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INDIA: Himalaya: Ladakh & Kashmir
Mongolia Roundtrip Gobi, Karakorum, Hustain and Terelj National Park
Introduction
Mongolia is scenically and culturally one of the most unique landscapes in the world. The open landscapes, the vastness of the sky, the changing play of colors combined with the vibrant culture of the nomads and the Buddhist heritage of the people will cast a spell on you too.
If you are planning your first Mongolia journey, so this classical tour is suitable for you. You get glimpses of the lives of nomadic families in the vast steppe regions, visit the fascinating sand dunes of the Gobi and learn a lot about the exciting history and the rich cultural heritage of the Mongols.
You are traveling in comfortable vehicles and with a knowledgeable local guide, who caters to your needs and interests. In the capital Ulaan Baatar you stay at your preferred hotel category, otherwise in selected yurt camps. The yurts - the traditional nomad tents of Mongolia - are equipped with beds, while showers and toilets are situated at the campground. However, there is often the opportunity to book a yurt suite with private bath on demand.
Highlights
- Sand dunes (singing dunes), flaming cliffs, bearded vulture gorge with ice glaciers and rock paintings from the Bronze Age in the South Gobi.
- Insights into the life of the nomadic families in the Gobi and in central Mongolia (camels, goats and sheep breeding).
- The wild Przewalski's horses at the Hustain National Park.
- Turtle rock and monastery visit at the idyllic Gorkhi Terelj National Park.
- Optional horse and camel rides.
- Karakorum with the Erdene Zu monastery and the museum, which is very much worth seeing.
- The contrasting capital Ulaan Baatar with attractions to suit your interests.
- The giant, walk-in Genghis Khan statue.
Classical Travel Itinerary
Day 1 : Arrival UB (Ulan Bataar). Optional city tour according to your interests. Visit for example today with your tour guide the "black market". Enjoy your dinner at a restaurant of your choice: Mongolian BBQ, vegetarian, indian, japanese, korean, italian, and many more. Overnight at hotel.
Day 2 : City tour UB according to your interests. To set the mood, you visit for example the old Buddhist monastery Gandan, the center of Buddhism in Mongolia. In the afternoon you visit the old imperial Bogd Khan Palace. Overnight at hotel.
Day 3 : Domestic flight to the South Gobi. Take a short hike with optional horse ride to the "eternal ice" in the narrow Bearded Vulture Gorge at the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park. Overnight in the yurt camp.
Day 4 : Continue to the "singing dunes" of the Gobi. You also have the opportunity to climb one of the great sand dunes. Visit a camel breeding family and optional ride on camels. Overnight at the yurt camp.
Day 5 : Drive through steppe & desert landscape to the rock paintings from the Bronze Age (short hike with beautiful views) and finally to the "Red Canyon" (Flaming Cliffs), the location where the dinosaur skeletons have been found. Here you will discover the beautiful Saxaul trees, which live only in the Gobi. Overnight at the yurt camp.
Day 6 : Transfer to the airport and domestic flight back to Ulaan Baatar. Drive to the Terelj National Park. Visit to the "Turtle Rock" and a monastery which is situated in an idyllic location. Overnight at the yurt camp.
Day 7 : Transfer to the Hustain National Park, and encounters with the wild Przewalski's horses. Overnight at the yurt camp.
Day 8 : Beautiful scenic drive to Karakorum with visit to the monastery Erdene Zuu and the Karakorum Museum, which is well worth seeing. Overnight at the yurt camp.
Day 9 : Transfer back to Ulaan Baatar, and further sightseeing according to your interests. In the evening, you have the opportunity to attend a folk concert at the opera and theater with traditional Mongolian overtone singing. Overnight at hotel.
Day 10 : Transfer to Ulaan Baatar International Airport and return flight.
Best Travel Period
June to September
Options
- Extend or shorten this trip. We are pleased to offer an itinerary individually tailored to your time frame and your interests.
- Folk festivals : Integrate a festival such as the National Festival Naadam, which takes place on different dates depending on the region. We will be pleased to advise you about the current festival calendar in your travel window.
- Oegi Nuur Lake, thermal springs Tsencher, Daschintschilen (+ 1 - 5 days) : Integrate en route from Ulaan Baatar to Karakorum additionally a trip to the beautiful Oegi-Nuur Lake. Here you can relax, swim or go fishing. Additionally visit a friendly nomadic family, and go on optional horse rides into the beautiful surroundings of the Mongol Els sand dunes on horseback or camel. Enjoy a swim in the hot springs of Tsencher, discover the dunes and hike to a lookout point (approx. 2 hours), where there are the ruins of a destroyed Buddhist Temple, on which a new one has been built, or visit the ruins of the residence of the famous Mongolian nobleman Tsogt in the town of Daschintschilen. Overnights in tent / yurt camp.
- Old Turkic grave stones and monuments, felt making and birch forest (+1 day) : Incorporate an extra night at the Hustain National Park and take time for more wildlife watching, a trek through the the idyllic birch forest, the visit to the Neolithic tombs or learn much about felting with the nomads.
- Baga Gazriin Chuluu, Tsagaan Suvarga (White Stupa), monastery ruin Ongi (+ 2 days) : Reach the South Gobi by land, and visit en route a magnificent nature reserve of the central Gobi desert as well as the fascinating, seemingly surreal color palette of the the canyon of Tsagaan Suvraga.
- Buren Khan valley, Amarbayasgalant monastery & the volcano Uran Togo (+ 3 - 5 days) : Travel in the Terelj National Park further to the east into a lovely valley, then visit in the North the monastery Amarbayasgalant from the 18th century, with its lively community of monks, and climb a volcano with a beautiful view, before you reach Karakorum.
- Khentii National Park Horse Trekking (+ 8 days) : Connect this trip with a horse trekking at the Khentii National Park. On horseback you pass through vast steppes, fir forests and tundra to the border with Siberia (Mongolia horse trekking Khentii Chentii National Park).
Tags: mongolia, horse trekking, buddhist heritage, monasteries, nomad families, gobi desert