Three short tours of Mongolia, designed to work together. You may choose to do just one or add them together for a fascinating insight to the lifestyles and landscapes of Mongolia. Stay in traditional gers and study the craft of skilled nomadic herdsmen amongst expansive grassland, desert and lakeside settings. The best time to travel to the region is May to September.
Day 1 – Arrive Ulaanbaatar
Arrive in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital, situated in a broad mountain valley surrounded by pine forests. The large modern city has developed quickly in recent times, and most residents now live in apartments, however gers, the traditional felt tents of the nomads, are still found in the outer suburbs.
Please clear your Immigration and Customs then look for our local guide in the arrivals area. This person can be identified by a small sign with your names on it. Take a private guided transfer to your hotel.
Stay one night at the Bayangol Hotel in Ulaanbaatar.
Day 2 – Ulaanbaatar – Kharkhorin
Private guided travel by road to Kharkhorin (380km), stopping for lunch along the way. In the afternoon, visit Erdene Zuu monastery, once one of the largest monasteries in Mongolia and almost destroyed in the 1930s. Tour the monastery grounds and several chapels with excellent examples of Buddhist iconography dating from the 16th century. Visit the symbolic ruins of Kharkhorin, the 13th century capital of the Mongol Empire.
Stay one night at Ger Camp (twin share room). (B,L,D)
Day 3 – Kharkhorin – Orkhon Valley
A picnic lunch is provided for a visit to the Orkhon Valley. Relax in the scenic and tranquil setting, take photos, or hike along the river.
Stay one night at a homestay with a nomadic family (four share room). (B,L,D)
Day 4 – Orkhon Valley – Bayangobi
Drive to Bayangobi. Visit local nomadic family in the afternoon.
Stay one night at Ger Camp (twin share room). (B,L,D)
Day 5 – Bayangobi – Ulaanbaatar
After an early breakfast, take a private guided drive to Hustain Nuruu National Reserve to view of Przewalski wild horses, recently re-introduced to Mongolia after they became extinct in the 1960s. Drive back to Ulaanbaatar, with your local guide, arriving late afternoon.
Stay two nights at the Bayangol Hotel in Ulaanbaatar. (B,L)
Day 6 – Ulaanbaatar
A full day (private) guided tour of the capital includes visits to the Gandan Monastery, the Fine Arts Museum, and the National History Museum. This evening enjoy a Cultural Show. (B,L)
MODULE TWO could be inserted here to include three nights at a ger camp in the Gobi Desert.
MODULE THREE could be inserted here to include two nights at Lake Khuvsgul.
Day 7 – Depart Ulaanbaatar
A day at leisure. Please check out by 1200 noon and leave your bags with the hotel concierge until time for the departure transfer. Private guided transfer from your hotel to Ulaanbaatar International Airport to check in for your exit flight. (B)
Day 1 – Arrive Ulaanbaatar
Arrive in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital, situated in a broad mountain valley surrounded by pine forests. The large modern city has developed quickly in recent times, and most residents now live in apartments, however gers, the traditional felt tents of the nomads, are still found in the outer suburbs.
Please clear your Immigration and Customs then look for our local guide in the arrivals area. This person can be identified by a small sign with your names on it. Take a private guided transfer to your hotel.
Stay one night at the Bayangol Hotel in Ulaanbaatar.
Day 2 – Ulaanbaatar – Gobi Desert
Early morning depart for a 7-hour private guided drive from UlaanbaatarTake to the vast Gobi Desert. Enjoy a peaceful evening under the expansive desert sky.
Stay three nights in the Gobi Naran ger camp. The gers are comfortable and spacious, naturally cool in summer and warm in winter, and have two beds. The gers have en-suite facilities. (B,L,D)
Day 3 – Gobi Desert
Visit Yol Valley National Park for a morning hike and opportunity to photograph the stunning landscape, including Gobi Glacier. A box lunch is provided. Return to the ger camp for dinner and time at leisure. (B,L,D)
Day 4 – Gobi Desert
Make a day trip to Bayan Zag to see the Flaming Cliffs and the Cemetery of Dinosaurs on the trail of Roy Chapman Andrews who, back in 1920s discovered the first ever recorded dinosaur eggs. Also visit the massive Moltsog Els sand dunes. Visit a camel breeder camp this afternoon, with the chance to ride a camel if you wish (additional cost), and learn more of the nomad’s lifestyle. (B,L,D)
Day 5 – Gobi Desert – Ulaanbaatar
Tour the Bogd Gegen Palace, home of the last Mongolian Khan who ruled until 1924. Check out, followed by a 7-hour private guided road transfer back to Ulaanbaatar.
Stay two nights at the Bayangol Hotel in Ulaanbaatar. (B)
Day 6 – 13th Century Park
An early start for the two hour drive north east to the 13th Century Ger camp in Khan Khentii wilderness. Park visitors can see craftsmen at work, learn Mongolian calligraphy, try on traditional Mongolian clothes and ride a horse or a camel. See the massive Chinggis Khaan Statue in Tsonjin Boldog. Return to Ulaanbaatar in the evening. (B,L)
You may choose to swap Day 6 of MODULE ONE for this Day 6.
Day 7 – Depart Ulaanbaatar
A day at leisure. Please check out by 1200 noon and leave your bags with the hotel concierge until time for the departure transfer.
Private guided transfer from your hotel to Ulaanbaatar International Airport to check in for your exit flight. (B)
Day 1 – Ulaanbaatar – Lake Khuvsgul
After breakfast in the hotel, transfer to the airport for a flight to Murun. You will met, taken to lunch and then driven to Lake Khuvsgul, a very large and pristine lake. Khuvsgul is one of the seventeen ancient lakes worldwide being more than 2 million years old, is known for the purity of its water and is the most significant drinking water reserve of Mongolia.
Stay two nights in a Ger Camp (twin share room). (B,L,D)
Day 2 – Lake Khuvsgul
Travel by road to visit the Tsaatan or Reindeer people, a small community of reindeer herders living in northern Khuvsgul province. Mongolian reindeer are a unique species located only in the northern latitudes of the world The Tsaatan use their reindeer to carry their belongings, for meat, milk and clothing. In the past, Tsaatan lived in yurts made primarily of birch bark that resembled the tepees of native Americans. Visit a local family and learn about their everyday life. Have lunch on the bank of the lake and drive back to the ger camp. (B,L,D)
Day 3 – Lake Khuvsgul – Ulaanbaatar
Leave the camp and drive the 2.5 hours back to Murun for the flight to Ulaanbaatar city. This evening witness a cultural performance of traditional folk songs, throat singing, melodies from a horse-headed fiddle, dances and artistic contortionism.
Stay one night at the Bayangol Hotel in Ulaanbaatar. (B,L,D)
