Itinerary name: WEST MONGOLIA + LAKE KHUVSGUL + CENTRAL MONGOLIA + GOBI
Area: Western Mongolia - National park Altai Tavan Bogd, Northern Mongolia - Khövsgöl nuur, Central Mongolia - Khorgo-Terkh, Gobi desert
Potential dates: From Jun. to Sept.
Duration: 23 days
Difficulty: moderate (need some experience necessary. The trip suitable for 20-50)
Total distance: driving: 3690 km, flight: 3 + 1.3 hours
Sights: Mountain Shiveet Khairkhan, National Park Altai Tavan Bogd, Potanin's Glacier, Tolbo nuur, Khoid Tsenkeriin agui, Khar-Us nuur, Khyargas nuur, Bayan nuur, Gandan nuur, Uushigiin Uvriin bugan chuluun khushuu, Khövsgöl nuur, Orookhyn davaa, Terkhiin Tsagaan nuur, Khorgo, Chuluutyn khavtsal, Taikhar chuluu, Tsagaan davaa, Bulgan uul, Karakorum, Ongiin khiid, Bayanzag, Khongoriin els, Yolyn Am and more...
Activities: horseback riding, visit to Kazakh nomadic family, hiking, mountain climbing, bird watching, visit to nomadic families, off road, camel riding, mountain climbing, flower watching, reindeer herder family visit and more...
Price: from 1060 USD p.p

Day1. Baga Gazryn Chuluu
breakfast time - pick you up from your accommodation - drive to Baga Gazryn Chuluu (Small Land Stone) /260 km/ - lunch time - explore and hike Baga Gazryn Chuluu and Delgeriin Choir monastery ruin - dinner time - free time - overnight in Baga Gazryn Chuluu

It is granite formation in the middle of the Mongolian Sandy plane. At the food of the formation we will visit the remains of a small monastery named Delgeriin Choir. 

Day2. Tsagaan Suvarga
breakfast time - drive to Tsagaan Suvarga (White Stupa) /240 km/ - lunch time - hike around Tsagaan Suvarga - dinner time - free time - overnight in Tsagaan Suvarga

Day3. Yolyn Am
breakfast time - drive to Yolyn Am (Eagle Valley) /280 km/ - lunch time - horseback riding through Valley - see local museum - dinner time - free time - overnight around Yolyn Am

Today we will drive to Yolyn am. The valley begins from Zuun Saikhan Mountain, a branch of the Gurvan Saikhan mountain system, and stretches over 10 km. It is completely shaded from the sun in some parts by high cliff walls. You will walk through the valley which is famous for the fact that there is ice present there even during the hot summer months. The beauty of the valley, combined with the sound of vultures (Yol means vulture, in Mongolian) creates an atmosphere of awe and wonder – this is an experience not to be missed!

Day4. Bayanzag
breakfast time - drive to Bayanzag (Flaming Cliffs) /80 km/ - lunch time - explore and hike around Bayanzag - drive to Khongoryn Els (Sand Dunes Khongor) /120 km/ - dinner time - ride camel - climb up to Sand dunes - overnight around Khongoryn gol (River Khongor).

Bayanzag, a saxual forest and area of red cliffs “Bayanzag” which have been formed from the erosion of the sand and rock over many thousands of years. A lot of dinosaurs’ findings such as skeleton & dinosaur’ eggs have been found there. Before reach in Bayanzag, we will see Gobi precious stone market. It is really interesting. American zoologist Roy Chapman Andrews named this place as “End of the World”. As scientists defined it was an inland sea bottom some 200 million years ago. The Flaming Cliffs themselves are very imposing from a distance, and are particularly fiery in the light of the setting sun, and it is an interesting place to wander about to get a closer look at one of the world’s most famous paleontological sites. Also, we will visit local dinosaur ger museum.

Khongoryn Gol. After dinner time, we will explore the area, climbing one of the dunes affords the energetic traveler with an unforgettable experience of endless vistas across a sea of daffodil-colored sand. The dunes extend for 185 kilometers and include dunes that can reach 80 meters in height. The sound produced by the masses of moving sand can be heard from afar, and when it occurs, it is said that it can be mistaken for the sound of an aero plane. Hence their name is 'singing sands', or 'musical sands'. Near Khongor Gol (River Khongor) at the northern edge of the dunes, there is an oasis. More...

Day5. Sevrei, Gurvan Tes, Naran Daats
breakfast time → drive to Sevrei sum (sub-provincial center) /35 km/ → drive to Sevrei Mountain /20 km/ for seeing Sevrein khadnii sug zurag (rock drawings of Sevrei) → lunch time → drive to Gurvan Tes sum (sub-provincial center) /120 km/ → dinner time → drive to Oasis Naran Daats /70 km/ → overnight around Oasis /tent/

The stone carvings of Sevrei khadny sug zurag constitute one of the largest collections of prehistoric petroglyphs in Mongolia. The collection was recognized by Mongolian cultural heritage site. The figures are sometimes simply superimposed without apparent order. Others instead appear to have a logical relationship between them; for example, a picture of a religious rite or a hunting scene or fight. This approach explains the scheme of images, each of which is an ideogram that is not the real object, but its "idea". Their function pertains to celebratory rituals: commemorative, initiatory and propitiatory; first in the field of religion, then later even secular, which were held onn special occasions, either single or recurrent.

Gurvan tes is very small town and sub-provincial center of Gurvan Tes sub-province of Ömnögobi province of Mongolia.

Day6. Khermen Tsav & Zulganai
breakfast time → drive to dinosaur site & natural beauty Khermen Tsav /60 km/ → lunch time → hike around the site → dinner time → drive to Zulganai → overnight around Zulganai /tent/

From there, we will drive through saxaul-filled desert oases Naran Daats to the most famous canyon of southern ultimate Gobi desert: the spectacular Khermen Tsav. In translation it means as Khermen – “citadel” and Tsav means “crack”. It is the most legendary impressive place with its color and contrast because this deep canyon has been forming over thousands of years from water and wind erosion. Khermen Tsav is a geologic museum of epic proportions, where earth's many million year history is displayed.  It's a sight everyone should see!

Then we will drive to Zulganai oasis, a small river oasis named “Zulganai” is the last oasis in Mongolia, untouched nature. The oasis is located 30 km far from Khermen Tsav. The lush green carpet of shrub land and fields sit in stark contrast to the barren hills in the background of this typical oasis. No one can say for certain where the name "Zulganai" came from.

Day7. Bugiin Tsav & Bichigtiin Am.
breakfast time - drive to Bugyn Tsav // - lunch time - hike and explore ancient sea basin Bugyn Tsav - drive to Bichigtiin Am (Bichigt Mount) // - dinner time - hike and explore Bichigtiin Am.

In these days we will see the natural wonder and historical sight Bugiin Tsav and Bichigtyn Am. Bugiin Tsav is the place which is protected as belonging to  National Park Gobi Gurvan Saikhan by the government. There is many fossilled remains and findings of dinosaurs and some of them are protruded on the surface of the land.

Bichigtiin Am (Gap of Inscribed Rock), situated in the Bayan Hill, has one of the world's greatest collections of prehistoric petroglyphs – figures carved in the rock over a period of 5,000 years and depicting themes connected with animal husbandry, navigation, war and magic. It is home to the greatest complex of rock drawings in Asia, with approximately 1,000 petroglyphs drawn by members of the Hunnu people and other tribes of Nomadic impires on hundreds of exposed rocks dating from the 3000 BCE to the 8th century; cosmological, figurative, and cartographic motifs are featured, in some locations forming monumental hunting and ritual `scenes´. The number, duration and variety of the engravings, representing for example navigation, dance, war and ploughing and their relationship with contemporary archaeological sites, contribute to the exceptional value of this assemblage. The rock drawings of Bichigtiin Am constitute an extraordinary figurative documentation of prehistoric customs and mentality. The systematic interpretation, typological classification, and the chronological study of these configurations in stone have brought about a considerable contribution to the fields of prehistory, sociology and ethnology.

Day8. Ikh Bogd
breakfast time - drive to Ikh Bogd (Grand King Mountain) // - lunch time - see Ikh Bogd Khairkhan (Grand King Mountain) - hike around the slope of the Ikh Bogd - dinner time - free time - overnight around Ikh Bogd

Day9. Burkhan Buudai uul
breakfast time - drive to Burkhan Buudai uul // - lunch time - continue to driving - dinner time - hike around Burkhan Buudai uul - overnight around Burkhan Buudai uul /tent/. 

Day10. Eej Khairkhan uul
breakfast time - drive to Eej Khairkhan uul (Mother Mountain) // - lunch time - hike and explore Eej Khairkhan uul - dinner time - free time - overnight around Eej Khairkhan uul /tent/.

Day11. Shargiin Gobi
breakfast time - drive to Shargiin Gobi // - lunch time - hike and explore Shargiin Gobi - dinner time -  free time - overnight around Shargiin Gobi /tent/.
    
Sharga Gobi. Today we will explore one of the 33 Gobi of Mongolia - Sharga Gobi. The Shargiin Gobi is one of the two parts of the Natural Reserve called “Sharga Mankhanii Tal”. The reserve was created in 1994 to conserve the habitat of the endangered subspecies of the Saiga Antelope. This species is listed on the “International Red Data Book” and now widespread only in the Sharga Gobi. We may have an opportunity to see this beautiful and endangered species. Overnight in the tent.

Day12. Tsetseg nuur.
breakfast time - drive to Tsetseg nuur (Flower Lake) // - lunch time - hike along shore of the Lake - visit to local nomadic family - dinner time - overnight near Tsetseg nuur /tent/

We will start driving to the Khovd province. On the way, we will pass through the Tonkhil village that is located in the western corner of the Gobi Altai. We will drive through the beautiful looking mountain pass called Tonkhil. Our next attraction is Tsetseg Lake, a fine looking small salty lake surrounded by high mountains. Overnight in the tent.

Day 15. Durgun Lake.
breakfast time - drive to Dörgön nuur // -

We will continue our ride to the Durgun Lake. On the way, we will observe semi-arid steppe landscape and many unique natural wonders. By the afternoon we reach to Durgun Lake, the lake accommodates many species of water birds and waders. We will see unique combination of mountain, lake and small sand dunes around the lake. Overnight in the tent.

Day16. Drive to Ölgii
breakfast time -

Day17. Altai Tavan Bogd and horseback riding
breakfast time → drive to Mountain Shiveet Khairkhan /170 km/ → lunch time → prepare our luggage for the next 3 day-trekking trip to Altai peaks → dinner time → visit to Khazakh nomadic family → overnight around Mountain Shiveet Khairkhan /tent/

Day22. Khyargas nuur and bird watching

Lake Khyargas, the one of the largest lake in Mongolia, is one of the top attraction in Western Mongolia. Another smaller Lake Khyargas, which contains saltwater, covers an area over 146.8 sq km, has a length of some 75 km, width is about 31 km and reaches a depth of about 40-50 m. The Lake fed by River Zavkhan gol and other smaller Rivers via Airag, nearly located smaller fresh-watered lake. The Lake and its surrounding area was proclaimed as National Park and established in 2000 and covers about 3,328 sq km. It also includes a freshwater lake Airag nuur. The basic attraction of the Lake is Khetsuu Khad (Hard Rock), an enormous rock sticking out of the water that attracts migratory cormorant birds. The birds arrive in April and hatch their young in large nests built on the rock. When the chicks hatch, their squawking is constant and deafening. The aura created by the white cliffs and shrill birds makes you feel as if you’ve arrived at the ocean. By October the cormorants are off again, migrating back to their breeding grounds in southern China.

Day23. Bayan nuur and its surroundings sand dunes
breakfast → drive to Lake Bayan nuur //→ lunch time → hike aroud sand dunes and enjoy natural beauty → dinner time → free time → overnight around Bayan nuur /tent/

National Park Khustai where re-introduction of the wild takhi horses (Przhevalsky's horses) has taken place since 1992. Takhi is last wild horse subspecies surviving in the 21st century. It was discovered in western Mongolia in the late 1870s by the Russian explorer N.M. Przhevalsky. Several expeditions since 1969 have failed to find this horse, which probably crossed with half-wild domesticated horses and lost its distinct features. Specimens have been kept and bred in zoos, and Mongolia in the late 20th century attempted to reintroduce them into the wild. The afternoon will be spent at leisure hiking in the surrounding mountains with an evening visit to the wild horses while they come to drink in the evening.

Day33. Drive to Ulaanbaatar
breakfast time - drive to Ulaanbaatar /90 km/ - transfer you your booked accommodation - end