Golden Gobi Guesthouse & Tour

I arrived in Mongolia with no plan, and the staff helped me put together my whole countryside trip at a really good price. The hostel has a cozy atmosphere, and everyone was friendly and great. I’ll definitely return to Golden Gobi next time I’m in Mongolia.

I never got around to writing this review. I didn’t stay at the hostel, but I did a three-day horse trek that went pretty well for the most part. I ran into a few problems, and the manager was kind, listened to my complaints, and worked with the tour management to sort them out. 10/10 tours, would recommend.

The big common room makes it easy to meet other travelers, which was the one real plus for us. The rest of our experience was mostly negative. Bathrooms and showers were generally dirty and unpleasant. The tours cost much more than other providers, with no better quality to show for it. On my trip, the van had a mechanical accident, and we also heard that another guest’s vehicle caught fire. The hostel didn’t give us proper support around these serious safety problems. Staff also seemed unhappy to help when we tried arranging an independent trip, even with something basic like buying a bus ticket. They were frustrated that one of our friends came along with us instead of joining the hostel tour. Between the hygiene, expensive tours, and unfriendly staff, it’s hard to recommend this place despite the social atmosphere.

I had a nice private room with a bathroom for four nights. The other rooms seem to be dorms. But people were chatting or getting trips ready in the living room in the middle of the night, which was a real pain as a light sleeper. I wouldn’t recommend it if you need quiet nights.