Must-see attractions in The Gobi

The bend in the river here marks the remains of two ruined monasteries which are today considered one vast complex known as Ongiin Khiid. Bari Lam Khiid…

This 670-sq-km nature reserve, only a four-hour drive from Ulaanbaatar, at an elevation of 2200m, is home to hundreds of ibexes (mountain goats), argali …

Khongoryn Els are some of the largest and most spectacular sand dunes in Mongolia. Also known as the Duut Mankhan (Singing Dunes – from the sound they…

A pleasant 2km path leads from the parking area to this gorge filled with blue ice, one of the park's can't-miss sights. You can hike, bike or hire a…

In 1853 Danzan Ravjaa told the local people that he would die in three years but that they could forever come to this place and speak to his spirit…

The so-called Flaming Cliffs are a Gobi highlight and an important palaeontology site first excavated by Roy Chapman Andrews in 1922. Even if you are not…

Yolyn Am was originally established to conserve the region's bird life, but it’s now more famous for its dramatic rocky cliffs and narrow, heavily shaded…

Gurvan Saikhan National Park (20,000 sq km) offers a wealth of sand dunes, canyons, dinosaur fossils and mountainous terrain. Desert wildlife includes…

A 400m-long jigsaw of white-sand cliffs, striped pastel shades of purple, orange and red. That's the scene awaiting you at Tsagaan Suvarga, a sight…

Like a miniature Joshua Tree National Park, this granite-rock formation in the middle of the dusty plains sheltered Zanabazar during conflicts between the…

An unusual sight is the half-hidden stone ruins of the 200-year-old monastery, Tsorjiin Khureenii Khiid. Concealed among the rocks, and shaded by a grove…

Split in two for management purposes, but considered one protected area, together they form the fourth-largest biosphere reserve in the world. It protects…

Travellers descend on this remote Gobi nature reserve to wander the boulder-strewn moonscape scenery, clamber around and over abstract rock formations and…

Way off the beaten track; you are likely to have this complex of canyons all to yourself. Some say they are even more spectacular than Bayanzag. Be sure…

These petroglyphs depict herds of animals including deer, ibexes and gazelles; 20km from the town of Sevrei.

If you take the main route from Dalanzadgad to Khongoryn Els, keeping the mountains to your left as you go, you can stop and hunt the hills for this…

If you are headed from Yolyn Am to Khongoryn Els, an adventurous and rough alternative route takes you through the Dugany Am, a spectacular and narrow…

This old monastery survived Stalin’s purges by becoming a warehouse and shop. The monastery was built in the late 18th century to commemorate the first…

The ruined 10th-century temple Süm Khökh Burd sits on an island in the middle of a seasonal lake, and was built from rocks that can only be found more…

The main hall at this new-build compound that rises from blonde desert sands is an impressive ger-like structure with a golden tower. It can be reached by…