Gobi Desert & Central Mongolia Horse Trekking Tour

The horse trail through Orkhon Valley runs across lava stones, which is what makes it rough and beautiful at once.

A 10-day guided tour of Mongolia starting in Ulaanbaatar, crossing the Gobi Desert to the Khangai Mountains, with stays in ger camps and nomadic family homes. You'll ride camels at Khongor sand dunes, trek horses through the remote Eight Lakes of Orkhon Valley, visit the Flaming Cliffs of Bayanzag and the ruins of Ongi Monastery, and explore Kharhorin's Erdene Zuu monastery and Khustai National Park's Przewalski wild horses. The tour shifts you between desert and steppe, family to family, with a guide in English throughout. Minimum age is 14.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Explore Baga Gazriin Chuluu

• Drive Ulaanbaatar to Baga Gazriin Chuluu
• Visit granite rock formations
• See temple ruins and rock inscriptions
• Hike around the rocky mountain

Day 2: Visit White Stupa in Desert

• Drive to Tsagaan Suvraga (White Stupa)
• Explore lunar landscape and fossils

Day 3: Hike Gobi Gurvan Saikhan Mountains

• Drive to Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park
• Hike Yoliin Am canyon and see ice
• Hike Dungenee canyon along stream

Day 4: Khongor Sand Dunes and Camel Ride

• Drive to Khongor sand dunes
• Explore highest and biggest dunes
• Ride Bactrian camels along dunes

Day 5: Flaming Cliffs and Ongi Monastery

• Drive to Bayanzag Flaming Cliffs
• Explore dinosaur fossil sites
• Visit Ongi Monastery ruins

Day 6: Travel to Khangai Mountains

• Transfer from Gobi desert to green steppe
• Stop at Khujirt village market
• Drive off-road to Orkhon valley

Day 7: Horse Trekking in Orkhon Valley

• Start horse trekking in Orkhon valley
• Visit several lakes and larch forest

Day 8: Visit Kharhorin and Erdene Zuu

• Drive to Kharhorin ancient capital
• Visit Erdene Zuu monastery
• Explore local museum and rock sites

Day 9: Explore Khugnu Khaan Nature Reserve

• Drive to Khugnu Khaan Nature Reserve
• Hike and explore diverse natural zones
• Experience local Mongolian hospitality

Day 10: Khustai Park and Return to Ulaanbaatar

• Drive to Khustai National Park
• See Przewalski wild horses
• Return to Ulaanbaatar

The experience

The route begins south of Ulaanbaatar in the Gobi, where you'll see Baga Gazriin Chuluu's granite rock formations shaped by wind and erosion, then move to Tsagaan Suvraga: the White Stupa, a 30-meter natural formation that rises from what was once an ancient ocean floor. The landscape here reads like the moon: fossils buried underneath, color combinations that shift with the light, and vast empty space in every direction. You'll hike through Yoliin Am canyon in Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park, where ice sometimes lingers into mid-July despite the desert heat, and the steep rocky walls create shade as you walk along the stream. Rodents like pika and ground squirrels live here. Ibex, mountain goats and argali sheep roam the heights, though spotting them depends on luck.

West of the park, Khongor sand dunes stretch over 180 kilometers with an average height of 80 meters. The highest reaches 200 meters. Climbing them causes a vibration sound that resembles an airplane engine, which is why locals call them the Singing Dunes. You'll ride Bactrian camels across the dunes and down to a small oasis where the camels graze on Saxaul shrubs, the desert's most precious wood for its ability to survive in this soil. From the dune tops, sunrise and sunset views span the entire Gobi. The route then carries you north through Bayanzag's Flaming Cliffs (the rust-red formations where American explorer Roy Andrews Chapman first revealed dinosaur fossils and eggs in 1922), and past the ruins of Ongi Monastery, which was heavily destroyed in 1937 and has been slowly restored by local lamas since 2002.

The transition to the Khangai Mountains happens over a day of driving through rolling hills and endless steppe, where yak breeders and horse herders live. From there, you'll spend days on horseback through Orkhon Valley, a historic route that takes you to the remote Eight Lakes surrounded by larch forest and green meadows. The altitude here is high enough that snow can fall even in August or September. You'll visit Kharhorin, the 13th-century capital of the Great Mongolian Empire, to see Erdene Zuu monastery: one of the largest and oldest Buddhist monasteries in Mongolia, built in 1586 on the ruins of the capital itself and one of the few structures that survived the 1937 communist purges. A local museum holds collections from excavations across Kharhorin and Orkhon Valley, tracing Mongolian history from the Stone Age forward. On the final leg, Khustai National Park is home to around 300 Przewalski wild horses (the last and only breed of wild horses left in the world) along with 46 other mammal species, 172 bird species, and hundreds of insects recorded in the park's varied ecosystems.

What’s included

• Horse and camel rides across the Gobi and through Orkhon Valley.
• park entrance fees for Gobi Gurvan Saikhan, Khustai and all protected areas.
• lodging throughout in ger camps, nomadic family homes or tents.
• transfers from Ulaanbaatar at the start and end of the tour.
• guide service in English for all 10 days.

Options for this experience

2 options

Budget ArrangementGuide in English · 08:00

Standard ArrangementGuide in English · 08:00

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 08:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (14 to 65 years) · Under 14: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

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 6 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Mongolian Vision Tours

Is this one for you?Choose this tour if you want to move through multiple landscapes and stay with local families rather than return to a city each night. The 10-day length is what makes it possible to reach the remote Eight Lakes by horse and still visit the Flaming Cliffs, Kharhorin's monastery and Khustai's wild horses without rushing any of them. The minimum age of 14 reflects the physical demands of multi-day horse trekking and the rough terrain, so it suits teenagers and adults comfortable spending days in the saddle and nights in gers.

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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's the difference between the Budget and Standard arrangement options on this tour?

The tour offers two purchase options at checkout (Budget Arrangement and Standard Arrangement), which differ in accommodation quality and services. Both include the same guide, park fees, horse and camel rides, and transfers, but the Standard option provides upgraded ger camps or guesthouses where available, while Budget uses basic tourist ger camps and nomadic family homes throughout.

Do I need horse riding experience to trek through Orkhon Valley?

No prior experience is required. The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels, and the guide will match you with an appropriate horse for the trail. The route through Orkhon Valley is challenging because of the lava stones underfoot rather than riding difficulty, and the guide manages the pace for the group.

What's the Singing Dunes and why do they make that sound?

Khongor sand dunes, also called the Singing Dunes, are Mongolia's highest and biggest dunes, stretching over 180 kilometers with peaks reaching 200 meters. When you climb them, the sand shifts and vibrates beneath your feet, creating a sound that resembles an airplane engine: a natural phenomenon caused by the way the grains move together as you walk.

Will I see wild animals like snow leopards or argali sheep?

The Gobi and Khangai regions are home to ibex, mountain goats, argali sheep, and around 300 Przewalski wild horses in Khustai National Park, but spotting them depends entirely on luck and timing. The guide will point out habitats and signs of wildlife, and the park ecosystems support 46 mammal species overall, but sightings are never guaranteed.

Where do I sleep during the 10 days, and is it comfortable?

You'll stay in ger camps, nomadic family homes, or tents depending on the location and your chosen arrangement option. Gers are traditional Mongolian circular dwellings with felt walls and a central stove. Nomadic family stays let you experience daily life with herding families. Budget and Standard options differ in camp quality, but all lodging is in the countryside. There is no hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar included in either option.

What happens on the drive from the Gobi to the Khangai Mountains?

Day 6 is a transition day where you travel north through rolling steppe with endless plains, gradually shifting from desert landscape to green mountains. You'll stop at Khujirt village to resupply at the local market before reaching Orkhon Valley, passing through the home territory of yak breeders and horse herders who will host you in their ger camps.