Dinosaur Fossil Sites
What it's like
Late afternoon turns the Flaming Cliffs a deep, burning orange. A century ago, Roy Chapman Andrews' expedition found dinosaur eggs here, and the Gobi has kept giving up the bones of a world eighty million years gone.
The Gobi is one of the richest dinosaur fossil regions in the world. Its Late Cretaceous rocks have yielded Protoceratops, Velociraptor, Oviraptor and the famous fighting dinosaurs, locked together where they died.
At Bayanzag, the Flaming Cliffs, the American Museum of Natural History expeditions led by Roy Chapman Andrews found the first nests of dinosaur eggs to be scientifically recognised, in the 1920s. Nearby sites such as Nemegt and Tugrugiin Shiree are known to palaeontologists but harder to reach.
Fossils are protected by Mongolian law and must never be collected, moved or bought. If you spot something, photograph it, leave it in place and tell your guide. Back in Ulaanbaatar, the Central Museum of Mongolian Dinosaurs shows fossils that were returned to the country.
Adventures with this
More experiences
Staying with Nomad Families
Sleep in a family ger, help with the herds and share the rhythm of a working nomadic camp.
Horse Riding
Ride sturdy Mongolian horses across open steppe, river valleys and forested hills with local horsemen.
Camel Trekking
Travel the Gobi on the back of a two-humped Bactrian camel, guided by the herders who raise them.
Eagle Hunting Traditions
Meet the Kazakh burkitshi of Bayan-Ölgii, who raise and train golden eagles to hunt in winter.
The Naadam Games
Wrestling, horse racing and archery: the three manly games at the heart of Mongolia's summer festival.
Throat Singing and the Morin Khuur
Hear khöömei, the overtone singing of the steppe, and the morin khuur horsehead fiddle, both UNESCO-listed traditions.
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