Family & First Journeys · Central Mongolia & Gobi

Mongolia for Curious Families

A flexible family journey balancing dinosaurs, horses, ger life, hands-on learning and realistic travel days for younger explorers.

Duration10 days / 9 nights
Best seasonJune–August
GroupPrivate family
ActivityGentle to moderate
PriceOn request

For children, Mongolia can become a classroom without walls: horses, fossils, weather, stars and families living far from the city.

The itinerary that follows is the structure. The expedition itself will be shaped by weather, people, wildlife, road conditions and the opportunities that appear along the way.

Journey overview

A flexible family journey balancing dinosaurs, horses, ger life, hands-on learning and realistic travel days for younger explorers.

Why this journey

Family travel in Mongolia works best when activity, rest and long-distance logistics are planned together.

Accommodation

Family-friendly hotels and ger camps

Best suited to

Families with school-age children

Itinerary

Day1

Arrival

Gentle arrival, hotel rest and a family briefing.

Based here nights 1–2 · Shangri-La or Best Western Premier
More about this day
Position
Day 1 of 10
Where you sleep
Shangri-La or Best Western Premier
Which night
First of 2 consecutive nights here
Today
You arrive and settle in at the Shangri-La or Best Western Premier.
Day2

City discovery

Interactive museum visit and monastery experience.

Same base
More about this day
Position
Day 2 of 10
Where you sleep
Shangri-La or Best Western Premier
Which night
Second of 2 consecutive nights here
Today
You stay put; no bags to move.
Day3

Fly to the Gobi

Short canyon walk and camp activities.

Based here nights 3–5 · Dream Gobi, South Gobi
More about this day
Position
Day 3 of 10
Where you sleep
Dream Gobi, South Gobi
Which night
First of 3 consecutive nights here
Today
You move on to Dream Gobi, South Gobi.
Ger camps
Permanent seasonal camps with beds, bedding and a wood or dung stove. Facilities vary by region: the better camps have private shower blocks and reliable hot water, remote ones have neither. We will tell you which is which before you book.
Day4

Dinosaur day

Explore the Flaming Cliffs through age-appropriate fossil learning.

Same base
More about this day
Position
Day 4 of 10
Where you sleep
Dream Gobi, South Gobi
Which night
Second of 3 consecutive nights here
Today
You stay put; no bags to move.
Ger camps
Permanent seasonal camps with beds, bedding and a wood or dung stove. Facilities vary by region: the better camps have private shower blocks and reliable hot water, remote ones have neither. We will tell you which is which before you book.
Day5

Camel-herder visit

Meet a local family and try a carefully managed camel experience.

Same base
More about this day
Position
Day 5 of 10
Where you sleep
Dream Gobi, South Gobi
Which night
Third of 3 consecutive nights here
Today
You stay put; no bags to move.
Ger camps
Permanent seasonal camps with beds, bedding and a wood or dung stove. Facilities vary by region: the better camps have private shower blocks and reliable hot water, remote ones have neither. We will tell you which is which before you book.
Day6

Return to Ulaanbaatar

Fly back and rest.

Overnight: Shangri-La or Best Western Premier
More about this day
Position
Day 6 of 10
Where you sleep
Shangri-La or Best Western Premier
Today
You move on to the Shangri-La or Best Western Premier.
Day7

Hustai National Park

Search for takhi and enjoy a short nature walk.

Overnight: Hustai ger camp
More about this day
Position
Day 7 of 10
Where you sleep
Hustai ger camp
Today
You move on to Hustai ger camp.
Ger camps
Permanent seasonal camps with beds, bedding and a wood or dung stove. Facilities vary by region: the better camps have private shower blocks and reliable hot water, remote ones have neither. We will tell you which is which before you book.
Day8

Nomadic family day

Ride, cook and learn simple herding skills.

Overnight: Central Mongolia ger camp
More about this day
Position
Day 8 of 10
Where you sleep
Central Mongolia ger camp
Today
You move on to Central Mongolia ger camp.
Ger camps
Permanent seasonal camps with beds, bedding and a wood or dung stove. Facilities vary by region: the better camps have private shower blocks and reliable hot water, remote ones have neither. We will tell you which is which before you book.
Day9

Return to the capital

Farewell performance and family dinner.

Overnight: Shangri-La or Best Western Premier
More about this day
Position
Day 9 of 10
Where you sleep
Shangri-La or Best Western Premier
Today
You move on to the Shangri-La or Best Western Premier.
Day10

Departure

Private airport transfer.

Overnight: —
More about this day
Position
Day 10 of 10
Tonight
You travel home; no accommodation is booked.

Where you stay

Where you sleep is chosen for the route. Some nights are the best room for hundreds of kilometres; some are a tent beneath a sky with nothing else under it, which is its own kind of luxury.

  • Shangri-La or Best Western Premier4 nights
  • Dream Gobi, South Gobi3 nights
  • Hustai ger camp1 night
  • Central Mongolia ger camp1 night
The places we have named

Where this journey stays somewhere we book by name, here it is. The nights not listed here are ger camps, herder households or our own tents, described below.

Ger camps

Permanent seasonal camps with beds, bedding and a wood or dung stove. Facilities vary by region: the better camps have private shower blocks and reliable hot water, remote ones have neither. We will tell you which is which before you book.

Herder gers and homestays

Staying in a working household, sharing the family ger or a guest ger beside it. Simple, warm, and the reason most travellers remember a journey. Washing is basic and the space is shared.

Tented camp

Our own mobile camp where no fixed accommodation exists. Proper sleeping mats, a mess tent, a cook and a toilet tent. Carried in and carried out, leaving nothing.

Hotels

In Ulaanbaatar and provincial centres. City nights are booked at the standard you ask for, and we will tell you what to expect where a provincial hotel is a simpler place.

Price and inclusions

Pricing

Every journey is priced for your dates, party size and choice of accommodation, and confirmed in writing in your proposal. This is a private journey, so the vehicle, driver, guide and camp staff are the same whether two of you travel or six, and the per-person price falls as your party grows.

The price also moves with season, domestic airfares and any specialist staff your route calls for. Single travellers and anyone wanting sole occupancy should ask about the supplement.

Request a proposal →

What the price covers

Included

  • Private vehicle, driver and fuel throughout, with a support vehicle on remote routes
  • English-speaking expedition guide, and specialist guides where the journey calls for them
  • All accommodation as described in the itinerary
  • All meals shown in the itinerary, including camp catering where the route is self-supported
  • Domestic flights where the itinerary shows them
  • National park, protected area and site entrance fees
  • Community, homestay and herder household contributions
  • Drinking water, camping and cooking equipment on self-supported sections
  • Satellite communication and 24-hour operational support from Ulaanbaatar
  • Airport transfers on arrival and departure days

Not included

  • International flights to and from Ulaanbaatar
  • Visa fees and any entry requirements
  • Travel insurance, which must include emergency evacuation and repatriation and is a condition of travel
  • Personal clothing and equipment, including cold-weather gear
  • Alcoholic drinks and personal expenses
  • Optional activities and additional riding days not shown in the itinerary
  • Single occupancy supplement, where requested
  • Gratuities, which are entirely at your discretion
  • Costs arising from weather, road conditions or flight delays outside our control

Confirmed in writing at proposal stage. Anything not listed here is not assumed to be included. Booking terms →

What to pack

Warm days and cold nights, with the year’s heaviest rain falling as short afternoon storms in July. Pack for a wide daily range rather than for one temperature, and for sun on open steppe.

Conditions to pack forJune–August
Activity gradeGentle to moderate
Hire in UlaanbaatarFitted the afternoon before departure

We provide

  • Drinking water, camping and cooking equipment on self-supported sections
  • Satellite communication and 24-hour operational support from Ulaanbaatar
  • Accommodation, meals and transport as shown in the itinerary

You bring

  • Travel insurance, which must include emergency evacuation and repatriation and is a condition of travel
  • Personal clothing and equipment, including cold-weather gear
  • Personal medication, and a copy of your insurance policy

What this journey asks of your kit

  • Domestic flights carry strict baggage limits. We confirm the current allowance with your booking and plan luggage around it.

Hire the bulky, expensive items rather than buying them for one trip; bring your own base layers. Equipment hire → · What the month is like →

Before you go

Activity gradeGentle to moderate
Best seasonJune–August
Group sizePrivate family

Planning notes

  • Activities are adapted to children’s ages.
  • The pace includes free time and shorter field sessions.
  • Family rooms and private bathrooms are prioritized where available.

A private journey can usually be moved a grade in either direction by adjusting pace and distance. How we grade a journey → · Choosing your month →

Tailor this journey.

Adjust the pace, accommodation, specialist access and regional extensions around your interests.

Plan a private itinerary

Expedition moments.

The experiences that give the route its character.

Saddled horses ready for a first ride

First ride on the steppe

A defining moment of the expedition.

Eroded formations at the Flaming Cliffs

Searching the desert for clues

A defining moment of the expedition.

Tea inside a ger

Warm evening inside the ger

A defining moment of the expedition.