Southern Mongolia

When people imagine of Mongolian Gobi, they imagine vast-open unfertile land or endless massive sand dunes. When you travel the Mongolian Gobi, your imagination will be broken completely. The Mongolian Gobi is a combination of randomly seen huge sand dunes, vast open sandy and vegetated steppes, Gobi tree groves, high cliffs appear, marvelous rugged mountains rich in flora, fauna, oasis, rivers and streams. Dinosaur excavations were held successfully at the majority of the cliffs. Also, there is some evidence of the earliest man found such as the Stone Age tools, hole residence of people, rock drawings, etc. The Mongolian Gobi is the least inhabited area of 0.3 people per square km. Even though there are more uninhabited and remote areas have even no nomads, but habitats of some wild animals and some of them endemic (wild ass, saiga antelope, wild camel and the Gobi bear).

In the Gobi, you will feel a lot of space. On some days we will drive from the attraction to attraction without seeing a single nomad ger, but the natural scenery will always surprise you.

Khongor Sand Dunes are the largest sand dunes in Mongolia continue 100 km, 7 km at its width and rising 50-300 m above the surrounding area. This massive sand dune was accumulated by windblown. Sometimes it is called singing dune by locals. The sound arises from negative and positive charges of fine sand blown by the wind. When you climb the dune, you will see beautiful views of the surrounding area. In addition, do not forget to crash the sand to the north direction against the wind to hear the sand singing. It borders magnificent mountains in the south, a green-shored river in the north and vast steppes further north. The northern side of the sand dune is the main pastureland of nomads where you will see herds of camels, sheep, and goats. Except for the amazing natural beauty, you can have an opportunity to ride a two-humped camel through the sand dunes and visit a camel herding family. Even you can stay with them on your request.

Gobi Gurban Saikhan Mountain or Three Beautiful Mountains of the Gobi desert rises 2200-2800 m above the sea level and the mountain itself is a national park. It has been protecting since 1965. The Gobi Gurban Saikhan Mountains are three separate mountains named East Beauty, Middle Beauty and West Beauty those continue over 100 km. The mountains are home to many rare and endangered species including mountain sheep, ibex, snow leopard, deer, wolf, lamergrayer or golden eagle. Gurban Saikhan Mountain is one of the attractions we head to be refreshed and fascinated by natural beauty at the same time enjoy and love wild nature after traveled a country of emptiness and amazing endless landscapes edged with the horizon.

Eagle Valley is one of the beautiful valleys in the Gobi Gurban Saikhan Mountain. There is a sheer cliff formed by erosion of wind, rain and a stream current in the valley. Bottom of the sheer canyon does not accept sunlight. Therefore, the valley has ice even in the middle of summer. People are always amazed when they see the beautiful green valley in Gobi desert. If you are there on right time, you will have a chance to see wild animals such as ibex, mountain sheep, and deer. In the morning at the same time of the upper part of the canyon accepts the sunlight, golden eagles can be seen flying from their nests. The valley was named after those birds.

Bird of prey and one species of eagle. The eagle has a beard and golden chest. That is why the bird was named golden eagle or sometimes named bearded eagle by locals. Also, called doctor bird because they feed on carrion including bones. They carry bones to the rocky mountains close to their nest to throw and break bones into small pieces. They make their nest at least 2000 m above the sea level in rocky mountains.

High and steep red mud cliffs can be seen in the bottom of the ancient sea. As well as many important paleontological findings discovered here. Some of the findings are valuable, new and rare in the world. A complete dinosaur nest found from Flaming Cliffs discovered that dinosaurs laid eggs. In 1922, American Researcher Roy Andrew traveled Mongolia expecting to find a trace of the human ancestors. On the way back home, Roy Andrew team found a cemetery of dinosaurs in Flaming Cliffs except for they found human settlement camp dating back to The Stone Age. People of the Gobi knew the bones laying everywhere but they thought those bones are of dragons. There are many cliffs contain dinosaur bones in the Gobi and the cliffs attract thunder more compared to the surrounding area made people think of dragons. Flaming Cliff is a picturesque natural formation and a nice place to go hiking.

Bayanzag translated “an area rich in saxual tree” and is located 5 km from Flaming Cliffs. The saxual tree grows only in the Central Asian Gobi. The tree has very long roots and remains green even in dry summer. It is spectacular to see the green grove covers pretty much area in the middle of the wide open Gobi. In some dry summer, many nomads stay around the grove to use the green tree leaf as an emergency feed for their animals.

Ikh Gazariin Chuluu is an area of granite stone mountains continues 30 km and a width of 15 km in the middle of wide, open steppes of Gurvansaihan soum, Dundgobi province. The highest peak rises up 1706 m above sea level. The mountains are rich in wild animals and birds including mountain sheep, ibex, gazelle, wolf, fox, eagle, vulture, falcon, and bustard. The area has different kinds of minerals such as crystal, chalcedony, jade, fluorspar, ferum, copper, grindstone and slate. Also, there are many ancient tombs. The wind and rain blown over thousands of years created the amazing artworks in nature. Almost all rock formations look sculpture like artistic creations. The granite mountain valleys are a calm and suitable area for hiking while enjoying the surrounding nature. If you wish, you can see the Gobi sunrise and sunset up and down the ground.

A zone of granite stone mountains, 1768 m above sea level, covering an area of 300 sq.km surrounded by flat plain in Delgertsogt soum, Dundgobi province. Many streams flow through the mountain valleys; some of them have aspen groves between gorges. The mountains have been keeping some historical remains such as ancient tombs, burial mounds, rock drawings, rock inscription and monuments dating back to The Bronze Age, Huns State, Turkic State, the Great Mongol Empire and the 16th to 17th century. Also, you can see ruins of meditation temples of the 17th century, a crystal cave, and eye treatment spa. The mountainous area is home to wild animals. Particularly wild mountain sheep and ibex. Sum Huh Burd: The Gobi oasis surrounds an ancient temple ruin on an island. Not only birds, also five kinds of animals of nomads those live in the surrounding area gather around the oasis makes an impression as they in the paradise of the desert. The incomplete stone temple built on the island of the oasis were built natural flat stones carried from 300 km away by camel cart and mud from the oasis. The temple was built by a son of Tibetan lord in the 16th century who arrested before its roof completed. Later, it roofed several times but broken by thunder strike several times as well.

Ongi Monastery was one of the largest monasteries consisted of two complexes of temples on the north and south banks of the Ongi River. Ongi is the biggest river of the Gobi. A monastery on the southern bank of the river had 11 temples and has a history over 300 years while the temple complex on the north bank built 230 years ago. The monastery housed 1000 monks at the time. Ongi monastery is surrounded by five sacred mountains have elm trees in their valleys. During the 1930s socialist purge, the monastery was destroyed, monks killed, arrested and sent to a labor camp in Siberia. Now there is a small active temple and a ger museum displays religious items used by the monks of the ancient monastery.