Experiencing the Gobi
The Gobi Desert spans 1.3 million km² in southern Mongolia and northern China — the fifth largest desert in the world. But forget the image of an endless sand expanse: The Gobi is surprisingly diverse. Only about 5% are actually sand dunes — the rest consists of gravel and rock steppes, rock canyons, mountain ranges, green oases, and dramatic cliffs. The Gobi is more of a semi-desert with its own fascinating ecology.
What makes the Gobi special: the extreme contrasts. You stand in an ice canyon where ice still lies in July — and two hours of Jeep driving later, you sink knee-deep into the hot sand of 300 m high dunes. In between: red cliffs from which 80 million-year-old dinosaur bones protrude, and two-humped camels leisurely trotting through the vastness.
The Three Major Highlights
- Khongoryn Els — The Singing Dunes: The largest sand dunes in Mongolia — up to 300 m high, 12 km wide, and 180 km long. When the wind sweeps over the ridges, the sand grains produce a deep, humming sound that echoes across the desert — hence "singing dunes." The climb (45–60 minutes in deep sand) is rewarded with a panoramic view reminiscent of the Sahara. At sunset, when the dunes glow in gold and orange: one of the most beautiful images of Mongolia.
- Flaming Cliffs (Bayanzag): Dramatically red sandstone cliffs that glow in flaming orange at sunset, as if they were on fire. Here, American explorer Roy Chapman Andrews discovered the first dinosaur eggs and nests in the world in 1923 — a find that revolutionized paleontology. Even today, fossil bones surface — keep your eyes open.
- Yolyn Am (Vulture Canyon): A narrow, deep canyon in the Gurvan-Saikhan Mountains, where ice remains until midsummer — right in the desert! The canyon narrows to a few meters, bearded vultures (lammergeiers) circle above the rock walls, and pikas scurry over the stones. A hike that could hardly be more surreal.
