Central Mongolia Great Gobi Tour: Horse Riding & Highlights

Ride horses through the Gobi, then walk the ruins of Mongolia's ancient capitals

This 7-day tour covers Central Mongolia and the Great Gobi region starting from Ulaanbaatar, with a live English-speaking guide leading visits to the White Stupa, Ongi Monastery, Khar Khorin ancient city, and Orkhon Waterfall. Hotel pickup is included, and you stay in local gers and family homes throughout. The itinerary mixes horse riding, camel trekking in sand dunes, and exploration of historical sites spanning from the thirteenth-century Karakorum capital to natural formations shaped over ten million years.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Drive to Baga Gazriin Chuluu

• See Bolort Cave and rock images
• Visit Choir monastery ruins
• View Chinggis Khaan statue
• See Ulaanbaatar city view

Day 2: Drive to Tsagaan Suvarga

• Explore Tsagaan Suvarga cliff

Day 3: Drive to Ongiin Khiid

• Lunch at Bayanzag
• Drive to Saikhan Ovoo village
• Visit Ongiin Khiid monastery ruins

Day 4: Drive to Khar Khorin Ancient City

• Explore Karakorum ancient capital
• Visit historical spots in Khar Khorin

Day 5: Drive to Orkhon Waterfall

• Visit Orkhon waterfall

Day 6: Drive to Hugnu Khaan National Park

• Visit Elsen Tasarkhai sand dune
• Ride a camel

Day 7: Drive to Ulaanbaatar

• Camel trekking in sand dune
• Visit monastery in Hugnu Khan park
• Return to Ulaanbaatar

The experience

The tour starts with a drive south from Ulaanbaatar to Baga Gazriin Chuluu, where you'll see Bolort Cave, rock carvings and burial mounds, plus the ruins of Choir Monastery. From there the route pushes deeper into the Gobi: Tsagaan Suvarga (White Stupa) is a cliff face with colored layers that mark different geological periods over ten million years, and its sheer eastern slope looks like the remains of an ancient city when viewed from a distance. The landscape shifts again at Ongiin Khiid, an active monastery built on the ruins of one of Mongolia's largest temple complexes, founded in 1760.

The second half of the week reaches the historical heartland. Khar Khorin was the capital of the Great Mongolia Empire in the thirteenth century, located 360 kilometers southwest of Ulaanbaatar on the Orkhon River. The city was destroyed in 1380, but the Erdene Zuu Monastery rose on the same site two centuries later. Nearby, the Ulaan Tsutgalan waterfall on the Orkhon River drops twenty meters and draws travelers year-round. You'll also spend time in Hugnu Khan National Park, where Elsen Tasarkhai sand dune sits surrounded by mountains. This is where you ride a camel and get a taste of the Gobi's desert landscape. Throughout the journey you stay in local gers with showers and family homes without them, giving you a direct view of Mongolian daily life.

A live English-speaking guide leads the entire tour, and hotel pickup from Ulaanbaatar is included at the start and end. The company has run this route since 2010 and reports over a thousand completed trips. Horse riding and camel trekking are built into the itinerary. Other activities and personal items are not included in the price.

What’s included

• Accommodation in local gers and family homes for seven nights.
• a live English-speaking guide throughout the tour.
• hotel pickup from and return to your Ulaanbaatar accommodation.
• horse riding in the Gobi.
• camel trekking at Elsen Tasarkhai sand dune.
• visits to the White Stupa, Ongi Monastery ruins, Khar Khorin ancient city, Orkhon Waterfall, and Hugnu Khan National Park.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (18 to 75 years) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 6 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 10 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Danista Nomads Tour

Is this one for you?This tour suits travelers who want to move through multiple landscapes and historical periods in one week without arranging their own transport or guide. The fixed seven-day schedule covers the Gobi's natural formations, ancient capitals, and active monasteries in sequence, so you see the full arc from geological history to medieval empire to modern monastic life.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the White Stupa and why does it look like ancient ruins?

Tsagaan Suvarga (White Stupa) is a cliff face eroded by natural forces over ten million years, with colored layers that mark different geological periods. From a distance, the sheer eastern slope resembles the remains of an ancient city, which is why locals gave it the name White Stupa.

Can I ride horses on this tour?

Yes, horse riding is included as part of the itinerary in the Gobi region, and you'll also ride a camel at Elsen Tasarkhai sand dune in Hugnu Khan National Park.

What was Khar Khorin and why is it on the tour?

Khar Khorin was the capital of the Great Mongolia Empire in the thirteenth century, located on the Orkhon River 360 kilometers southwest of Ulaanbaatar. Though destroyed in 1380, the site became home to the Erdene Zuu Monastery and remains full of historical spots worth exploring.

Where do I sleep during the 7 days?

You stay in local gers (traditional Mongolian dwellings) and family homes throughout the tour. Some accommodations include showers. Others do not, depending on the location.

Is a guide included, and what language do they speak?

A live English-speaking guide leads the entire tour and is included in the price. Hotel pickup from Ulaanbaatar at the start and end of the tour is also included.

What is Ongi Monastery and when was it built?

Ongiin Khiid (Ongi Monastery) is an active monastery with a temple built on the ruins of what was once one of Mongolia's largest monastery complexes, founded in 1760. It originally consisted of two separate temple complexes called Barlim khiid and Khutagt khiid.