8-day Gobi Desert Private Tour
Embark on an 8-day adventure to the Best of the Gobi Desert. Explore the White Stupa, Khongoryn Els Dunes, Flaming Cliffs, and more. This is a great tour to book if you’re visiting Mongolia for the first time.
Price:
Solo Traveler: $4,800 USD
2 People: $2,950 USD/person
3 People: $2,800 USD/person
4 – 8 People: $2,600 USD/person
- Tour Type: Gobi Desert Adventure
- Book Now (Private Itinerary)
- One Review
Available Booking Dates: May to September
Book For: 1 – 8 People
Languages Available: English, German
Stay: Hotels, Ger Camps
Tour Type: Road Trip, Adventure, Gobi Highlights
Included: Local Mongolian Guide, Private Driver, Meals, Accommodation (including two nights in Ulaanbaatar), Airport Transfers
Price to Book:
Solo Traveler: $4,800 USD
2 People: $2,950 USD/person
3 People: $2,800 USD/person
4 – 8 People: $2,600 USD/person
This 8-day Gobi Desert Private Tour takes you to the country’s best landscapes and landmarks, giving you the ultimate experience as a first-time visitor.
Spend 8 days and 7 nights traveling down through the Gobi Desert experiencing the natural beauty and traditions that make that part of the country a can’t miss.
After spending time in the serenity of the Gobi, travel to the ancient capital of Genghis Khaan, Kharkhorin.
Not much of the ancient capital still stands today, but visiting the Kharkhorin Museum and Erdene Zuu Monastery, which was built from the rubble of the capital, is a powerful experience. Dive into the history of the Mongol Empire and get a better understanding of how the country’s past shaped its future during this part of the tour.
Throughout this thoughtfully curated journey, your local guide will introduce you to the landscapes, history, and living traditions that form the core of Mongolia.
Balanced with comfortable ger camp and hotel stays, this itinerary is ideal for those seeking a genuine sense of adventure when visiting Mongolia for the first time.
Booking this private tour will give you one of the best experiences you can have in Mongolia in just 8 days.
While no single journey will cover everything, this trip covers everything you want out of a first visit to Mongolia. This is the best tour you can book for a complete and meaningful introduction to the country.
Highlights of this 8-day Gobi Desert private itinerary include:
- Begin and end in Ulaanbaatar, with optional city add-ons.
- Comfortable, air conditioned vehicles for your drive.
- Explore the Gobi’s most famous sites by foot, including the White Stupa, Khongoryn Els Dunes, and Flaming Cliffs.
- Experience wide open landscapes, quiet nights observing the Milky Way and famous Dark Skies, and the slower rhythm of nomadic life.
- Continue overland to Kharkhorin, the former capital of the Mongol Empire, and ancient capital of Genghis Khan.
- Visit Erdene Zuu Monastery, Mongolia’s oldest surviving Buddhist monastery.
- Stay in traditional gers with shared accommodation, offering an authentic experience.
- Enjoy a well-paced itinerary that balances immersion and comfort.
- Travel with an experienced local guide who will show you things you’d otherwise miss if you were traveling on your own!
Table of Contents
Add these Experiences to Your Mongolia Trip
👉 Make the Most of Your Time in Ulaanbaatar
If you have extra days, these are the experiences I’d actually recommend:
→ Ulaanbaatar: Private Guided City Tour with Car
→ Cooking Class in a Local Home
→ Mongolian Traditional Dance & Music Concert Ticket
→ Chinggis Khaan Equestrian Statue & Terelj National Park
→ Ulaanbaatar: Private Nomad Horseback Ride + Homemade Lunch
8-day Gobi Desert Private Tour Itinerary
This tour begins and ends in Ulaanbaatar. Airport transfers to Chinggis Khaan International Airport and two nights at a hotel in Ulaanbaatar are included in the tour price.
If you would like to add additional days onto your itinerary, or additional nights at the hotel, just let us know. We are happy to make arrangements on your behalf and add the balance to your final trip invoice.
Please note there will be long driving days on this private tour. If you get car sick, or are unable to spend long hours in the car, this experience might not be for you.
Our team will do their best to make the journey as comfortable as possible, but please keep in mind you’ll spend a lot of time on unpaved roads.
This private tour is designed to cover everything you’ll want to see and do in the Gobi Desert.
We welcome anyone to book this tour. This experience is great for families, couples, and groups of friends looking for an intimate and authentic experience.
This tour is available from May to September. Book early – availability for this tour sells out fast!
For June, July, and August booking days, please book by April 1. Otherwise, we are unable to guarantee room availability at the ger camps we prefer to book for this experience. Guide availability will also be limited and we may not be able to confirm your desired trip dates.
Day 1: Arrive in Mongolia
- Airport transfer from Chinggis Khaan International Airport to your hotel in the city center
- Evening at leisure to rest up for the journey ahead
Arrive in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital city, where your airport pick-up will be arranged upon arrival.
Your airport transfer will drop you off at your hotel in the city center and you’ll have the rest of the day at leisure. Use your time in the city to rest, explore by foot, use the ATM, and start to acclimate to Mongolian time.
- Stay: Best Western Tuushin Hotel or Similar (Double Occupancy)
Day 2: Drive from Ulaanbaatar to the White Stupa (460 kilometers)
- 8 am departure to White Stupa
- Lunch and coffee break in Mandalgovi
- Sunset at the White Stupa
Your day will begin early. Meet your guide and driver at 8 am to begin your journey south.
Be sure to eat breakfast at the hotel, download your playlists and podcasts, and wear comfortable clothes for the road trip ahead.
Arrive to the White Stupa in the evening and check into the Gobi Caravanserai hotel.
- Stay: Gobi Caravanserai or Similar (Double Occupancy)
- Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3: Drive to Yoliin Am Valley & Khongoryn Els Dunes (450 kilometers)
- Gentle hike through Yoliin Am Valley
- Sunset at Khongoryn Els Dunes, famously known as the Singing Sands
- Take in Mongolia’s famous dark skies and admire the Milky Way
After an early breakfast, leave the White Stupa area and head to Yoliin Am Valley. Yoliin Am is named after the bearded vultures who live here, so be sure to look up as you make your way through the canyons.
Enjoy a gentle walk and if you’re visiting in May or June, admire the ice that’s still lingering here from winter.
From Yoliin Am, continue driving onward to the desert’s most iconic area, the Khongoryn Els dunes. Arrive at your ger camp by late afternoon, drop off your bags and head straight for the dunes looming ahead.
Climb the dunes at sunset and be rewarded with the sprawling desert ahead. This is one of the most iconic sights of the Gobi for good reason.
Return to your ger camp for dinner and settle into a quiet night in the desert. With no light pollution, the stars emerge in full clarity often revealing the Milky Way stretching across the sky.
- Stay: Gobi Erdene Ger Camp or Similar (Double Occupancy)
- Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4: Drive to the Flaming Cliffs (130 kilometers)
- Short documentary explaining the dinosaur eggs discovered here
- Walk the cliffs of Bayanzag, the famous Flaming Cliffs
Following breakfast, pack up and continue on your Gobi Desert adventure.
Drive along unpaved roads until you reach Bayanzag, also known as the Flaming Cliffs. Famous for the dinosaur eggs and fossils discovered here, Bayanzag is a must-visit on any Mongolia trip.
Watch a short documentary about Roy Chapman Andrews and the expedition he led here more than 100 years ago, recording the first fully intact dinosaur egg nest in history. His discoveries here are legendary, he’s the inspiration for Indiana Jones!
After walking along the cliffs at Bayanzag and browsing the local craft stalls, head to your hotel where you can shower and relax for the rest of the evening.
- Stay: Big Sky Gobi Lodge or Similar (Double Occupancy)
- Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: Drive to Ongi Monastery (180 kilometers)
- Ongi Monastery ruins
- Settle in at the Secret of Ongi ger camp
- Mongolian costume fashion show
Enjoy a slow morning and your last views of the sprawling Gobi ahead. After breakfast, begin the scenic drive toward Ongi Monastery, stopping for a picnic-style lunch along the way.
Arrive at the Secret of Ongi Ger Camp, check into your gers and head to the monastery ruins next door. Learn about this important historical site and the devastations that occurred here during Soviet times. Visiting Ongi Monastery can be a heavy experience, but it’s essential for understanding the country’s complicated relationship with its northern neighbors.
This evening, enjoy a buffet style dinner and Mongolian costume fashion show.
- Stay: Secret of Ongi Ger Camp or Similar (Double Occupancy)
- Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6: Drive to Kharkhorin and Explore the Ancient Capital (395 kilometers)
- Erdene Zuu Monastery museum and school
- See the ancient city replica at Kharkhorin Museum
- Spend one final night by the dunes of Elsen Tsarkhai, an area locals call the Mini Gobi
- Ride camels into the dunes at sunset for incredible photos and memories and to conclude your Gobi adventure
Begin the drive north through Mongolia’s grasslands. As the hours pass, the landscape gradually softens and the desert gives way to greener valleys, cooler air, and increasing signs of life. Along the way, pass nomadic herders with their animals, moving through wide valleys and open pasturelands.
Arrive in Kharkhorin in time for lunch at one of our favorite locally-owned restaurants.
In the afternoon, visit Erdene Zuu Monastery, the oldest monastery in Mongolia. Step foot inside the temples turned museum and follow the sounds of chanting to the back of the complex where monks still live and practice today.
Make one last stop at the Kharkhorin Museum to learn even more about the history of the ancient capital and how it looked during the time of the Great Mongol Empire. A highlight of the museum is the replica of what the ancient capital looked like during the days when Ogedei, the son of Genghis Khan, ruled.
Conclude your time in Kharkhorin and drive approximately 50 kilometers to an area named Elsen Tsarkhai. You’ll spend the night in this area, next to sprawling dunes, and go for a camel ride in the evening through the dunes. We prefer to ride camels in this area, and not in Khongoryn Els, because you can actually go through the dunes atop your two-humped mounts. The dunes in Khongoryn Els are too steep to ride camels through.
Take your last photos of the dunes and two-humped Bactrian camels at sunset, soak in the last breathes of countryside air, and enjoy one last quiet evening before returning to civilization tomorrow.
- Stay: Khogno Khan Ger Camp or Similar (Double Occupancy)
- Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7: Return to Ulaanbaatar and Evening at Leisure (285 kilometers)
- Local lunch along the way back to Ulaanbaatar
- Return to Ulaanbaatar and have the evening at leisure
Enjoy the paved roads back to the city as your trip begins to come to an end.
Stop for lunch in a small local town and get your last taste of Mongolian cuisine.
Your guide and driver will drop you off at the hotel and you’ll have the evening to spend at leisure.
Do your final cashmere shopping, pick up your last souvenirs at one of the best local shops in Ulaanbaatar, and say goodbye to the country you got to know over the last 8 days.
- Stay: Best Western Tuushin Hotel or Similar (Double Occupancy)
- Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 8: Depart Mongolia
- Airport transfer from your hotel in the city center to Chinggis Khaan International Airport
Today marks the end of your journey. An airport transfer will be arranged according to your international flight’s departure time.
This isn’t goodbye, this is see you again soon!
- Meals Included: Breakfast
What's Included
- Airport transfer when you arrive/depart from Chinggis Khaan International Airport
- All accommodation and transportation during the trip dates, including hotel nights in Ulaanbaatar
- An experienced and professional local Mongolian guide
- All activities listed on the itinerary
- Meals* (breakfast, lunch, dinner) as outlined on the trip itinerary. We are able to accommodate vegetarian and other dietary restrictions. Please let us know of your meal restrictions when booking this tour.
What's Not Included
- International or domestic flights
- Visa costs and fees
- Travel Insurance that covers medical evacuation and cost of participation (required)
- Personal expenses such as laundry, alcoholic beverages, telephone calls, optional activities, and meals which are not included in the trip itinerary
- Tips and additional gratuities
Visit our tour cancellation policy page if you have any additional questions.
An Important Note on Gobi Desert Ger Camps and Lodges
Please note that ger camps and lodges on this route do not have ensuite bathrooms. Each ger camp and lodge offers shared bathrooms and shower facilities (separated by gender), so you will be able to shower each evening.
We are unable to offer a Gobi Desert itinerary where ensuite bathrooms are included at each accommodation at this time.
This is an adventure-style itinerary. We ask that you come into it with that in mind!
Book Now
Embark on this 8-day adventure to the Gobi Desert. Explore the White Stupa, Khongoryn Els Dunes, Flaming Cliffs, and more.
Solo Traveler: $4,800 USD
2 People: $2,950 USD/person
3 People: $2,800 USD/person
4 – 8 People: $2,600 USD/person
Read our Tour Reviews
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