• Category: Special trip

• Places to visit: Ulaanbaatar – Terelj national park - Uliin Davaa – Bosgo bridge – Khar Us – Bosgo bridge – Ulaanbaatar

• Activities: Dog sledding, visit nomads

• Duration: 7 nights/8 days

• Covering distance: 300kms

• Number of participants: Min-2, max-4

• Season: January - mid March

• Date of departures (start Ulaanbaatar):

Day 1 Welcoming day
Arrive in Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia. Then we will go to bank for currency exchange and (post office for buying postcards). Evening you will enjoy folk concert and Welcome dinner. Stay overnight in the hotel. LD

Day 2 Travel to Terelj
In the morning travel to Terelj. You will meet your guides, mushers and dogs in the beginning of the afternoon. Meaning "Lédon", a plant very common in this region, blooming in spring, Terelj is located in the Gorkhi-Terelj national park, at 80km from the capital. The park, located at edge of the Khaan Khentii Park, created in 1994, includes a big part of the Khentii mounts. The region of Terelj is an alpine solid massif where many summits reach 2700m. With a lot of forested areas, Terelj is also a sanctuary for wild fauna. Terelj is composed with steppes, mountains, valleys and astonishing rock formations. Introduction and instruction for equipments and activity: introduction to the dog team and to the specific equipment. Stay overnight in Ger. BLD

Day 3 Travel to Uliin Bulan & start dog sled
Short transfer by vehicles of all dogs, sleds and people to reach the starting point of your adventure. We are following by car the river for 22 km to reach the small Uliin Bulan camp, named after the mountain that surrounds it. This first day will allow you to get used to the sledge, on an easy way. Many nomads live in this valley, but still the area remains very wild and beautiful. Fauna is diversified and the silence intensified by low temperature creates a magnificent atmosphere...
The ice of the Tuul River is more unexpectable than the one on Terelj river. It can be blue one day and dark another day, it can crackle a little bit under the sledges and make some strange noises.
Sometimes, the water comes up to the surface through little cracks and creates small lagoons over the deep blue ice. In winter, this very wild area is almost not inhabited by nomads. For some months, only nature reigns over the place. We will reach for the night at Bosgo bridge located just a hundreds meters away from the river, where Gers and huts are mixed. Here live Enkhtaïvan and Mungoo, with whom we will share the warmth of the Ger. Stay overnight in Ger. BLD

Day 4 Dog sledding to Khar Us lake

This camp is the last one of the valley. After that, only wolves, deers, bears, foxes and moose are inhabitant of these marvelous spaces. We go back on the Tuul for 500 m and pass under a wooden bridge which gave the name to the camp and marks the limit between Gorki-Terelj Park and Khan-Khentii National Park. The river calms down and divides itself in many small streams. We will stop at the beginning of the afternoon at Bayamba's camp, to enjoy the meal in a warm place. This camp marks more or less the half of our journey. 15 more kilometers and we will reach the camp of Khar Us (black water). Stay overnight in Ger. BLD

Day 5 Khar Us lake
Day of exploration in the wildest part of the trip: no herders, only wolves foxes, the very rare snow leopard... At the end of the afternoon you come back to Tsodoo's settlement for a warm cup of tea and Mongolian dinner. Nomads don't move during the whole winter. They even build some wooden shelters for the animals. They leave these shelters in spring to move closer to rivers and green lands for the summer season, and come back to the first place at the beginning of winter. At the end of the afternoon, you will share some times with our Mongolian hosts, and learn the nomadic way of life, peaceful and busy! Sharing some time in the Ger is an unforgettable experience. We'll discover a different world, a different culture combining ancient and modern habits in harmony, and a different notion of time. Sharing the Ger with a family is a privilege. Stay overnight in Ger. BLD

Day 6 Dog sledding back to Bosgo Bridge

It is always hard to leave this camp at «the end of the world», great people and their hospitality. But we still have to leave to make the 33 kilometers to Enkhtaïvan's settlement!

Dogs will be champing at the bit... They are used to work hard, in these winter conditions. They run on the ice without any fear, sniffing here and there wolves' prints, always willing to go on. To reach the night camp, we will follow the same way back on the river. It will give us the opportunity to look at prints of wolves, foxes and rabbits that came on the river, once we left, to smell our track. They wonder who these strangers on their territory are. Stay overnight in Ger. BLD

Day 7 Travel to Ulaanbaatar & farewell dinner
Drive back to Ulaanbaatar city for 110kms. You will go with the guide to shops for souvenirs and cashmere. In the evening Mongolian National art performance of ensemble "Tumen ekh". Farewell dinner. Stay overnight in the hotel. BLD

Day 8 Departure
Departure. B

 
Included: All activities described in the itinerary, twin/double basis hotel accommodation (2 nights) in Ulaanbaatar and stay in Ger of local families (5 nights) in the countryside, English speaking guide service, specialist guide, all equipments, entrance fee to Protected Area, all transfers by minibus in the city and minivan in the countryside. Meals of breakfast, lunch /picnic in countryside/ 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.

Please see here more information about our dog sledding trip