Gobi+ Central

Most groups choose to fly down — saves a day, costs a bit more. If we drive, we split it with stops at Baga Gazriin Chuluu rock formations and a lunch break in Mandalgovi. Either way, we sleep in Dalanzadgad — last hot shower for a few days. Walk the bazaar in the evening if you want.

Yoliin Am is the most famous of the Gobi canyons for good reason — it's narrow enough that the sun barely touches the floor, which keeps ice on the riverbed well into August. We walk a few kilometres in, picnic where the gorge opens, then back to the family ger for dinner. Bring a layer — the cliff shadows stay cold.

This is the kind of night you remember years later. The family has around 200 camels; they move twice a year and we catch them at their summer ground. We help set up the evening camp, share dinner — boiled mutton, milk tea, maybe some airag if they offer — and sleep on thick felt mats out under the sky. Stars unfiltered. Camels close by.

Khongoriin Els is 100 km long and tops out at 800 m of sand. The 'singing' is the sound the dune face makes when sand slides — like a low drone, eerie the first time. We aim to be on top for sunset; coming down is much easier (and faster) than going up.

Roy Chapman Andrews' 1923 expedition found the first dinosaur eggs ever identified, right at these cliffs. The rock turns a deep red at golden hour — about as Mars-on-Earth as it gets. We hike the rim trail then drop into a small canyon for the last light.

This is the leg that earns you the second half. Mostly paved, occasionally washboard. We stop at a few overlooks and pick up groceries along the way. By dusk the landscape has changed completely — grass, herds, the first proper rivers.

The waterfall is small but the gorge is genuinely beautiful — basalt walls, swallows nesting in the cracks. We pack a lunch, walk in for swims and photos, hang around till mid-afternoon. Family camp again that night with khorkhog (lamb cooked on hot stones in a sealed pot).

By day eight your body knows it's been to the desert and back. Tsenkher answers the question with hot mineral water. Tubs at varying temperatures — soak, read, soak again. Dinner at the camp, then a final hot soak after dark.

Erdene Zuu is the oldest surviving Buddhist monastery in Mongolia — 16th century, built from the stones of the old Mongol capital. Slow afternoon walk through the courtyards, then a final ger night nearby.

Last drive. Most groups want a real shower and a real bed first; we can do an optional group dinner around 7pm at a place I like in central UB. Flights home the next day.