Da: € 1,200
Seven days, one 4×4, and the route that made Mongolia famous.
Orkhon Valley Circuit
01 Inizio
Seven days, one unbroken circle, every one of them out on the steppe
There is a route through Central Mongolia that people have been travelling for eight hundred years, and it turns out you can drive the whole of it in a week. You collect your 4×4 in Ulaanbaatar on the first morning. By that afternoon the city is gone, the tarmac has given way to grass, and you are sitting in a Hustai valley with the engine switched off, waiting for the last truly wild horses on earth to come down and drink.
From there the circle opens out, and it never doubles back. West to Khögnö Khan, where the Elsen Tasarkhai dunes — a stranded finger of the Gobi, marooned five hundred kilometres north of the desert that made it — pile up against bare granite. South onto the Khujirt high plateau, 1,750 metres above the sea, where mineral water surfaces at fifty-five degrees and has been drawing people to bathe in it for longer than anyone has bothered to record. Down into the Orkhon Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape, where the river throws itself twenty metres off a lip of black basalt at Ulaan Tsutgalan. On to Karakorum, capital of the largest contiguous land empire in human history, now a field of foundations with the 108 white stupas of Erdene Zuu Monastery rising from the middle of it. And finally out to Ugii Lake, a Ramsar-listed wetland where more than a hundred and fifty species of bird break their journey north each spring, and where you are asked to do nothing at all for an entire afternoon.
Six landscapes, six nights, 1,065 kilometres
What makes this loop the most requested route in Mongolia is not any single stop. It is the rate of change. Six driving stages, and at the end of each one the country has become something else — short-grass steppe, then sand, then alpine plateau, then a river gorge, then the ruins of an empire, then open water full of pelicans and cranes. You sleep in a traditional ger camp or under canvas every night of the trip, out where the sky does what the guidebooks say it does. There is no filler day, no city sightseeing, no morning lost to paperwork.
Nor is any of it hard. The Circuit is graded Level 2 of 5: roughly half asphalt, half open track, with soft sand at the dunes and a handful of shallow river fords in the Orkhon Valley. It asks for attention rather than expertise. If you can drive a car confidently at home, you can drive this.
You drive it. We do the rest.
Self-drive in Mongolia sounds daunting until you see what actually stands behind it. We give you the vehicle — a UAZ Patriot, a Toyota Land Cruiser 76, or a Land Cruiser 250 if you want the automatic and the comfort — fully prepared, with a recovery kit and a GPS route map on which every waypoint, camp, fuel stop and river crossing is already marked. We book every night of accommodation along the route. We brief you properly before you leave Ulaanbaatar, and we stay reachable around the clock for the whole week, in your language, from the moment you pull away from the depot to the moment you hand back the keys.
The stages have been placed with some care. We have run this route for years, and every overnight stop sits where it does for a reason — Hustai short so you catch the horses at dusk and again at dawn, Khujirt early so the springs get a full afternoon, Ugii last so the week ends slowly. You spend your evenings in the good places, and never on the road after dark.
This is the classic Central Mongolia loop, complete, in seven days. Bring a camera you don’t mind getting dusty.
1.1 Perché scegliere questo tour?
- Seven days out, none wasted: No sightseeing day in the capital and no half-day handover. You are driving west within a few hours of collecting the keys.
- A night with the wild horses, not an hour: Khustai’s takhi come down to water at dusk and again at first light. Staying at the park gives you both windows — the reason we make the first driving day a short one.
- A true circle: Six stages, no backtracking, and a different landscape at the end of every one — steppe, dunes, high plateau, river gorge, ancient city, lake.
- A genuine UNESCO valley, not a roadside stop: A full day inside the Orkhon Valley cultural landscape, including the Ulaan Tsutgalan waterfall and the black basalt gorge below it.
02 Panoramica
- Stile: Guida autonoma
- Terreno: Asfalto, Piste sterrate, Piste sabbiose, Dune di sabbia
- Livello del tour: 2
I livelli dei nostri tour sono classificati da 1 (facile) a 5 (impegnativo), con ogni livello che riflette la complessità e la sfida basata su molteplici fattori.
2
2
2
2
Wild Horse Observation
Gobi Sand Dunes
Off Road Driving
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Antico monastero
Sleeping in a Ger
Nomadic Culture
03 Itinerario
Giorno Ulaanbaatar to Khustai National Park
- Campo o campeggio Ger
Collect the 4x4 and drive west; by dusk you are waiting in silence for the wild horses.
Giorno Dawn at Khustai, then the Elsen Tasarkhai dunes
- Campeggio o Ger Camp
One more dawn with the takhi, then west to the dunes at Khögnö Khan to ride a camel.
Giorno South to the Khujirt high plateau
- Campeggio o Ger Camp
South past Kharkhorin onto rough track, to a high plateau where the water runs at 55°C.
Giorno Into the Orkhon Valley
- Campeggio o Ger Camp
A short run over boulder fields and river fords to the waterfall in its basalt gorge.
Giorno Kharakorum and Erdene Zuu
- Campeggio o Ger Camp
Follow the river downstream to the empire's lost capital and the 108 stupas of Erdene Zuu.
Giorno Ugii Lake
- Campeggio o Ger Camp
An easy stage northeast to a Ramsar lake, 150 bird species, and an afternoon off.
Giorno Ritorno a Ulaanbaatar
The long run east on asphalt, back to the city with a week of steppe behind you.
04 Contatto
È naturale che abbiate delle domande, e il nostro team è qui per rispondervi!
Compilate il modulo o scegliete una delle opzioni sottostanti per farci sapere come possiamo aiutarvi a trascorrere un periodo straordinario in Mongolia.
05
Cosa è incluso
5.1 Nozioni di base
Preparatevi a immergervi in tutto ciò che la Mongolia ha da offrire, mentre noi ci prendiamo cura di ogni dettaglio affinché possiate semplicemente rilassarvi e divertirvi!
- 24/7 Around-the-clock Remote Support
- Curated activities along the route (e.g.: guided camel riding, nomadic family visit and more)
- Fully equipped SIXT 4×4
- Percorso con mappa GPS tramite app di navigazione offline
- Pre-arranged accommodation
- Briefing dettagliato del viaggio prima della partenza
- Airport pickup and vehicle handover
Il nostro obiettivo è quello di rendere il vostro viaggio puramente avventuroso e completamente privo di qualsiasi inconveniente!
5.2 Auto
Sentitevi sicuri di guidare ovunque in Mongolia con la nostra moderna gamma di auto fuoristrada a noleggio per la Mongolia, robuste e affidabili. Offriamo una varietà di modelli; scegliete quello più adatto a voi.
Standard
UAZ
Patriota
Premio
Toyota
Land Cruiser 76
Lusso
Toyota
Land Cruiser 250
5.3 Sistemazione
5.4 Alloggio
The Orkhon Valley Circuit puts all six nights out on the route, so how you sleep is entirely your choice — under canvas with the equipment we provide, in a traditional ger camp every night, or a split of the two. Fixed accommodation on this route means ger camps at Hustai, Elsen Tasarkhai, Khujirt, the Orkhon Valley, Karakorum and Ugii Lake, all booked by us long before you arrive. Upgrade to Premium for higher-specification camps with private facilities. Nature's Nomad Basic — 4 nights camping, 2 nights ger camp Nature's Nomad Premium — 4 nights camping, 2 nights upgraded ger camp Mixed Nomad Basic — 3 nights camping, 3 nights ger camp Mixed Nomad Premium — 3 nights camping, 3 nights upgraded ger camp or hotel Comfort Nomad Basic — 6 nights ger camp Comfort Nomad Premium — 6 nights upgraded ger camp or hotel
5.4 Non incluso
5.3 Non incluso
Il nostro obiettivo è quello di rendere il vostro viaggio il più semplice e piacevole possibile e siamo sempre a disposizione per rispondere a domande o fornire assistenza. Tuttavia, vi preghiamo di notare che dovrete gestire da soli i vostri cibo e carburante esigenze durante il viaggio.
Il nomade della natura
- Sotto l'infinito baldacchino di stelle della Mongolia, le nostre notti in campeggio offrono un abbraccio ineguagliabile con la natura, dove ogni sussurro del vento racconta una storia selvaggia.
- Base
Gratuito - Premio
€0
Nomade misto
- Immersi nel cuore dei paesaggi mozzafiato della Mongolia, gli splendidi lodge e i campi Ger offrono una porta d'accesso allo stile di vita dei nomadi, fondendo antiche usanze e comfort domestici.
- Base
€400 - Premio
€860
Comfort Nomad
- Con eccellenti lodge e hotel, vi assicuriamo che il vostro viaggio includa notti di comfort, permettendovi di rinfrescarvi e ricaricarvi per la continua avventura che vi attende.
- Base
€800 - Premio
€1,740
(Clicca per vedere il sommario)
07 Prenota ora
7.2 Aggiornate il vostro veicolo
La nostra auto standard è la robusta e affidabile UAZ Patriot.
Aggiornamento a Toyota Land Cruiser 250
Offroad di lusso con un Land Cruiser 250 2024 di ultima generazione
Aggiornamento a Toyota Land Cruiser 76
Passaggio al leggendario Landcruiser 76
7.3 Aggiorna il tuo viaggio
Aggiornamento dell'assicurazione
Esonero dal risarcimento danni con franchigia ridotta a 503EUR, Protezione ghiaia, Protezione sabbia e cenere, Protezione pneumatici e parabrezza, Protezione stradale.
Passeggero sul sedile posteriore
Aggiungere fino a due passeggeri supplementari per auto
Servizio autisti
Sedetevi e rilassatevi mentre un autista professionista SIXT vi accompagna nella vostra avventura (prezzo al giorno).
08 Tour personalizzati
09 Domande frequenti
What is the Orkhon Valley Circuit?
The Orkhon Valley Circuit is a 7-day self-drive loop through Central Mongolia with SIXT. It runs from Ulaanbaatar to Khustai National Park and the Elsen Tasarkhai dunes, south to the Khujirt mineral springs, into the UNESCO-listed Orkhon Valley, on to the ancient capital of Kharakorum and out to Ugii Lake before returning to the city — approximately 1,065 km without retracing a stage.
When does the tour actually start?
On the morning of Day 1, with the vehicle handover and route briefing in Ulaanbaatar. You are on the road west the same morning and at Khustai by the afternoon. Alternativly you can arrive at the Ulaanbaatar International Airport on day 1 and start the tour directly from there.
Will I actually see the wild horses?
Nothing wild is guaranteed, but this route is built to give you the best odds available. You overnight at Khustai rather than passing through it, which puts you in the park for the dusk movement on the first evening and again at first light the next morning. Those are the two hours the takhi come down to water, and most guests who go out for both see them.
How is this different from the 5-day Kharakorum Quest?
The Circuit adds two full days and takes you into the Orkhon Valley itself — the UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape and the Ulaan Tsutgalan waterfall — which the 5-day route does not reach. It also adds the Khujirt high plateau and Ugii Lake, and gives you a night at Khustai rather than an afternoon visit.
Are there hot springs on this route?
Yes. Khujirt has been known for its mineral springs for generations. The water surfaces at around 55°C and carries bicarbonate, sodium and sulphur compounds, and the plateau setting at 1,750 m makes it a genuinely restorative stop halfway through the loop.
Can I swim in Ugii Lake?
The lake is warm enough to swim in through July and August. It is also a sacred lake, and by local custom women do not enter the water. Your ger camp hosts will point you to the right stretch of shore — this is a live tradition rather than a historical one, and it costs nothing to respect it.
Do I need off-road driving experience?
No. The Circuit is graded Level 2 of 5. Roughly half the route is paved highway, and the unpaved sections are open track, soft sand and shallow river fords rather than technical terrain. We brief you fully at handover, mark every waypoint on your GPS, and are reachable 24/7 throughout.
When is the best time to do this tour?
Mid-June to early September is the ideal window: the steppe is green, the Orkhon is full, the migratory birds are on Ugii Lake and every camp on the route is open. Late May and late September are quieter and still very drivable, though nights are cold and several of the lakeside camps operate a shortened season.
Cosa è incluso nel pacchetto turistico?
Airport transfers by SIXT, full vehicle handover and route briefing, 24/7 remote support, a GPS route map, curated activities along the route, and all six nights of accommodation on the route according to the package you select.
What is not included?
Food and fuel during the journey, the car rental deposit, flights to Mongolia, visa fees, travel and health insurance, and any hotel nights in Ulaanbaatar before or after the tour.
Can I customise this route?
Yes. The Circuit extends naturally — most commonly with a detour to Tövkhön Monastery in the hills above the Orkhon, extra nights at the Naiman Nuur lakes, or a southward extension into the Gobi. Use the custom tour form and our team will build it around you.
Ci sono costi aggiuntivi non inclusi nel prezzo del tour?
Yes. Food and fuel are managed by you, and a 5,000,000 or 9,000,000 MNT depending on vehicleT car rental deposit is not included, along with flights, visa fees and travel insurance.