Mongolia
Suggested Itinerary
Day 1 - Ulaanbaatar
VIP arrival at the Chinggis Khaan International Airport in Ulaanbaatar, the capital, also called Ulan Bator, or UB by the locals. Mongolians are fiercely proud of their founding father, Genghis Khan, ruler of the largest contiguous empire in world history and one of the most successful military leaders of all time. Although he died almost 800 years ago, the name of this iconic figure is still ubiquitous in Mongolia.
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, a 1600-square foot retail space with a two-story façade and a VIP room designed to resemble a traditional Mongolian yurt.
Explore the Gandan Monastery with an expert in Buddhism and learn about the religion’s tumultuous history in Mongolia. Originally built in 1835, the monastery was restored in 1990 and is once again a fully functioning residence for monks, having survived the Soviet-supported destruction of monasteries and persecution of monks during the 1930s. 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.
Led by an expert in Mongolian history, have a privately guided tour of the Zanabazar Museum of Fine Arts, 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 20thcentury, with a special focus on the sculptures of Gombodorjiin Zanabazar (1635-1723), considered Mongolia’s greatest artist, as well as exhibitions of contemporary art.
Visit Sukhbaatar Square in the city center, named after Damdiny Sukhbaatar, Mongolia’s national hero, who laid the groundwork for the Mongol revolution and allegiance with Russia. Born of humble means, Sukhbaatar rose to prominence in the military and became Commander-in-Chief of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Army in 1921. He died at the age of 30 two years later under mysterious circumstances, and in remembrance of him, this square, as well as Ulaanbaatar itself, was named in his honor.
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 respiratory organs to produce rich, deep sounds of various pitches. Mongolia alone is home to several genres of throat singing.
Day 2 - Ulaanbaatar
Summer is the best time to visit Mongolia. If you are there in July, attend a naadam in Ulaanbaatar, the most widely watched festival in the country, which takes place over four days and is believed to have existed for centuries in one fashion or another.
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.
Before the races begin, the audience sings traditional songs and the jockeys sing a song called "Gingo." Prizes are awarded to both horses and jockeys; the top five horses in each class earn the title of airgiyn tav and the top three are given gold, silver, and bronze medals. The winning jockey, meanwhile, is praised with title of tumny ekh, or “Leader of 10,000.” The horse that finishes last in the 2-year-old class (the daaga class) is sung a song wishing it luck!
Day 3 - 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.
Day 4 - Khan Khentii / Jalman Meadows
Continue horseback riding this morning and meet with nomadic families in their moveable homes. Spend half a day with them to learn about 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.
Day 5 - Onon River
Take another short helicopter ride to the Onon River, home to schools of taimen, the world’s largest salmon, and a destination for anglers from around the world. The taimen may live to be over 30 years old and grow to over 50 inches, and thrive in part due to the huge numbers of robust Mongolian trout – themselves growing to 20 inches – that populate the river. Fly-fishing here adheres to a strict catch- and-release policy, using only single, barbless hooks.
Embark on a daylong fishing trip on this very remote wilderness river system and in the evening settling into a riverside camp where a fire, dinner, drinks and your bags are waiting for you. For the serious sport fishermen and women, this portion of the itinerary can be extended by a day or more.
Day 6 - Southern 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. Constructed without nails from Siberian timber and local stone using traditional techniques, the unique lodge is situated within view of the Gobi’s stunning Gobi-Altai Mountain Range. 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.
Day 7 - Northern Gobi Desert
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. It is important to understand that the Gobi is in reality less than 10 percent sand, and is largely treeless steppe, or grassland, with occasional patches of sand and dunes, so that is the terrain for your trek. All tents, equipment and provisions will be loaded onto camel carts, so you will experience striking and moving camp the traditional Mongolian way. Optionally, you may hire your own camel to ride during the trek. Your destination is the 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.
Your hosts at Arburd Sands come from one of the most respected families of horsemen in the country, winners of many races in the annual nadaam festival. Watch an archery demonstration and have an informal lesson in the sport.
Like the fishing portion of this sample itinerary, the camel trek and stay at Arburd Sands may be extended by one or two days, if you are so inclined.
Day 8 - Hustai National Park
Helicopter from the Gobi north to Hustai National Park, which is situated about 60 miles southwest of Ulaanbaatar. 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.
Day 9 - Lake Hovsgol
Helicopter from Hustai (or fly 90 minutes from Ulaanbaatar) 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.” The lake was formed an estimated 2 million years ago, and stretches some 75 miles from north to south and is more than 800 feet deep, holding roughly 70 percent of Mongolia’s fresh water. The entire lake area is a National Park, 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. If you wish, extend your time here by a day and hike the imposing Ikh Uul mountain, whose peak is nearly 10,000 feet.
Day 10 - Bayan Olgi
In the mountains of Western Mongolia, near the border with Kazakhstan, ethnic Kazakhs 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.