Palaeontology in the Gobi Desert with New Scientist

As part of our partnership with New Scientist, we have some amazing special access opportunities on this tour. You will be accompanied throughout by professionals and experts from the Mongolian Institute whose knowledge and experience of these remote excavation sites are second to none. Our tour leader John Pickrell is an award-winning science journalist and one of the world’s top fossil and palaeontology writers – he has accompanied previous tours to these areas. All of these experts will ensure the group has the best chance of some fabulous discoveries and we have kept the group size small to allow all guests the best opportunity to interact with the experts. Your journey of discovery does not end when you return from Mongolia, as the Mongolian Institute will also send you a final trip report a few months later, showing all findings from your trip.

Each morning after breakfast the group will be divided into two groups and begin prospecting the surrounding valleys under the guidance of the guest palaeontologist. As well as searching for fossils, daily prospecting walks will also allow time to discover local flora and fauna. Snacks will be provided.

Return to the camp for lunch and on some days it might be necessary to wait out the afternoon sun, and return to the hunt once it is cooler.

On at least one of the days, your palaeontologist will ask you to participate in the removal of promising looking finds which can take hours, depending on the size of the find.

Evenings will be spent around the campfire or in the mess tent, discussing and reviewing the days discoveries.

The itinerary may be flexible to fit around conditions, recent finds and anything unearthed during the expedition.

Although, we have chosen the most clement time of year to visit, the weather can still fluctuate drastically during any given day. For the most part the climate should be warm and dry, possibly with some thunderstorms. A full suggested packing list will be sent to you prior to departure.

In Ulaanbaatar you will stay in one of the best 5* hotels in the city.

Once in the desert you will be staying in a mixture of camps. The majority of the Mongolian population live in gers (also known as yurts in other countries). A few steps up from a normal tent, gers have wooden floors, robust wooden supports and thicker walls providing insulation. You can stand up in them and Mongolian gers are well furnished with beds, seats, tables and wood burning stoves. The camp will also have larger communal gers for socialising and eating. Plus of course separate toilets and running hot water.

Other tented camps on the trip are not quite “wilderness camping” but rather more of an expedition style bell tent, supplied with cot beds, sleeping bags, tables and chairs to make a comfortable resting place during the field trips. Multiple toilet tents are provided for male and female guests of the group as well as shower tents. Hot water can be provided upon request for showering each day, although, depending on certain locations, shower water may be rationed to preserve the desert’s precious water supply. Meals are provided in a centrally located ger mess tent, which is turned into a social area by evening, where the day’s findings are discussed.

Our group tours are perfect for solo travellers, as travelling as part of an organised group in faraway places does provide security and peace of mind. We handle all of the arrangements for you and there will be a local tour guide on hand throughout to provide advice and help if needed, as well as the expertise of our tour experts.

If you are willing to share, we will always do our best to match you up with another solo traveller of the same sex so that you do not have to pay for a single room.

If you would prefer the privacy of your own room and would like this guaranteed, then the single room price supplement will apply.

General overall fitness is required. On many of the days there will be walking on sand and uneven surfaces. There will also be time spent close to the ground when prospecting and digging. You must be comfortable being on foot, wear appropriate clothing, have a reasonable level of fitness and the flexibility to bend close to or sit on the floor whilst digging. The field work isn’t compulsory and the tour guide and palaeontologists will be mindful of peoples ability when setting the pace.

Driving into the Gobi will be by Toyota Land Cruisers and there will be no more than three passengers per car. Outside of the main towns, road conditions can be bumpy and dusty but the experience of travelling in Mongolia will far exceed any discomfort.

British passport holders do need a visa for travel to Mongolia. Proof of travel insurance, as well as your accommodation or itinerary in Mongolia, is needed along with the completed visa application and your passport. Once obtained the visa is valid for up to 30 days within six months from the date of issue. For information about other nationalities please check with us for up to date requirements.

Absolutely. As the window of opportunity to travel in Mongolia is short it makes sense to extend your stay if you are able to. Travel east into the rocky landscapes of Ikh Nart in search of wildlife, north to the shores of Hovsgol Lake or west to grassy plains, refuge of the przewalski horse. Further west still lie the remote Altai Mountains, domain of the Kazakh Golden Eagle Hunters. It is also relatively easy to cross the border into China.

Speak to one of our Mongolia specialists for more details of possible extensions.