Golden Gobi Tour with Naadam Festival
10 days
Overview
The thought of the Gobi Desert stirs up images of sand dunes in people’s heads, but only about 3% of the Gobi is actual sand dunes whilst most of the terrain is flat with gravel and low vegetation. Though not as populous as other parts of Mongolia, there are nomadic families who live here tending to their livestock including two-humped Bactrian camels beside their herds of sheep, goats, and horses. The Gobi region was once a flourishing ecosystem that supported many types of lifeforms including dinosaurs confirmed by the abundance of fossil discoveries. Experience highlights of the Gobi, including the Lammergeier’s valley – an oasis in the middle of the desert teeming with wildlife, Singing Sands – spectacular stretch of sand dunes, Flaming Cliffs – where an American explorer named Roy Chapman Andrews discovered the first-recorded fossilized dinosaur eggs in the 1920s, and other interesting sights.
The official Naadam celebration annually takes place on July 11th and 12th. All provinces and regions celebrate their festivals respectively on their own dates in July. Nomads who are sparsely distributed throughout the steppes of Mongolia would gather together for a celebration once every July. The word Naadam means “Games,” it consists of the three manly sports: wrestling, archery, and horse-racing. Nowadays women participate in the two other sports besides wrestling. The games have been celebrated for hundreds of years, even dating back to the era of Chinggis Khan to keep his warriors in top shape.
Date & Price:
Departing: 10-07-2025
Finishing: 19-07-2025
Status: Open
Price Per Person:
Includes:
- 3 overnights at 4* hotel in UB (twin)
- 6 overnights at the Ger camp (twin/triple)
- All indicated meals ( B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner )
- Drinking water
- All visits, NP fee, sightseeing fees and The Naadam festival ticket
- Comfortable 4x4 van including gasoline with experienced driver
- English speaking guide
- All airport transfers
Exludes:
- Travel insurance
- Optional activities (camel and horse riding...)
- Meals not indicated
- Drinks
- Gratuities
- Visa to Mongolia
- International flights & Travels
- Hotel early check-in and late check-out
- Other services not mentioned in the itinerary
Travel information:
- * Attend Naadam Festival in Mongolia which is inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
- * Visit Tsagaan Suvarga (White stupa) is a vibrant clay formation slope with a brink that is about 400 meters long and 60 meters high
- * Visit Yolin Am, translated as Lammergeier’s Valley, named after a large species of bird also known as the “bearded vulture”
- * Visit Khongor sand dunes. This long, narrow stretch of sand dunes continues for over 100 km with width of about few km to 12 km.
- * Visit Bayanzag nicknamed Flaming Cliffs by an American explorer named Roy Chapman Andrews who led an expedition team here in the 1920s.
- * Visit Chinggis Khan statue 40-meter (130 ft) tall, stainless-steel statue of mounted Chinggis Khan and the world’s largest equestrian statue
Day 1 Arrival in Mongolia
Arrive in Ulaanbaatar, the bustling capital of Mongolia. Our representative will pick you up from the airport and transfer you to a centrally located hotel. After settling into your room, meet your guide in the lobby for a walking city tour to the main square and nearby museums. Then attend an evening show of traditional performances followed by a welcome dinner.
- D
- Hotel
Day 2 See the Naadam Festival in the Central Stadium
Meet with the guide and driver. Today we will visit to the Naadam Festival stadium. The national holiday Naadam is not only famous among Mongolians but also in the world. Many tourists, guests and journalists come to Mongolia to take part. The Festival starts with a transferring ceremony of the nine white banners from the Government House to the Naadam Stadium followed by a horse parade. Genghis Khaan used to use the nine banners during festive and peaceful times. Next, the magnificent opening ceremony starts. Traditional wrestling, archery and horse race are main highlights of the festival. As well as, you will see anklebone shooting and Naadam trade starting from Naadam main dish Huushuur, souvenirs, traditional clothes and much more. In the evening attend a show presenting traditional performances consisting of music, throat-singing, dancing, and contortion followed by a dinner at local restaurant.
- B.L.D
- Hotel
Day 3 Drive to the White Stupa cliffs
Drive to Tsagaan Suvarga, translated as the White Stupa in English is a vibrant clay formation slope with a brink that is about 400 meters long and 60 meters high. This naturally occurring formation once was part of a seabed aeons ago. Ores exposed to oxygen created the differing purple, orange and reddish hues that make it stand out amongst its surrounding flat expanse.
- B.L.D
- Ger camp
- 440 km
Day 4 Hiking in the Lammergeier’s valley
Drive to Yolin Am, translated as Lammergeier’s valley, named after a large species of bird also known as the “bearded vulture” which glide over the gorge where they live and breed on crags of its high mountains. Lammergeiers mostly feed on bones. They can swallow whole or bite through brittle bones and its powerful digestive system quickly dissolves even large pieces. If a bone is too large to swallow, they carry it up and drop it down onto rocks below to smash it into smaller pieces. Nestled within the Three Beauties Mountain range, the narrow part of this gorge shelters ice until July despite the hot desert temperature. The stream that flows through, the lush valley and its surrounding mountains altogether is an oasis in the middle of the desert with diverse wildlife.
- B.L.D
- Ger camp
- 215 km
Day 5 Singing Sands
Our next destination is the Khongor sand dunes overlooking the green meadow of the Khongor river. This long, narrow stretch of sand dunes continues for over 100 km with width of about few km to 12 km. From flatland to the highest ridge is around 200 meters. In the late afternoon, you can try to climb up to one of the crests or walk the lower slopes and enjoy the surrounding view. It’s also called the “Singing Sands” due to a distant propeller hum heard when strong winds push tons of sand grains down steep slopes thus causing friction and producing small tremors.
- B.L.D
- Ger camp
- 220 km
Day 5 Flaming Cliffs
Drive to Bayanzag, nicknamed Flaming Cliffs by an American explorer named Roy Chapman Andrews who led an expedition team here in the 1920s. He was a proponent of Out of Asia theory of humanity’s origins. And whilst searching for remains of earliest humans, which they did not find, the team instead discovered the first recorded fossilized nest of dinosaur eggs here at this site along with other dinosaur fossils.
- B.L.D
- Ger camp
- 160 km
Day 7 Drive to Baga Gazariin Chuluu
Baga Gazariin Chuluu is a 15 km long and 10 km wide granite massif encompassing an area of about 300 square kilometers. These unique rock formations create a labyrinth with its gorges, thus making it stand out from surrounding semi-desert steppe terrain. There is ruin of an old monastery center here and other interesting spots including rock paintings and a spring locals claim is good for eye health.
- B.L.D
- Ger camp
- 380 km
Day 8 Drive to Terelj NP via Chinggis Khan statue
Stopover at the Chinggis Khan statue complex. It is a 40-meter (130 ft) tall, stainless-steel statue of mounted Chinggis Khan and the world’s largest equestrian statue. Once you go inside, there is a souvenir shop, restaurant, and small museum. A lift takes you to a flight of stairs leading up to back of the horse’s head where you can get a panoramic view of the surrounding steppe. Afterwards drive to Terelj NP, a popular vacation spot for tourists and locals.
- B.L.D
- Ger camp
- 300 km
Day 9 Turtle rock and meditation temple/Return to Ulaanbaatar
See a large turtle-shaped rock and visit a meditation temple before heading back to Ulaanbaatar. Transfer to hotel and rest until farewell dinner
- B.L.D
- Ger camp
- 90 km
Day 10 Departure
Pick up from the hotel and transfer to the airport for your departure flight.
- B
Gallery
