Altai Mountains

The highest peaks in Mongolia

Friendly people

warm hospitality

Central Mongolia

Chuluut river

Off-Route Tour

Rent a Car

Gobi Desert

Tsagaan Suvarga

Northern of Mongolia

Grassland

Central Mongolia

Orkhon waterfall

Hovsgul Lake

Summer time

Gobi desert

Khongoryn Els

Naadam Festival & Gobi Tour

Naadam festival

Experience the energetic Mongolian National Naadam Festival in the capital of Mongolia. You will experience the colorful event of the year, where you can discover the lifestyle, art and music that reflect the true national identity and culture of the Mongolian people. Combine this event with a tour to the Great Gobi Desert.

More information about Naadam Festival

The Naadam Festival take place from Juny 11.-13 is Ulaanbaatr and is the highlight of Mongolian festivals, the biggest sporting event of the year. The most important disciplines are Mongolian wrestling, the famous horse race and archery. The roots of the festival go far back into history, and the Naadam opening performances in the Naadam Stadium are a spectacular cultural event. Song, culture, dance and the bright colors costumes delight the audience. However, the festival does not only take place in Ulaanbaatar; every province and countless villages throughout the country celebrate on a smaller scale. It is the main holiday season in Mongolia.

Great Gobi Tour

Experiencing the endless expanse of Mongolia, and tranquility. Enjoy dreamlike landscape scenery, spectacular sunrises and sunsets and a starry sky like you`ve never seen before. Spend the night in a yurt, get in touch with the nomad family’s and experience their original lifestyle and hospitality.

General information:

The Gobi Desert is the least populated place in Mongolia, but on the other hand owns the largest population of Bactrian camels. The lives of the few nomads who live here is hard and exposed to the cold and hot, rainless desert climate, and primarily engaged in camel breeding. This tour takes you to the most magnificent and beautiful sites of the desert, the top travel destinations in Mongolia. A place every photographer must have been.

Tour description:

Culture and History, Discovery, Adventure, Nature

Tour activities:

  •        Participate in the Naadam Festival

  •        Visit to camel breeder’s family

  •        Camel riding,

  •        Climb up to the Khongor Sand Dunes, Sand-boarding

  • Explore the Baga Gazriin Chuluu, Tsagaan Suvarga, Vulture Valley, Bayan Zag and the Zorgol Khairkhan Mountain

Tour information’s:

Duration: 11 days

Distance: 1800 km

Price includes

  • Transportation /Driver and car with fuel/

  • English speaking tour guide

  • Eccommodation during the trip

  • Entrance fees for Naadam Festival, National Parks

  • Meals during the trip (B,L,D)

  • Drinking water (1,5 l per day)

  • Horse and Camel riding (optional)

  • 3-star Hotel / Guest house in Ulaanbaatar

  • Support and help 24/7

Price excludes

  • Liability, accident & travel insurance.

  • Personal expenses

  • Alcoholic drinks and Beverages

  • Snacks

  • Single Supplement, upgrade accommodation and vehicle

  • Visa fee

Itinerary

Whenever, your flight arrives at the international Chinggis Khan Airport, you will be picked up by our staff and transferred to the hotel our guesthouse in Ulaanbaatar. After a short meeting with your tour guide, you have the rest of day at leisure. If you want, you can go for a walk and explore the surroundings, change money, and do some shopping.

(Guest house or Hotel / Lounge and Dinner is not included)

Attend the opening ceremony of the State Naadam Festival at the Central Stadium, starting at 11:00 am. Enjoy lunch at the festival grounds and attend the wrestling, archery and knuckle-dragging competitions. Afterwards, return to the hotel and relax.

(Guest house or Hotel / Lounge and Dinner is not included)

On the second day of the festival, horse races take place in Khui Doloon Khudag. The horse racing venue is located outside Ulaanbaatar. Enjoy the traditional food. Walk around the area and enjoy some cultural activities. And drive back to Ulaanbaatar to the hotel.

(Guest house or Hotel / Lounge and Dinner is not included)

On the first day of the Gobi Tour tour, we drive to Baga Gazriin Chuluu. This magnificent granite rock formation rises in the middle of the desert plain. In the middle of the mountain is a cave with an underground lake. To enjoy the tranquillity and beauty of nature, you should hike on the rocky granite hills. An excellent place for camping.

(Ger camp our Tent / B, L, D)

Tsagan Suvarga (Whit Stupa)

The next day we will drive to Tsagaan Suvarga. It is a breathtaking formation of colored limestone. A good place to capture wonderful pictures of the sunrise and sunset.

 (Nomadic family yurt our Tent / B, L, D)

Yolyn Am (Yol Valley)

The next day we drive to Yolyn Am, is a nature and birdlife reserve. Here, in the middle of the desert, we find a meter-thick sheet of ice at the end of the valley, which has formed over the winter and slowly melts away during the summer. Hiking through the long and narrow valley, surrounded by high cliff walls, gras, wildflowers and Gobi plants will be your priority.

(Ger camp our Tent / B, L, D)

Khongor sand dunes

The next day we drive to the Khongor sand dunes. This is the largest and most impressive sand dune region in Mongolia. We visit camel breeders, ride camels, climb the Singing Dune and enjoy the breathtaking view of the desert from the top.

(Ger camp / B, L, D)

Bayan Zag (Flaming cliffs & Saxual tree)

The next day we drive to Bayan Zag. This amazing granite rock structure rises in the middle of the arid plains and is known for its numerous paleontological finds, which you can learn about in a small dinosaur museum. In the surrounding area we find the "Saxual Tree", the place is named after this desert tree. You will enjoy this place and in the light of the sunset the rock formation burns like flames of fire.

(Ger camp / B, L, D)

Zorgol Khairkhan Mountain

The next day on our way back to Ulaanbaatar we will come to the Zorgol Khairkhan Mountain. In summer, the mountain (granite) is surrounded by grassland and grazing cattle. Take pleasure in your mountain hike and you can find caves and water springs.

 (Tent our Nomadic family yurt / B, L, D)

Ulaanbaatar

After breakfast drive back to Ulaanbaatar city. City sightseeing, souvenir shopping, final meal with tour guide, preparation for departure.

(Guest house our Hotel / L, D)

What our clients say

We wanted to get to know the country and its people as well as possible, and we more than succeeded! We booked a customised tour according to our wishes and enjoyed everything to the full. Our tour guide and driver looked after us very well and made us feel comfortable. They fulfilled spontaneous requests and changed the itinerary especially for us to include a cultural Gobi festival that we passed by. We stayed with a nomadic family - learnt how to tie yak hair threads, helped cook and prepare traditional dishes, milked yaks and had a wonderful time with the family's children. Great country, great people and indescribable landscapes... We can highly recommend #ThomasTravel, especially for people who want to get to know Mongolian life away from mass tourism. Many thanks to everyone at Thomas Travel!

Verena and Sabrina, Germany 2023

What our clients say

I wanted to get to know the country, the people and the cold Mongolian weather, so I travelled to for two months in the middle of winter. A special experience was the ice festival in Hovsgul, where we drove across the frozen lake in an off-road vehicle. The best thing was living on a cattle farm and living with the Mongolians without a guide, eating their food and observing how they interact with each other. My horizons have broadened and I will take unforgettable experiences home with me. Many thanks to the #ThomasTravel team for making this possible.

Simon, Switzerland 2024

What our clients say

We travelled to Mongolia on the Trans-Siberian Railway, a nostalgic journey! During our week in this marvellous country we visited Central Mongolia. The nomadic life, the semi-gobi and bathing in the hot Zinkher springs were a special experience. We enjoyed the days very much. Thanks to #ThomasTravel for the wonderful days.

Martin, Beatrice and Karin, Switzerland 2019

What our clients say

After an busy week in Ulaanbaatar, I went on a day trip to Terlej national park. Horse riding, good food, fun with the group and best of all was our tour guide, Uuganaa, who was simply fantastic. I can recommend #Thomas Travel, good service at a fair price.

Rahel, Switzerland 2023

What our clients say

I was on a 34-day customized tour to the west of Mongolia together with 4 other travelers. Our tourguide Uuganaa and the fantastic driver Baynaa, were well organized and brought us safely to our destinations. Most of the time we stayed in tents, or with local families in their yurts or houses. The food prepared by Uuganaaa was always delicious and I enjoyed it very much. I have made friends from all over the world in Mongolia and have unforgettable memories that make this country one of my favorite travel destinations. Thank you Uuganaa and Baynaa

Jördis, Germany 2015

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