| Duration: | 5 Day(s) - 4 Night(s) |
| Tour Category: | Culture Tours |
Day 1: Travel to Gurvanbulag – Horse Riding – Ger Stay
After meeting your guide at 9:00 am at your hotel or another Ulaanbaatar location of your choice, board the vehicle and head west toward the northern part of the Gobi, to Gurvanbulag, where you will stay in a guest ger alongside a nomadic family. The drive is mostly on a paved road and takes approximately 4 hours (280 km).
Upon arrival, enter the ger and experience traditional nomadic hospitality and way of life. You may help milk mares or cows and try homemade produce such as yogurt and dried curds, or learn how to make and taste distilled milk vodka.
In the afternoon, enjoy several hours of horse riding in the surrounding hills and nearby dunes. In the evening, savor a traditional nomadic meal—feel free to assist with cooking if you wish. Overnight stay in a guest ger next to a nomadic family. LD
Day 2: Explore Kharakhorum – Visit Erdene Zuu Monastery
After an early breakfast, drive to the ancient Mongol capital of Kharakhorum. Upon arrival, visit Erdene Zuu Monastery, the most important monastery complex in Mongolia, built in 1586 by Avtai Sain Khan. Take a guided tour of the temples and listen to the monks’ chanting, which begins at 10:00 am.
Afterward, enjoy lunch at the ger camp where you will stay tonight or at a local restaurant. Visit a local museum showcasing Mongolia’s past, followed by a stop at a felt workshop or art gallery. If time and energy allow, stroll to the Monument of the Three Kings overlooking the Orkhon River and visit the fertility stone on the edge of town. Overnight stay in a standard ger at the ger camp. BLD
Day 3: Travel to Khognokhan – Elsen Tasarkhai Dunes – Bactrian Camel Ride
After a home-cooked breakfast, say goodbye to your hosts and drive for approximately 1.5 hours (80 km) to Khognokhan Nature Reserve, home to the Uvgun Temple Complex. This region is where taiga forests meet rolling steppe landscapes and the northern Gobi’s dunes. Take a short hike to the Uvgun temples, built in the 17th century by Zanabazar, the first Bogd and high saint of Mongolia, and later destroyed during the communist purges of the 1930s.
Continue by vehicle for 25 km to the Elsen Tasarkhai Sand Dunes, where you will stay with a family of camel herders. Settle into your ger and, once the camels are ready, enjoy a 1-hour Bactrian camel ride through the dunes, with opportunities for photography. In the evening, return to your hosts for a traditional khorkhog dinner (mutton cooked with hot stones). You may assist with cooking if you wish. Overnight stay in a guest ger with a camel-herding family. BLD
Day 4: Wildlife Tracking – Wild Takhi Horses
After a leisurely breakfast, board the vehicle and travel east to Hustai National Park. The drive takes approximately 3 hours (190 km). Upon arrival, first visit the park’s information center to learn about the diverse wildlife protected in the reserve.
Enjoy lunch at the ger camp located at the park entrance, where you will stay tonight, then venture into the park to observe the wild Takhi (Przewalski’s) horses. Your guide will coordinate with park rangers to track the animals’ locations, giving you a high chance of seeing them up close.
You may also explore deeper into the park on foot to spot deer or foxes, as Hustai offers excellent wilderness hiking opportunities. In the late afternoon, return to camp by vehicle, take a hot shower, and enjoy a hearty dinner. Overnight stay in a standard ger at Hustai Ger Camp. BLD
Day 5: Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex
After breakfast, depart for the remarkable Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex. Upon arrival, climb inside the statue to reach the exterior staircase that ascends along the horse’s mane to a panoramic viewpoint overlooking the Tuul River, Terelj National Park, and the hills of the Khan Khentii Mountains. Visit the Horse Culture Museum within the complex.
Afterward, enjoy lunch at the complex restaurant. Following lunch, return to Ulaanbaatar, where you will be dropped off at a location of your choice. BL
HIGHLIGHTS:
Gurvanbulag • Ger Stay • Horse Riding • Khognokhan • Kharakhorum • Erdene Zuu Monastery • Elsen Tasarkhai Sand Dunes • Camel Riding • Hustai National Park • Wild Takhi Horses • Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex
FITNESS LEVEL:
ACTIVE – This tour involves considerable walking and long travel days.
MEETING POINT:
Good news! You can be picked up from a hotel or train station. Just email us the details. If you don’t have the address yet, you can provide it later.
SERVICES INCLUDED:
Accommodation in guest gers next to nomadic families and at Hustai Ger Camp • Transportation by 4WD Japanese van • Local guide • All meals as listed • Entrance fees • All listed attractions
SERVICES NOT INCLUDED:
Travel insurance • Visas • Snacks and alcoholic beverages • Items of a personal nature
