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Best desert destinations in Asia

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Wadi Rum
Valley of the moon's timeless magic
8.1
The 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia helped start Jordan's tourism industry. T. E. Lawrence passed through the area several times during the Arab Revolt. The protected area covers 721 square kilometres and UNESCO inscribed it in 2011. Rain averages 74 millimetres a year and often arrives as flash floods.
Highlights:
  • 🏕️ Spend a night in a traditional Bedouin desert camp
  • 🏂 Sandboard down giant red sand dunes for adrenaline rush
  • 🚙 Take a thrilling 4x4 jeep tour through vast desert landscapes
Gobi Desert
Endless dunes under starlit desert skies
7.6
Temperatures swing from about minus 40 degrees Celsius in winter to 45 in summer. In one day the temperature can change by as much as 35 degrees. The desert covers about 1,295,000 square kilometres across Mongolia and China. Wild Bactrian camels are among the animals that live here.
Highlights:
  • 🏜️ Explore the ancient Khongoryn Els sand dunes
  • 🏕️ Camp overnight under starlit Mongolian skies
  • 🐪 Ride camels across dunes at sunrise
Wahiba Sands
Endless dunes whisper ancient Bedouin tales
8.5
Dunes in the northern part of the desert reach up to 100 metres high. The sands run about 180 kilometres north to south. A 1986 Royal Geographical Society expedition recorded 150 native plant species and 16,000 invertebrates. Bedouin gather at an oasis from June to September to harvest dates.
Highlights:
  • 🐪 Experience camel trekking at sunrise
  • 🌌 Camp under starlit sky in Bedouin tents
  • 🏜️ Ride dune buggies across golden sand dunes
Xinjiang
Vibrant Silk Road crossroads of ancient cultures
7.6
The Taklamakan Desert fills the Tarim Basin in southern Xinjiang. At about 337,000 square kilometres it is slightly smaller than Germany. Shifting dunes there rise from 18 to 91 metres. The Tazhong station records only about 26 millimetres of precipitation a year. Two Silk Road branches skirted its northern and southern edges.
Highlights:
  • 🌅 Stroll through Turpan's Jiaohe ruins at sunrise
  • 🏰 Explore the ancient Silk Road city of Kashgar
  • 🐪 Ride a camel across the Taklamakan Desert
Dunhuang
Desert Wonders and Ancient Art
7.1
Singing Sand Dunes lie beside Crescent Lake in the Dunhuang oasis. They are on the eastern edge of the Kumtag Desert. Yearly rainfall stays under 70 millimetres. The Mogao Caves lie about 25 kilometres southeast of town and hold 735 caves. The city once marked a crossroads of the Silk Road routes.
Highlights:
  • 🏞️ Visit the serene Crescent Moon Lake oasis
  • 🐪 Ride camels and hike the dunes at Mingsha Mountain
  • 🕌 Explore the ancient Buddhist art in Mogao Caves
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