Trip overview

One of the Mongolian best selling tours and trips, let you to visit iconic Gobi Desert to explore its best sightseeings and it'll lead you to Kharkhorin & Erdene Zuu Monastery, which houses masterpieces of St. Zanabazar and artifacts of the Great Mongolian Empire. The journey goes furthermore into the Siberian taiga zone for visiting reindeer nomads.

Highlights

Explore Iconic Gobi
Visit the Mongolian Biggest monastic complexes
Horse & camel riding
Visit Orkhon waterfall
Experience nomads daily way of life
Enjoy hot spring
Discover Dukhas /reindeer people/
Flexible lenght trek

Itinerary

DAY 1. TO TSAGAAN SUVARGA /WHITE CANYON/

Head to Tsagaan Suvarga, located in the Southwest of Dundgovi province. It is a big limestone escarpment facing east, which looks like Mars planet from its top and it provides excellent scenery of the amazing limestone formations created by the wind. The place is an ancient seabed aged over 70 million years and offers naturally formed sedimentary fissures with multiple colors of ochre.

DAY 2. TO YOLYN AM /VULTURE'S CANYON/

Drive to Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park to visit Yolyn am, a deep and narrow gorge with steep rock walls situated at the southern end of the Altai Mountain Range. The gorge is named after vulture, which is called Yol in Mongolian as well as known as ice canyon. The ice field reaches over 3m deep in some years, and stretches several kilometers. The ice field remained whole year round in the past years, but lately the ice tends to disappear in mid-July due to global warming.

DAY 3. TO KHONGORYN ELS /SINGING DUNE/

Head to Khongor sand dunes, the second largest and most spectacular sand dunes in Mongolia which offers the iconic images of the Gobi Desert that we strive for. The dunes stretched in an extraordinary 120km, 3-28km wide and about 300m high from its base to top. Here we’ll enjoy camel riding in the endless steppe and climb up to the peak of a singing dune to see gorgeous sunset and amazing panoramic views of the surrounding oasis.

DAY 4. TO ONGI MONASTERY VIA FLAMING CLIFFS /BAYANZAG/

After breakfast, we will drive to Ongi Monastery remains, situated on the bank of Ongi river. On the way to Ongi, we’ll visit Bayanzag – saxaul forest lies nearby the Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park. The place became famous with its first scientifically recognized dinosaur fossilized eggs in the world and different species of dinosaur skeletons was discovered by Roy Andrew Chapman, American explorer in 1923.

DAY 5. TO ORKHON VALLEY & ORKHON WATERFALL

Drive to the north to visit the Orkhon Valley National Park, which provides scenic view of green meadows, pine forest, streams and waterfall. The area is ideal for fishing, horseback riding, hiking and photography. Today, we’ll take an opportunity to visit yak herding nomads and ride a horse nearby Orkhon waterfall which was formed uniquely by volcanic lava streams and tumbles over the vertical drop into a deep canyon.

DAY 6. TO KHARKHORIN & ERDENE DZUU MONASTERY

Head to Kharkhorin village, an ancient capital of the Great Mongolian Empire, one of the most popular tourist destinations. Upon arrival in the village, we'll visit the earliest surviving monastery “Erdene Dzuu”, constructed with stones nearby ruins of the ancient Mongolian capital of Kharakhorum in 1586 by Abtai Sain King. The Monastic complex was also inscribed on the List of World Heritage in 2004 as a part of the Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape. Before heading our accommodation, we’ll enjoy some exhibits and artifacts in Kharkhorum museum.

DAY 7. TO GREAT WHITE LAKE VIA CHULUUT CANYON

Travel to Khorgo Terkh NP, famous with its attractive scenery via chuluut river canyon, situated in Arkhangai province. When reaching to the Khorgo Terkh, we’ll visit several small caves, formed by volcanic lava stream then head to Great White Lake/Terkhyn tsagaan nuur/ where we’ll spend the nights on its shore. The lake is extremely beautiful with fresh water and prosperous species of fish and some rare water fowls.

DAY 8. TO JARGALAN HOT SPRING

After breakfast, head to Jargalant village in Khovsgol province, known for its wonderful landscape and natural hot spring. It is an outdoor hot spa with a temperature of 20 degrees and its water contains nitrogen, orthosilicic acid and other types of minerals (pH>8,35) and famous for its therapeutic effect on muscular/skeletal, nervous, gynecological conditions. Taking a bath in the hot spring'll be a good way to get totally relaxed during the long journey.

DAY 9. TO MURUN TOWN

Drive to Murun town and overnight at a local hostel. Enjoy hot shower, local good meals, and food supplies from local market to take the northern route.

DAY 10. TO TSAGAAN NUUR VILLAGE /DARKHAD ETHNIC GROUP/

Early in the morning after breakfast, we’ll head to Tsagaannuur village with a scenic drive crossing small brooks and passing over forested mountains. On the way we will enjoy our lunch nearby Ulaan-Uul village and then continue the journey further deep into the north Siberian-Taiga zone. Upon arrival at Darkhad people, we will prepare for two days horse trekking and pack our staffs to adapt to suit our needs for three days.

DAY 11. TO REINDEER SETTLEMENT

After breakfast, we'll start our horse riding to the west Taiga to reach reindeer settlement. The horse trekking on muddy and swampy trails is exciting and challenging and depending on seasons the distance of the reindeer tribe’s settlement and trails are different. When reach to the reindeer herders you’ll take the opportunity to get close to reindeers and get a rare insight into the daily life of Mongolian reindeer herders ‘Dukas’.

DAY 12. BACK TO TSAGAAN NUUR VILLAGE

Early in the morning after breakfast, we’ll bid farewell to the reindeer tribe and continue the horse trekking back to the Darkhad people. On the way we’ll enjoy beautiful scenery and take a picnic lunch at a great place and arrive at the place to stay at any time of the day.

DAY 13. BACK TO MURUN TOWN

Head back to Murun town and stay over the night in a local hotel and take a bath and relax.

DAY 14. TO URAN TOGOO NATIONAL PARK

Head to spectacular Uran Togoo Mountain – an extinct volcano named for its characteristic crater lies in Bulgan province. Upon arrival to Uran togoo NP – We will climb the Uran Togoo Mount to see the panoramic view of the surrounding beauties. The mountain is nearly 1689meter high above sea level.

DAY 15. TO AMARBAYASGALANT MONASTERY

Head to the east to reach Amarbayasgalant Monastery, the biggest monastic complex and Buddhist school in the north Mongolia. The monastery was constructed in 1736 and has survived destruction during anti-religious purges. 28 temples, rich in wood carvings and religious artifacts inside the monastery walls housed over 5000monks during its flourishing period. A golden Buddha statue and phenomenal stupa on hilltops backyard the monastery wall offer great panoramic views of the surroundings

DAY 16. BACK TO ULAANBAATAR

Drive back to Ulaanbaatar city and transferred to accommodation.