From: € 1,200
Seven days, one 4×4, and the route that made Mongolia famous.
Orkhon Valley Circuit
01 Start
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 Why choose this 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 Overview
- Style: Self-Drive
- Terrain: Asphalt, Dirt Tracks, Sandy Tracks, Sand Dunes
- Tour Level: 2
Our tour levels are graded from 1 (easy) to 5 (challenging), with each level reflecting the complexity and challenge based on multiple factors.
2
2
2
2
Wild Horse Observation
Gobi Sand Dunes
Off Road Driving
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Ancient Monastery
Sleeping in a Ger
Nomadic Culture
03 Itinerary
Day Ulaanbaatar to Khustai National Park
- Ger Camp or Camping
Collect the 4x4 and drive west; by dusk you are waiting in silence for the wild horses.
Day Dawn at Khustai, then the Elsen Tasarkhai dunes
- Camping or Ger Camp
One more dawn with the takhi, then west to the dunes at Khögnö Khan to ride a camel.
Day South to the Khujirt high plateau
- Camping or Ger Camp
South past Kharkhorin onto rough track, to a high plateau where the water runs at 55°C.
Day Into the Orkhon Valley
- Camping or Ger Camp
A short run over boulder fields and river fords to the waterfall in its basalt gorge.
Day Kharakorum and Erdene Zuu
- Camping or Ger Camp
Follow the river downstream to the empire's lost capital and the 108 stupas of Erdene Zuu.
Day Ugii Lake
- Camping or Ger Camp
An easy stage northeast to a Ramsar lake, 150 bird species, and an afternoon off.
Day Return to Ulaanbaatar
The long run east on asphalt, back to the city with a week of steppe behind you.
04 Contact Us
It's natural for you to have questions, and our team is here to answer them!
Complete the form or choose one of the options below to let us know how we can help you have the most amazing time in Mongolia.
05
What's Included
5.1 Basics
Prepare to immerse yourself in everything Mongolia has to offer, as we take care of every detail for you to simply unwind and enjoy!
- 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
- GPS-mapped route with offline navigation app
- Pre-arranged accommodation
- Detailed trip briefing before departure
- Airport pickup and vehicle handover
Our goal is to make your journey purely about adventure and completely free of any inconvenience!
5.2 Car
Feel confident driving anywhere in Mongolia with our modern rugged and reliable range of off-road rental cars for Mongolia. We offer a variety of models; choose the one that suits you best.
Standard
UAZ
Patriot
Premium
Toyota
Land Cruiser 76
Luxury
Toyota
Land Cruiser 250
5.3 Accommodation
5.4 Acccommodation
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 Not Included
5.3 Not Included
We aim to make your trip as easy and enjoyable as possible, and we're always on hand to answer questions or provide assistance. However, please note that you will need to manage your own food and fuel needs during the journey.
Nature's Nomad
- Under Mongolia's endless canopy of stars, our camping nights offer an unparalleled embrace with nature, where every whisper of the wind tells a story of the wild.
- Basic
Free - Premium
€0
Mixed Nomad
- Nestled in the heart of Mongolia's breathtaking landscapes, beautiful Lodges and Ger camps provide a gateway to the nomadic way of life, blending ancient customs with home comforts.
- Basic
€400 - Premium
€860
Comfort Nomad
- With excellent lodges and hotel stays, we ensure your journey includes nights of comfort, allowing you to refresh and recharge for the continued adventure ahead.
- Basic
€800 - Premium
€1,740
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07 Book Now
7.2 Upgrade your ride
Our standard car is the rugged and reliable UAZ Patriot
Upgrade To Toyota Land Cruiser 250
Offroad in luxury with a state of the art 2024 Land Cruiser 250
Upgrade To Toyota Land Cruiser 76
Upgrade to the legendary Landcruiser 76
7.3 Upgrade your Trip
Insurance Upgrade
Loss Damage Waiver with reduced excess to 503EUR, Gravel Protection, Sand and Ash Protection, Tire and Windshield Protection, Roadside Protection.
Backseat Passenger
Add up to two additional passengers per car
Driver Service
Sit back and relax as a SIXT professional driver takes you on your adventure (price per day).
08 Custom Tours
09 FAQs
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.
What is included in the tour package?
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.
Are there any additional costs not included in the tour price?
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.