TOP DESTINATIONS OF SOUTHERN MONGOLIA
Eco-friendly tours
The Mongolian Gobi Desert is the world's largest dinosaur fossil reservoir. The Gobi Desert is a vast, arid region of northern China and southern Mongolia. The Gobi is known for its dunes, mountains, and rare animals, including snow leopards, black-tailed deer, martens, lynx, wildcats, antelopes, and two-humped Bactrian camels. sustainable travel
The region is significant for dinosaur fossils from the late Cretaceous period, the last of the three main periods of the dinosaur age, representing the final phase of dinosaur evolution. There are lots of exciting things to discover in the Mongolian Gobi. sustainable travel
KHONGOR SAND DUNE Eco-friendly tours
Khongor sand dune is one of Mongolia's largest and most spectacular dunes, standing as high as 200 meters above the ground, 7-8 km wide, and 180 km long. The dunes rise between the Altai Mountains to the south and streams and oases on the north side, with lush greenery.
Climbing the dunes is breathtaking, not only for the view at the top. It surprises climbers that the dunes make a singing sound while you climb.
Khongor sand dunes are also known as singing sands. Once up on top of the dunes, people's or animals' sounds are heard clearly. The people and the cars on the dune's slope will look like tiny bugs. Many tourists visit the Mongolian Gobi. sustainable travel
The sand dunes give you an extraordinary sense of comfort and infinite peace. For example, some tourists visit the South Gobi to see the sunset and sunrise from the top of the sand dunes. You will have a great experience visiting the Mongolian Gobi Desert. Sustainable travel Eco-friendly tours
YOL VALLEY "VULTURE CANYON" Eco-friendly tours
Another wonder of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia is Three Beauties of the Gobi, a massive rocky mountain. This mountain has steep rock walls, and a river flows through between the rock walls. The mountain gorge is named after a bearded vulture called Yol in Mongolian. The length of the Yol Valley is 8 km. sustainable travel
The valley is elevated 2800 meters above sea level and covers an area of 64 square km. The Yol Valley forms a gorge that is deep and narrow. The ice field reaches several meters thick by the end of winter and is several km long. Ice could have existed for a whole year in the past years, but the modern ice field tends to disappear by September due to global warming. This area has been the main attraction of tourists for many decades. However, it is broad at the entrance; it narrows gradually into a remarkable gorge. sustainable travel
Although the sun shines a lot in this sight, the canyon remains dark, and some of the cliffs are 200 meters tall, so the bottom part of the river remains nearly all year long, covered by a thick layer of ice. When tourists walk through a narrow valley, they greet and talk to each other. sustainable travel
BAYANZAG FLAMING CLIFFS Eco-friendly tours
The Gobi Desert is rich in native saxaul trees called “Bayanzag,” which means many saxaul trees. “Ulaan khavtsal” is a Red shore of clay formations formed because of wind and rain for thousands of years. It has a unique 5 km wide texture and is approximately 8 km long. sustainable travel
In 1922, American paleontologists found dinosaur bones and eggs in the area while researching a trace of ancient people with their crew. Thus, they saw random fossils in Bayanzag. While they were going from Beijing to Uliastai in Mongolia, expediting for 1600 km, they got lost on the way. Roy Chapman and his American friends were surprised and screamed with joy. Many discoveries were made by American paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews and his team. They first excavated in 1922; it is renowned worldwide for the number of dinosaur bones and eggs found in the area during their research into traces of ancient people. That is why they contributed to Bayanzag's "Flaming Cliff" becoming famous worldwide.
The team fell in love with the discoveries and returned to excavate at Bayanzag. The 3rd time, the team discovered dinosaur nests with an egg and three new kinds of dinosaur eggs by stealing and eating Oviraptor. The Americans analyzed the eggs and found the first trace of dinosaurs, called giant squid, that laid eggs in the Mongolian desert, discovered in Bayanzag. This dead trace press is extremely rare, making flaming cliffs unique worldwide. sustainable travel
HERMEN TSAV Eco-friendly tours
In the Gobi, natural miracles are countless, and one of them is named Khermen Tsav, a wonderful canyon made of red mud rocks. The spectacular rocky formations of Khermen Tsav are located North of the sum of Gurvantes, in the extreme Northwest of the province of Omnogovi, between Mount Sharig at the North and Mount Altan in the South. Khermen means "wall" and Tsav means "fissure". Thousand of years of erosion formed this majestic canyon, in which rocks are balanced 30 meters (98,43 feet) above ground. sustainable travel
The canyon stretches 250 square kilometers (96,53 square miles) and is 200 meters (656,17 feet) deep, but between the lowest point and the highest one, there is a difference in height of 1000 meters (0,62 mile). The colors are a gradation of reds and will delight the photographers. The first dinosaur skeleton was found in that place. The scientists agree that 200 million years ago, the place was covered with an inner sea. The American archaeologist Roy Chapman Andrews named this place "The End of the World".
Khermen Tsav is famous for its natural beauty, as well as for its bountiful underground fossils of dinosaurs. Besides it's not unusual to find some in the place. At the foot of these sand cliffs, the ground is fully covered with saxauls. From Dalanzadgad, you'll have to drive 400 kilometers (248,55 miles) on one of the worst tracks of the Gobi. This very isolated area is located on none of the classical tourist tours. Still, the reward deserves the effort: you'll be alone in a scene worthy of the American great canyons.
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THE NEMEGT FORMATION Eco-friendly tours
The Nemegt Formation is a geological formation in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert that dates to the Late Cretaceous. It lies atop the Barun Goyot formation and sometimes collapses into it.
It is made up of sediments from river channels and contains fish, turtles, crocodilians, birds, and a rich dinosaur fauna. It was associated with a wetter environment than when preceding strata were deposited, and there appears to have been some forest cover. sustainable travel
The Nemegt Formation’s exact age is uncertain; however, it is estimated to be Maastrichtian or possibly late Campanian, spanning around 76-65 million years. The presence of Saurolophus, a taxon also found in Alberta’s Horseshoe Canyon Formation, could indicate a 70-million-year-old Early Maastrichtian age. sustainable travel
TSAGAAN SUVRAGA "WHITE STUPA" Eco-friendly tours
The scarp of Tsagaan Suvarga is located southwest of the Dundgovi province. It is a sheer slope that was an ancient seabed, featuring a sedimentary structure created over millions of years. It is interesting to see this slope because it faces eastward of the sun. It also appears to be the ruins of an ancient city from a far distance.
That is why it was called the “White stupa.” This formation is over 60m tall at its highest point and extends for an impressive 400m. The stupa rises to the sky at an angle of 90 degrees. After the pouring rain, the torrent of water that flows down the stupa looks like a massive waterfall. Because it faces eastward, it is common for animals to fall off and die during storms. sustainable travel
Two famous caves lie 7 km to the east of the white stupa. They are called Khevtee Bosoo agui (Lie-and-Stand Cave). They are titled “lie and stand caves” because some parts of the cave are tiny; you can only crawl, but other areas are enormous so that you can stand up. sustainable travel
BAGA GAZARIIN CHULUU ROCKY FORMATION Eco-friendly tours
The astonishing granitic formations of Baga Gazariin Chuluu," stone of the little place," are located northwest of the province of Dundgovi, in the heart of the steppe, 250 km (155,34 miles) towards the south of Ulaanbaatar, in the sum of Delgertsogt. At a height of 1751 meters (1,09 miles), they form a granite canyon erected in the heart of the steppe.
The erosion polished the rock faces of the cliffs. You may see the inscriptions on the rock written by two venerated monks who lived there in the 19th century. Some of the canyon's lateral entries are not very accessible, but most of them permit visitors to enter and make beautiful hikes in this rocky maze. sustainable travel
We can visit the site, the ruins of an old temple dating from the 17th century. We can see a deep, narrow hole. There is a little spoon on the rock for the people to wash their eyes with the sacred water. The stagnant rainwater could be used to treat ocular illnesses. sustainable travel
IKH GAZRIIN CHULUU Eco-friendly tours
Ikh Gazriin Chuluu is the largest granite area in Mongolia. Located in Govi-Ugtaal and Bayanjargalan soum of Dundgovi province, Ikh Gazriin Chuluu is a beautiful rock formation in the Gobi desert. There are over 40 caves in the area, and they are easy to access and close together, making it ideal for hiking. sustainable travel
According to local people, one of the caves, named Olgii, used to be full of mysterious books and scriptures. The highest point of Ikh Gazriin Chuluu is Yurlug Mountain, at 1706 meters. You can find several minerals, including pure crystal, cloudy crystal, jade, chalcedony, fluorite, bezoar, and shale, in the area. sustainable travel
Around 30 types of medicinal herbs, such as roseroot, silverweed, and locoweed, grow here; meanwhile, over 20 species, including whiskered bat and common bat, inhabit Ikh Gazriin Chuluu. Ikh Gazriin Chuluu became a government-protected area in 2003 due to its unique landscape. It covers almost 600 square km and is located 80 km to the south-east of Mandalgovi, the center of Dundgovi province. sustainable travel
THE ONGI RUINED MONASTERY Eco-friendly tours
Formerly one of the largest monasteries in Mongolia, the Ongi monastery was founded in 1660 and consisted of two temple complexes on the North and South banks of the Ong River. The older southern complex consisted of various administrative buildings and 11 temples. The northern complex built in the 18th century consisted of 17 temples, among them one of the largest temples in Mongolia. sustainable travel
Ongi monastery grounds also 4 Buddhist universities and could accommodate over one thousand monks at a time. During the 1930s, communism spread throughout Mongolia. As part of their ideological campaign and rise to power, communists arrested most monks around Mongolia. In 1939, the Ongi monastery was destroyed, over 200 monks were killed, and many surviving monks were imprisoned or forced to join the communist-controlled army. The water from the river was rerouted to support local mines run by the Communist government. When the river dried out, Local communities were forced to leave the surrounding areas of the monastery. Other monks escaped certain death by becoming farmers and typical workers. With the departure of both monks and locals, the Ongi monastery seemed destined to disappear.
However, after Mongolia's democratization in 1990, three monks returned to the Ongi monastery, where they had begun their Buddhist education as young children some 60 years prior. These monks started laying a new foundation upon the old ruins, with a vision to restore the Ongi monastery and revitalize Buddhism in Mongolia. Around the Ongi monastery, there are some tourist camps. sustainable travel
BUUN TSAGAAN LAKE Eco-friendly tours
Buun Tsagaan Lake is the largest lake in the Govi region within southern Mongolia, and this lake constitutes a significant portion of the region’s surface water resources. Located in Baatsagaan Soum, Bayankhongor province.
This saltwater lake is fed by the Baidrag River, which takes its source from the Khangai mountain range. The Lake Valley consists of Taatsiin Tsagaan Lake, Adgiin Tsagaan Lake, Orog Lake, and Buun Tsagaan Lake. Of these lakes, Buun Tsagaan Lake is one of the top 10 largest lakes in Mongolia by area, with a width of 11km and a length of 24km. sustainable travel
The lake looks white from afar, hence the name Buun Tsagaan, which roughly translates to Whole Bunch of White. The main attraction of the lake is the birds. There are 96 species of birds migrating over Buun Tsagaan Lake, making it an excellent spot for birdwatching. The most notable ones are the Dalmatian pelican, the swan goose, Pallas’s fish eagle, the relict gull, the Houbara bustard, and the Asian dowitcher. sustainable travel
RELATED TOURS
 Golden Gobi Tour8D/7N |  Gobi Express Tour5D/4N |  Gobi Mirage Tour7D/6N |  Gobi & Central Mongolian Tour11N/12D |
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 Gobi & Khuvsgul Lake Tour14D/13N |
