Treasures of Mongolia

This tour takes you through the great Gobi desert, exploring some of the most remarkable and untouched parts of the globe where sites are varied and unique: vast plains, dinosaur cemeteries and spectacular sand dunes…

Length: 14nights / 15days
Tour starting: 12th of June
Price: start from 2750$ per person

HIGHLIGHT

• Category: Discovery Tours Mongolia

• Travel places : Ulaanbaatar – Baga Gazriin Chuluu – Tsagaan Suvarga – Yol Valley – Khongor sand dunes – Bayanzag – Ongi temple ruin – Orkhon Valley – Kharakhorum – Gurvanbulag community – Khustai National Park – Ulaanbaatar

• Activities: Visit to nomads, sightseeing, culture

• Duration: 14 nights / 15 days

• Covering distance: 2100kms

• Number of participants: min 3, max 12 people

• Season: June –September

ITINERARY

Day 1 Welcoming day
Arrive in Ulaanbaatar the capital city of Mongolia. Transfer to your hotel. In the evening enjoy traditional art performance and Welcome dinner. Stay overnight in the hotel.*** (D)

Day 2 Travel to Baga Gazriin ChuluuTravel to Baga Gazriin Chuluu /Earth stone/ for 5-6hours about 240km it brings you a picturesque mountain at an elevation of 1,751 meters in the Granite Belt of Mongolia. On the way you will see Zorgol Khairkhan Mountain, giant rocky granite mountain as sacred by local nomads. Stay overnight in Ger camp. (B/L/D)

Day 3 Travel to Tsagaan SuvargaTsagaan Suvarga about 240kms away from Baga Gazriin chuluu will be accessed by 5-6hours drive. We will explore 30 meters high white limestone formation which had been created over millions of years by Aeolian and weathering effect. Stay overnight in Ger camp. (B/L/D)

Day 4 Travel to Yol valley & trekkingDrive to 220kms further up to Yol valley where in Gurvan Saikhan Mountian national Park in South Gobi province. This picturesque place is nestled between the beautiful peaks of the Gurvan Saikhan Mountain and shelters rich wildlife. Visit Gobi museum and trekking through the valley. Stay overnight in Ger camp. (B/L/D)

Day 5 Travel to Khongor Sand DuneThe Khongor sand dunes with a stretch of 180kms are a unique location where high sand dunes are falling against the green pastures, rugged hills and stream. You will climb up the Golden Sand dunes before the sun sets in to watch how darkness engulfs the desert area. Stay overnight in Ger camp.(B/L/D)

Day 6 Visit to nomad family & camel ridingYou will meet for the first time a nomad family from Gobi desert area, have a chance to see their daily chores, experience the unique lifestyle and culture of the Gobi area. Don’t forget to ride double hump Bactrian camel in Gobi desert. Stay overnight in Ger camp. (B/L/D)

Day 7 Travel to BayanzagContinue your travel to Bayanzag, is the type location for dinosaurs which is about 170kms north of Khongor sand dune where you will see saksaul forest, red flaming cliffs and pedestal rocks formed by the Aeolian effect on the sand and rock over millions of years.This is the place where dinosaurs were lived 70 million years ago, and is internationally famous for its dinosaur remains of complete skeletons, eggs and hatchlings of the Cretaceous Period. Stay overnight in Ger camp. (B/L/D)

Day 8 Travel to temple ruin of Ongi & trekkingTravel to Ongi temple ruin for 140km. walking along the area where the ruins are situated. Stay overnight in Ger camp. (B/L/D)

Day 9 Drive from desert to steppeDrive to Orkhon valley for 5-6hours about 240kms. Today we will leave Gobi already and be entered to mountain and steppe zone. Here you will visit to nomads who are living in the Khangai, steppe and mountain area. You can talk with nomad people and see and realize some differences among life in the Gobi and Khangai area. Optional horse riding is available in the evening. Stay overnight in Ger camp. (B/L/D)

Day 10 Travel to KharakhorumTravel to Kharakhorum from 120kms. Kharakhorum is the ancient capital of Mongolia where Chinggis Khan established his headquarters in 1220. In 1235, his son and successor, Ogodei built a palace enclosed by walls. You will visit newly built Kharakhorum Museum and ErdeneZuu monastery, the largest and first Mongolian Buddhist temple complex built on the remains of 16^th century Kharakhorum city. You will also attend a workshop for manufacturing hand -made felt items by the local people followed by a stay overnight in Ger camp. (B/L/D)

Day 11 Travel to Gurvanbulag communityTravel to Gurvanbulag soum (a local administration unit) in Bulgan province around 100km for 2.5 hours. Afternoon visit the nomad family of Gurvanbulag community, will welcome you with their unique traditional hospitality. They offer unconventional home-made special dairy products, such as aaruul-dried curds, Gurvanbulag is a small community, initiated by few local families who live in the beautiful natural reserve of Khugnukhaan Mountain. Mongolian salty milk tea-Suuteitsai and so on. You can interact with nomad people and get more intimate with their nature hugging lifestyle. Stay overnight in Community Based Ger camp. (B/L/D)

Day 12 Visit Nomad familyIn the morning explore a way of living as nomads. You will witness how these people produce traditional dairy products andexperience the milking cows, goats and sheep. Afternoon half day trekking to Elsen Tasarkhai, is small sand dune about 5-6kms for 2-3hours. In the evening, you will be filled with a lesson on “Shagai”, traditional game. You will play “Shagai” with the family members. Stay overnight in Community Based Ger camp. (B/L/D)

Day 13 Khustai National park
Travel to Khustai National Park, is encompassing an area of 50.620hectare is the habitat of resurrected wild Mongolian horses, popularly known as Takhi (Przewalski’s Horse). Explore the park to see the Takhi horses in the wilderness. Stay overnight in Ger camp. (B/L/D)

Day 14 Travel back to UlaanbaatarToday you will travel for 90kms to Ulaanbaatar. Arrive in Ulaanbaatar and transfer to your hotel. Guided shopping for cashmere and souvenirs. Enjoy the farewell dinner. Stay overnight in hotel.(B/L/D)

Day 15 DepartureAfter breakfast transfer to airport for departure. (B)

PRICE & DATE

• Tour starting (start in Ulaanbaatar):

2015:
SM01 12 Jun
SM02 29 Jun
SM03 17 Jul
SM04 10 Aug
SM05 28 Aug
SM04 07 Sep

Price from:
USD 2750 per person

Included:All activities described in the itinerary, twin/double basis hotel accommodation*** (2 nights) in Ulaanbaatar and Ger camp stay (10 nights) in countryside, stay in community based Ger camp (2 nights) in countryside. English speaking guide service, entrance fees to Protected Areas and sightseeing costs, all transfers by minibus in the city and by 4WD Russian minivan in the countryside. Meals of breakfast, lunch /picnic/ and dinner as mentioned per day itinerary.

Excluded: International transportation to and from Mongolia, travel insurance, mineral (bottled) water and alcoholic drinks, tips and gratuities, laundry and items of a personal nature.

TOUR INFO

An advantage of this trip you can travel through different zones and enjoy vast open spaces with natural contrasts within several days. During the trip, approximately it takes 4-7 hours driving from one to next destination. Each 1-1.5 hours, we have short stop frequently for photographs, toilets, stretch and meet with local nomads. In the countryside, we use 4WD vehicles, specially, Russian minivans and Japanese jeeps. Normally, 2-3 people are in one jeep with luggage. The minivan has capacity of 7 people with luggage. All vehicles used in our tours are insured and carefully prepared before departures. Our drivers are also good mechanics, have many years of experience for driving through unmarked, unpaved bumpy roads in the countryside.

Overnight we stay tourist camp. It is very enjoyable for the guests to stay in tourist camps when they are in the countryside. Most of the tourist camps supply the Mongolian traditional dwelling “Ger” as guest’s accommodation. Ger is a very convenient dwelling as moveable, dome-shaped and constructed of wooden framework and felt cover. Tourist Ger is heated by a wood stove and furnished with traditionally painted wood-framed beds (with full sized mattresses 137x190cm) or hotel standard size beds with clean sheets, comforters, pillows and blankets. Normally, three or two beds are in one Ger. If client want to stay alone in a Ger there will be an additional charge. The camp provides restaurant/bar, western-style toilet, washing facilities and showers. The numbers of low-impact eco Ger camps are increased and many business people started in practicing for environmentally friendly concepts in last year’s. We prefer and cooperate with Ger camps that follow this core responsibility and able to provide best services for our clients.

When you stay in Ger camps, the camp provides meals of mostly western cuisine and also we can enjoy Mongolian traditional cuisine. Sometimes there are not many choices for meals in tourist Ger camps due to their remote location. Mostly we have picnic lunch from ger camps. It is also available to have and taste traditional dairy products such as yogurt /Mongolian name is tarag/, dried milk curds /aaruul/, milk tea /suutei tsai/, fermented mare’s milk wine /airag/, sour cream /tsotsgii/ and cheese /byaslag/ when you visit to nomad herder families.

Generally, in Mongolia water quality is good. But you are advised to buy mineral water. Bottles of Mineral water are available from shops, food markets and kiosks in capital and many of the provinces centers and tourist Ger camps in countryside. Mineral or bottled water usually exclude in our offers since we try to produce as less garbage as possible. But in the other hand we provide well plenty of drinks like tea and coffee during our tours.