This journey showcases the dramatic contrasts of Mongolia, from the vast, otherworldly landscapes of the Gobi Desert to the lush green valleys of Central Mongolia.
Departing from Ulaanbaatar, the adventure heads south through the Middle and Southern Gobi, offering a true sense of the desert’s immense scale and beauty. Along the way, you will experience life on the steppe with unforgettable activities such as riding two‑humped Bactrian camels, visiting a nomadic family, and enjoying the desert’s spectacular sunrises and sunsets.
A highlight of the journey is Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park, renowned for its diverse natural wonders. Here you will explore towering sand dunes, a dramatic ice canyon, the famous Flaming Cliffs, striking limestone formations, and a wealth of geological and archaeological sites that reveal the ancient history of this remarkable region.
After exploring the Gobi, the journey continues north into Central Mongolia, where the landscape transforms into rolling grasslands, river valleys, and forested hills. This region offers opportunities to enjoy refreshing swims at waterfalls and to visit some of Mongolia’s most important cultural and historical sites. Highlights include the ancient capital of Khar Khorin and the historic Erdene Zuu Monastery.
The tour concludes in the Orkhon River Valley, the cradle of Central Asia’s nomadic civilisation. Recognised for its outstanding universal value, this cultural landscape bears exceptional testimony to human history in the region. Scattered throughout the valley are ancient monuments, monasteries, temples, and archaeological ruins that reflect centuries of harmonious interaction between nomadic culture and the natural environment.
Once you are in the countryside exploring Mongolia it is our preference to stay with local nomadic family Ger camps. Gers will be shared by 3-5 people (only your group) when we stay with a local family ger camps. As a Mongolian company we prefer to support these families financially, and help support their livelihood. We are sure this resonates with our travelers who enjoy engaging with their culture and way of life on the steppe. As well as directly supporting local herders, you can experience this rich traditional way of life first hand. Some families expanded their ger camp and built Western style amenities. On this tour you will have some nights of shower.
Please consider that travelling in the countryside of Mongolia can be quite remote. There are often no paved roads so driving can be bumpy and can take a little longer than you might be used to. Also, given the remoteness, western style comforts may not be available.
Western style and luxury options are available in some parts of Mongolia in the form of Tourist ger camps. Ger camps have comfortable beds, hot showers and western style amenities. These are not included in the price quoted in this itinerary. However, if you think that you would prefer to have access to these western style comforts then please let us know and we can adjust the quote for your itinerary.
Tour departure times can be flexible, however, 7 am on the morning of departure is recommended. The driver and guide can pick you up from the airport, train station, or your accommodation to suit your requirements.
Most of the meals on this tour are included in the tour price. All included meals will be prepared from fresh local produce. The majority of the shopping for food will be done before the trip departs, and fresh goods, such as meats, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, will be bought en-route during the trip from supermarkets, local shops and markets. Breakfasts will generally consist of breads and cereals, if time allows a warm breakfast may be prepared. Many lunches will be provided en-route and will be light meals such as sandwiches and/or salads or local restaurants. All evening meals will be freshly-prepared hot meals, and will consist of a variety of continental and local dishes. Our GUIDE will organize the meal preparation and lead the way here. Vegetarian meals and other dietary requirements can be catered for but need to be specified prior to arrival.
Summer months in Mongolia are from early June to mid September. Although the Mongolian summers are hot and dry with occasional rain, the temperature can fluctuate as much 14-20 degrees centigrade between day and night. So be prepared for all weather conditions.
Sleeping bag (we can provide sleeping bag, if your luggage is full), sleeping bag liner, sunscreen, a hat, long underwear, shorts, comfortable footwear, lip balm, sanitary hand wipes, sunglasses, prescription medications (if needed), rain gear, flashlight.
Mongolian Family Adventure
Our family of four (kids 12 and 14) did Meg’s 10 day tour of the Gobi and Central Mongolia. We had an amazing adventure. The landscapes were out of this world and we stayed in some stunning, secluded spots. We loved staying in the more “off-the-beaten-path” locales and just soaking up the grand nature and beautiful culture around us. The itinerary of the tour was well set up, but what really made the trip was our amazing guide Luna and our driver Eba. They treated us like their own family and we could not have asked for a better duo to guide us! Luna’s warmth, conversation, connection and cooking really made the trip for us. I would definitely recommend this tour, and especially the amazing duo Luna and Eba!
Amazing!
What an amazing tour! Our guide Bujinn and driver Oogi were absolutely brilliant, very knowledgeable and really friendly. The places we went were brilliant and they both looked after us really well.
Meg, Bujinn and Oogi too really went above and beyond to help us with a medical issue. Would highly recommend.
Great stay and great journey!!
My friend and I strolled into Meg’s to look into a 9 day journey around the Gobi and Central Mongolia and were greeted by Bunny who was super friendly and gave us some traditional Mongolian snacks while showing us our options. We needed to leave the next day and they arranged everything including a three day Naadam package at the end. The next morning we met Meg who sat down to get to know us and share her story with us. My luggage was lost and Bunny sorted it out for me with several calls to the airport. While we waited for word of the luggage, Meg took us to a cool coffee shop. Angie, our driver and Dari took us for my luggage at the airport and we were able to secure the luggage. For the next nine days Augie and Dari took care of us- making sure we were comfortable and well fed as well as entertaining us with stories. I highly recommend Meg’s tour company- it’s like traveling with family- the family you actually like and want to spend time with!
