1 Day Semi-Gobi All-included tour
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- 11 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Prebook this Gobi Desert full-day tour from Ulaanbaatar and have the whole day’s details planned out for you ahead of time, including lunch and round-trip transport. This fun-filled desert experience also offers an optional camel or horse ride over the Gobi Desert dunes, as well as a visit to a local family’s home.
- Hike and ride a camel over the sand dunes in the Gobi Desert
- Get an introduction to nomadic culture from a local family
- A traditional Mongolian lunch is included for ease
- Round-trip transport from Ulaanbaatar is provided for a stress-free day
What's Included
- Coffee and/or TeaSnacks with a beautiful view (on the way)
- LunchTraditional Mongolian lunch
- Snacks
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Private transportation
- All Fees and Taxes
- Camel or horse riding fees for an hour
- Bottle of water
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
All hotels and hostels in Ulaanbaatar.
Start time.8:00 am
Itinerary
1
Elsen Tasarkhai (Sand Dune Mini Gobi)
4 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Carl_H
Very nice and friendly guides! This tour really is an all-included one with a beautiful coffee and snack stop, great camelride, visit in a ger and a good lunch at a new and fresh place. We loved this tour and full day of nice experiences.
Reviews
4.1
based on 97 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Deborah_D, Aug 2026
A long day in the car but worth the trip. Roads are pretty average and the driver scared us a few times with his overtaking. But we survived!
Cesquieres, Aug 2026
The guide and driver were super nice, and we knew it would be a long drive but the description was misleading. It does take 4 hours to get to the semi gobi once you get out of the city but that takes about 1.5 hours on top of that. Our day ended up being about 15.5 hours and only about 2.5 hours of that was in the semi gobi area, which was nice but not worth the long drive. The vehicle was comfortable enough for the ones lucky enough not to sit in the back. But if you end up in squeezed in the back row middle seat for 11 hours on the prepare for some back pain. There was 3 of us in the back and we're all petite females and we barely fit, so any one larger would be extremely uncomfortable.
William_F, Aug 2026
Our guide Ari was fantastic! Great to see the Mongolian countryside and steppes. Plenty of free roaming horses, cows, sheep, and goats along the way.
Branden_G, Jul 2026
Great experience for the Golbi tour. Pickup was on time and the driver made the long ride easy. Fun experience visiting a nomadic family in a gert and riding a camel in the desert. Guide was pleasant and very accommodating. Highly recommend
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hi dear
Thank you for you comment and traveling with us) It makes us proud for what we do l)
Caitlin_H, Jul 2026
The guide and driver kept fighting with each other. The guide, Kai, was a nice guy. He definitely felt bad about what was going on. The car was not properly inspected beforehand. We went through 5 tires and had to change the car. The rear right tire kept popping/ deflating. We were told the tour would take 11 hours, but it ended up taking 15.5 hours. It took 7.5 hours to get to the actual desert, and we were only there for a little less than an hour. The driving was also very dangerous. He kept driving on the opposite side of the road to pass other cars. He would especially do this when going uphill with no clear line of sight. I don’t think it was worth my time, money, or safety…
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hi dear,
Thank you for commenting. And we are sorry that our driver had to change deflated tires. There was indeed two tires not five as you mentioned to change. And we are truly sorry to finally change the car to accommodate you. Once again we feel so sorry about the road condition to semi Gobi. However it gets better every summer as road construction still goes on.
Namita_D, Jul 2026
The desert itself was disappointing. Instead of feeling like a peaceful, natural landscape, it was crowded with activities and vendors, making it feel more like a carnival than a true desert experience. If you’re looking for a quiet connection with nature, this probably isn’t it.
I also chose not to do any camel or horse rides, as I personally prefer not to participate in animal rides.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hi there
Thank you for your comment
Mei_S, Jun 2026
Not recommend this to anyone. The camel ride was 20 min and you would not see real dunes because you would do walking around the entrance. Also the guide, Urtaa, have limited linguistic skills. His English is barely understandable( You can only hear the listed words not sentence. It was torturing). I did not get introduced to a nomadic family, and the meal was bought from somewhere.
C_P, Jun 2026
No show. Very bad. No communication at all. I have been waiting for 1.5 hours. Do not book this by NGA tour.
Richard_J, Jun 2026
It’s was an amazing trip the driver arrived early and the scenery along the way was amazing. Stopped for lunch and it was very delicious. Recommend to anyone who want to enjoy Mongolia
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hi there
Thank you very much for your comment and traveling with us) This helps us keep going)
Cheers
Karen_J, May 2026
Our Semi-Gobi trip was wonderful from the moment we were picked up at our hotel. Our incredible guide, Urtaa, & expert driver, Tseegii, were more than we could have imagined. Thank you to New Gobi-Altai Tour Bureau!
The absolute highlight was meeting the three other travelers who joined our adventure!
We welcomed the long drive as we took in new landscapes and villages, and somehow the journey felt surprisingly short. Urtaa kept us fueled with delicious local pastries, coffee, multiple snacks, lunch, and plenty of water throughout the drive. He even taught us the Mongolian shagai game while surprising us with gifts.
Arriving at our western destination we met our Bactrian camel “parent” & visited a local family’s ger. Without the wonderful photos & videos taken by Urtaa & Tseegi, we might have missed our own hilarious camel mounts and the jolt when the camels suddenly extended their knees! Holy smokes!
We’d heard about the traffic but didn’t quite comprehend it until driving back to UB on a 2-lane road. Tseegii was extraordinary while passing cars on the left while driving a right-hand-drive vehicle. Thank you for getting us back safely!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Hi there
Thank you very much for your comments! And once again thank you for traveling with us) This keeps us going and feeling proud in what we are doing)
Anonymous, May 2026
We could enjoy the desert just in a day from Ulanbataar. Although we spent most of the time on the road, we could appriciate the scenary all the way. Such a nice road trip.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your comment
Heather_M, Apr 2026
Absolutely 💯 amazing trip. Our guides were fun and informative. We had a long trip to the desert, but they made it fun and we stopped for coffee and bathroom breaks regularly. We learned a fun game including knuckle bones. I found it at the airport so I have my own. Loved it!
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your comment) We are glad that you enjoyed the games
Krit, Mar 2026
It's exellent tour! Urtaa is a good guide. The driver is good and kind. I love the desert with snow.
y_S, Dec 2025
This tour really should be done with friends and family. It's 4-5 hours driving through the Steppe. GORGEOUS scenery but the camel ride was about 30 minutes. Afterwards, we headed back to Ulaanbaatar.
The guide was very animated and ready to chat. He also brought a traditional Mongolian horse ankle game and offered a prize. It was very sweet.
I requested Mongolian music and I heard many lovely songs.
This tour structure needed improving as it is a tremendous amount of gas for the camel excursion. The tour company should add a stop on a sheep and/or horse ranch/farm. The Steppe has many animals to see. There were also a number of small villages along the way.
As a solo traveler I cannot recommend this. If you want to have a great conversation with friends or family and basically sit amd see beautiful scenery, this is for you. It's a great tour if you need a rest.
TomasAdam_N, Sep 2025
On the way to Semi Gobi you see all the Mongolian Grassland. It is fantastic. The trip is long because of traffic jam in the city centre. But it is worth it.
Thanks
Carl_H, Sep 2025
Very nice and friendly guides! This tour really is an all-included one with a beautiful coffee and snack stop, great camelride, visit in a ger and a good lunch at a new and fresh place. We loved this tour and full day of nice experiences.
Richard_P, Sep 2025
Excellent opportunity to see countryside out side city. Wide diversity of agriculture Fascinating to see countless herda of free raging horses, cattle, gats and other livestock. Enjoyed my first Camel ride on the semi-Gobi sand dunes.
Robert_W, Jun 2025
An outstanding day trip to the Mini Gobi Desert, about 280km south-west of Ulaanbaatar. It a long yet spectacular druve, with stops for great pictures, coffee and lunch along the way. The tour guide Urtaa and the driver were wonderful, could not have been more friendly and informative. Superb value!
PIERRE_C, Apr 2025
I didn't expect this too much but it went beyond our family road trip. Urtaa the Tour Guide as well as his driver Tuadhuu did a great job. They waited after our breakfast and gave us Mongolian history and board game while on the road. The potholes didn't bother us and the short unique 2 hump Winter Camel ride on the Gobi where they belong was a great memories. Ger, baby sheep, cow, horses, birds, eagles, fermented milk teas and organic Mongolian foods were so awesome. I can tell you that animals are kind and well behaved becoz Mongolians are Good Shepherd and animal lovers. They're not cruel like those in the middle east whipping the animals. Just treat this as Road Trip from Ohio to Tennessee Smokey Mountain with lot of stopover for coffee, bathroom and photos, you'll enjoy it. Take the trip Spring to Fall to avoid risky icy road. So far, this once in a lifetime road trip in Mongolia is worth it. Thanks Urtaa and Tuadhuu. We appreciate the crew who made this happen.
Jonty_S, Nov 2024
We thoroughly enjoyed the tour. I'm not just saying this, but Urtaa the tour guide is the most lovely, genuine person I have ever had the pleasure of being guided by. He makes a huge effort to make sure you are comfortable, and continuously provides great insight to the mongolian life.
The trip itself is great. Some people saying the drive is long clearly didn't research before embarking on the tour. Yes the drive is long, but when can you experience the Gobi Desert anywhere else? We had a great time and would highly recommend to anyone. It is a once in a lifetime.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
dear Jonty
Thank you very much for your kind words for our driver and guide. We really appreciate it
Kohei_S, Oct 2024
The guides are really friendly and basically took care of everything for us, from picking up to having meals and taking pictures. They even taught us how to play Mongolian horse chess. I had a great time joining this tour. Highly recommend.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Dear Kohei
Thank you very much for your comment. We really appreciate it
FrankyChunChu_H, Sep 2024
Overall good experience. Orta (guide) and the driver were very accomodating and nice and made sure we were comfortable. The semi gobi and camel ride was excellent despite only being 1 hour out of the 11 hour trip. The ride was long but the sceneries were amazing. It is the perfect opportunity to really appreciate nature and relax.
Gavin_S, Aug 2024
I'm going to break this review into two parts.
First is the trip as planned. The guide and driver picked me and a couple of others up from our hotels then began the long drive west. When booking this tour you need to realise that the drive is the majority of the experience. It takes about 5 hours to reach the Semi-Gobi from Ulaanbaatar, but it is an amazing drive with spectacular views. Our guide (Bat, I believe) always checked if we were ok, bought us sandwiches for a picnic with a great view, and was happy to let us stop to see things or take pictures. When we arrived at the Semi-Gobi we were put on camels and led around the sand dunes for about 30 minutes, stopping for photos. This part of the trip is very short, but 30 minutes is enough before your bum starts getting sore. We also got to see inside the gers there. After that began the long drive back, where the guide took us for lunch at a nice roadside restaurant. Come prepared for a long drive and know what you're in for so you don't set yourself up for disappointment. As mentioned, I was picked up with tourists from other hotels. This in itself is not a problem, and they were good company for the drive. However, Viator advertised this as a solo, private tour and that was what I was charged for. Prices should reflect the group size. I mentioned this to Viator and so far they have refused to refund the difference. I booked solo at a price of around £180 but ended up in a group of 3. If I had booked as a group of 3 it would be £93.21 per person. TO MAKE IT CLEAR - MY PROBLEM HERE IS WITH VIATOR AND NOT WITH THE TOUR OPERATOR IN MONGOLIA.
Now the second part. On the long drive back to Ulaanbaatar our car broke down about 100km from the city, in the middle of nowhere. This is bound to happen from time to time when the cars are used for such a long journey on the harsh roads of Mongolia. It added to the experience and was quite fun. However, we were given little information by our guide and you would expect them to have a contingency plan for such an occurrence. We were towed to about 20km outside the city when a replacement car arrived. We moved to that car and towed the broken one behind us. Traffic in Ulaanbaatar is a nightmare so it was slow going from here. Instead of dropping us off at our hotels or in the city centre, we were first driven into the dangerous ger district at night to drop off the broken car. Then we drove further into this district to drop off the driver's daughter. This led to us being stuck in traffic for a long time, and I didn't get back to my hotel until 11pm (it should've been closer to 6 or 7pm). Viator is also refusing to acknowledge this issue. Perhaps find a different tour operator to book through.
EA_M, Jul 2024
It is a long trip, but it allows one to see part of the country. The camel ride was good, and the visit of the nomadic family was great.
Alan_H, Jul 2024
The guide and driver were fantastic, however this is a terrible trip and a waste of time.
The semi gobi is nowhere near the Gobi and the trip is literally just to get to some sand dunes, get on a camel and they take your pictures, then return back. Was on the camel for ten minutes in total. Animals were severely mistreated as well and was glad it was shorter than expected.
Guide was engaging though and supplied lots of information on Mongolia.
William_O, Jul 2024
Guide offered to take pictures, but has yet to forward them, so I have none of this event.
Long ride to site- traffic jam for an hour. Short photo op camel ride and traditional meal at truck stop. If. I get my pictures- he took plenty I would give this full marks. The team was quite helpful.
Helen_D, Jun 2024
The driver and guide Orta were excellent. They happily stopped for me whenever I wanted to take a ohoto
Robert_M, Jun 2024
This was a wonderful day trip out to the Gobi desert. We got to ride on the camels, visit a local herdsman and his family who offered us the traditional fermented milk and the hardened milk snack. It was a wonderful experience and our tour guide and driver were very helpful and kind throughout the entire day oftentimes explaining the history and pointing out different places of interest. They provided breakfast and we had one of the traditional soups for lunch. It was a day well spent with good company. Highly recommend!
Irayda_R, Mar 2024
This activity is best if you travel during summer. There was a snow storm when we came initially they didn’t cancel but half the way into the journey we had to return to the city. They offered a city tour instead but the quality was poor
Clark_S, Mar 2024
The guide was a no show.
Despite several calls form the hotel, no answer, nothing.
Hugely disappointed.
Hopefully refund will come.
From $145.58
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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