Arrival in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Upon arrival at Genghis Khan International Airport, you are met by our 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

Cultural Tour of Ulaanbaatar

Following breakfast, we set out to explore Ulaanbaatar-the capital city of Mongolia-the home to over a one third of the country's population where the traditional gers and Buddhist temples coexist with sky-kissing towers! Begin from the Gandan Monastery-Mongolia's most revered religious site-home to more than 100 Buddhist monks with beautiful chapels, courtyards and a giant 75-foot gold gilded Buddha statue.
Next, we stop in the Natural History Museum that showcases the spectacular fossils found in the Gobi desert. After lunch, we visit the National Museum of Mongolian History and culture that has rich collection of stone and Bronze Age artifacts, costumes, sacred relics and items related to the nomadic life such as hunting and fishing tools.
The balance of the day is open for you to stroll the streets of the city on your own.

Overnight 4* hotel
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Fly to the Gobi Desert (1.2 hours) and then drive to Yol Valley and Gurvansaikhan National Park

This morning we fly over vast steppe to the Gobi, Mongolia’s southernmost province of semi-arid desert. Meet your local guide and driver and then transfer by 4WD vehicle to the Yol Valley in Gurvansaikhan National Park, situated in the lap of Altai Mountains. On the way to our lodge, we stop to visit the local Natural History Museum for an insight to the flora and fauna of the area.
The next three days will be well spent exploring the vast Gobi-the habitat of the Bactrian Camels, Argali mountain sheep, Golden Eagles, Jerboas that resembles the Kangaroo rats, Saker Falcons etc. We may also take a scenic hike through the valley to discover the habitat of indigenous vulture-like lammergeyers, Altai snow cocks, ibex, yaks, and Argali mountain sheep.

Overnight in Ger Camp
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Nomadic Experience Day

After breakfast at tourist camp, today you will spend all day in nomadic family of camel herder’s. Enjoy the traditional nomadic hospitality in their ger, learning more about the life of camel breeders and the camels themselves. You can be as active as you wish - walking, riding camels (perhaps a 2-3 hour ride if you would like), herding and milking animals (goats, camels), plus there will be an opportunity to learn to make yogurt , dried curd cheese or some traditional Mongolian food such as huushuur (fried lamb dumplings). Your guide will be explaining all the details and techniques during activities.
In the evening, we will have dinner called Khorhog which is Khorkhog is a barbecue dish in Mongolian cuisine. Khorkhog is made by cooking pieces of meat inside a container which also contains hot stones and water, and is often also heated from the outside.

Overnight in Ger Camp
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Drive to Hongor Sand dune

After breakfast, take in the stunning scenery of the Gobi-Altai Mountain range as you transfer to the towering sand dunes of Khongoryn Els, home to the ‘Singing Sands’. These spectacular dunes got their name from the noise made by the shifting sand in the wind. Feel the breeze in your hair as you ride a camel across the dunes before returning to the ger camp. Isolated from the rest of the country, the Singing Sands are the best kept secret for thousand years in the history of Mongolia.

Overnight in Ger Camp
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Khongor sand dunes

Today we will have a full day exploring the sand dunes and rest after the long drive. 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

Drive to Bayanzag (The Flamming Cliffs)

After breakfast, we leave Hongoryn Els for Bayanzag. It's a long day drive today and can take up to 5 hours but it's a scenic drive through the vast land. We will occasionally stop for photography and to watch the birds and the animals of the area. We check in our camp, wash and change and after lunch, we drive to visit the Flamming Cliff. The place was named as 'Flaming Cliffs' by Roy Chapman Andrews, an American explorer who searched throughout the Mongolian Gobi Desert and found dinosaur skeleton and eggs for the first time in Asia. The red cliff gleams with sunlight and can be seen from far away. We will take a short walk on the ridge of the cliff and look for the pieces of Dinosaur bones. We will drive little further to see the saxaul trees that contributed the name Bayanzag. Bayanzag means-rich in saxaul.

Overnight in Ger Camp
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Drive to Ongi Temple

Today you'll drive to the ruins of the Ongi monastery. It was the largest Buddhist center in the Gobi region. There are 2 complexes of temple ruins which were built up in 1780s. During political repression in 1930s’ these two temples were destroyed and many lamas were executed and imprisoned. Visit Ruin of monastery reconstructed parts. On the way visit basin of the Ongi river which is dried out because of mining activity.

Overnight in Ger Camp
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Ongi Monastery to Karakorum

After breakfast at the tourist camp, drive to Karakorum, 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 of Mongol Els. Mounted on the double hump camel, you can wander about the sand dunes and visit the nomadic camps in the area.
In Karakorum, we will visit Erdene-Zuu, the oldest monastery, with 108 stupas, built in 1586. The monastery was built of the remains of the ancient Mongolian capital. 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

Karakorum to Tsenher Hot Spring

Following breakfast at tourist camp, we will drive to Tsenher hot spring. Along the way we will stop for a break in the small town of Tsetserleg to visit a monastery museum. We spend overnight in a ger camp based at natural hot springs. Soak in hot water; enjoy a hike in the hills.

Overnight in Ger Camp
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Tsenher Hot Spring 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

Drive to Hustai National Park

After a leisurely breakfast, head out on the drive to Hustai National Park , the site of a unique re-introduction of Przewalski's Horse (Equus Przewalskii), called "takhi" by the locals. It became extinct in the wild in 1969 and since 1992, has been successfully re-introduced in 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 (Mongoian Association for Conservation of Nature and the Environment.) The park extends through the Khentii Mountains and includes the western edge of the Mongolian steppe. It contains large patches of birch and aspen forests and visible remains of Neolithic graves. Other wildlife found here include red deer, the wolf, and Mongolian gazelle.

Overnight in Ger Camp
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Hustai National Park to Terelj National Park

We drive 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

Drive back to Ulaanbaatar

On your drive back to Ulaan Baatar, visit the Bogdo Khaan Winter Palace Museum. The Bogdo Khaan Winter Palace is the home of the last Mongolian King, Javzun Damba Khutagt VII. The museum contains a number of Buddhist artworks and the private collection of Bogdo Khaan, composed of gifts from rulers and kings from all over the world. The artworks displayed here were made by the top Mongolian, Tibetan, and Chinese master- sculptors of the 18th and 19th centuries and represent the gods of Buddhist pantheon. If you did not have time on your earlier trip through Ulaan Baatar, visit the Museum of National History.

Overnight in 4* hotel
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Depart Mongolia

Transfer to the airport for flight to next destination.