• Category: Classic journey

• Places to visit: Ulaanbaatar – Sertent community - Khustai National Park – Gurvanbulag community – Kharakhorum – Bat-Ulziit – Ongi Temple Ruin – Bayanzag & Bulgan soum – Khongor Sand Dune - Tavan Erdene community - Yol valley – Tsagaan Suvarga – Ikh Gazriin Chuluu – Ulaanbaatar

• Activities: Visit to nomads, sharing experience with herders, learning, trekking

• Duration: 17nights/18 days

• Covering distance: 2200kms

• Number of participants: Min-2, max-6

• Season: June – mid September

• Date of departures (ex. Ulaanbaatar):
2010: NM01 15Jun; NM02 20Jul; NM03 17Aug; NM04 07Sep
2011: NM01 14Jun; NM02 19Jul; NM03 16Aug; NM04 06Sep

Arrive in Ulaanbaatar the capital city of Mongolia. Transfer to hotel. Afternoon we will have a tour briefing and short presentation about Mongolia. Evening enjoy traditional art performance and Welcome dinner. Stay overnight in the hotel. LD

Day 2 Visit to Sertent community
Pick up at your hotel and travel for 90kms to Sertent community of nomads, live in Moltsog Els, situated in south west of Ulaanbaatar. Visit nomad families and taste traditional dairy products like aaruul-dried curds, Mongolian salty milk tea-Suutei tsai, Mongolian biscuit-Boortsog and so on. You can talk with nomad people and get more familiar with their nature loved unique lifestyle. Here you can see and learn how to produce traditional dairy products. For dinner you will enjoy "Boodog", is kind of barbeque by goat meat, cooked in very special nomadic way. Stay overnight in Mongolian Ger. BLD

 
Day 3 Visit to Khustai National Park 

Start your morning with nomadic breakfast. Travel to Khustai National Park for 12kms. The area of 50.620ha reserve protects wild Mongolian horses famed as Takhi (Przewalski's Horse). Visit the park to see wild horses and visit Ungut, ancient grave site. Stay overnight in Ger camp. BLD

 
Day 4 Travel to Gurvanbulag community
Continue our travel by car for 225km to Gurvanbulag soum of Bulgan province. There we will visit "Nomad Library Project" and even we can involve to daily work. Evening we would continue our travel to Gurvanbulag community of local nomads. The family will serve you nomadic dinner and milk tea. Stay overnight in Mongolian Ger. BLD

 
Day 5 Home stay with nomads
Explore a way of living of nomads. Experience of milking cows, goats and sheep. In the afternoon optional horse riding with the host of the family to look for his horses in the wild pasture. Non riders can have short trekking or rest. Stay overnight in Mongolian Ger. BLD

 
Day 6 Horse based nomad culture
Today you will learn how to tie halter and hobble for a horse by leather strap, and to saddle Mongolian horse for ride. You will watch how Mongolian skillful cowboys catch horses by "uurga" - traditional wooden lasso and training an untamed horse that has never been ridden before. Milking mares and you may participate by holding the foals next to their mothers and churning airag, fermented mare's milk. In the evening you will be filled with a lesson on "Shagai", traditional game. You will enjoy to play game of "Horse racing" by Shagai with the family members. Stay overnight in Mongolian Ger. BLD

 
Day 7 Travel to Kharakhorum & visit Erdene Zuu

Travel to Kharakhorum. We will visit Erdene Zuu monastery, the largest and first Mongolian Buddhist temple complex built on the remains of Kharakhorum city. Visit a local cooperative to attend a workshop for making small felt items by hand. Stay overnight in Ger camp. BLD

Day 8 Travel to Orkhon Valley
Travel for 3hours to the direction of Bat-Ulziit a central village. Relax as staying in Ger camp. Optional horse riding or trekking is available. Stay overnight there. BLD

 
Day 9 Travel to Ongi temple
Today our trip will head to old temple ruin of Ongi. We will drive for 140kms to Arvaikheer town, center of Ovorkhangai province and more 130kms drive through open steppe as feeling Gobi Desert-scarce vegetations, dry and hot air, horizon that stretched so far. Evening we will walk to the ruin of old temple. Stay overnight in Ger camp. BLD

 
Day 10 Travel to Bayanzag & Bulgan soum
Travel to Bayanzag for 140kms, where you will see saksaul forest, red flaming cliffs which formed from the erosion of the sand and rock over many thousands of years. Late afternoon we will travel to Anhsan Khorshoo, a community in Bulgan soum, a local administration unit. Stay overnight in Ger camp run by the community. BLD

 
Day 11 Travel to Khongor sand dune

Drive to Khongor sand dunes for 180kms. Afternoon we will walk and climb up to the Golden sand dunes where the view is incredible from the top. Optional camel riding is available. Stay overnight in Ger camp. BLD

Travel to Zuun Saikhan Mountain for 180kms, is picturesque place that belongs to Gobi Gurvan Saikhan Mountain. Reach to Tavan Erdene community of local nomads. Evening play and sing with the nomads. Stay overnight in Mongolian Ger. BLD

 
Day 13 Experience nomadic life & camel riding
Getting acquainted with Gobi nomads daily life and customs. Involve nomads' daily works, particularly the processing of dairy products; and milking camel cows. Also you will take part in dismantling and re-building of a Ger, will be arguably interesting and unforgettable. Optional camelriding is available. Stay overnight in Mongolian Ger. BLD

 
Day 14 Day trekking in Yol valley
Visit Gobi museum. Full day of explore and trek in Yol valley. Enjoy climbing up the mountain hills and feel the silence and tranquility of the nature and heaven. Stay overnight in Mongolian Ger. BLD

 
Day 15 Travel to Tsagaan Suvarga
Continue travel to Tsagaan Suvarga about 220kms for 5-6hours. Here we will explore 30 meters high white limestone formation which created over thousands of years by natural wind and water. Stay overnight in Ger camp. BLD

 
Day 16 Travel to Ikh Gazriin Chuluu
Travel to Ikh Gazriin Chuluu for 5-6hours about 240kms, is a picturesque mountain at an elevation of 1,751 meters in the Granite Belt of Mongolia. Stay overnight in Ger camp. BLD

 
Day 17 Travel to Ulaanbaatar & Shopping
Travel back to Ulaanbaatar. Arrive in Ulaanbaatar and transfer to your hotel. Farewell dinner. Stay overnight in the hotel. BLD

After breakfast at the hotel transfer to airport for departure. B

Included: All activities described in the itinerary, twin/double basis hotel accommodation 2 nights) in Ulaanbaatar, stay in the Mongolian Ger (8 nights) in countryside and Ger camp stay (7 nights), English speaking guide service, entrance fees to Protected Areas and sightseeing cost, all transfers by in the countryside. Meals of breakfast, lunch and dinner as mentioned per day itinerary. 

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