Gobi Destination / Southern Gobi / Central and Southern Mongolia

This is one of the major tourist destinations which attract travelers with its dream natural beauty. The Gobi Desert is a vast zone of desert and desert steppe covering almost 30 percent of the Mongolian territory. The area is often imagined as a lifeless desert like in many other parts of the world. In reality, most part of the Gobi Desert is a land of steppes and it is the home for camel breeders rich with wildlife and vegetation. Wild asses, camels, snow leopards, mountain sheep and gazelles flourish here, as do different types of flora. Dinosaur skeletons and their petrified eggs have been preserved here to the present day. Mongolians consider that there are 33 different Gobi, where sandy desert occupies only 3 percent of the total territory. Climate is extreme with 40 degrees Celsius in summer and severe winter. The Great Gobi Reservation established in 1975 was designated by the United Nations as the fourth largest Biosphere Reserve in the world in 1991.  Two areas have been reserved.
On this destination we will pass … aimaks.

Zorgol Khairkhan Mountain is rocky mountainous area.
This is a quite nice area where you can camp for 2 nights in dramatic landscape, and make a day trip around the area. Here it’s possible to see the elusive Argali Sheep, /Ibex/the largest wild sheep in the world.
Here there are some ger camps and local nomadic families you can ride a horse and camels too. Hiking is very suitable to explore this beautiful area.
Here we will have lunch so you can see the area and decide whether you want to stay or no.

Baga gazariin chuluu is a rocky mountain area in the Gobi.  Here also will be able to see ibexes, and wild mountain goats but there are in they wild nature difficult to predict up front. There are not many things to see. But it has its unique landscape. You can be dropped of here if you like the area. There are some people stays in the area in a ger camps. Also possible to camp with your own tent.

Bayan zag sand stone cliffs looks gorgeous in the morning at sunrise and at sunset that’s probably why it’s known as a flaming cliff. Here there were found many dinosaur bones and first ever recorded eggs in early 1900s by paleontologists from different part of the world. They say that dinosaurs were buried under the sand by the sudden landslides.

Sum khoh burd. Built in the 10th century, this temple is on the same site as the ruins of a later palace, built around 300 years ago. The poet, writer, composer, painter and physician Danzanravjaa (1803-1856), supporter of Red Hat Buddhism, constructed a stage on top of the palace ruins for open air performances.The place is now abandoned but there are good camping spots around a lake.

Yoliin am Gobi Gurvan saikhan National Park is a magnificent mountain valley with a 40 km long canyon which has cliffs that rises so steep that they block the sun. This is the second largest protected area in Mongolia. It is rich with wild animals and birds.

Khongoryn els sand dunes are also known as the “singing sands”. The attraction of this vast sand dune is the yellow-white colored sand that changes its color in depending on time of day. It’s worth to camp there for 1 or 2 days.

.Ongiin khiid it’s interesting to go there to explore ruins of ancient temples.

Kharakhorum .The city was established in 1220. It was the capital of the Mongolian state for 140 years, out of which for 32 years it was the capital of Mongolian Empire. Its ruins lie now near the Erdenezuu monastery. The City was twice devastated by fire in 1215 and 1268 respectively. It was also ran over and destroyed several times by invading Ming Chinese military forces. But each time it was reconstructed. In Kharakhorum, the palace of Uguudei Khaan the "Tumen Amgalan" established in 1238, had a special place. Near the palace there was a silver tree crafted by French silversmith.

Erdenezuu monastery . This was the first Buddhist monastery of yellow sect built on the initiative of Abtai Sain Khan in 1586, at the site of the ruins of the Mongolian ancient capital city of Kharakhorum . The walls around the Monastery has 108 stupas. The main temples /Westzuu, Middlezuu, Eastzuu/ were erected between 1796-1798. There is a museum in the monastery which has unique exhibits such as a cast god Buddha images, paintings, tsam clothes and musical instruments created by the Mongolian craftsmen in 16-18th century.

Ogii Lake. This is a wonderful area for fishing, camping, and birth watching.
 It engages 27 square km of area, and has pure water. The lake abounds in various types of fish and birds, which creates a incredible natural beauty. It also provides a favorable condition for research work and traveling.
This lake is truly wonderful place for bird life. More than 150 types of rare birds dwell in Lake Ogii. That's why it is the place of special interest for researchers and naturalists. Considering this situation we have started work of building a special tower from where to watch those birds and take photographs.

Khoshoo Tsaidam is a Turkic inscribed monument of the Turkic Empire ( 6th -8th Century A. D) The inscription was written by the grandson of Kulitegin and devoted to the Bilge Khan of Turkish origin and his old brother Kulitegin in 732. It is noteworthy that the “ Orkhon inscription” has both a historical and scientific significance. The monument is 3.3 meters high and 1.3 meters wide and the inscription consists of 68 lines. The sides of the monument are in Runec script and the rear side is in Chinese Characters. There are more than 40 inscribed monuments of Turkic origin of Mongolia. 

Khuvsgul lake destination

National Parks destination

Khustain Nuruu Natural Reserve is located about 62 miles (100km) west of Ulaanbaatar.  This 50,620ha of reserved area is home to the Mongolian wild horse known as Perzevalski horse (takhi). The one and only species of wild horse, the Takhi discovered at the end of the 19th century and disappeared from the Gobi desert in the 1950-s.

There are plenty things to do from hiking to horse riding. Note that it is worth to spend a night in this area because the wildlife is best seen at dusk and dawn. If you camp bit away from the National Park, you can feel the emptiness of Mongolian steppe and there will be nothing else but nature and you.

Bogd khan Mountain National Park this 229 years old national park and 41,651 hectares of  mountain range with taiga vegetation  and bare rock peaks; it encompasses forests of Siberian larch, birch, cedar, pine, poplar and fir trees.  This area is very suitable for hiking and horse riding

Terelj, about 43miles (70km) north east of Ulaanbaatar, is one of the most visited preserved areas of Mongolia.  During the summer there are great opportunities for hiking, horse riding, rock climbing and bird watching.  You can also visit a local nomadic family and explore their unique lifestyle.  Or just enjoy the Mother Nature.

GUN-GALUUT NATURE RESERVE. Amazingly, Gun-Galuut is the state combined from diversity of ecosystem although it owns comparatively small area. The harmonized complex of high mountains, steppes, rivers, lakes and wetlands as well are kept enough as its original state.

Whoever visiting enjoys to see Gun-Galuut vast steppe seems to meet the sky, the imposing mountains Baits and Berkh, a home land of rare creatures, Ikh-Gun and Ayaga lakes, a paradise of birds, Kherlen, the longest river of Mongolia and Tsengiin Burd wetland, in where water and wetland birds lay their eggs. Gun-Galuut Nature Reserve is a local protected area for conservation of global threatened species. Read more at http://www.argalipark.com

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The western Mongolia - the Land of Eagles

MOUNTAIN area is situated on the west of the country, and is composed of different types of shale, granites and other rocks of paleozois age. On the western part of Mongolia in Bayan - Ulgii aimak Kazakhs (5 % of Mongolian population) live. One of their interesting activities is they use golden eagle for their hunting.  The highest peak of Mongol Altai is the Khuiten peak of Tavan-Bogd range, with the absolute height of 4653 meters. The main range of Mongol Altai-Aktag-Altai starts from the Khuiten peak and extends to the Alag-Altai Mountain, 3607 m above sea level. For sheer beauty it is in no way inferior to that of Matterhorn of Switzerland. Sharp-edged rocky ridges of Aktag-Altai, with eternal snow-caps, attaining an average height of over 3000 m, are full of deep gorges through which foaming streams of glacier-fed mountain rivers dash down. Snow-covered peaks soar into the cloudless sky and the frozen glaciers glitter in the sun's rays. n the Tavan-Bogd range and peaks dimmed with a light-gray cloak of snow particles rise up into the sky. Among  the many glaciers of Mongolia, the biggest one is called Tsagaan-gol, situated in the upper reaches of a river of the same name, attaining a length of over 20 km. Amongst these majestic natural edifices high-mountain rivers and streams with crystal clear water thread their way-now jumping over glacial boulders or rushing down high rocks to form exceedingly beautiful rapids or waterfalls, now disappearing in canyon-shaped deep gorges, reappearing finally in the hollow space between two mountains.                               
Hovd province

Khovd town is 1425km (884mi) west of Ulaanbaatar. It is connected to the capital by road that goes via Arvaikheer, Bayankhongor and Altai towns and by air. Once a small farming community, and later a crossroad for Russian and Mongolian traders, Khovd city today is a community of 35,000 residents and one of the major industrial centers of Mongolia with wide ethnic composition. If you are in town, start with local museum, than take a walk to the northern part of the city to see ruins of Sangiin Kherem palace built around 1762 by the Manchu warlords. The dry, rugged hills north of the ruins offer some great views and good hiking. For day trips and longer, consider spectacular Tavanbogd, Mongolia's highest peak (on the borders with Russia and China); the Blue Goat Nature Reserve; the Blue Caves; and Har Us Nuur (Black Water Lake), a breeding ground for rare birds and other wildlife. The people in the area are fascinating as well: The Kazakhs hunt with eagles, and the Tuvan people are known for their throat singing. Best way to see it is to visit lively market on Sundays.

Uvs lake of Mongolia

Uvs Lake is the largest saline lake (3,350 sq. km) in Mongolia and forms unique wetlands in the Great Lakes Depression. Its salinity varies between 3 and 35 mg/l. With its reed beds and freshwater river deltas it provides significant nesting and resting areas for numerous migratory species. The shallow lake lies at an altitude of 759 m.

Uvs Lake is part of the Uvs-Nuur-Basin compassing different ecosystems. This area ranges from the permanent snowfields in the Turgen mountains over the lakes and wetlands areas up to the desert of Altan Els. The whole area measures 10,688 sq. km. The range lies at altitudes between 2,500 and 4,000 m.