Gobi Altai Province

Gobi-Altai province is a rare and special place. Open big sky, vast landscape, high mountains and friendly people combine to make Gobi-Altai the “Great Wilderness”. Gobi-Altai is situated in the western part of Mongolia, borders with China in the south.

The landscape is overwhelming with beautiful Sutai, Aj Bogd, Tayan, Idren, Burkhan Buudai mountains. Clearly, this region is the most remote and much protected region of Mongolia, with very few visitors. Traveling on west through desert provides great opportunity to meet Takhi Preziwalsky wild horses which is successfully reintroduced to the nature. The beauty of Gobi Altai's diverse and sparsely populated mountain and desert environment caused a large portion of the land as national parks: Great Gobi Protected Area covers 5.3mln hectares is the largest shelter to the endangered fauna of Central Asia including 50 mammals, 15 reptiles and over 150 bird species.

Divided into two parts, the southern Altai Gobi (Gobi A) covers the southern parts of Bayankhongor and Gobi Altai province while the Zuungariin Gobi (Gobi B) is separated by 300km including Khovd province. The beautiful Southern Altai is the classic home for rare Gobi bear, wild Bacterian camels, whereas Zuungariin Gobi is more lush and greener than its eastern part and is home to wild asses, and black tailed gazelle.

This place is a paradise for the explorers, mountaineers and adventurous hikers with opportunities to conquer Khuren Tovon Peak (3802m), Burkhan Buuddai Peak (3765m), or the permanently snowcapped peak of Sutai Mountain (4090m), the highest peak in Gobi-Altai. Altai, provincial capital is nestled between the mountains of Khasagt Khairkhan and Jargalant which has pleasant streets with green trees and friendly people. With a charming local museum and a well-stocked market, Altai is the best place to make a stopover on the way to somewhere else.