Gobi Desert, Karakorum, Terelj NP and Khuvsgul Lake with Naadam Festival (17 days, 16 nights)
- Region:
- Southern, Central and Northern part of Mongolia
- Duration:
- 17 days, 16 nights
- Dates:
- July 5-21 2024
- Note:
- You can arrange your own trip date (with best rate possible) as you request
- Number of travelers:
- Min - 2
Single supplement: $590
If you are traveling alone and wish to share accommodations, we will try to match you with a roommate.
We have a single woman willing to share a room with another single woman.
BOOK TRIP CUSTOMIZE THIS TOUR What is Ger Camp? DOWNLOAD ITINERARY AS A PDF
Quick inquiry
Sparsely populated, vast grasslands paint the gently rolling steppes between deserts, high mountains, and pristine lakes. This trip highlights the diversity of Mongolia: its spectacular and varied environments, nomadic culture and ancient history. You won’t ride with the Mongol hordes, but you will visualize life in an earlier epoch, visit archaeological sites dating back to the age of dinosaurs and learn about Genghis Khan, a giant of a man who conquered most of Eurasia. Destination highlights include Naadam Festival, Lake Hovsgol, Karakorum (an ancient capital of the Mongolian empire), the Gobi Desert, Yol Valley, Flaming Cliffs, and Khustain Nuruu National Reserve. July is an excellent time of year for wildlife viewing and photography. Many of the nights will be spent in cozy, comfortable gers, a traditional domed shelter, linking you to the nomads of today and of ages past.
- Flaming Cliffs in the Gobi, where Roy Chapman Andrews discovered the first dinosaur eggs
- Stay in the cozy ger camps whilst travelling around the Mongolian wilderness
- See the massive sand dunes of the Gobi Desert
- Explore the capital Ulaanbaatar and the Gandan Monastery
- Enjoy the hospitality of the local people by visiting a local family ‘ger’
- Kharakhorum, site of ancient monasteries and location of the ancient Mongol Empire's capital
- Yol Valley and Gurvan saikhan National Park
- Statue of Chinggis khan
- Visit the Hustai is the site of a unique re-introduction of Przewalski's Horse (Equus Przewalskii), called "takhi".
- Visit the Bogdo Khaan Winter Palace Museum. The Bogdo Khaan Winter Palace is the home of the last Mongolian King, Javzun Damba Khutagt VII.
- Meet the Reindeer herders
- Experience the Naadam Festival: Wrestling, Horse racing and Archery
July 5 - Day 1 Arrival in Ulaanbaatar
July 6 - Day 2 Fly to the Gobi Desert (1.2 hours) and then drive to Bayanzag
July 7 - Day 3 Drive to Hongoryn Els
July 8 - Day 4 Explore Khongor Sand Dune
July 9 - Day 5 Khongor Sand Dune to Yol Valley and Gurvan saikhan National Park
July 10 - Day 6 Flight to Ulaanbaatar
July 11-12 - Day 7-8 Naadam Festival
July 13 - Day 9 to Lake Khovsgul in the North. 1.2 hours flight to Muron and 2-3 hours’ drive to the Lake Khovsgul
July 14 - Day 10 Discover Khuvsgul National park
July 15 - Day 11 Flight back to Ulaanbaatar, Terelj National Park
July 16 - Day 12 Terelj National Park to Hustai National Park
July 17 - Day 13 Drive to Karakorum, Erdene Zuu monastery
July 18 - Day 14 Karakorum to Elsen Tasakhai via Ugii Lake
July 19 - Day 15 Karakorum to Ulaanbaatar
July 20 - Day 16 Cultural city tour of Ulaanbaatar
July 21 - Day 17 Depart Mongolia
Price: $2989 $2789 by Sep 10, 2023 for per personSingle supplement: $590
If you are traveling alone and wish to share accommodations, we will try to match you with a roommate.
We have a single woman willing to share a room with another single woman.
| Included | Not included |
| A local Mongolian guide who will escort the group throughout your tour. | International airfare |
| All meals as listed in itinerary | Travel insurance |
| Staying Tourist camp | Beverages |
| Sightseeing as per itinerary | Optional activity cost |
| Accommodation in 4 stars hotel in Ulaanbaatar (twin standard room double occupancy) | Excess baggage charge |
| Transportations by 4WD vehicles | Single room supplement |
| Transfers between the airport and hotel | Any additional things which are not mentioned above |
| Daily supply of bottled water | |
| Internal flights | |
| Tours per the itinerary including entrance fees | |
| Cultural Show |
July 5 ~ Arrival in Ulaanbaatar
Upon arrival at Chinggis Khan International Airport, you are met by tour guide and transferred to the hotel in the city center.
Rest of the day is for rest and to recover jet lag and travel fatigue.
Overnight 4* hotel
Meals: Dinner
July 6 ~ Fly to the Gobi Desert (1.2 hours) and then drive to Bayanzag
Drive to flaming cliffs known as Flaming Cliffs is located 20 kilometers away from Bulgan soum, a lot of Paleontological findings have been discovered here. The place is known as 'Flaming Cliffs' was named by Roy Chapman Andrews, an American explorer who had visited Mongolia in 1922 and over the course of two years he searched throughout the Mongolian Gobi Desert and found dinosaur fossils and dinosaur eggs about 10-15 cm. It was the first discovery of its scale and kind in the world that had been made at the time.
Overnight in Ger Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
July 7 ~ Drive to Hongoryn Els
Following breakfast, you will set out in a 4WD vehicle to the towering sand dunes of Hongoryn Els, which run for 60 miles alongside the Gobi-Altai Mountain range (about 4 hours drive). The “Singing Sands,” which stand up to 2,500 feet, are probably the Gobi’s most impressive sand dunes. Isolated from the rest of the country, the Singing Sands are the best kept secret for the thousands of years in the history of Mongolia.
Overnight in Ger Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
July 8 ~ Explore Khongor Sand Dune
We will visit camel breeding family near the sand dune and will ride camel to the sand dune. The dunes seem to stretch on forever like a soft ribbon of sand draped over the desert. The shifting sand blown by the wind or someone makes sound so it is called Singing Sand Dunes. There is a beautiful green oasis known as Seruun bulag near the Khongor River. Return to the camp for lunch and enjoy feeling silence and a peaceful in the beautiful surroundings Gobi Deserts.
Overnight in Ger Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
July 9 ~ Khongor Sand Dune to Yol Valley and Gurvan saikhan National Park
In the morning, we drive to Yol Valley. Learn about the local wildlife in the Natural History Museum before taking a gentle hike through the valley to discover their habitats. This valley is nestled deep within the hills and is a safe haven to get away from the desert heat. Some areas of the valley are continually sheltered from the hot sun and house huge, blocks of ice that gradually melt away during the summer. It is very wide at the entrance and narrows gradually into a remarkable gorge. You will get to see wild animals such as ibex and wild sheep, and the vulture. You can go horseback or camel riding around the area and go trekking to the gorge. Tonight is your first night in a traditional Mongolian ger camp.
Overnight in Ger Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
July 10 ~ Return to Ulaanbaatar
After breakfast, we drive to local airport for flight to Ulaanbaatar. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel in the city and rest of the day is open for you to pursue your own interest.
Overnight 4* hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
July 11-12 ~ Naadam Festival
During whole lovely day you enjoy watch Naadam festival or three manly sports such as wrestling, archery and horse racing. Visit opening ceremony of Naadam festival at the national stadium. And you will see archery, wrestling and horse racing during Naadam festival. Naadam festival is of the victory of the People’s Revolution. Naadam festival is celebrated every year at 11-13th July in Central stadium. Mongolia celebrates its independence and its rich cultural heritage with a festival of sports and revelry in Ulaanbaatar. The distinctly Mongolian feel and flair of the Naadam Festival make it a wonderful spectacle, a joyous time, and an intriguing cultural event. Colorful ceremonies and parading soldiers kick off the celebrations. The ancient game of wrestling follows, with men competing in many rounds of competition. Both men and women compete in the archery games, using the traditional Mongolian compound bow that terrorized Europe when Genghis Khan and his Golden Horde moved their empire west. The quintessentially Mongolian art of horse racing follows, where up to 800 horses compete, jockeyed by children so that the skill of the horse, and not the rider, is tested.
Overnight 4* hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
July 13 ~ to Lake Khovsgul in the North. 1.2 hours flight to Muron and 3 hours’ drive to the Lake Khovsgul
Following breakfast, we are transferred to the airport for flight to Muron in the north. Muron is the headquarter of the Khovsgul Province. We meet our local guide at the airport and then we drive by 4WD vehicle through the vast Mongolian steppe into the forested mountains and finally we arrive at the Lake Khovsgul-Mongolia's largest lake. The lake, also known as the "Dark Blue Pearl" of Mongolia is situated amidst the pristine nature with beautiful forests, mountains and meadows and abundant with bird species and orchids.
Overnight in the Ger Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
July 14 ~ Discover Khuvsgul National park
During whole lovely day, you will have an opportunity to ride reindeer and observe them. We spend the day in walking, hiking, horseback riding in the environs of the lake and the nearby mountains and visiting the local nomadic families. Optional boating trip is available Khuvsgul Lake is reckoned among the purest fresh water lakes in the world. Its surroundings right out of a fairytale. Khuvsgul Lake is the second deepest lake in Central Asia and contains 60% as much water as Lake Baikal. Depth of Khuvsgul Lake is 262 meters and 136 kilometers long.
Walking and hiking in the lake shores, Horse riding trek near the lake, visiting yak breeding family and experience their unique lifestyle
Overnight in the Ger Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
July 15 ~ Flight back to Ulaanbaatar, Terelj National Park
Following an early morning breakfast, we are transferred to the Dalanzadgad Airport. We bid farewell to our drivers and fly to Ulaanbaatar where we meet our local transport and then we are transferred to Gorkhi Terelj National Park. Upon arrival at the airport, meet your driver and you are transferred to Gorkhi-Terelj National Park. This unforgettable excursion will take you to features such as unique rock formations, scenic valleys, a winding river, and restful groves of trees. Many nomads live in the park itself, where they find lush grazing land for their animals. You will take a tour in the park and visit the notable rocks called "The Turtle rock", and “Monk reading a book". You will visit the Aryabal meditation center and learn more about Mongolian Buddhism.
On the way, you will take a detour to visit the giant Statue of Chinggis Khan which stands 40m (132 ft) high. The monument is about 33 miles east of Ulaanbaatar and stands at the point where according to the legend, he found a golden whip. The statue is symbolically pointed east towards his birthplace. It is on top of the Genghis Khan Statue Complex, a visitor centre, itself 10 meters (32 ft 10 in) tall, with 36 columns representing the 36 khans from Genghis to Ligdan Khan. It was designed by sculptor D. Erdenebileg and architect J. Enkhjargal and erected in 2008.
Overnight in Ger Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
July 16 ~ Terelj National Park to Hustai National Park
We will drive to Hustai National Park Hustai National Park is the site of a unique re-introduction scheme of Przewalskii’s horse (Equus przewalskii), called "takhi" by Mongolians. It became extinct in the wild in 1969 and, since 1992, has been successfully re-introduced to Hustai from zoos around the world. This has been an international effort monitored by The Foundation for the Przewalskii Horse, based in the Netherlands and MACNE (Mongolian Association for Conservation of Nature and the Environment). The national park is rolling Steppe Mountains with rather large patches of birch and aspen forests. There are also visible remains of Neolithic graves. In addition, red deer (Cervus elaphus) and wolf (Canis lupus) have increased quite a bit during the last few years, as well as Mongolian gazelle. Species present in Hustai but usually not seen include Lynx, Argali Sheep and Roe Deer. The Hustai National Park in Mongolia is world famous for the successful reintroduction of the Prezwalski horse.
Upon arrival in Hustai, we check in our ger camp. After wash and change, we will take jeep ride in the park. Usually we are able to see the herds of wild horses grazing in the grasslands of the parks and other wild animals.
Overnight in Ger Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
July 17 ~ Drive to Karakorum, Erdene Zuu monastery
After breakfast at our camp, we head further west to Karakorum (Locally called Kharahhorin or Harhorin), the symbolic ruins of the 13th century capital of the Mongol Empire.
On the way, you may stop for an optional camel ride in the sand dunes. Mounted on the double hump camel, you can wander about the sand dunes and visit the nomadic camps in the area.
Ancient capital of Mongolia Karakorum city was located on the right bank of Orkhon River and on the north-eastern slopes of the Khangai Mountain and founded by Chinggis khan in 1220, was not only the capital of the vast Mongolian Empire but the epicenter of trade along the Silk Road. At that time the inhabitants of city were mostly Merchants craftsmen who came to karakorum from all over the world. Khubilai khan moved to the capital of the Mongolian Empire to China, establishing the Yuan Dynasty, began losing its importance. In 1379 much of the city was badly damaged during an attack by the army of the Min Dynasty.
Erdene Zuu monastery
Erdene zuu monastery was built by Avtai Sain Khan on the ruin of the Mongolian capital Karakorum in 1586. It was the first great Buddhist Monastery of Mongolia. It is part of the World Heritage Site entitled Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape. Stones from the ruins of Karakorum were used in construction. It is surrounded by a wall featuring 108 stupas, 108 being a sacred number in Buddhism, and the number of beads in a Buddhist rosary. The monastery was damaged by warfare in the 1680s, but was rebuilt in the 18th century and by 1872 had a full 62 temples inside. The Erdene Zuu Monastery was taken to state protection and became museum in 1944.
Next, we will visit the Karakorum Museum and see the Great Mongol state period, Stone Age, Bronze Age, Ancient state period halls.
Overnight in Ger Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
July 18 ~ Karakorum to Elsen Tasakhai via Ugii Lake
In the morning, drive out to Ugii Lake with stops at several eighth century Turkish monuments in the Orkhon Valley. These monuments are dedicated to the Turkish Princes Kul Tegin and Bilge Khan, brothers who were famous for their military bravery. Continue on to Ugii Lake, one of the largest fresh-water lakes in Mongolia, known for its migratory birdlife such cranes, ducks, geese, and pelicans and for its variety of fish.
After a lunch break, drive to Elsen Tasarkhai, stopping to pay a visit with a nomad family and learning how they live and make dairy products. You may even have a try at drinking fermented mare's milk.
Overnight in Ger Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
July 19 ~ Karakorum to Ulaanbaatar
In the morning, we drive back to Ulaanbaatar and there is more to see here upon arrival if you are interested, such as a visit to the Bogd Khan Winter Palace Museum, a residence of Bodg Jabzan Damba Hutagt VIII whom was Mongolia's last theocrat. Or take a leisurely stroll through the town center. In the afternoon free time do shopping for cashmere shop, souvenir shop and State Department Store.
Overnight 4* hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
July 20 ~ Cultural tour of Ulaanbaatar
The first stop is at Sukhbaatar Square, which is the central square named after the revolutionary hero of 1921 Damdiny Sukhbaatar whom declared independence from China. You will visit the Gandan Monastery that is the largest and most famous functioning monastery in Mongolia; here you may experience the monks in worship and see the impressive Golden Buddha Statue of Migjid Janraisig. Time permitting you can visit the Natural History Museum which is famous for its authentic dinosaur skeletons and also visit the Zaisan memorial hill to get a fantastic view of whole city. In the evening perhaps you can enjoy a farewell dinner and attend the local folklore dance shows.
Overnight 4* hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
July 21 ~ Depart Mongolia
Transfer to the airport for flight to next destination
Overnight 4* hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Single supplement: $590
If you are traveling alone and wish to share accommodations, we will try to match you with a roommate.
We have a single woman willing to share a room with another single woman.
| Included | Not included |
| A local Mongolian guide who will escort the group throughout your tour. | International airfare |
| All meals as listed in itinerary | Travel insurance |
| Staying Tourist camp | Beverages |
| Sightseeing as per itinerary | Optional activity cost |
| Accommodation in 4 stars hotel in Ulaanbaatar (twin standard room double occupancy) | Excess baggage charge |
| Transportations by 4WD vehicles | Single room supplement |
| Transfers between the airport and hotel | Any additional things which are not mentioned above |
| Daily supply of bottled water | |
| Internal flights | |
| Tours per the itinerary including entrance fees | |
| Cultural Show |
