Suitable for active and adventurous cultural and natural explorers. On Cycling in the Gobi Desert and Central Mongolia Tour, you will discover scenic places of the Gobi Desert and central Mongolia, combining a vehicle and bicycle. To take this tour, it doesn't matter if you are an experienced adventure cyclist or an amateur. But cycling on rough roads requires some ability. Cycling as long as 45 km to 50 km is available for experienced and adventure cyclists, while amateurs can cycle at their own pace and liking. Besides cycling, you will experience the nomad life while staying with them for 2 days, travel in the Orkhon River World Cultural Heritage Valley, ride horses and camels, explore ancient monasteries, and enjoy the beauty of the mountain steppes and the Gobi Desert landscapes.
Itinerary
Day 1: Start the adventure to Elsentasarkhai
Meet with your guide and driver and start the tour heading to Elsentasarkhai, a scenic area representing the Gobi desert, mountain steppes, and steppes. First, you will drive out of the city. Next, bicycle about 20-30 km or longer on rough roads. It is the first day you feel the wideness and emptiness of Mongolia. Load the bikes on the vehicles when having enough biking. Arrive at Elsetasarkhai and visit a nomad family. Learn first-hand about nomadic life.
Accommodation: An extra ger of a nomad family
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Day 2: Cycling to Hugnu Khan Mountain, horse and camel riding
Continue to discover the nomadic life, and ride horses and camels. You also bike 15 km to Hugnu Khan Mountain. Alternatively, you may cycle an additional 15 km instead of driving back to the nomadic family. Have an authentic Mongolian barbecue for dinner.
Accommodation: An extra ger of a nomad family
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3: Cycling to Kharkhorin, visit Erdenezuu Monastery
Today, you will cycle for 35 km. You can choose to cycle on rough roads or paved roads. Arrive at Kharkhorin by lunchtime. Kharkhorin, formerly known as Kharakhorum, was the capital of Genghis Khaan's Great Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Karakorum was abandoned and then destroyed by Min soldiers in 1388 after the Mongolian capital moved to Beijing and the fall of the Empire. Today, in the vast valley of the Orkhon River, the awe-inspiring ancient monastery Erdenezuu coexists with Kharkhorin town. See some valuable religious artifacts in the monastery museum, view its stunning architecture, and visit the Kharakhorum Museum display remnants of the ancient city.
Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4: Biking, driving on the open steppes to Ongi Monastery ruins
First, you will drive for some kilometers out of the town. Next, you cycle approximately 40 km on the rough roads. Our today's adventure takes place in the transition zone from mountain steppes to the Gobi Desert. Arrive at a ger camp near Ongi monastery ruins in the evening. Ongi Monastery was one of the seven biggest monasteries in Mongolia. There were two separate monasteries on the shores of the Ongi River, surrounded by the Gobi Desert mountains. Socialists destroyed the temples in the 1930s. Now the ruins of the monasteries involve an expanse area. You will visit a new active temple, a ger museum, and explore the monastery ruins.
Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: Driving and biking to Baga Gazariin Chuluu
Baga Gazariin Chuluu is a complex of granite rock mountains towering on the Gobi desert steppes. Today, you will cycle another 40 km. Have a picnic lunch and some hiking through the granite stone mountains.
Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6: Cycling and driving to Ulaanbaatar
Today, you will return to Ulaanbaatar with 30 km of rough roads cycling on the way. Arrive in Ulaanbaatar in the evening.
Accommodation: 3* hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 7: Transfer to the airport/railway station.
We will transfer you to the airport/railway station.
Meals: Breakfast
Background
Is the Cycling in the Gobi Desert and Central Mongolia Tour Suitable for you?
This active discovery tour includes vehicle supported 30-40 km daily rough road cycling. If you wish, you can shorten or lengthen the daily cycling distance. After the cycling, we will load the cycles into the vehicle and drive to reach the day's attraction. The tour is suitable for both experienced cyclists and amateurs. We do not require a particular cycling experience for private tour groups. Although, you will enjoy the adventure better if you have a rough road cycling experience. 190 km of a total 1235 distance is planned for the cycling. A combination of vehicles and bikes helps you see a substantial part of Mongolia. The tour takes place in flatter areas without steep mountain passes and river crossings. The cycling takes place at an average altitude of 1450 to 1550 m above sea level.
Meals
With nomads, you will try traditional Mongolian meals. There will be more meat in traditional Mongolian meals.
Ger camps serve European and Mongolian meals. Meat is the main ingredient for meals and is served for lunch and dinner, along with vegetables, salads, and soups.
A typical ger camp meals; breakfast is tea or coffee, bread, jam, butter, eggs, and sausage. There are some cookies, cheese, cereals, pancakes, and more at some ger camps for breakfast.
Ger camps serve salads, a main course, a dessert, and tea for dinner.
Lunchtime happens during your long-distance biking. Thus, you will have mostly picnic lunch and sometimes eat in the local areas along the way.
If you are a vegetarian or have other dietary restrictions, please inform us in advance, and we will make arrangements accordingly.
Accommodation
The tour includes 1 night in a traveler type 3* hotel in Ulaanbaatar, 2 nights stay with nomads, and 3 nights at the ger camps in the countryside. The ger camp stays will allow you to shower every day, charge batteries, use WC, and eat at ger camp restaurants after long adventure days. A 2-day nomad family stay is included at the beginning of the trip to make the adventure culturally experiential. We will provide a mobile travel shower when you stay with the nomads.
Guides
An English-speaking biking guide will serve you. Our guides are all friendly, flexible, and helpful. During horse and camel riding, local equestrians will help you.
Transportation
Depending on the group size, a Korean vehicle Hyundai Starex, a Japanese vehicle Toyota Hiace, a Russian van UAZ 452, or a trailer jeep will serve for the tour. The bikes are good quality and condition Trek bikes, equipped with water bottle holders and rear racks. We will put all necessary spare parts and maintenance tools in the support vehicle. Both the guide and drivers are good mechanics and do the required services.
When is the best time to cycle in the Gobi Desert?
10 May and 30 September is the most suitable time to travel to the Gobi Desert. During this period, the weather will be warm and enjoyable. The beginning of October is another no-crowd good time, but the weather is crisp in the morning and evening. The Gobi Desert is the warmest region in Mongolia. The annual temperature is usually 5°C to 10°C higher than in the other parts of Mongolia. The temperature drops by 10°C to 20°C in the evening and at night. A chill wind is occasional in May, September, and October. Average monthly temperatures are +20°C, highest +30°C daytime at the end of May, June, late August, and September. The night temperature may drop to +8°C. July is the hottest, as well as a humid month. The average day temperature of July is +28°C, the hottest is +38°C, and the night temperature could drop to +12°C. Although, some nights could be sultriness. The temperature dramatically falls if it rains. For your pre-departure preparation, you may check the biking tour packing list.
