heymongolia
Nature & landscapes

Tsagaan Suvarga

Eroded limestone cliffs in bands of white, pink and orange, often called the 'White Stupa'.

A long wall of layered cliffs rises out of the flat steppe, carved by wind and rain into shapes that look like ruined towers from a distance. It is the usual first overnight stop on the drive from Ulaanbaatar to the southern Gobi.

Walk along the top for the views, then down into the gullies to see the colours up close.

  • Region: Gobi Desert (Dundgovi)
  • Best time: May–September
  • Time needed: 2–3 hours

Tips

  • Best light is early morning and late afternoon.

Tours that visit Tsagaan Suvarga

  • Gobi Desert Tour – 6 Days (6 days · Gobi Desert · Stone Horse Mongolia · from $2,250)
    A 6-day driver-guided Gobi tour from Ulaanbaatar through Tsagaan Suvarga, Yolyn Am, Khongoryn Els and the Flaming Cliffs, with ger camps and a herder homestay.
  • South Gobi Traverse (8 days · Gobi Desert · Steppe Riders · from $2,900)
    An 8-day guided motorcycle loop from Ulaanbaatar into the South Gobi and back via Ongi, with a 4WD support vehicle, ger camps and a night of wild camping.
  • Mongolian Gobi Desert Overland Tour 5 Days (5 days · Gobi Desert · Kazakh Tour · from $1,540)
    A 5-day 4x4 loop from Ulaanbaatar to the Gobi's main sights, with a nomad family visit, a camel ride on the dunes, a canyon hike and ger camp or lodge nights.
  • Thousand Camel Festival | Small Group Winter Trip | 9 Days (9 days · Several regions · Eternal Landscapes Mongolia · from $2,095)
    A 9-day small-group winter trip by 4x4 from Ulaanbaatar to the Gobi for the Thousand Camel Festival, staying in winterised gers and with herding families.
  • Essence Of The Gobi | Mongolia tailor made tour | 8 Days (8 days · Gobi Desert · Eternal Landscapes Mongolia · from $1,790)
    An 8-day tailor-made 4x4 trip from Ulaanbaatar to the Gobi, staying in family ger camps, with camel riding, dune climbing and petroglyph sites.
  • Mongolia Gobi & Karakoram Tour with Naadam Festival 11 days tour 2027 (11 days · Gobi Desert · Guru Travel Mongolia (Tour2Mongolia) · from $2,550)
    An 11-day July group tour by 4WD van from Ulaanbaatar through the Gobi and Karakorum, returning for the Naadam festival's opening, wrestling, archery and horse racing.
  • Gobi tour (8 days · Gobi Desert · Mongolia Guide)
    An 8-day Gobi trip visiting Tsagaan Suvarga, Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park, the Khongor dunes and the Flaming Cliffs, with camel and horse riding and ger stays.
  • The Golden Gobi Tour (6 days · Gobi Desert · Mongolia Guide)
    A 6-day Gobi tour starting at the Chinggis Khaan statue and covering Baga Gazriin Chuluu, Yol Valley, the Khongor dunes, Flaming Cliffs and White Stupa, staying in ger camps.

Nearby places