Khongoryn Els: The Mongolian Gobi’s Biggest Sand Dune  

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Summary: An endless sea of rolling sand dunes to climb for an epic sunset. 

As we rocketed up the dirt track in our 4×4 from what’s known as Central Gobi, toward the heart of the Gobi desert, the landscape began a slow change. From flat sun-sapped earth scattered with herds of camels to golden scrubland. The ground got softer. In the distance, a wind-swept line of dunes appeared. Just one single line of them stretching on for as far as the eye could see. Some were as tall and sharp as mountains and others just a little rounded hill. The dunes of Khongoryn Els stretch a continuous distance of over 100 km.

These gold dunes are exactly the image that comes to mind when you hear the words “Gobi Desert”. Steep and wind-swept the endless line of sand seems to pop up in the flat-cracked desert like a snow-capped mountain backdrop of the Andes. You can drive your car right to its base. During high winds, the dunes almost disappear in a slew of freshly stirred-up sand. The enthusiastic visitor can climb to its summit and peer out at endless rolling waves of dune-after-dune continuing into the desert. The singing sand dunes as they are called, are a sight to behold. 

A First Timers Complete Guide to Khongoryn Els

This is the vital information that you need to know before you plan your visit. 

Considering a Tour?

This is without a doubt the most popular way to visit Khongoryn Els. It can be daunting to venture off into the desert in an unknown country on your own. If you want to book your Gobi Desert tour ahead of time use these links below for the best rates.

If you don’t need to book in advance (love the adventurous spirit) then I recommend booking through Mongolia Vision Tours Guesthouse once you arrive. The hostel in Ulaanbaatar has lots of private rooms and she will get you the best price.

An even better option when planning your visit is to book a 4×4 vehicle to self-drive with Drive Mongolia. This is what we did and loved it! This route is not for everyone BUT getting to Khongoryn Els from UB is almost entirely paved and easy enough anyone with a license can do it.

Best time of Year to Visit 

The best time of year to visit is the same throughout Mongolia. 

Peak season = May – October 

But as this is the sweltering heart of one of the most impressive deserts on earth you might be concerned about summertime travel. Don’t be. The Gobi desert averages temperatures of 30 C in its hottest month of July. You should be more concerned about planning a wintertime visit when the dunes are dusted in snow. 

What to Expect During Your Visit 

Crowds. Shocking I know. Okay, crowds considering you are in Mongolia, one of the least visited countries on earth. 

This is one spot that every single tour company in Mongolia hits. And there is one specific dune that is *highest* (maybe) and *easiest* (still not easy) to climb. 

There’s a hard-packed parking area where all the tour companies park their Russian vans at the base of the trail. Here you’ll start your trek up the dune. Just follow the footsteps and trail of people. Most tours provide people with a sled so they can sled down the dune’s steep slopes on the descent. You’ll hike up the dune, watch the sunset, and then return the way you came. 

If you’re visiting on your own arrive at 4-5 PM to hike first and beat most of the tours to the top. Just keep in mind you’ll have to wait hours for the sun to start to set. 

Best Time of Day to Visit

Sunset to climb the dunes. Sunrise to watch them light up from the desert floor. 

It’s all about the positioning of the sun here. The sun sets behind the dunes which means that if you climb to the summit of the big dune you’ll get to see the entire sea of sand in the golden glow of the last rays of the sun. 

But for those that don’t want to climb, this time of day leaves the dunes you can see from the ground in the dark. During sunrise on a clear morning, you’ll get to watch the dunes illuminate under the first pink rays of the sun. 

Don’t try to climb mid-day because it’s a very strenuous steep climb, the sand will get hot beneath the sun, you’ll get scorched by sunburn, and the lighting won’t even be pretty for the epic view. 

Is it worth it to climb Khongoryn Els? 

100% yes. This is one of the best views in Mongolia and totally worth braving the 45-minute – 1-hour climb. Be sure to give yourself enough time to do it before sunset. 

It’s super steep and actually pretty strenuous for such a deceptively short distance. Walking in the sand is quite difficult. Be sure to bring some water and sunglasses. 

You can choose to climb elsewhere on the dunes to avoid the crowds of people but the places we tried ended up being too steep and a little unsafe. I didn’t like the idea of being buried in a mountain of sand so we returned to the main path. Once at the summit we just walked along the dunes ridge to find our own space away from the tour groups. 

Getting to Khongoryn Els 

I know most of you are not going to hire a car and drive Mongolia yourself. If you do, however, I recommend Drive Mongolia for your car hire. 

If you want to avoid a tour group and instead hire a driver you should join the Mongolia Travel Facebook Group. From here you can team up with other travelers and hire a local to take you in his own car. This obviously comes with a little more risk than just going with the tours I mentioned at the beginning of this post.

This is the best way to see the country at your own pace and without loads of other people dictating your day and route. Instead, you can team up with a few like-minded travelers from your hostel or hire a private driver and get a personally tailored tour. My Mongolia itineraries will come in handy. 

Road Conditions Getting to Khongoryn Els 

Depending on which way you are coming from the road to Khongoryn Els isn’t too bad. Coming from Ulaanbaatar it’s paved 80% of the way and then turns to hard-packed desert off-road. 

If you’re coming from Central Gobi like we were the road will be 100% vast desert and snaking hard-packed desert tracks. If you roughly follow the maps I provided in my Mongolia Itinerary, it’s super easy to navigate in this wide-open and mostly obstacle-free landscape. Think flat arid desert not dunes. 

The sand in Khongoryn Els is actually not nearly as bad as I anticipated. We deflated the tires (a little) in preparation for sand driving but we barely got more than a few small drifts. 

Entrance Cost of Khongoryn Els 

As this is a tourist attraction, there is an entrance gate with an entrance fee and ticket. It’s all very official. 

However, we were following a map of a friend. This map took us into Khongoryn Els without paying a fee. I’ve passed this map along in my Mongolia itineraries (rather than make a whole new one). 

WARNING! You can only take the secret free entrance if you have a lifted (very lifted) vehicle. Even then it’s a little touch and go. There’s a gap in the small rock fence that pretty much perfectly fits a carefully driven vehicle to drive through. It also could be fixed at any moment.

Otherwise, the entrance fee to Khongoryn Els is somewhere around 10k Tugrik per person. Not exactly enough money to warrant going out of your way to find the free entrance.

Where to stay in Khongoryn Els 

Accommodation in the Gobi is far more expensive than anywhere else in Mongolia. Rightfully so, I suppose.

You can expect all the ger camps in the area to have power only in the evenings, same goes for hot water. The bathrooms here were very nicer than average Mongolian standards though. 

The ger camp we stayed at was about 300k Tugrik or $85 for 4 people. This doesn’t include breakfast or any meals. This was in August (PEAK season). Prices should go down substantially outside of July and August. You’ll see the gers across the flat landscape. If you’re driving yourself you’ll just pop in and see the cost.

I’m fairly certain gers are priced per person. We had a group of 4 and most gers had 4 beds so it worked out well for us. If you’re traveling as a duo, most places should give you the same room for half price. 

Wild Camping situation in Khongoryn Els 

Camping in the desert is not the most ideal situation. At least in my eyes. You’ll have no access to water or restrooms (which considering you can see for miles in this flat landscape could be a problem). There’s no place to set up your tent that’s protected from wild desert winds or from errant drivers who make their own roads in this open area. There’s also the fact that the ground is so hard-packed, scattered with rocks and thorny bushes. 

It would be wildly uncomfortable and I saw not a single person attempt it. 

That being said… If I were to camp (because lodging here was so expensive) if you parked yourself right at the base of the dunes themselves you would benefit from cleared ground and some soft sand. Less people are driving in this area at night and the only deterrent would be if a windstorm whipped up the loose sand at some point. But still, this is the best alternative in my eyes. 

Quick Things to Know Before You Go 

1. There is an entrance fee to visit Khongoryn Els. 
2. Khongoryn Els is a part of Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park and is well worth a visit. 
3. The nickname of the dunes is the “singing sand dunes”. 
4. This is likely the furthest south your itinerary will take you into the country. 
5. The famous (and endangered) Bactrian two-humped camel can be seen all throughout the desert. 
6. You really don’t need more than one full day in this area to get the gist of the desert. It’s very barren. Unless you plan to embark on some serious strenuous (and hopefully) well-planned dune hikes, one day will do. 
7. This is severe desert travel. Always bring food and lots of water with you when you hit the road. Carry water when you hike the dune as well. 
8. Drones are allowed in this area.  

The Gobi desert is a must-see in Mongolia. It’s one of the most well-known sights in the country. Khongoryn Els is the purest and most photogenic part of this desert. It’s also relatively easy to reach for all kinds of travelers. Whether you embark on a guided tour or a self-drive adventure, this is a can-not-miss attraction in Mongolia.

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