Gobi Desert of Mongolia - Discover Altai

The Gobi is one of the must-see places in Mongolia. It is the sixth-largest desert in which is covering southern Mongolia and northern China. From west to east it reaches 1600 km (1000miles), and from north to south it reaches 800 km (500miles). This is 1.3 million square kilometers (500’000 miles square).

The main destinations in Gobi are

Tsagaan Suvarga,

Yoliin Am,

Khongoryn Els,

Bayanzag.

And all these places have English names, as following:

Tsagaan Suvarga is well known as the White Stupa, the breathtaking cliffs with colorful dust really make for a Martian look. There are many tourist camps near Tsagaan Suvarga, and if you prefer to experience the real nomadic culture, you can stay with nomadic families too.

Yolin Am, also known as Eagle Canyon, is located in the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park. The valley is located near the city of Dalanzadgad, the administrative center of Umnugovi province. Here you can enjoy a beautiful narrow valley, along which there is a trail for hiking or horseback riding. There is also a museum which is quite interesting to visit.

Khongoryn Els or Sand Dunes is truly one of the best sights of the Gobi. Here you can enjoy the massive desert and the magnificent sunset. In addition, you can visit the family of a nomadic camel herder and ride camels in the desert.

Bayanzag or Flaming Cliff is a colorful scenic attraction, not only known for its beauty, but also for the fact that this land is famous for finding dinosaur skeletons.

Back in 1923, American paleontologist Roy Chapman discovered dinosaur eggs in the area. And this is still the only place in the world where during the trip you can find dinosaur bones in nature under the open sky.

There are three large national parks in the Gobi. Gobi Gurvan Saikhan, Great Gobi A, and Great Gobi B where you can find a protected wild horse and many rare animals.

The Gobi is not just a desert, here you can discover flora and fauna, oases, rivers, and lakes. This is a huge territory, covering a third of the Mongolian landscape. And, of course, such mammals as gazelles, antelopes, kulans, ferrets, Bactrian camels, and many others live here.

THE WEATHER IN GOBI

The weather in the Gobi is very extreme, in winter it can reach -40 C (-40F), and it is the coldest desert in the world where it can cover with snow.

There are also many large mining enterprises located in the Gobi. Oyu Tolgoi is the tenth-largest gold and copper mine in the world. Tavan Tolgoi is also one of the largest coal deposits in the world. But, unfortunately, the bosses of these companies are foreigners, and most of their income goes abroad.

The Gobi is a truly unique place, and the endless steppe is a great place to ride. It’s like the middle of nowhere but just you. One of our travelers told us that it feels like we are on Mars, there is no one around us for hundreds of kilometers, and it really deserves to visit.

The Discover Altai team is pleased to offer you an individual trip to the Gobi Desert. Please contact us to create your ideal Gobi Desert tour.