The Four Corners of Mongolia

Join veteran Central Asia explorer Roger Williams for an epic overland journey under Mongolia’s revered “Great Blue Sky.” With over three weeks to explore this land, we experience magnificent landscapes and enter a world incredibly different from our own, enjoying the traditional hospitality of one of the world’s last nomadic cultures. In far western Mongolia, land of glaciers, we meet Kazakh nomads and other traditional ethnic groups among snow-capped peaks and wild valleys. The next leg of our journey brings us to mountainous Hovsgol Province and sapphire-blue Lake Hovsgol, where we visit with herder families and explore on foot or on horseback from our comfortable ger camp along the shores. On the great Eastern Steppe—the largest expanse of temperate grasslands in the world—we enter a pristine environment of golden grasslands where vast herds of Mongolian white-tailed gazelle migrate. We end with a flourish in the spectacular Gobi Desert, where we follow in the footsteps of explorer Roy Chapman Andrews, who found the very first dinosaur eggs here in 1923 in a desert canyon he named the Flaming Cliffs. This is a truly adventurous overland expedition and a once-in-a-lifetime journey in the land of Genghis Khan!

Itinerary at a Glance

For a more complete description, Download Full Trip Brochure

Day 1-2
Ulaanbaatar

We visit Gandan Monastery, the seat of Buddhism in Mongolia, with its temples, courtyards, and maroon-robed monks, and view artifacts from the days of Genghis Khan at the National History Museum.

Days 3-8
Ulgii / Tolbo Lake / Mt. Tsambagarav

Flying to the town of Ulgii in the far west, we head out to our camp below Mt. Tsambagarav and enjoy mountain walks and a chance to experience Kazakh culture and meet local families. This isolated area has preserved the language, culture, and traditions of the Kazakhs and provides some of the most spectacular scenery in Mongolia. While we’re here we also meet Uuld and Uriankhai people. Return to Ulaanbaatar on Day 8.

Days 9-14
Lake Hovsgol, Mongolia’s “Blue Pearl”

Heading overland, we visit Amarbayasgalant Monastery, one of the country’s largest, and camp along the Deler River. Continuing north through steppe and forest, we reach Hovsgol, a crystal-clear alpine lake whose waters eventually reach Lake Baikal in neighboring Siberia. We camp in traditional gers on the shore, with options for kayaking and Mongolian-style horseback riding. Our gers are walk-in yurt-like dwellings heated with a wood stove and furnished with beautifully painted beds. Return to Ulaanbaatar on Day 14.

Days 15-22
Choibalsan / the Eastern Steppe

We fly out to the town of Choibalsan on the vast reaches of Mongolia’s Eastern Steppe. At about 95,000 square miles, the Eastern Steppe is the largest expanse of unspoiled, temperate grassland in the world. Each year, about a million Mongolian gazelles migrate across this vast landscape of short grass and sparse trees, in herds of thousands at a time. We visit remote Buddhist sites, small settlements, and a remote salt lake where the locals have harvested salt for centuries. Return to Ulaanbaatar on Day 22.

Day 23-25
Gobi Desert

Flying to the Gobi Desert, we head to the comfortable Three Camel Lodge, our base for exploring the Flaming Cliffs, where we can enjoy a camel ride, and Yol Valley National Park, habitat for Argali mountain sheep. Return to Ulaanbaatar on Day 25.

Days 26-27
Ulaanbaatar

We wrap up our journey with last-minute shopping and sightseeing in the capital, including a performance of traditional Mongolian throat-singing. Depart Day 27.

For a more complete description, Download Full Trip Brochure

What the Trip is Like

The trip is rated 2, Easy to Moderate. It is a rugged overland journey by 4WD vehicle with long drives across four separate regions of the country. Roads outside Ulaanbaatar are unpaved and often bumpy and dusty. In most cases, travel on these roads will be done in Russian four-wheel drive vans, which are not up to western SUV standards but are reasonably comfortable. Please note: Those participating should be comfortable with long, full days of driving on this true overland expedition. The journey will requires flexibility with the itinerary and a willingness to endure tough travel conditions. On our 13 camping nights, we sleep in mountain style camping tents, equipped with ground pads and sleeping bags rated to 15°F. At camp, conditions are comfortable but basic. Our staff cooks and serves the meals, and there is a shared toilet tent at camp. On five nights, we enjoy cozy ger camps, simple two-person yurt style accommodations, equipped with beds, sheets and blankets, and small stoves for heat. Toilet and shower facilities are separate from the gers and shared by all participants, except at Three Camel Lodge, where gers have private bathrooms with toilet and sink. Meals at ger camps are in a central dining areas, and bottled water will be provided in the gers. Horseback riding and kayaking are available as options at Lake Hovsgol. In Ulaanbaatar, we stay in a comfortable hotel with modern amenities.

Explanation of Trip Levels