MONGOLIA
GOBI DESERT TREK
10 days
ITINERARY
6 days
TREKKING
77km
DISTANCE
£2,645
PRICE FROM
Go Off the Beaten Track in Mongolia's Wild Heart
- 77km
- Flight Packages
- Accommodation Inc
- All Permits Inc
- Food & Drink Inc
- UK Trek Leader
- Group Challenge
- Solo Friendly
- Medal & T-shirt
Discover Mongolia’s soul on a trek through the Gobi Desert. Journey across golden plains, dramatic canyons, and the Flaming Cliffs at sunset. Immerse yourself in nomadic traditions, meet herders, and sleep beneath star-filled skies. Explore one of the world’s last untouched landscapes, remote and rich in history, before celebrating with authentic Mongolian hospitality in Ulaanbaatar.
Mongolia Gobi Desert Trek
Mongolia’s Wild Heart Awaits You
- 10-day Gobi Desert adventure
- Trek approx. 80 km
- Fully supported group adventure
- A fully supported hiking tour
- UK Leader + Medic
- Explore Flaming Cliffs & canyons
- Immerse in nomadic culture
- Camp beneath star-filled skies
- Meet herders & camel caravans
- Celebrate with a Mongolian feast
The Action Challenge Experience
Life on the Mongolia Gobi Desert Trek
On an Action Challenge trip you’ll be part of a team taking on an adventure together – which is what makes the experience special! Sharing the journey & supporting each other, you’ll build friendships & create memories that last for years. Led by a UK Mountain Leader and supported by a Medic, you’re in safe hands, with expert local teams ensuring everything runs smoothly. Fully inclusive, so you can focus on your challenge and enjoy it.
An Action Challenge trip is much more than a holiday! It brings like-minded people together in fantastic landscapes, provides the best support & great hospitality, and enables the group to take on a tough & unforgettable challenge which forges new friendships, broaden horizons, and leaves you wanting more of life’s adventures!
The blueprint for Action Challenge trip is based on delivering a high quality enjoyable experience – and doing it all safely. An experienced UK Leader ensures that all aspects of the challenge run to plan – and one of our UK Medics with an expedition med kit is on-hand to look after the group’s wellbeing – enabling everyone to have the best chance of successfully competing their challenge.
We go to great lengths to ensure that we only use the best local organisations to supply the all-important ground logistics and the on-challenge support, catering, and hospitality teams – with experienced guides leading the way on the trails with their deep local knowledge and authentic style.
Like minded people with a similar sense of adventure – but often from very different backgrounds, and with a wide range of experience, ages, levels of fitness, and personal ambitions. Our trips are perfect for individuals, couples, and small groups of friends to join – and then to take on a unique challenge as part of a larger group which shapes & bonds as the adventure unfolds! Group sizes can range from 12 to 30+, and you can always check on current team sizes before signing up.
Whether its’s the hotels, restaurants & transfers before & after the main challenge – or the challenge accommodation & meals whilst out on the trails – our all inclusive packages mean that you will get a top quality experience at a great value price! Flights are generally included, but there’s a ‘land only’ option if you’d prefer to book your own – and single supplement accommodation upgrades are available. Participants will need to obtain their own visa for this challenge.
The group comes together – takes on a tough challenge together – and then celebrates its achievements in style on the final night of the trip in a local restaurant or hotel, with medals, awards, and a maybe a bit of a party! Many of our participants make new special friends on our trips – and quite a few come back together for another challenge in the following years!
A successful challenge starts with good preparation. The better prepared you are the more confident you’ll be, and the more you’ll enjoy it! Our ‘Challenge App’ will have all the info & details of what to expect on your challenge – and how to prepare for it. We also offer unlimited free UK training walks. These one-day walks run Spring through Autumn in some of the UK’s most scenic locations, including the South Downs, Brecon Beacons, Snowdonia, the Peak District, and the Lake District. They’re a great way to meet fellow trekkers before your big adventure, get to know some of our challenge leaders, and most importantly to build confidence and fitness on varied terrain.
THE ITINERARY
SWIPE TO EXPLORE
Day 1 Departure from UK
- In flight
- In flight
Begin your adventure with an international flight to Mongolia, a land steeped in nomadic heritage and vast wilderness. Known as the “Land of Eternal Blue Sky,” Mongolia boasts over 250 sunny days a year and a culture shaped by centuries of horseback traditions and Buddhist spirituality.
Day 2 Arrive in Ulaanbataar
- Camp
- L D
Day 3 Valley of Vultures
- Camp
- B L D
- 10km
A morning flight to Dalanzadgad brings you to Mongolia’s desert frontier. From here, travel off-road into the Zuun Saikhan Mountains to begin your trek in Yoliin Am, a narrow canyon where ice can linger even in summer. Watch for wildlife as you walk beneath towering cliffs. By evening, settle into camp, share a hot meal, and enjoy the vast, star-filled night sky.
Day 4 Gobi Steppe
- Camp
- B L D
- 12km
Day 5 Nomadic Mongols
- Camp
- B L D
- 18km
Day 6 Bayanzag (Flaming Cliffs)
- Camp
- B L D
- 12km
Day 7 Gobi Fossils
- Camp
- B L D
- 10km
Today’s trek follows rocky escarpments along the rim of the Flaming Cliffs. Your guide will share insights into the Gobi’s fossil-rich landscape, where major discoveries have been made. Along the way, you’ll spot ovoos, prayer flags, and local herders moving with their animals. We pause for lunch with sweeping views, watching light shift across the cliffs before continuing onward.
Day 8 Bulgan Village
- Camp
- B L D
- 15km
A short transfer begins the final leg toward Bulgan village, crossing open flats and low ridges where herders move livestock. In Bulgan, a small but lively settlement awaits. This evening, enjoy welcome comforts including a shower and a celebratory khorkhog feast, cooked with hot stones, meat and vegetables. As night falls, reflect on the journey and the landscapes and people that shaped it.
Day 9 Ulaanbataar
- Hotel
- B D
An early transfer over rough tracks returns you to Dalanzadgad for the flight to Ulaanbaatar. By lunchtime, the capital’s bustle feels surreal after desert serenity. The afternoon is yours: rest, shop for crafts (felt, leather, silver), or visit museums that deepen insight into Mongolia’s past and present. Tonight’s celebration dinner brings the group together to toast the journey.
Day 10 Departure Day
- Return flight
- In flight
Depart Mongolia with a sense of achievement and a deeper connection to cultures that endure in demanding landscapes. You leave with more than photographs—the memories of desert days and the warmth of ger hospitality.
Dates & Prices
2028 EARLY BIRD!
- £100 OFF ALL 2028 DATES
- FREE DUFFEL WORTH £125
- UNLIMITED TRAINING WALKS
- USE CODE YOUR2028
To book a place, complete our online form, & pay your deposit. You will receive a confirmation email, which also has details of what to expect next.
Sign up for a Self Funded package to do it for yourself – or choose a Charity Fundraising option to support a good cause.
Click FULL DETAILS next to a date to view the full price breakdown, including any optional fundraising targets.
02 Jul - 11 Jul
03 Sep - 12 Sep (SOLD OUT)
16 Jun - 25 Jun
30 Jun - 09 Jul (Nadaam Festival)
01 Sep - 10 Sep
How It Works
Our packages are typically all-inclusive, covering accommodation, meals, transport, local support, and flights if selected. Single supplements are available, and you can extend your stay by amending your return flight or choosing a pre-arranged extension. Places are limited on many trips, so we recommend booking early to avoid disappointment.
Our ‘with flights’ option is based on an economy class group booking departing from London (you can request a quote for an ‘upgrade’). The ‘land only’ option means that you book your own flights, and arrange to join the group at the 1st night’s hotel / or airport meet point.
If you’re traveling across the globe – extending your trip may be the perfect opportunity to explore, relax, or do more activities! If you choose the ‘with flights’ option you can request a return flight date change – and either arrange your own extension programme & reservations – or book one of our pre-arranged packages if available.
If your traveling with someone else – or as a small group – do let us know so we can ensure that the accommodation and flight arrangements worked out properly from the outset.
All our quoted prices are based on a ‘twin share basis’ (ie with a friend / partner – or on a same sex allocated basis if travelling alone). You can request a ‘single supplement’ to cover hotel rooms / tent / lodge accommodation.
Oil prices change often, so airlines sometimes add fuel surcharges. We pass these on to customers because they are unknown at the time of booking, which can be up to 18 months before travel. Airlines confirm the final surcharge about 12 weeks before departure. We apply a cap, so you never pay more than the stated maximum and we cover anything above it.
Airport and air travel taxes can also change, for example as a result of CO2 regulations. These adjustments are covered in our Terms and Conditions.
As with any adventure holiday, prices may be higher at certain times – generally reflecting the higher flight prices during those peak periods.
Challenge Brochure
The Challenge brochure details the full itinerary, inclusions, and more – download for a full run down of the challenge details.
FREE UK TRAINING WALKS
With any overseas challenge booking
• Average 20km distance
• Led by our UK leaders
• Do as many as you like
Frequently Asked Questions
Trip Details
Full details & information about what you can expect in the lead up & during the challenge.
Signing Up to the Challenge
Once you pay your deposit & have signed up to the challenge, you will receive a confirmation email welcoming you into the challenge.
You will also receive instructions on how to download our challenge app which has in it all the information you need to start preparing for your challenge – from kit lists to training guides.
We will keep you updated with regular emails & newsletters in the lead-up to the challenge, as well as information on training days & weekends.
If you need to cancel your challenge, your deposit is non-refundable – therefore we recommend you speak to our team to see what alternative options you may have.
Yes, if for whatever reason you need to push your departure back to a later one or change your trip altogether you can do so for a date change fee of £175, subject to availability.
Currently, we do not have the accounting facility to take instalments, we can only take your payment in full at least 12 weeks before your departure.
Preparation
Yes – in our challenge app, which you can download once you are fully registered for the challenge we have a host of training materials, guides & advice for you to use.
You also have access to unlimited free UK training walks. These walks are designed to help you get and around the UK, meet fellow trekkers, and all supported by one of our experienced UK Leaders.
Our free UK training walks offer the chance to meet up with fellow trekkers and our UK crew.
Closer to the challenge we will set up a WhatsApp group so that you can meet others online who are going to be on your trip. We also have a lively & dynamic Facebook group you can join at any time to meet other fellow challengers – past & present to share and swap training tips, advice & stories.
You will need specific travel insurance, which covers the duration of your trip, along with full cover for any activities you will be doing (i.e. trekking, cycling) and to cover you up to any altitude you may be trekking to. Once you are signed up for the challenge, we will send you full details of our recommended providers of appropriate cover.
Life on the Challenge
- International flights
- Domestic flights
- Action Challenge trek leader + medic
- Full support team, including local guides
- All accommodation
- All Meals, except in free time
- All transfers in local vehicles
- Celebration dinner
- Fitness and training guide
- Discounts from UK retailers
- Reduced rates at Nomad Travel Clinics and Masta Health
- Insurance
- Vaccinations – up-to-date on boosters.
- Tips for local staff
- Alcoholic drinks
- Personal kit / equipment
- Airline fuel surcharge
If you are booking a land-only package, we recommend booking flights to Chinggis Khaan International Airport (UBN), where you can meet the team. We recommend either booking on to the same flight as the team, or planning to arrive earlier, so you don’t miss out on the city tour and welcome briefing.
Absolutely! Just let us know after you book and we can request a flight extension with the airline for you.
We will be walking for an average of 6 hours a day in the heat of the desert, across sandy and undulating terrain. To ensure that you get the most out of your challenge, you will need a reasonably good level of fitness to take part, which can be achieved with some aerobic / anaerobic and strength exercises prior to departure.
Our day begins just after sunrise, with breakfast at camp. We will aim to set off by 8am for each day of trekking, so we can avoid the hot afternoon sun. As we trek, there will be regular stops to stock up on water, with a longer stop for lunch. On arrival into camp, there will be time to relax before dinner – with more downtime in the evening for conversation and socialising.
The Gobi Desert offers a surprisingly varied landscape. Your trek begins in the Zuun Saikhan Mountains, where narrow canyons and rocky gorges provide cool, sheltered paths—sometimes with lingering ice even in summer. From there, the route opens onto the vast Gobi Steppe: firm, gravelly plains stretching to the horizon, broken by occasional ridges and ovoo cairns marking sacred sites. Further south, sandy stretches and low dunes demand steady pacing under the desert sun. Near Bayanzag, the Flaming Cliffs introduce uneven rocky terrain and shallow gullies, famous for their fiery glow at sunset and paleontological treasures like dinosaur fossils. Vegetation is sparse, limited to hardy saxaul shrubs, and wildlife sightings may include ibex, vultures, and camel caravans. This mix of canyon trails, open steppe, and escarpments makes the trek challenging yet accessible for fit walkers, offering both physical variety and breathtaking scenery.
During the trek, you’ll enjoy a mix of hearty, nourishing meals designed for active days in the desert. Breakfasts and dinners are served at camp, featuring a combination of international dishes and traditional Mongolian flavors—think warming soups, rice, noodles, and meat-based dishes, often accompanied by fresh vegetables where possible. Lunches are typically picnic-style on the trail, offering simple, energy-rich options to keep you fueled during trekking. In Ulaanbaatar, meals are taken in hotels or local restaurants, giving you a taste of authentic Mongolian cuisine. Dietary requirements are catered for, and the highlight of the trip is a celebratory Mongolian hot rock barbecue (khorkhog) at Bulgan village—a centuries-old tradition where meat and vegetables are cooked with heated stones for a smoky, tender finish.
Each day, you will carry your day pack, containing water, suncream and other personal effects. Your main bag will be carried by our camel team, which also transports the camp equipment and food.
The trek is designed for a steady, manageable pace suitable for fit walkers. Daily distances range from 10 km to 18 km, with most days involving 4–7 hours of trekking. The pace allows time to enjoy the scenery, take photos, and learn about the culture and history of the Gobi. Terrain varies from canyon paths and rocky escarpments to open steppe and sandy stretches, so expect some sections to feel more challenging, especially on Day 5 (the longest day). Regular breaks are built in for hydration, snacks, and cultural encounters—such as meeting nomadic families or visiting sacred ovoos. This is not a race; the emphasis is on immersive experience and group safety, with guides ensuring everyone moves comfortably together.
Your challenge will be led by an experienced Action Challenge leader. Our leaders are selected for their experience, knowledge, enthusiasm, sensitivity and sense of humour, and will ensure that your trip runs smoothly.
You will also be accompanied by an Action Challenge doctor, who will be carrying a fully stocked medical kit in case of any emergency. They will carry out daily health checks, and the re-assurance of their presence should allow you to focus on, and enjoy your challenge!
There will also be a local support crew consisting of a guide, assistant guide (for bigger groups) and a camel crew.
We have a full support team in country with daily contact between the Action Challenge Head Quarters in London and local staff. If for any reason you need to leave the group early local staff will assist you and will arrange transfers, accommodation and medical care if necessary.
The Gobi Desert has a continental climate with big temperature swings. During the trekking season (June–September), daytime temperatures typically range from -5°C to 26°C, depending on altitude and time of day. Expect warm afternoons but cooler mornings and evenings, especially in the mountains and open steppe. Rainfall is minimal (around 200 mm annually), and sunshine averages 12.5 hours per day, so conditions are generally dry and bright. While summer brings pleasant warmth, the desert can still feel chilly at night, so layered clothing is essential.
Costs & Fundraising
The balance for your trip cost, will be due to us 10 weeks before your departure. You will be sent a reminder & an invoice 12 weeks before, giving you 2 weeks to make the payment.
80% of your fundraising target is due to be with your charity 12 weeks before the challenge, meaning that it either needs to be banked with them, or sat against a Just Giving page. We will then invoice your charity for the remaining cost of your place on the challenge, it is important you make that 80% target otherwise your charity will not pay for your place, and your trip could be cancelled.
The remaining 20% of your balance will be due to be with your charity 4 weeks after your trip ends.
Our base cost is on a twin share room basis, if you are signing up as a couple of two friends – you can tell us when you register onto the challenge, so we ensure that you will be sharing a room.
If you are signing up to the challenge as an individual, we will match you with someone of the same gender and roughly the same age.
You can choose to pay an additional supplement to have your own room (and/or tent) on the challenge.
All of our groups are an average size of approximately 20 participants, but can range between 12 and 30+ people. We welcome individuals, couples and groups of friends on to our challenges, and many who join us literally have a mountain to climb in terms of the scale of the challenge they are taking on. We advocate camaraderie and team bonding, and really believe that this enhances your experience. You are always welcome to check in with us on the current size of any departure you are interested in!
Yes as long as we know in advance of the trip, we can cater for all dietary requirements & requests.
Get in Touch
Reach out if you’ve a question – or if your company or charity might like to work with us – and a member of our team will get back to you.
Tel: 0203 4796584
Mon – Fri 09:00 – 17:00
Sat – Sun Closed
OUR TREKS
