2-day Gobi Desert tour with nomadic family stay: Authentic cultural immersion

You sleep in a ger with a working nomadic family, not in a hotel.

A 2-day tour of Mongolia combining the Gobi Desert and the ancient capital Kharkhorum, with an overnight stay in a nomadic family's ger. Day one includes a 280km drive to the semi-desert sand dunes, camel riding, and dinner with your host family. Day two covers Kharkhorum's Erdenezuu monastery, horse trekking, and the return to Ulaanbaatar. Lunch is provided both days, and a live guide in English or German leads the group.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Gobi Desert and Nomadic Family Stay

• Pick up from hotel
• Drive to Semi Gobi Sand dunes
• Have lunch en route
• Hike or ride camel on dunes
• Visit Mongolian Nomadic Family
• Have dinner and stay overnight in ger

Day 2: Kharkhorin Ancient Capital Visit

• Breakfast with nomads
• Drive to Kharkhorin ancient capital
• Explore Erdenezuu monastery
• Ride horse until midday
• Have lunch at Kharkhorin
• Drive back to Ulaanbaatar

The experience

The tour starts with a hotel pickup and a 280km drive south to the Gobi's semi-desert landscape, where massive sand dunes rise from scrubland. Lunch happens at a roadside stop along the way. Once there, you can hike the dunes or spend a couple of hours on a camel before heading to the nomadic family's camp for the night. Dinner and breakfast happen in their ger, and you stay overnight in the same structure: canvas-walled, heated by a central stove, furnished with felt rugs and low beds.

Day two begins after breakfast with the family and a drive to Kharkhorum, the thirteenth-century capital of the Mongolian Empire, situated on the Orkhon River about 400km southwest of Ulaanbaatar. You explore Erdenezuu monastery, the spiritual center of Mongolian Buddhism, then ride horses through the surrounding landscape until midday. Lunch follows in Kharkhorum itself before the drive back to the city.

The tour runs with a live guide who speaks English or German, and bottled water is provided throughout. Hotel pickup is included, and all fees and taxes are covered in the price. Three tour tiers are available (Smart, Comfort, and Luxury), so you choose the level of accommodation and transport that fits your budget.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup from Ulaanbaatar.
• two lunches on the road and in Kharkhorum.
• overnight accommodation in a nomadic family's ger.
• camel riding around the sand dunes.
• horse trekking at Kharkhorum.
• entry to Erdenezuu monastery.
• bottled water throughout.
• a live guide in English or German.
• all fees and taxes.

Options for this experience

3 options

Smart tourUp to 6 per booking · Guide in English or German · 09:00Economy ger camp with an economy vehicle; the driver also acts as guide. Pickup is included.

Comfort tourUp to 15 per booking · Guide in English or German · 09:00Comfort vehicle option. Includes pickup.

Luxury tourUp to 15 per booking · Guide in English or German · 09:00Luxury ger camp with comfort-level service. Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (18 to 80 years) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and German

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availableInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Nymtemuulen Khaltar

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to stay with a real family rather than in a tourist ger camp, and if you have two days to combine desert landscape with Mongolia's historical heartland. The overnight with nomads is what makes the cultural immersion genuine instead of staged.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and German.

What's the drive like from Ulaanbaatar to the Gobi Desert?

The first day's drive to the semi-desert sand dunes covers 280km and takes most of the morning and early afternoon. Lunch is served at a suitable spot along the route, breaking up the journey before you reach the dunes.

Do I need experience to ride a camel or horse?

No experience is required. The camel ride lasts a couple of hours around the small sand dunes on day one, and horse trekking on day two runs until midday. The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels.

What is Erdenezuu monastery?

Erdenezuu is a focal point in Mongolian history and culture, located in Kharkhorum. You explore it on day two as part of the visit to the ancient capital.

What's included in the price?

Hotel pickup, two lunches, bottled water, accommodation in a ger, all entrance fees, and taxes are included. A live guide in English or German accompanies the group throughout.

Can I choose which tour tier to book?

Yes. Three options are available at checkout (Smart, Comfort, and Luxury) each offering different levels of transport and accommodation within the same 2-day itinerary.