeep for at least 5 hours, so prepare your food intake accordingly.
• Toilet paper: This is very important because, in the Gobi desert, a proper toilet is a luxury, and you will most likely be shitting in holes for the rest of the trip. So, prepare your own toilet paper!
• Sunscreen: because you are in a goddamn desert!
• Headlamps: Because you do NOT want to tip a cow when you want to go to the outdoor toilet at night! I recommend you get the Cree LED headlamp.
• Power Bank: I have a 20,000 mAh power bank to keep all my electronics charged up and ready to go every morning. Even though they usually stop at a proper restaurant with power outlets every 2 days, you can bet there will be a lot of people trying to charge their stuff as well, so it's better to have a backup. I recommend you get the Anker PowerCore 20,000 mAh power bank, which should be enough for all your electronics for the entire duration of the trip.
• Camera: To capture the best landscape you will ever see! Looking for a great lightweight camera and lens for this trip? I recommend the Sony a6600 and pair it with either the 16-70mm f4 Zeiss lens or the best lens you can get for this camera, the 16 - 55mm f2.8.
• Wet wipes: because they are the next best thing to actually showering.
• Books and Music: Or any pastime activities you would like to do because you will be in the jeep most of your days.
• A Backpack: And you will need a backpack to carry everything with you for the entire duration of the trip. I highly recommend the 65L Osprey Atmos AG Backpack with its mesh grid back support that makes your backpack lighter, a good capacity to carry everything you need for your trip, and you can't beat the Osprey lifetime guarantee.