Mongolia Explorer

15 days
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4.6/5 Excellent
100+ reviews  
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Small Group Tour
Endless blue skies, stunning scenery, vast desert and welcoming nomadic hospitality is everything that is great about this exploration of Mongolia. We visit ancient Buddhist monasteries and the sacred Orkhon Valley, discover the great Gobi Desert and learn about the traditions and culture of this fascinating and little known country. Please note the Naadam Fe...
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$4,560
From$3,800
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Overview

Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Strenuous

Highlights

    • An adventurous journey by 4WD across Mongolia's dramatic landscapes to the Gobi Desert
    • Stay in gers and discover Mongolia's fascinating nomadic lifestyle and warm hospitality
    • Naadam Festival special departures in an authentic rural setting

What's this trip about?

    Endless blue skies, stunning scenery, vast desert and welcoming nomadic hospitality is everything that is great about this exploration of Mongolia. We visit ancient Buddhist monasteries and the sacred Orkhon Valley, discover the great Gobi Desert and learn about the traditions and culture of this fascinating and little known country. Please note the Naadam Festival departure is 1 day longer, please select the relevant itinerary by clicking the package of interest at the top of the day to day itinerary. Steppe, mountains and deserts - Explore spectacularly varied Mongolian landscapes Gobi Desert - Travel through one of the most remote parts of our planet and marvel at the beautiful extremes Kharakorum - Explore Genghis Khan's ruined capital and the revived Erdene Zuu Monastery Naadam Festival Departures - Experience Mongolia's biggest celebration of the year in authentic settings

Details

Itinerary focusOff the Beaten Path
Group sizeSmall Group - max of 20 people
Age range16 to 85 years
Flights and transport
Start CityUlaan Baatar
End CityUlaan Baatar

Travel Themes

  • Cultural
  • Hiking & Walking

Attractions

  • Bar
  • Fes
  • Gandan Monastery
  • Gobi Desert
  • Indiana
  • Ulaanbaatar

Activities

  • Hiking

Max Group Size

  • Max Group Size: 20

Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1 Join trip in Ulaanbaatar

Arrive in Ulaanbaatar, the largely modernised capital hub of Mongolia. This city is home to nearly half of the population, and many can be seen in their traditional dress with a huge proportion continuing to live in gers in the suburbs. For those arriving on time o...

Day 2 Drive to Hustai National Park. Search for Perzevalski wild horses

The adventure begins this morning as we leave Ulaanbaatar and drive out into Mongolia's beautiful countryside, firstly passing through the new, the old and the chaotic parts of the capital, before reaching the famed rolling hills of the Mongolian steppe. Following the...

Day 3 Drive to Khogno Khan Mountain via herding family visit in the mini-Gobi

Today, a 4 hour scenic drive takes us to Khogno Khan Mountain - a beautiful and serene mountainous area set in the heart of Mongolia's steppeland. Once the site of a fierce battle between Bhuddist sects, nowadays Khogno Khan is considered a place of spirituality. We w...

Day 4 Visit Erdene Zu Monastery en route to Kharkorum

Waking up in the shadow of Khogno Khan, we'll spend a lazy morning enjoying the scenery of our surroundings before setting off in search of Mongolia's ancient capital - Kharkorum - a 2 hour drive away. Kharkorum was the former capital of the Mongolian Empire. At its h...

Day 5 Drive to Orkhon Valley via Tovkhon mountain-top Monastery

Continuing on our journey south this morning we will stop after 1.5hrs to visit Tovkhon Monastery - one of the most secluded and beautiful in the region. The only way to reach Tovkhon is on foot but it is worth it for the views alone. The walk is about 5km or 3miles i...

Day 6 In the Orkhon Valley. Visit local family and learn about nomadic life

Today we'll spend our time relaxing amidst the picturesque surroundings of the Orkhon Valley and you can choose to horseride or walk in this lush green heart of Mongolia's countryside. For those who wish, we'll set out on horseback to explore the mountains, rivers and...

Day 7 Drive to Ongii Temple

Today we embark on a longer drive of seven hours from the green mountains of Khangai into the Gobi landscape, passing lush green winding river valleys that transition into the scrub filled desert region. We pass into Saikhan Ovoo, a small province in Mongolia's heartl...

Day 8 Cross the Gobi Desert to the Flaming Cliffs of Bayanzag

After breakfast, we depart our ger camp and head into the Gobi Desert proper. We'll journey for around 4 hours today and will pass three mountain ranges known as the 'Three Beauties'. The sheer vastness of the desert is awe-inspiring and, as our drivers set off across...

Day 9 Journey to the Khongor 'Singing' Sand Dunes

The adventure continues as we bid farewell to the Flaming Cliffs, board our vehicles and journey for about 4 hours onwards through the wilds of the Gobi Desert to the Khongor Sand Dunes (Khongoryn Els) also known as the Singing Sands. Along the route, we pass some of ...

Day 10 Drive to the Yol Valley (Vulture Gorge)

After enjoying another filling breakfast in our Ger camp, it's back aboard our vehicles as we continue the adventure. The journey is short today but the going is bumpy as we leave the Khongor area on our way to the Yol Valley. You can see how the landscape transitions...

Day 11 Visit Dalanzadgad Dinosaur Museum and drive to the White Stupa Cliffs

Following a hearty breakfast we'll head for the provincial capital of Dalanzadgad to visit the recently opened Gobi Museum of Nature and History, a modern museum that houses many of the region's dinosaur finds and artifacts that help explain the history and culture of...

Day 12 Journey to Baga Gazriin Chuluu National Park

Following breakfast, we make our way across country, continuing our journey to an area known as Baga Gazriin Chuluu. The trip will take us across typical Gobi scrub, transitioning finally into the more famed and well-known traditional Mongolian steppe. After around 5 ...

Day 13 Return to Ulaanbatar and explore the capital

Today, we leave the countryside and head back to the hustle and bustle of Ulaanbaatar. After a morning's drive of around 4 hours, we return to the city of nomads and our first visit before lunch is the unmissable Gandan Monastery - Ulaanbaatar's largest and most impre...

Day 14 Tour ends in Ulaanbaatar

The trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Ulaanbaatar. Although the tour is over, we hope you'll be flying home with a head full of memories and stories to share with your friends and family! There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart from...

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Dates & Availability

Price From $3,800
Price per day$253
Last Updated: 3/14/2025
Departure Date
Finish Date
Base Price
Single Room (Optional)
Availability
15 Jun 2025
28 Jun 2025
$4,010
$510
30 Jun 2025
14 Jul 2025
$4,560
$690
06 Jul 2025
20 Jul 2025
$4,900
$680
27 Jul 2025
09 Aug 2025
$4,220
$510
10 Aug 2025
23 Aug 2025
$4,360
$510
17 Aug 2025
30 Aug 2025
$3,800
$510
31 Aug 2025
13 Sep 2025
$4,220
$510
07 Sep 2025
20 Sep 2025
$3,800
$510
14 Jun 2026
27 Jun 2026
$4,150
$540
30 Jun 2026
14 Jul 2026
$4,430
$730

Check current availability, prices, specials & more.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Explore! Reviews & Ratings

4.6/5  Excellent
Excellent
10,362
Great
3,337
Average
524
Disappointing
158
Terrible
79
T

Trusted Customer

Sep 2024

Written on

Mongolia Explorer

The guide needs to sharpen up his communication skills and to speak to the whole group and to be clear about then itinerary and what situation is. He often just addr...

J

Jo

Aug 2024

Written on

Mongolia Explorer

This is a great overview of Mongolia with a variety of activities and landscapes. Seeing Nadaam from Kharkorum instead of Ulaanbataar was definitely a bonus; I had ...

C

Crystal

Jul 2024

Written on

Mongolia Explorer

Accommodations varied and some were better than others.

P

Pippa

Jul 2024

Written on

Mongolia Explorer

Ben our leader was fantastic. Really made the trip exciting and fun. He handled the various incidental misadventures (from insane weather disruptions to vehicle mish...

L

Laura

Jul 2024

Written on

Mongolia Explorer

Amazing tour. Something new & exciting to discover & experience every day:)

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Melanie

Mar 2025

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Very well organised trip, to a beautiful part of the world. Suitable for those who love natural beauty, remoteness, lots of trekking and a cool climate. we were luck...

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Logistics

Accommodation

Transportation & Flights

Bus, 4WD,

Transportation & flights

Bus, 4WD
Guides
Explore Tour Leader, Driver(s), Local Guide(s)
Cancellation policy
These conditions are applicable to Discovery & Wildlife, Cycling, Walking and Family Trips. These conditions were updated November 2022. Booked a Polar trip? Please refer to our Polar booking conditions. To make it easy to know the detail of our flexibility, we’ve put it in a grid (these terms apply to all trips apart from our Polar Voyages.) Standard cancellations or changes within 69 days of travel If you’re getting closer to your trip, cancellation charges will apply as follows: For trips confirmed by 31st December 2022: 59-42 days before trip start date – 30%, or loss of deposit if higher 41-28 days before trip start date – 60% 27-14 days before trip start date – 90% Less than 14 days before trip start date – 100% For trips confirmed from 1st January 2023: 69 -42 days before trip start date – 30%, or loss of deposit if higher 41-28 days before trip start date – 60% 27-14 days before trip start date – 90% Less than 14 days before trip start date – 100%
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Mongolia: British nationals wanting to stay for less than 30 days do not need a visa to enter Mongolia. All passports must have at least 6 months validity remaining on entry to Mongolia.
Health & Safety
Nothing compulsory, but we recommend protection against typhoid, tetanus, infectious hepatitis and polio. Please check the latest requirements with your travel clinic or doctor prior to departure. The above is not an exhaustive list. Further information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice can be found by following the NHS and NaTHNaC links at <a href="https://www.explore.co.uk/essential-information/know-before-you-go/travel-health">Explore Travel Health</a> and from your local healthcare provider. Visa and vaccination requirements are subject to change and should be confirmed by you before travelling.
Meals Included
  • Breakfast : 14
  • Dinner : 12
  • Lunch : 13
Age Requirements
16 to 85 years
Additional Information
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Trip ID
explore-GK

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