Itinerary

Day 1: Visit nomads in Elsentasarkhai Semi Desert and camel riding

Meet at your accommodation, and the countryside travel will start with 280 km driving on the paved roads of mountain steppes to a nomad family living in an area called Elsentasarhai. Elsentasarhai is a unique place, representing different natural features. Those are sand dunes, mountain steppes, rocky mountains, green-shored streams, and grasslands. Arrive in Elsentasarkhai by lunchtime. After lunch, you will ride a camel and spend the rest of the day seeing, and if you want, practicing what nomads do daily, changing information (nomads like to hear news from strangers), and playing traditional games.

Accommodation: An Extra Ger of a Nomad Family
Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Day 2: Horseback riding to Khugnu Khan National Park

Today, you will ride horses to picturesque Khugnu Khan Mountain in Khugnu Khan National Park, where you will see old monastery ruins and do soft trekking. Return to the nomad family in the evening.

Accommodation: An Extra Ger of a Nomad Family
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Driving to Orkhon River Valley, hiking to Tovkhon Monastery

Continue the journey along Orkhon Valley and arrive at Shiveet Ulaan Mountain, followed by a soft hike to Tovkhon Monastery. The Tovkhon Monastery was built on 2312 m on the rocky top of a forested Shiveet Ulaan Mountain as a creation house and a meditation center. Except for the monastery, you will see the mother's womb cave, meditation caves, spectacular prints on the rocks, and wells on the top of the mountain. An awe-inspiring vista rewards you on the mountaintop. Continue to drive to a hot spa ger camp.

Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4-5: Tsetserleg Town Tour & Khorgo Terkhiin Tsagaan National Park

Today's destination is the beautiful Khorgo volcano and Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake National Park, known as the "Legendary Khorgo Area" by locals. On the way, you will sightsee Testserleg town, visit the market, climb Big Buddha Hill to see the town's panoramic view, see a deer stone that dates back to The Bronze Age and have a break at the lava canyon of the Chuluut River. We will arrive at the national park late afternoon and have a nomadic dinner with nomads. The next day, discover the beautiful national park, climb the Khorgo volcano, explore caves, and walk along the Terkiin Tsagaan lake shore. If you wish, you can swim in the freshwater lake. Today will be a day you discover more about nomadic life, except for the outdoor activities.

Accommodation: An Extra Ger of a Nomad Family
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6: Kharkhorin and the Orkhon River Valley

In the broad valley of the Orkhon River, several Mongol States previously established their capitals. One of them was Kharkhorum, the capital of the 13th-century Great Mongol Empire. After the move of the Mongolian capital to Beijing and the fall of the Empire, Kharakhorum was abandoned and then destroyed by Min soldiers in 1388. In the afternoon, you visit the Kharakhorum Museum, which displays the ancient city Kharakhorum relics, and drive up a hill that signifies a Turtle Statue dates back to the ancient Kharakhorum city. The hilltop allows you to see the broad valley of the Orkhon River as far as your eye can see.

Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7: Visit Erdenezuu Monastery and Ulaanbaatar

In the Orkhon River Valley, the awe-inspiring ancient monastery Erdenezuu coexists with the modern town Kharkhorin. See some valuable religious items in the monastery museum, view its stunning architecture, and visit the active temple. Continue to travel to Ulaanbaatar with a lunch stop along the way. Arrive in Ulaanbaatar in the evening and transfer to your accommodation.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Tour Price

Background

On this moderate tour, you will experience nomadic life while staying at their one-room, traditional felt dwelling ger and explore fascinating attractions, scenic places, and cultural and historical remnants of central Mongolia in a short period. You will drive 4-6 hours a day. Less than one-third of the driving happens off-the-beaten tracks, while the rest will be easier driving on paved roads. The tour does not include demanding physical activities but 3 hours of soft hiking to and back from a monastery on a mountaintop. The hiking is not exhausting and could be optional for some travelers. The itinerary includes some horse and camel riding with the support of your guide and local equestrians.

You will stay a night in a ger camp where you can have access to a shower, bathroom, and a local restaurant. Rest of the days, you will stay with a nomad family. The tour is available off-season. For more detailed information about the main accommodation ger camp, please visit Mongolia Ger camps and Mongolia nomad family

The majority of our guides are English speaking. We also have some guides who speak German, French, Spanish, and Japanese. They are all friendly and helpful, and the majority of them were born and grown in the countryside. Therefore, they have a good knowledge of culture, tradition, history, and geography. During horse and camel riding, local equestrians will help you.

You can have a choice of vehicles. The tour is available either with a sedan car (has three passenger seats) or four wheels driving Japanese vehicle (has five passenger seats except for a driver) driven by experienced, friendly, and good mechanic drivers. Different car types are available upon request, and you may check the tour vehicles at Mongolia transportation. The tour price varies depending on your preferred vehicle type.

The tour is available all year round. It is best to travel between 10 May and 10 October. During this period, the weather will be warm and enjoyable. However, you should not expect warm weather during the trip, even if you travel in summer. Mongolia is elevated at least 700 m above the neighboring Siberian plateau and Chinese territory. Therefore, the weather is extreme, and the temperature fluctuates hourly, daytime and night. Receiving snowfalls is occasional in May, September, and October. Average daylight temperatures are +22°C, highest at +29°C in May, the first half of June, the last half of August, and September. On average, +26°C, highest +35 to +38°C daytime in late June, July, and early August. The temperature drops by 10-20°C in the evening and at night. When raining, the temperature drops markedly. Please check the best time to travel to Mongolia and the discovery tour packing list to prepare for the trip.

To plan your dream holiday or customize the tour exclusively for you, please check the attractions of different regions.

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