14D13N Nomadic Mongolia (AMNA)
Looking for that sweet spot between independent backpacking and organized group tours? Congrats — you found it! Classic tours combine the support and security of group travel, unbeatable variety, and the flexibility to go off-script when fate says, “Hey, let’s do this.”
Long after the reign of Genghis Khan, nomadism remains a way of life in modern Mongolia. But with so much to see and do here, it’s only natural that people would want to move about and explore. This adventure taps into the nomadic lifestyle embraced by almost 40% of the local population, travelling through ruggedly beautiful gorges and sandstone mountains in search of golden eagles, desert gazelles, and the Mongolian horse.
Tour Highlights
- Cafe No Limits Visit, Ulaanbaatar
- Choir Monastery Visit.
- Yolyn Am National Park stay and nature Museum visit.
- Gobi Desert stay.
- Khongoryn Els Sand Dunes and Flaming Cliffs Visit.
- Ongiin Khiid Monastery entrance.
- Mongolian Grasslands nomad camp stay.
- Explore the ruins of remote monasteries, share a ger with a nomadic family, visit Mongolia’s ancient capital, see the wild horses in Khustai National Park
Good to know
- Physical Rating: 3: Some tours may include light hiking, biking, rafting, or kayaking in addition to walking.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1 Ulaanbaatar
Arrive at any time.
Day 2 Ulaanbaatar
Enjoy a free day exploring the city. Opt to take a morning city tour including visits to Gandan Monastery, Bogd Khan Palace, and Zaisan Hill. Afterwards, stop for a visit to No Limits Cafe and enjoy coffee, tea, and snacks prepared and served by local youth with Down Syndrome, and their mothers.
Spend a free day exploring this fascinating capital city.
Enjoy the sights of UB and opt to visit to the Gandan Monastery, Bogd Khan Palace, and Zaisan Hill.
breakfast
Day 3 Ulaanbaatar/Baga Gadzrïn Chuluu
Drive to the Dungobi Aimag region – Middle Gobi – stopping at the Choir Monastery on the way. Spend the night at the first Mongolian ger camp.
Leave the capital and head south through the steppe to the Middle Gobi.
Visit the Choir Monastery before continuing on to a small ger camp not far from Mandalgovi, the regional centre.
breakfast · lunch · dinner
Day 4 Baga Gadzrïn Chuluu/Yolyn Am
Arrive at Yolyn Am — a narrow gorge in the Gurvan Saikan mountains. It’s an amazing place for hiking. Bring stable shoes and warm clothes, as some places are covered in thick ice year round.
breakfast · lunch · dinner
Day 5 Yolyn Am/Khongoryn Els
Drive to Khongoryn Els. En route, stop by a local natural history museum. Enjoy the unique activities the Gobi Desert has to offer.
breakfast · lunch · dinner
Day 6 Khongoryn Els
Immerse yourself in the wonders of the Gobi Desert. This morning, visit the biggest sand dunes in the western Gobi, then meet a nomadic camel-herding family. Opt to hike along other nearby sand dunes, and try riding a camel.
breakfast · lunch · dinner
Day 7 Khongoryn Els/Bayanzag
Explore the Flaming Cliffs – a world renowned archaeological site for the vast amount of dinosaur bones and eggs found here.
Made of red sandstone, these cliffs and canyons offer visitors a scene of breathtaking beauty. Take some time to explore.
breakfast · lunch · dinner
Day 8 Bayanzag/Ongiin Hiid
Drive through western parts of the Gobi Desert. In the surrounding mountains, visit the ruins of the Hoshuu and Ongiin Khiid monasteries.
Drive to the Delger Khangai Mountains area. Explore the ruins of the monasteries in the area.
breakfast · lunch · dinner
Day 9 Ongiin Hiid/Nomad Camp
Leave the Gobi Desert and drive through the Mongolian grasslands. Spend the next two nights with a local nomadic family, observing how they live. Enjoy a traditional meal with them.
Enjoy a long drive northwest, leaving the Gobi desert area and heading into the Mongolian steppe.
The nomads here live simple lives and move their cattle along the same routes their great-grandparents travelled hundreds of years ago.
In the evening, have dinner together with your hosts. One of the best things to try is the famous Mongolian barbecue.
breakfast · lunch · dinner
Day 10 Nomad Camp
Learn more about nomadic life in the steppes. Get to know your hosts and opt to participate in traditional activities such as milking a yak and preparing fresh dairy products. Discover what it takes to handle a Mongolian horse, and if the season is right, try airag (fermented mare’s milk) – long important to cultures across Central Asia.
breakfast · lunch · dinner
Day 11 Nomad Camp/Kharkhorin
Drive to Karakorum, the ancient capital of Mongolia. Visit the Erdene Zuu Monastery, the first centre of Lama Buddhism in Mongolia. En route to tonight’s ger camp, stop by the Karakorum Museum.
Journey to Kharkhorin, stopping at the beautiful Erdene Zuu Monastery. Destroyed during the Communist era, this monastery is slowly being rebuilt.
breakfast · lunch · dinner
Day 12 Kharkhorin/Khustai National Park
Stay in Khustai National Park—home of Mongolian wild horses. Here, look for Takhi horses in their natural habitat.
breakfast · lunch · dinner
Day 13 Khustai National Park/Ulaanbaatar
Drive back to the capital for last minute sightseeing. Opt to see a local cultural show, an excellent display of dancing and Mongolian throat singing.
breakfast · lunch
Day 14 Ulaanbaatar
Depart at any time.
breakfast
What's included
Included
- Accommodations
- Daily breakfast
- All transport between destinations and to/from included activities.
- National Park entrance
Not included
- Others not mentioned
Prices & dates
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Your hotels
J Hotel
★★★★
Mongolia Paris St Sukhbaatar District 111, Ulaanbaatar 14220 Mongolia
Erdene Ukhaa Ger Camp
Dalandzadgad Khongoryn Els, Dalandzadgad 212503 Mongolia
Khan Bogd Ger Camp
Dalanzadgad Mongolia
Gobi Anar Ger Camp
Kharkhorin Mongolia
Bayan Zag Ger Camp
Secret of Ongi Monastery
Nomadic Family Stay
Munkhtenger Ger Camp
Hustai Ger Camp
Gallery
