Visiting Mongolia’s White Stupa: A Stunning Technicolor Desert

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Summary: A stunning desert viewpoint with car and foot trails between the colorful hoodoos. 

White Stupa is anything but white. It’s definitely a misnomer. These phallic hoodoos are ancient spires shaped by the wind, rain, and elements into faded red, pink, gold, and pale orange columns. Very reminiscent of Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park — just a bit more colorful and unexpected. 

This sight is easily accessible from Ulaanbaatar and is a famous spot for wild camping. It’s also an underrated attraction in my opinion. Not all tours even visit this portion of the desert! Here’s what you need to know to visit the White Stupa and fully appreciate the geologic wonder. 

Your Guide to the White Stupa or Tsagaan Suvarga

Another name for the stupa is Tsagaan Suvarga which translates directly to “white canyon” in Mongolian. The geologic formation is 400 meters wide and 60 meters tall. Iron and calcium deposits in the soil create these lovely colors that make the place so photogenic and beautiful.

Best time of Year to Visit White Stupa

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

Peak season = May-September. 

White Stupa is no different. If you visit during September and plan to camp at White Stupa make sure you have sufficient equipment for a very cold night. Mongolia’s deserts are actually the coldest deserts in the world. This is why visiting during the wintertime is not advised.

September Visitors: If you DO plan a visit in September there is a local festival called Ikh Goviin Temee or Camels of the Gobi that happens around this time…but it’s not worth planning your entire trip around.

What to Expect During Your Visit 

Arriving from the South (after Khongoryn Els & the Gobi), you’ll drive over a flat expanse of slightly grassy scrubland to the edge of a cliff. You are at the top of the White Stupa here. From this vantage point, you’ll be looking out over the hoodoos across a colorful valley crisscrossed by pale dirt tracks. 

Approaching from the North (from Ulaanbaatar), you’ll arrive instead inside the canyon on those pale dirt tracks looking up at the tall White Stupa and the surrounding hoodoos. 

Both views are worthwhile vantage points. 

White Stupa is simply a handful of pretty vistas. There’s no real hiking or exploring to do here. Your visit will probably last under an hour or two. 

Best Time of Day to Visit

All the tour guide blogs say sunrise or sunset. But having been there for both times, I think the preferred lighting is actually about 2 hours before sunset for the top and sunrise for the bottom. 

The sunset itself casts long shadows. And viewing the sunrise from the top puts you facing the sun rather than watching the White Stupa become illuminated by the first light. 

Note: An overcast day actually makes the hoodoos appear more colorful to the camera. Drones are excellent here and the best way to really take in the weird landscape. 

Road Conditions Getting to White Stupa 

The road to White Stupa is 90% paved from Ulaanbaatar. The non-paved track is hard-packed dirt and fairly easy to follow. It is however almost a complete washboard so it will be slow, bumpy, and loud. Enjoy. 

The only tricky bits are navigating the tippy and crumbly paths beneath the White Stupa to get a view from below. Your Mongolian driver will have no problems with this but if you’re driving yourself just be careful and watch out for people camping near the tracks. I wouldn’t attempt this without 4WD and a lifted vehicle. 

Where to stay in White Stupa 

There are a handful of ger camps on the top of the White Stupa for a reasonable price. All of them have basic amenities. You can often see kangaroo mice in this area too. We had one in our Ger and I woke up with him inside my sleeping bag in the morning.

The Gers have power and hot water from 7-ish to 10-ish at night and cost about 120k Tugrik or $35 for two people. Most of them had a restaurant facility and could prepare meals upon request. 

No reservations are needed. 

All that being said…I recommend camping in the White Stupa area for a few reasons.

Camping Situation in White Stupa 

This is an excellent place to camp— not for comfort, but for the experience. As I mentioned, the best view of the White Stupa at sunrise is from below. Therefore the best place to camp is right at the foot of White Stupa itself. 

The ground is quite rocky and difficult so be sure to bring adequate mats for sleeping and a lantern for after-dark cards or something. 

I recommend spending the night here rather than at a traditional Ger camp. We didn’t and it’s my one single regret in Mongolia. You’ll have so many opportunities to stay in Gers throughout Mongolia– this is a once-in-a-trip kind of camping spot.

Quick Things to Know Before You Go 

1. There is no entrance fee. 
2. You can park right at the summit in a small lot for free as well.
3. There is a small car selling ice cream at the top. Weird, I know. But Mongolians love ice cream. Bring some cash with you if you can.
4. Drones are allowed and encouraged here. 
5. This area was surprisingly not crowded during the times we were there (sunrise & sunset). I think because it isn’t commonly included on the tours.
6. Be sure to carefully climb out onto the fingers of the hoodoos for the best views from the top. There are multiple vantage points that all have a slightly different and unique view of the canyon. 
7. Please do yourself a favor and camp at the bottom of White Stupa.

Another Attraction in the Area: The Del Uul Petroglyphs are just a short jaunt away from the stupa itself. You can direct yourself there on maps.me and hike around through the desert hills looking at hundreds of petroglyphs. This is the archeologist’s dream destination.

Tours That Include the White Stupa…

If you’re more interested in a group tour than independent travel here are a few tours you can book in advance that include a visit to the canyon.

White Stupa actually surprised me on our road trip. It was one of the last attractions we visited before leaving the desert behind and I thought that I had seen the best of the Gobi already. But the spectacle still actually took my breath away. The diversity that Mongolia boasts even within its desert landscapes is so impressive. Even if you’re starting to tire from “rock viewpoints” don’t miss the White Stupa on your Mongolian adventure. 

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