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Tashkent to Mongolia: Ulaanbaatar and the Gobi Desert

Tashkent → Ulaanbaatar → Gobi Desert

Gandan Monastery
"Gandantegchinlen_Monastery_(2024).jpg" by Chongkian, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
UB downtown (Ulaanbaatar)
Foto: Zazaa Mongolia, CC BY-SA 4.0, über Wikimedia Commons

Steppe & desert Best season (general guide): Jun–Sep

Mongolia is a country of huge distances, and a trip to the Gobi means several days on unpaved tracks with a driver and guide. This plan spends two nights in Ulaanbaatar and five in the south. From Tashkent there are only a few routes to Mongolia, so you may connect through Istanbul, Seoul or a Chinese hub.

In the capital, Gandan monastery is an active Buddhist centre where you can watch the monks at prayer in the morning. The National Museum explains the history of the steppe, from early nomads to the Mongol Empire and the twentieth century.

The drive south passes through grassland and then into the desert. Bayanzag, the Flaming Cliffs, is known for its red sandstone and dinosaur fossil finds. Yolyn Am is a narrow gorge in the Gurvan Saikhan mountains, where ice can linger well into summer. Khongoryn Els is a long line of high sand dunes, and climbing to the top at sunset is a hard, rewarding walk. Most nights are spent in ger camps, which vary from basic to comfortable.

June to September is the travel season, with June and September often the most pleasant. The Naadam festival in mid-July fills flights and hotels in the capital, so book early if you plan to be there. Pack layers, as desert nights can be cold even in summer.

Pacing: travel with a licensed tour company that provides a driver, a guide and a cook. Bring a sleeping bag liner, a torch, wet wipes and snacks for the long drives. Ger camps have basic facilities, and hot showers are not always available.

Getting there and around: fly into Ulaanbaatar, go on to Gobi Desert overland, and return overland to Ulaanbaatar for the flight home.

Suggested outline

  1. Tashkent

    Start

  2. Ulaanbaatar

    By air · 2 nights suggested

    Mongolia's capital, with Gandan monastery and the National Museum of Mongolia.

  3. Gobi Desert

    Overland · 5 nights suggested

    Several days by 4x4 to the Flaming Cliffs, the Yolyn Am gorge and the Khongoryn Els dunes, sleeping in ger camps.

    Khongoryn Els
    "Khongoryn_Els_04.jpg" by Bernard Gagnon, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Ulaanbaatar — Arrive at UBN· Tashkent → Ulaanbaatar (by air)
  2. Day 2 · Ulaanbaatar — Gandan monastery and National Museum
  3. Day 3 · Gobi Desert — Drive south· Ulaanbaatar → Gobi Desert (overland)
  4. Day 4 · Gobi Desert — Bayanzag
  5. Day 5 · Gobi Desert — Yolyn Am
  6. Day 6 · Gobi Desert — Khongoryn Els dunes
  7. Day 7 · Gobi Desert — Return toward Ulaanbaatar
  8. Day 8 · Gobi Desert — Travel home from Gobi Desert· Gobi Desert → Ulaanbaatar (overland), then Ulaanbaatar → Tashkent (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

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Ulaanbaatar

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Gobi Desert

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