Mongolia
Suggested Itinerary
Get in touch with your inner Mongol as you experience the riches of the steppes of Mongolia: hunt, hike and ride horses across the plains and deserts, witness the recent and ancient history of its cities, and see the world like a Khan through its beautiful culture and cuisine.
Destinations include: Ulaanbaatar, Khan Khentii / Jalman Meadows, Onon River, Gobi Desert, Hustai National Park, Lake Hovsgol and Bayan Olgi.
Ulaanbaatar
Begin your trip in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar, a fascinating and unusual place. Though today Mongolia is a Buddhist country with a democratic government, Ulaanbaatar retains a decidedly Soviet-era look, from its architecture to signs in Cyrillic script. Evidence of its ongoing economic transformation is apparent, though, such as the recent opening of Louis Vuitton store on Sukhbaatar Square.
Explore the Gandan Monastery with an expert in Buddhism and learn about the religion’s tumultuous history in Mongolia. Have tea with one of Gandan’s head monks in his private chambers, and chat with him about his life and about Buddhism in Mongolia today.
Have a privately guided tour of the Zanabazar Museum of Fine Arts led by an expert in Mongolian history. Part of UNESCO’s Programme for the Preservation of Endangered Movable Cultural Properties and Museum Development, The Zanabazar displays art and artifacts from ancient Mongolia through the 20th century, with a special focus on the sculptures of Gombodorjiin Zanabazar (1635-1723), considered Mongolia’s greatest artist.
Visit Sukhbaatar Square, named after Damdiny Sukhbaatar, Mongolia’s national hero, who laid the groundwork for the Mongol revolution and allegiance with Russia. Today, it is an economic hub of Ulaanbaatar and a perfect example of the clash between Mongolia’s newfound wealth and its history: see stark soviet architecture next to a Louis Vuitton, replete with a VIP room designed to resemble a traditional Mongolian yurt.
Have dinner at Ger Restaurant, which is a housed in a large decorated ger(or yurt). Your meal will be followed by a performance of traditional Mongolian folk music, including throat singing, a unique traditional style of music found all over central Asia that involves manipulating the size of one’s mouth and throat to produce rich, deep sounds of various pitches. Mongolia alone is home to several genres of throat singing.
Attend a naadamin Ulaanbaatar, the most widely watched festival in the country. Naadam has its origin in activities such as military parades and sporting competitions such as archery, horse riding and wrestling, which followed the celebration of various occasions. Now it formally commemorates the 1921 revolution when Mongolia declared itself a free country.
^Top
Khan Khentii / Jalman Meadows
Charter a helicopter flight over the boreal forests of Khan Khentii, which stand in sharp contrast to Mongolia’s treeless steppes and desert. You will land near Hagiin Black Lake, the source of the Tuul River, which is to the northeast of Ulaanbaatar and difficult to reach by car. Hike through the pristine, dense Siberian forest along the lakeside and enjoy a lunch prepared by your private chef.
Continue by helicopter to Jalman Meadows, an area in the Tuul River Valley where grasslands threaded with rivers are flanked by hills dotted with forests of larch and birch. It is located in the Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area, a wilderness three times the size of Yellowstone National Park in the U.S., but completely without any infrastructure or human habitation. This pristine wilderness area is a “transition zone” from steppe to taiga forest. The region is usually completely green from June through August.
Go horseback riding and experience the heart and soul of Mongolia; even though parts of the once nomadic population have begun to settle, there are still more horses in the country than humans. Horseback riding across the grasslands is one of the best ways to experience the Mongolian landscape as it has been since the time of Ghengis Khan.
Meet with nomadic families in their moveable homes and experience their distinctive way of life. Learn how to make and have a delicious lunch with your host family of authentic Mongolian food, which may include Mongolian barbecue, where an entire sheep or goat is cooked over hot rocks. Relax and appreciate their slower pace of life.
Go “yak-cart rafting” in the Tuul River, which empties into the Arctic Ocean. An inflatable raft will be taken to the river by yak cart, while a portable sauna is set up here for you so have a hot soak in before rafting and swimming in the Tuul, as the river is rather cold, even in the summer months.
^Top
Onon River
Embark on a daylong fishing trip on this very remote wilderness river system, home to schools of taimen, the world’s largest salmon, and a destination for anglers from around the world. In the evening, settle into a riverside camp where a fire, dinner, drinks and your bags are waiting for you.
^Top
Gobi Desert
Helicopter or fly by charter plane to the Flaming Cliffs in the Southern Gobi, a famed archaeological site. So named because of their vibrant glowing orange appearance in the sunlight, the cliffs are a dramatic landscape of jagged red rocks that is rich in fossil finds – the first fossilized dinosaur eggs were unearthed here in the 1920s by the expedition of Roy Chapman Andrews, while fossils of velociraptor have also been uncovered nearby.
Stay at the Three Camel Lodge, recently voted one of the Top 50 Eco-Lodges in the world and one of Mongolia’s most luxurious accommodations. Built under environmentally and culturally sustainable guidelines, energy for the lodge is drawn partially from solar and wind power. The staff is a group of well-practiced folk musicians who don beautiful costumes and play the horse-head fiddle and other traditional instruments in the evening.
Go on a walking camel trek in the northern Gobi Desert for a firsthand experience of life as a nomadic herdsmen – some of whom you will meet along the way, and be invited into their gers to learn about their lives. All tents, equipment and provisions will be loaded onto camel carts, so you will experience striking and moving camp the traditional Mongolian way.
End your journey at a ger camp at Arburd Sands, a remote, 12-mile long stretch of sand dunes and grasses, where you will meet local nomadic families and have further opportunity to learn about their way of life.
Watch an archery demonstration and have an informal lesson in the sport.
^Top
Hustai National Park
Go trekking in the park, an expanse of rolling steppe mountains with patches of birch forest. Hustai is home to a population of the rare and critically endangered Przewalski’s horse (also known as the Mongolian Wild Horse, or simply takhi), which was successfully reintroduced to the preserve after having been extinct in the wild.
Trek through the park, whose ridges offer spectacular vistas from look-out points, keeping your eyes open for the red deer, falcons and eagles that also call the park home. Stop at the stunning medieval tombs of the Ongut people, and arrive at a different stretch of the Tuul River, where you will likely spot many red-footed falcons among other bird species.
^Top
Lake Hovsgol
Helicopter from Hustai to Lake Hövsgöl, one of the most pristine large water bodies in Asia, set in a spectacular landscape of Siberian taiga with the Horidal Saridag Mountain Range to the west. One of the clearest lakes in the world, it is nicknamed Mongolia’s “Dark Blue Pearl.”
Explore the lake, which is a National Park and home to such rare species as ibex, Siberian moose, sable, argali sheep, musk deer, and more. Hike along the lakeshore and over mountain ridges with spectacular views of the lake and countryside below.
Spend an intense day hiking the imposing Ikh Uul mountain, whose peak is nearly 10,000 feet.
^Top
Bayan Olgi
Go hunting with ethnic Kazakhs, who have practiced falconry using golden eagles for centuries. Early winter is considered to be the best season for hunting, as foxes and other game acquire winter furs. Another good time to witness this sport is in October during the annual Eagle Hunting Festival that celebrates Kazakh culture in Bayan Olgi.
Helicopter in and stay overnight in private gers, before spending a day on horseback, hunting with the local nomads for fox, rabbits and other small game.
^Top
