Today, you’ll arrive in Mongolia’s most populous city. A guide will be provided to help you settle into the modern capital and enjoy a local dinner near the Choijin Lama Temple. You’ll get groceries for the trip, pick up your car, and prepare for the road ahead. If you arrive early in the day, you can explore UB further with your guide, adding on visits to Zaisan Monument, Gandantegchinlen Monastery, and the National Museum of Mongolia.

With good reason. The landscapes of Terelj National Park, especially around sunset and sunrise, come alive with deer in the rolling emerald green hills and oddly-shaped boulders dot the landscape. Today's drive is short, with a quick stop at the giant statue of Genghis Khan along the way. Once inside the park boundaries, you can visit Turtle Rock and the Ariyabal Meditation Temple for the best views and take a morning stroll after a comfortable overnight stay at Apache Eco Camp (or similar).

Follow the smooth pavement of the Ring Road south to the painted desert. Leave behind the Soviet-style cities and arrive at your remote destination near sunset for an impressive display of colors both above and below. You’ll want to stand atop the White Stupa at sunset before descending into the technicolor sand formations to set up camp at the foot of the geologic marvel. Not only will you get to experience uninterrupted views of the night sky with zero light pollution, but you’ll also wake to a brilliant sunrise lighting up the landscape around you.

After a short, scenic drive through the last of the Gobi towns, you’ll enter the Granite-walled “gorge of the bearded vulture”. There are plenty of places to stop for a picnic or grab lunch at one of the local restaurants serving handmade dumplings called Buuz along the way. Once inside the park, you’ll enjoy a short hike or horseback ride through the narrow canyon walls in search of wildlife like Snow Leopards, Pallas Cats, Bearded Vultures, Pica, Ibex, Big-Horn Sheep, and more.

Depending on the time of year, the Yolyn Am Ice Fields will retain some of their glaciated caps due to the high elevation, but the scenery will always impress. Retire to a nearby Ger camp to prepare for the off-road journey deeper into the desert tomorrow.

This is the first genuinely off-road leg of your journey, and hopefully, you’ll be feeling confident with the vehicle and Mongolian style of driving. If not, don’t worry because the hard-packed paths are straightforward to navigate. Take in the vast desert scenes as you drive toward the towering pale dunes in the distance. The tallest of which you’ll scale in time for sunset. It takes about 45 minutes to reach the summit on foot, so be sure to arrive with enough time to enjoy the climb. The ever-shifting dunes of the Gobi appear to sing as the wind whistles through them, and from the tippy-top, you can look out on an immense sea of sand stretching all the way to the sinking sun. We recommend bringing a small picnic with you to enjoy while taking in the view. For the descent, you can slide down the steep slope with or without a sled.

While camping in the desert is definitely doable in a rooftop tent, there are also several comfortable Ger camps near the dunes if that’s more your style.

Your final foray into the Gobi Desert landscape. Today, you’ll drive the firm off-road route through several small Mongolian towns (Bulgan has some great lunch options) toward the red ridges of the Flaming Cliffs. Their full brilliance is on display at sunset, so pick a viewpoint or trek through the ridges in search of fossils. Million-year-old specimens are still plucked from the sand here often.

While you can’t camp inside the park, feel free to set your tent up just outside its reaches beneath the stars. Keep an eye out for wild hares and Kangaroo Rats after dark!

Part of the allure of a self-drive road trip through Mongolia is the opportunity to venture off the beaten track and enjoy some of the more remote natural landscapes of a sparsely populated country. Today, you’ll get that opportunity. The harsh, hard-packed land here is perfectly suited for the Bactrian Camel, of which you’ll see many. Upon arrival in Ongi, you can explore the ancient monastery ruins, play a game of Shagai to tell your fortune with a roll of sheep ankle bones, and take a dip in the river (carefully) that runs through the local ger camps here.

Nearly 300 KM of rolling grasslands and verdant green landscape dotted with foxes, horses, and small ger communities lie between you and Mongolia’s historic capital city. Pull off to picnic and take your time or cover ground quickly to reach Kharkhorin. Here, you definitely want to visit Erdene Zu Monastery with a local guide before stopping in for a late lunch or early dinner at the bustling market near the monastery. Shop for handmade souvenirs and witness some of Mongolia’s famous Eagle hunters in training.

If you’ve arrived in town early, you can continue your drive to Ugii Lake for picturesque lakeside camping and a slow morning tomorrow. But if you’d prefer a luxury Ger stay, Kharkhorin city is one of the few destinations on this itinerary that can accommodate.

Continue traversing Mongolia’s green center toward the town of Khorgo. Along the way, stop in for a filling lunch at Fairfield Guesthouse (and a well-deserved coffee) and take in the views at Chuluut River Canyon from the designated viewpoint. As trees begin to populate the landscape with more vigor,  you’ll likely see the occasional Yak as you approach your evening destination. The gaping chasm of the now permanently dormant Khorgo Volcano offers the perfect campsite after a long day’s drive at its base.

In the morning, you can traverse the gradual trail to overlook the landscape and gaze down into the crater.

This land of blue sky is known for its numerous saline and freshwater lakes. Today, we will head to their shores via an off-road adventure that involves a full day of driving past small Mongolian “towns” and numerous blue-flagged pagodas on the Jargalant-Shrine Ider road. End the day at Zurkh Lake, an emerald green oasis for some peace and quiet. The lovely lakeside marshes are an excellent birding habitat for wildlife enthusiasts and one of the most scenic drives in the country.

Continue through the major town of Murun, but don’t forget to re-up on supplies. Turquoise blue water, mighty pines, and unrivaled serenity. Khuvsgul Lake is one of Mongolia’s most popular attractions, as visitors flock to its oceanic-sized shores. Stay overnight in a lakefront cabin and relish the panoramic views and idyllic landscape.

Today, you can get to know the Khuvsgul region more intimately. Choose between a boat ride across the lake's tranquil surface, a horseback ride through the numerous shoreline trails, or a peaceful kayak ride. Ibex and Argali sheep traipse through the trails surrounding the lake, making this an excellent destination for wildlife lovers and photographers alike.

* If you want don't want to add the extra week of adventuring, skip to Day 13: Smooth Sailing to Bulgan.

One of the best-paved roads in Mongolia is the route from Murun to Ulaanbaatar. Today, you’ll travel half that route and be treated to verdant green hillsides and bright pops of yellow if the Rapeseed has yet to be harvested. If you feel like adding on some additional attractions on this day, you can arrange to visit Kuvsgul Lake in the early morning hours or stop off at various picnic sites along the babbling river. If you’re keen to stretch your legs, you can hike up the hillside at Uran Togoo Dead Volcano for panoramic views of the lush green steppe.

Bulgan City doesn’t have much to offer a road-tripper, so instead, you should set up camp in one of the tucked-away green spaces near the river for a peaceful night.

While Erdene Zu in Kharkhorin is certainly worth a visit due to its historical significance, there is no contest which monastery has a better ambiance and more impressive panoramic views. Today, you’ll continue your drive up the paved road toward Ulaanbaatar but deviate onto a dirt path for a short while for some off-roading through meadows and streams. This will require some careful driving, but nothing too challenging. Here, you’ll find a stunning ancient monastery set back on a remote hillside in the steppe. You can take a guided tour of the monastery itself or partake in Mongolia’s favorite pastime– horseback riding through the grasslands. Wild camp alongside the river or stay with a family for a home-cooked meal and an authentic Ger experience right at the monastery's doorstep.

This region is exceptional at sunset. Climb the hillside to the stupa for the best views.

Khustain Nuruu National Park, more commonly referred to as Hustai National Park, is home to a small population of undomesticated horses called the Takhi or Przewalski's horse. Their unique claim to fame is as the wildest horses left on earth. To round out your road trip, stop in at this final park to search for deer, antelope, horses, and other wildlife by car or on horseback. You can choose to stay at a comfortable Ger camp at the park entrance or pitch your tent in the grasslands themselves. The safari is best done in the morning. As you navigate the rolling hillside in the early hours, animals will be grazing and out in abundance.

As you continue east toward the capital city, you’ll pass by many interesting novelties, including Soviet-era relics and the acclaimed Gandan Monastery. Feel free to stop and linger, as the drive today is short. If you arrive back in Ulaanbaatar during daylight, you can also pack in some museum-hopping, have a drink at one of the sky bars like the Shangri-La or Blue Sky buildings, or pay a visit to the Choijin Lama Temple.

You’ve now completed a massive circuit through the country, exploring the best landscapes, attractions, national parks, wildlife, and cultural experiences that Mongolia has to offer. Return your home on wheels and enjoy the rest of your stay in the capital city before your flight.