#1 of 6 campgrounds in Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park
Location
4.7
Rooms
4.5
Value
3.9
Cleanliness
4.6
Service
4.5
Sleep Quality
4.4
The renowned 5-star ecolodge in the heart of the gorgeous Gobi Desert, the Three Camel Lodge offers unrivaled experiences of nomadic Mongolian culture, cuisine, cinematic landscapes, epic wildlife, adventure, and cultural arts. A leader in sustainable travel since 2002, the lodge and its staff are perennially recognized by such publications as Conde Nast Traveller and Forbes Travel Guide. A proud member of the Beyond Green portfolio of sustainable hotels, resorts and lodges—the Three Camel Lodge enchants guests with a luxuriously appointed classic ger (pronounced ‘gaire’). Comprised of 40 individual gers, each is heated by a wood stove and appointed with hand-painted custom furnishings, and every ger features a private bathroom with a gorgeous stone shower. The lodge features an award-winning bar and restaurant, spa, and amenities including horse stables and excursions to see the iconic sites of the Gobi—including the Flaming Cliffs, the Singing Sands, Yol Valley, and ancient petroglyphs dating back to the Bronze Age. We invite families or those seeking more space to book one of our two specialty gers. Our Khubilai Ger is particularly well-suited to families, with two bedrooms linked by a bathroom, while our Genghis Ger features a bedroom and a relaxation space, as well as a private bathroom. The Three Camel Lodge provides a true escape from the everyday, as there are no telephones or access to Wi-Fi. The lodge isn’t just a place to stay. It’s a state of mind.
Excellent communications and responsiveness during the pre- and post-booking process. We were provided all the information we needed in advance. Tent accommodation in gers will spoil you for other rustic “camping” experiences. Food everyday was delicious and personalized to our schedule and wishes. They were especially accommodating of our dietary restrictions. We had to ask them to actually scale back portions for us since we felt bad wasting such good food. Bathroom attached to each ger and has first rate products. Tours and activities also highly customizable in terms of content and timings (we wanted to avoid being out in the heat of the day).
Also, the bar is something to behold — perhaps the most remote location in the world to order Pappy Van Winkle.
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It is a special experience at a high level. The food is exceptionally good helped by a greenhouse on the property. The yurt ,itself was tastefully done and very comfortable with a bathroom attached in a smaller yurt (ger). I admit it took a little while to get use to not throwing the used toilet paper in the toilet. Having attached bathrooms is a big change from when my husband was there in 2008. But the bathrooms are still a challenge for management because of the lodge's location in the dessert.
There are plenty of activities. I especially liked the Flaming Cliffs which once held dinosaurs whose small bone fragments can still be easily seen in the sand.. Riding on a camel across the dessert is another highlight. Make sure you get one with two humps so you have something to hang on to.
Our group experienced a monsoon type rain in the dessert...Rain is unusual in the dessert and getting stuck in 2-3 foot deep ruts due the flooding was exciting....but not dangerous...The drivers are experts at towing you out via other vehicles in the caravan.
Seeing four men erect a yurt in an half an hour was intriguing.
The staff was exceedingly gracious. The dining room staff needs to try to learn more English. They ought to have a lesson everyday for even 20 minutes. The senior staff speaks English well.
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Date of stay: July 2024Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Very enjoyable experience in the desert. Food was excellent and staff were fantastic. Gers (yurts) were comfortable.
We had very unusual circumstances - 36 hours of intense rain! Management made every effort to ensure we enjoyed our stay although our outdoor activities were limited by the weather. We had the opportunity to watch educational and enjoyable videos & movies and they brought in very talented musical students to perform on Mongolian instruments. They even had a live 'performance' painter and calligrapher create lovely art.
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Date of stay: July 2024Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We just came back from the Three Camel Lodge and had an amazing experience there. The location is amazing, in the Gobi desert. The ger we stayed in, was the one with a living room attached, and it was pure luxury to sleep under the stars, with the attached bathroom and living room. A number of activities were prepared for us - Yol Valley, camel riding, horseback riding, scooters, archeries, sunrise walk, seeing the night stars, Flaming Cliffs, cooking lessons. But the best part of the experience was meeting the local nomadic families and two birthday surprises me (drinks by the Flaming Cliffs before a sandstorm kicked up) and a cake on my actual birthday. The food at Three Camel Lodge was delicious and healthy. And we loved the little bar to play games and have a drink. The bourbon and other alcohol selection rivals fancy places in the US - Pappy's, Angel Envy's, etc. We also got to meet the owner and also hear how Three Camel Lodge gives back to the local community - supporting the local nomadic families, allowing the animals to drink from their well, etc. We stayed 3 nights, but definitely could have done one more night to have a day to just relax or spread out all the activities planned for us. If it wasn't so far, we would love to go back for a few nights!
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Date of stay: July 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We went to eight countries on this trip and the Gobi was certainly a highlight. There was so much to learn, see and do. The Three Camel Lodge provided comfortable and attractive accommodations and the service was excellent. We were fortunate that on one of the days we were there it rained. The staff quickly pivoted and adapted making this experience even more special.
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Date of stay: August 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Be prepared for a very bumpy ride through the desert to get there.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A beautiful place. Staff are very nice. First ever yurt I have been to that has its own private full bathroom. The restaurant, the bar, the whole space are very nice. Waking up in the early morning for a walk, surrounded by silence, is priceless. Recommended to book in advance. I will visit again.
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Luxury at a very high cost. Even if luxurious by comparison it is still a lodge. There is a limited number of sights (though interesting) in the area and the lodge compensates by offiering bicycles, scooters, archery and cinema, but that is not a reason to go to the Gobi. The food is much better than elsewhere in Mongolia.
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Date of stay: June 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My guide was phenomenal, the food was great, the Ger was amazing, the sites where amazing. The animals were great. And the staff was super friendly. Not one bad thing to say about it.
The flaming cliffs, and other sites were amazing. Driving around in the desert seeing the animals was amazing. But the best part was My guide. His knowledge of history and explanation of Mongolian culture was fascinating.
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Considering the remoteness of this lodge, they've done a wonderful job. The food is great; the staff is pleasant; there's always a beautiful view of something; within driving distance of many places of interest. They grow some vegetables on site.
The ladies shower room is lovely with each shower cleaned after each use. I did find, though, that the water seemed to be hotter in the showers to the right vs. those to the left. Some days there was a hairdryer for use; some days there was not. Signs are posted asking you to only use a hair dryer between 9am and 7pm due to demands on their wind and solar system.
Deluxe gers have their own sink and toilet. Convenient but outer gers have practically no water flow. Lighting in my ger was pretty good; lighting in others was practically non-existent. Be sure to pack a headlamp for walking to/from ger and other facilities in the night.
The bed was ok comfort-wise (most beds in Mongolia are rock hard). I disliked the felt rugs as my clothes kept picking up fur. Only have your fire lit at night if you plan to sleep in a sauna (mid summer stay).
Housekeeping service was extremely inconsistent. Some days you got hot water in a thermos, some not. Some gers got tea bags for the hot water, some not. Some gers have robes, some not. Couldn't get the toilet paper replaced the last 2 days no matter who I asked.
On a bright note, the laundry service was fast and good, albeit a little pricey. Staff lines up and waves you goodbye when you head out for the day and are there to open the vehicle doors when you return. Bar prices are a little high but there is good variety. Wine is sold by the bottle only, no single glass offerings.
Bikes are available for rent. There are some Mongolian craft items on offer in the reception area.
Make sure you walk up the hill behind the lodge for a great sunset view.
This lodge is owned by the same person as Nomadic Expeditions.
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Date of stay: July 2012
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We chose the place since it seemed to be most comfortable ger camp in the Gobi. We were picked up at Dalanzadgad airport in a Russian 4*4 and were amazed to see the road turn into a desert track less than half a km from the airport exit. The drive thro' the desert took about an hour and a half and the driver was patient to stop at several places where we saw herds of camels and horses. The camp itself was very well equipped and the staff was warm and welcoming. The shared facilites were very clean, and being early in the season, there were no queues. Food was slightly disappointing - mostly bland western fare, which you do not expect in the heart of Mongolia. There is an excellent lounge area with a TV, DVDs, games, books etc. The staff were helpful in understanding our interests and suggesting an itinerary that was cost effective, and covering the important places.
A bit of advice on making reservations. Booking online thro the website take you to their office in the US. While their room tariff is OK, they try to sell all kinds of extras. They offered us a package incl airfare, transfers, one night with full board & sightseeing for approx US$ 3000 for 2 adults + a 2 year old. This being way above our budget, we opted for full board (US$ 315) and two way transfers (US$ 400). Booking direct at the airline, we paid US$ 700 for our return tickets. We arranged for the sightseeing directly after we reached the lodge and paid another US$ 115 (and the US office had warned us that we would not be able to get a vehicle there). We ended up spending about half of what we would have spent thro their US office. The staff at the lodge were shocked to hear that we had paid US$ 400 for the two way transfer - they would have charged us US$ 1 per km (approx US$ 150 for 2 way transfers).
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Date of stay: June 2012
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:You could opt for a ger without bathroom as it costs US$ 140 less and the shared facilities are...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our lodge can be booked for 2, 3 and 4 night all inclusive packages. Rates will be available soon on the three camel lodge website. In the meantime, please email us for further information.
There is indeed a wooden stove in the main lodge. In the bar and sitting room you willl find extra blankets. In the gers it's OK. I was there in May with snow but they light the fire in the afternoon so it is hot enough to sleep and they come around 6 in the morning to light it again. So it is fine when you get up.I wouldn't be afraid of getting cold IN the lodge. Outside was my real problem !
Hello Denise,
Three Camel Lodge closes for the winter by mid-Oct and then reopens in Mid-May.
Most guests reach the lodge by flying to Dalanzadgad (approximately 1.5 hours) and transferring by road to the lodge (approximately 1 hour). The lodge is also reachable from Ulaanbaatar by road and this journey takes about 9 hours. Additionally, there is a local airstrip about 10 minutes from the lodge for clients chartering helicopters or Cessnas.
Hello,
Yes, drinking water is included in the price. In each guest room, we supply reusable water bottles which are refilled nightly and can be topped off at any time at one of several filling stations on property.
Thanks for the question,
Staff at Three Camel Lodge
There are more places to choose from in the Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park area.
LOCATION
MongoliaGobi Gurvansaikhan National Park
NUMBER OF ROOMS
40
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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