Routes
Grand Mongolia Circuit
The two- to three-week circuit that links the South Gobi, central Mongolia and the northern lake country in one trip, usually with a domestic flight somewhere in the middle to avoid repeating a driving leg. Operators structure it in regional blocks of three or four days — desert, then the Orkhon and Kharkhorin, then Khuvsgul and sometimes the reindeer herders, then Ulaanbaatar. It is the only shape that covers desert, steppe, forest and lake in a single booking. Daily driving averages 200-250 km on mixed surfaces, so the length is driven by geography, not by the number of sights.
- Typical length
- 12–17 days (Read more: 14)
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Driving per day
- 4-7 hours on transfer days, with rest days built into each regional block
- Total distance
- Well over 3,000 km of driving on a 14-day circuit, plus the domestic flight sectors
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
- Jan: not a best month
- Feb: not a best month
- Mar: not a best month
- Apr: not a best month
- May: not a best month
- Jun: a best month
- Jul: a best month
- Aug: a best month
- Sep: a best month
- Oct: not a best month
- Nov: not a best month
- Dec: not a best month
Stops: Ulaanbaatar → Yolyn Am (Vulture's Gorge, often 'Eagle Valley') → Khongoryn Els (the Singing Dunes) → Bayanzag (the Flaming Cliffs) → Ongi Monastery (Ongiin Khiid) → Kharkhorin and Erdene Zuu Monastery → Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape and Ulaan Tsutgalan waterfall → Tsenkher Hot Springs → Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake (Great White Lake) → Lake Khuvsgul (Khovsgol Nuur) → Tsaatan (Dukha) reindeer herders of the Khuvsgul taiga → Uran Togoo extinct volcano (Uran Togoo-Tulga Uul Natural Monument) → Hustai National Park (Khustain Nuruu)
Day by day
- Day 1
Ulaanbaatar
Arrival, Gandan monastery and the national museums. Hotel.
- Day 3
Southern Mongolia block, about 4 days
Camel riding at the Khongor dunes, dinosaur fossil sites at Bayanzag and herder-family visits, moving between ger camps.
- Day 7
Central Mongolia block, about 4 days
Erdene Zuu monastery and the Karakorum ruins, then the volcanic crater at Khorgo and Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake. Ger camps.
- Day 10
Northern Mongolia block, about 4 days
Khuvsgul Lake with trekking and boating, plus an encounter with Tsaatan reindeer herders on itineraries that include it. Ger camps.
- Day 13
Back to Ulaanbaatar
Usually a domestic flight south rather than a repeat of the long northern drive. City highlights and a farewell dinner.
- Day 14
Departure
Airport transfer.
Price bands
budget join-in
185-200 USD
Prices as published for 2026
Group size assumed: 12-16 on a set departure
Includes: Discover Mongolia's 14-day Discover Mongolia Tour is US$2,596 pp at 12-16 people, with meals, English-speaking guide, entrance fees, horse, camel and boat activities, domestic flights and 4-star Ulaanbaatar hotel.
standard private
209-240 USD
Prices as published for 2026-2027
Group size assumed: 3-8 travellers
Includes: Same 14-day circuit: US$3,344 pp at 3-4 people, US$3,113 at 5-8 and US$2,890 at 9-12. Selena Travel's 17-day Discover True Mongolia is US$3,550 pp, about US$209 per day.
premium
280-580 USD
Prices as published for 2026
Group size assumed: small private group on a western or luxury variant
Includes: Selena's 17-day Majestic Western Mongolia runs US$4,250-9,830 pp depending on group size (US$4,800 as the headline), including a domestic flight from Ulgii, 4WD transport, 3 nights of 4-star Ulaanbaatar hotel and all meals; single supplement US$620.
Accommodation
A 4-star hotel in Ulaanbaatar at both ends, tourist ger camps throughout the countryside at 2-4 people per ger with electricity and shower blocks. Longer western variants add tent-camping nights: Selena's 17-day western circuit uses 3 hotel nights, 10 ger camp or local hotel nights and 3 nights under canvas.
Vehicle
Private air-conditioned vans or 4WD vehicles, with domestic flights included on most versions and a 15 kg luggage allowance on those sectors. On a circuit this long the vehicle choice is a real comfort decision: a 4WD handles the northern passes and wet dirt far better than a van.
Not for
Ask before you book
- Which legs are flown and which are driven, and what is the baggage limit on the flight sectors?
- How many rest days are built in, and where?
- What is the exact price at the group size you will actually be, not the headline tier?
- Are the Ulaanbaatar hotel nights included at both ends?
- Is the reindeer-herder block a genuine taiga trip or a lakeside visit?
- What happens to the itinerary if a domestic flight is cancelled?
Sources (4)
- Discover Mongolia Tour, 14 days - Discover Mongolia Travel — Four-block regional structure, tiered pricing, 200-250 km daily average, domestic flights with 15 kg allowance, 2026 departure dates, season advice
- Majestic Western Mongolia Tour, 17 days - Selena Travel — Long-circuit price range, accommodation mix including tent nights, domestic flight from Ulgii, single supplement, June-September season
- Mongolia tours catalogue - Selena Travel — 17-day Discover True Mongolia at US$3,550 as a second long-circuit data point
- North and Central Mongolian Explorer, 13 days - Selena Travel — Medium grading for a 13-day circuit and its 4WD and luggage rules