Golden Gobi

On arrival at Ulaanbaatar airport, your guide and driver will be waiting for you. You will be transferred to your hotel, located in the center of the capital. After a moment's rest and lunch in a restaurant, plunge into the heart of the Mongolian epic with a visit to the Genghis Khan Museum.

This museum immerses you in the fascinating story of Emperor Genghis Khan, one of the greatest conquerors of all time. Through a collection of historical objects, artifacts and multimedia exhibits, you can relive the epic story of the Mongol Empire. Guided tours are available to help you better understand Genghis Khan's impact on Mongolian culture and world history.

Your guide will then take you to the heart of the capital, Sukhebaatar Square, a central location in Mongolia's political and social life. This monumental square is surrounded by important buildings such as the Government Palace and the National Theatre. Here you'll find an imposing statue of Genghis Khan, as well as other monuments dedicated to Mongolian historical figures. It's an excellent starting point for exploring the city.

Lunch and dinner on your own

Standard local 3* hotel, Ulaanbaatar

Get ready to unholster... your cameras! Today, you'll be trekking through the Grand Canyon of Tsagaan Suvarga, also known as the "White Stupa". In the middle of the Gobi Desert, this corner of the American Wild West is home to a magnificent rock formation in Mongolia's Dundgovi province.

This impressive site, with its spectacularly colorful eroded cliffs, is a must-see destination for those seeking stunning natural landscapes and unique geology. The cliffs reach a height of 30 metres and are some 400 metres long.

Breakfast at the hotel, lunch and dinner at the camp

Homestay or tent

Approx. 5-6 hours /400 km/

It's to Yol Canyon that you'll now head, in Mongolia's largest national park, Gurvan Saikhan Park, also known as "The Three Beauties". The valley lies at an altitude of around 2,500 meters, in a mountainous region that contrasts sharply with the arid plains of the surrounding Gobi Desert.

You'll have the chance to learn about the local flora and fauna when you visit the park's museum, before setting off to explore this superb area, home to endangered snow leopards, as well as loemmer-geyers (bearded vultures), ibex (Gobi ibex), argalis (wild mouflons) and tas (black vultures).

Follow the labyrinthine meanders of the Canyon de Yol (Bearded Vultures), which will guide you between the Park's mountains to its icy mystery... The eternal snows of the canyon persist even during the heat of summer, when temperatures can exceed 35°C in the desert.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Tourist camp

Approx. 3 - 4 hours /180 km/

Next stop is the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park, where you'll find the Khongoryn Els "Singing Dunes". More than 300 metres high (almost 3 times the Dune du Pilat), 12 km wide and stretching for 100 km, the climb is not easy, but offers an extraordinary panorama of the desert. It's a moment of ecstasy, as your gaze wanders over the horizon, accompanied by the caress of a wind that makes the sands sing.

Camel ride. Camels are one of the three "long-legged" species traditionally raised in Mongolia, along with horses and cows/yaks. They are used for transport, but also for their silky wool. The "short-legs" include goats and sheep. Surrounded by mountains on one side and steppe on the other, you travel along the crest of this sandy mountain, experiencing this malleable soil in its age-old constancy.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner

In a yurt with local people

Approx. 4 - 5 hours /180 km/

En route to Bayanzag, also known as the "Flaming Cliffs", one of the most famous sites in Mongolia's Gobi Desert. Not only is the site spectacular for its reddish cliffs, it is also of great archaeological importance for the dinosaur fossils discovered in the area.

Bayanzag is a fascinating destination for lovers of paleontology, history and unique desert landscapes. It is famous for having been the site of the discovery of dinosaur fossils in the early 20th century. It was here that American explorer Roy Chapman Andrews first discovered fossilized dinosaur eggs in 1922, as well as dinosaur skeletons, including those of Velociraptor and Protoceratops.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner

In a yurt with local people

Approx. 3-4 hours /120 km/

Baga Gazriin Chuluu, which literally means "Little Place Rocks", is an impressive rock formation located in Dundgovi province, central Mongolia. The site refers to a series of granite rock formations rising from the flat steppe.

The rocky massif is situated at around 1,751 meters above sea level and extends over some 30 km², offering numerous opportunities for exploration. The area is inhabited by wild animals, such as mountain goats, hares and eagles.

There are also the ruins of an ancient Buddhist temple dating from the 17th century, once a meditation center for monks. It's in this unreal setting that you'll pitch your tent, a perfect opportunity to rediscover the sky, free of light pollution and populated by infinite stars.

Breakfast at the hotel, lunch and dinner at the camp

In a yurt with the locals

Approx. 6 hours /400 km/

Return to Ulan Bator. After some free time, you can do your last shopping and take a few more photos of this other Mongolia. At 6pm, you'll attend the famous Tumen Ekh traditional arts show, featuring traditional dances, diphonic singing, instrumental music, songs and contortion acts.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Standard local 3* hotel, Ulaanbaatar

Approx. 3-4 h 250 km

Your driver will accompany you to the airport.

Breakfast at your hotel