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Gobi Desert

Mongolia travel guide

What to see in the Gobi Desert

Singing dunes, cliffs full of dinosaur fossils and a canyon of ice.

Updated 18 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • 5 must-see places
  • Best time: from April to October
  • Typical food: Suutei tsai
Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC0

Gobi Desert highlights

The places you can’t miss. In the app we sort them by day and close to each other.

  1. Khongoryn Els dunes

    The singing dunes.

  2. Bayanzag

    The Flaming Cliffs.

  3. Yolyn Am Valley

    Ice in summer.

  4. Tsagaan Suvarga

    Colourful cliffs.

  5. Bactrian camels

    Camel rides.

Day trips from the Gobi Desert

We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

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When to travel to the Gobi Desert

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to the Gobi Desert are from April to October. If you can, avoid from November to March (extreme winter).

  1. Jan with strong warnings
  2. Feb with strong warnings
  3. Mar with strong warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May no warnings
  6. Jun no warnings
  7. Jul no warnings
  8. Aug no warnings
  9. Sep no warnings
  10. Oct no warnings
  11. Nov with strong warnings
  12. Dec with strong warnings
  • from November to March

    Extreme winter

    Temperatures of –30 °C or lower; many ger camps close.

    What to do: The best time is June to September, with Naadam in July.

  • February

    Lunar New Year (approximate dates)

    Millions of people travel at this time: trains and flights are full and expensive, and many shops and restaurants close for several days.

    What to do: Book transport weeks in advance and expect closures for the first three days.

Typical food of the Gobi Desert

The dish you have to try there and how to make it at home, to whet your appetite before the trip (or to go back to the Gobi Desert from your kitchen).

Suutei tsai
Photo: user:takoradee · CC BY-SA 3.0

Suutei tsai

The salty milk tea of Mongolia’s nomads, offered as soon as you arrive at any ger in the Gobi. It’s hot, salty and nourishing, and sometimes has butter or toasted rice in it.

  • Serves 4
  • 15 min

Ingredients

  • 1 litre of water
  • 2 tablespoons of green tea (or a piece of brick tea)
  • 500 ml whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Optional: a knob of butter

How to make it at home

  1. Bring the water to the boil and add the tea.
  2. Boil it for 3 or 4 minutes and strain out the leaves.
  3. Add the milk and salt, and bring back to the boil.
  4. Aerate it for a couple of minutes by scooping it up with a ladle and pouring it back in from a height.
  5. Serve it piping hot in bowls, with butter if you like.

The trick: In a ger, the bowl is offered and received with both hands.

Where and what to eat

To eat like a local: a ger or a Mongolian restaurant. The dishes you can’t miss are in the Mongolia guide.

Frequently asked questions about the Gobi Desert

What to see in the Gobi Desert?

Khongoryn Els dunes, Bayanzag, Yolyn Am Valley, Tsagaan Suvarga and Bactrian camels.

What to see in the Gobi Desert in one day?

Don’t miss Khongoryn Els dunes, Bayanzag, Yolyn Am Valley, Tsagaan Suvarga and Bactrian camels. To split it into days and areas without crossing the city back and forth, the Bagintravel app plans your trip in a minute.

What’s the best time to travel to the Gobi Desert?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to the Gobi Desert are from April to October. If you can, avoid from November to March (extreme winter).

What day trips can you take from the Gobi Desert?

Gobi.

What is the typical food of the Gobi Desert?

Suutei tsai. The salty milk tea of Mongolia’s nomads, offered as soon as you arrive at any ger in the Gobi. It’s hot, salty and nourishing, and sometimes has butter or toasted rice in it.

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More in Mongolia

Guide reviewed 18 October 2026. Places, areas and seasons: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.