Day 1 Arrival at Ulaanbaatar and visit of the city
Arrival at the airport, meeting with our driver. Transfer to your hotel, settling in, and rest.
Appointment at 12 o'clock at your hotel with your guide. He will take you to the restaurant of your choice.
Let's immerse ourselves in the heart of the Mongolian history, in the wonderful National History Museum. Three floors of a rich, glorious, violent and noble past, from prehistory to Soviet period, including the creation of the great Mongolian Empire by Genghis Khan.
Walk in the centre of Ulan-Bator. Discovery of Gengis Khan Square and the House of Parliament.
At 18 o' clock, Mongolian traditional show at Tumen Ekh: folkloric dances, contortion, and of course khoomi, the overtone singing.
Accommodations
Ulaanbaatar
2h30m - 130km
Khustai national park
Day 2 Discovering wild horses
Visit of Gandantegchinlen Monastery. In the morning, lamas get together to pray. They will answer your questions at the Mongolian Buddhist Centre.
Journey to Khustai Reserve that houses the Przewalski horses (takh). Twilight is the best moment to observe them. We'll walk until the river where they drink, and observe them with no fear to bother.
We spend our first night in Mongolia with a nomadic family living on the edge of the national park.
Meal and accommodations
Khustai national park
4h30 - 270km
Kharkhorin
Day 3 The former capital
Journey to Kharkhorin, the former capital of Mongolia. The legendary city of Genghis Khan was founded in 1220 and was one of the stages of the silk road. The Mongolian Empire was governed from this city until Kubilai Khan set up the capital in Beijing. Today, there are only a few vestiges left of the former capital.
Visit of Erdene Zuu Monastery, built in 1586 by a nomad prince. The Chinese and Tibetan-inspired buildings are surrounded with 108 sacred stupas. Visit of the Museum of Kharkhorin.
Meal and accommodations
Kharkhorin
3h - 92km
Tovkhon monastery
1h15 - 42km
Orkhon valley
Day 4 The former capital and land of nomadism
Journey to Orkhon Valley. Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the valley is a land of nomadism and many breeders set their summer camp there.
Walk to Tovkhon Monastery. Vehicles can't go until the top of Öndör Ulaan Hill and we will walk until there to discover Tovkhon Ermitage, where Zanabazar, the first religious leader of Mongolia, created the Soyombo alphabet. The monastery is located 2312 metres (1,44 mile) above the sea level and from that place we'll have a wonderful view of the whole Khangai range. We'll picnic in exceptional surroundings, facing Orkhon Valley.
Stay at herders' from the valley. During your stay, you will discover their way of life and you will be proposed many activities, such as milking, making traditional dairy products, or rounding up the animals with a horse.
Meal and accommodations
Orkhon valley
1h30 - 8km
Orkhon waterfalls
1h30 - 8km
Orkhon valley
Day 5Horse riding to the falls
Those who wish will go pony trekking along Orkhon Valley, from the camp until Orkhon waterfalls.
For the others, it will be possible to go to the falls by making a 6 km walk, or with the vehicle.
Visit of Ulan Tsutgalaan falls, white flood flowing on the black stone, transformed in rainbow by a short sunray… These 16-metres (52,49 feet) falls are just magic ! They were formed 20.000 years ago, as a result of a unique combination of earthquakes and volcano eruptions.
At the end of the day, you will attend the preparation of a Mongolian barbecue which you will enjoy with your hosts.
Meal and accommodations
Orkhon valley
8h - 310km
Ongi monastery
Day 6 Let's hit the road to Gobi desert !
Day of transition between two ecosystems. We leave the green mountains of Khangai to go towards Gobi.
We arrive in the sum of Saikhan Ovoo. West Saikhan Ovoo, some mountains located along the Ongii River, are the perfect place to rest between Northwest of Mongolia and Gobi Desert. In the bends of the river, we can see the ruins of two monasteries, Barlim Monastery on the Northern bank, Khutagt Monastery on the Southern bank.
Let's discover this site, best known as Ong lamasery, and the museum. In 1937, the Soviets almost completely destroyed the homes and monasteries where one thousand lamas were living. In 2002, some lamas came back and began to rebuild the monastery, with few resources but much enthusiasm.
Meal and accommodations
Ongi monastery
4h30m - 150km
Bayanzag
Day 7Flaming cliffs and dinosaurs
Last day of track before reaching Great Gobi and its "Three Beauties", the three highest peaks of this part of the Gobi-Altai range : Baruun Saïhan, "the Western Beauty" ; Dund Saïhan, "the Middle Beauty" ; Züün Saïhan, "the Eastern Beauty", the highest (2846 metres, 1,77 miles).
Visit of the cliffs of Bayanzag, today are best known as "flaming cliffs", owing to their ochre red colour, where is located the "cemetery of dragons". The cliffs and the saxaul forests that surround them are the evidence of the time when Earth was still inhabited by huge creatures: dinosaurs. Palaeontologist Roy Andrews Chapman was the first man to discover in 1922 some bones and eggs of dinosaurs that we can see today in the Natural History Museum of Ulan Bator and in other museums in the world.
Meal and accommodations
Bayanzag
4h20m - 130km
Khongor sand dunes
Day 8-9Riding a camel among the dunes
We ride towards the west of the park to reach Khongor sand dunes, "light bay sand". These dunes extend at the foot of the "Three Beauties".
Visit of the dunes of Khongor. These dunes are the most spectacular ones of Mongolia, they extend on more than 180 kilometres (111,85 miles) long and 20 kilometres (12,43 miles) wide, and have an average height of 80 metres (262,47 feet), the highest one being 120 metres (393,70 feet) high. From the top, the view on the desert is quite amazing. From this place, it's also possible to hear the moving masses of sand, hence the name of "singing dunes". Beyond the dunes, the steppe extends for as far as the eye can see.
Day 9
Camelback hike. Camelback hiking in the Gobi Desert is an unforgettable experience. The nonchalant animal will take us with its peaceful gait along the dunes and the Khongor River, "light bay", that flows alternately on the surface and under the ground. We'll go until a small oasis at the foot of the dunes, where some bushes grow, such as saxaul. Camels are very fond of saxaul and Mongolians think it's the most precious wood.
We will walk until the top of a dune and will have a wonderful view of the desert. Far away, we will see the peaks of the Three Beautiful and, if we listen carefully, we might hear the song of the dunes.
Meal and accommodations
Khongor sand dunes
4h30 - 140km
Dungenee canyon
1h - 20km
Yoliin am canyon
Day 10Hiking in the canyons
Journey on the track towards the east of "the Three Beauties" to reach the area of canyons. Stop at Dungenee Canyon. We leave the vehicle to start our first magic hike along the river that flows between huge canyons.
Hiking in the canyon of Yol, the bearded vultures canyon. We will walk in the bottom of the canyon that is covered with perpetual snow. The canyon is so steep-sided, that sunrays make the ice melt only in August. The rest of the year there's ice everywhere in the canyon.
Meal and accommodations
Yoliin am canyon
5h - 210km
Tsagaan suvarga
Day 11The great white stupa in the desert
We travel in one of the emptiest areas of Mongolia. Between rock desert and semi-arid steppes, we reach the white stupa, Tsagaan Suvarga. For centuries, this 30-metres (98,43 feet) high, abrupt, stupa-shaped mountain, is honoured by the Mongolians. The traveller will be surprised by the sumptuous lunar landscapes that evoke the end of the world, and by the many fossils. This area was totally covered by the sea a few million years ago.
Meal and accommodations
Tsagaan suvarga
6h30m - 350km
Baga gazriin chuluu
Day 12 The granite formations of Baga Gazriin Chuluu
Visit of Mountains Baga Gazriin Chuluu, where we'll observe stunning granite rocky formations eroded by the violent elements of this area. In the 19th century, two respected lamas lived here, and we still can see their inscriptions in the rock. According to the legend, Genghis Khan too is supposed to have lived in this wonderful area where it's pleasant to walk.
Meal and accommodations
Baga gazriin chuluu
4h - 250km
Ulan Bator
Day 13 Back to the Mongolian capital
Back to Ulan-Bator. Last herds of wild horses crossing the road outside our dumbfounded eyes, last yurts smoking far away, the steppe will be with us until the last moment.
Arrival in town and settling in at your hotel, where you can rest a few moments.
Rest of the day free. With our guide, you can go shopping in the centre of the city.
Meal and accommodations
Flight back
Day 14Have a nice journey and see you soon !
Breakfast at the hotel. We go with you to the international airport of Ulan Bator. The transfer can be organized at the time you want, according to the schedule of your flight.
Meal and accommodations
Price per person for a private tour
Participant(s)
2
3
4
5-8
9-10
Price per person
2800 €
2290 €
1990 €
1890 €
1790 €
You have the option to plan a private trip for a group of your choosing on dates that work best for you. The cost for this experience will be based on the total number of participants (refer to the provided pricing details for more information). If you are interested in a personalized, one-of-a-kind journey, we can use this itinerary as a starting point and tailor the trip to your specific preferences and requests. Would you like to create a fully customized 'à la carte' experience?
Booking Terms and Conditions
All booking requests must be made through email or Whatsapp. You can either send us a mail from your mailbox or contact us directly through our contact form. A booking is considered final once the deposit and/or balance has been paid, depending on the date of booking. Depending on the chosen services and the regulations of the destination country, our agency may request a photocopy of the customer's passport. If the passport photocopy is not provided within the specified timeframe, we cannot guarantee the proper performance of the reserved services.
Upon payment, the customer will receive a confirmation email including the payment confirmation and a downloadable electronic invoice. If the customer does not receive the confirmation letter, the booking is still considered final as if it were confirmed by our agency.
Payment Terms
Bookings made more than 30 days before the departure date: The customer must pay a deposit of 30% of the total cost of the reserved services. The balance must be paid no later than 30 days before the start of the trip.
Bookings made less than 30 days before the departure date: The customer must pay the full cost of the trip in one payment.
Payment Methods
Upon confirmation of the booking, our agency will prepare an electronic invoice. Payments can be made by bank transfer to our agency's account.
Duration 14 days international flight not included
