Holiday in Mongolia
| country: | Mongolia |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2010: 24 May, 14 Jun, 5 Jul, 26 Jul, 16 Aug 2011: 30 May, 20 Jun, 17 Jul, 31 Jul, 14 Aug |
| price: | From £1799 (21 days) excluding flights |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Holiday in Mongolia
An incredible journey to the land of blue skies, green hills and nomadic people. Get out and explore the city of Ulaan Baatar and lush green countryside, which is dotted with ancient monasteries. Join nomadic herders who live in 'gers' in the land where wild horses roam free.
day-by-day itinerary
| Days 1-2: | Ulaan Baatar. On day 1 members of the group arrive to UB from different parts of the world. There are no activities planned except the first group meeting at 6 pm (for more details check the hotel notice board). During the meeting your group leader will run through the itinerary and answer your questions. Meanwhile, enjoy wandering Ulaan Bataar, capital of Mongolia, a city filled with contrasts: modern skyscrapers and old soviet buildings are surrounded by traditional Mongolian gers. On the streets you will see nomads on horseback sharing the road with cars, people in traditional dress and high fashion and furs. You might want to explore the Museum of Natural History with its dinosaur exhibits, the Winter Palace Museum of Bogd Khan and its great collections, the fine arts museum, the Choijin Lama Temple Museum with displays of Buddhist artefacts, or perhaps the Ganden Monastery, the most important in the country. Day 2 will be a free day explore the city again in depth and catch the places you missed the day before, and maybe pick up any supplies you think you might want on the road for the next few days. |
| Day 3: | Horbund. On day 3 we will leave the capital and head south through the steppe to a small settlement Horbund (approximately 6 hours drive). After lunch stop we'll take a side tour to a ruins of monastery hidden in rocks, and then keep driving to our first ger stay - small ger camp not far from Horbund. Traditional Mongolian ger is a sort of tent that consists of wooden frames covered with layers of felt. The size of the ger depends on the amount of frames. In Ulaan Baatar you will be able to see gers that can accommodate more than 100 people - usually they are "built" for big weddings or official parties. Frames and felt are very light and can be carried on camels or yak carts when nomads are changing location. Average Mongolian family needs about 2 hours to put a ger together. Inside gers are decorated by wooden carvings of traditional Mongolian patterns, birds and dragons. Nomadic families usually sleep on the mattresses laid on the floor. In camps where we are staying each ger has 4 beds inside, with mattresses, bed linen and extra blankets if you are cold. Each ger also has a stove to keep you warm, small table and tools. Usually, there is a lamp inside, so you can spend evenings reading books and writing in your journals. |
| Days 4-5: | Yolyn Am. About 8 hours drive will take us to National park of Yolyn Am. With some luck you might see vultures, wolves and argali sheep (marco polo sheep)! We will leave the grasslands and enter the entirely different landscape of the largest desert in all of Asia. On Day 5 you will have enough time to explore Flaming Cliffs area - the red sandstone cliffs and canyons where fossils were found in recent years. One of the main attractions in the area is Yolyn Am - a narrow gorge in the Gurvan Saikan mountains. It's an amazing place for hikes: bring stable shoes and warm clothes. In some places meters thick layer of ice stays all year around. |
| Days 6-7: | Gobi desert. Drive through South Gobi (about 6-7 hours) will bring us to Khongoriin Els - the biggest sand dunes in the area. They also are known as "singing sands" - because sand is moving with the wind. Wast lands of Gobi have everything: mountain ranges, steppes, sand dunes and forests. In summer it's usually covered with dried grass, but after every rain you actually can see fresh green grass and flowers growing rapidly. On Day 7 the ger camp can provide lots of optional activities for those who want something different from looking at constantly changing scenery form the car window: camel ride, visiting nomadic camel herding family (if they are in the region on that day), hiking, etc. |
| Day 8: | Guvchin-Us. Approximately 7 hours drive on Day 8 will bring us to Guvchin-Us - small rural town in Ovorkhangai province which name means "Dirty Water". Many nomad families chose this area for their temporary camps. It's a great opportunity to find out more about Mongolian nomadic culture. Nomads live very simple life and move along with their cattle along the same route their great-grandparents were travelling hundreds years ago. Depending on the size of the nomadic family and their gers, accommodations can be very basic. In case if nomads can't provide enough space for our group, we will camp nearby (camping gear is provided). In the evening - have dinner together with your hosts. One of the best things to try is the famous Mongolian Barbecue. |
| Day 9: | Karakorum. After about 5 hours of driving, we visit Karakorum - the ancient capital city founded in the 13th century by Ogodei Khan (Chingis's third son and successor). For several centuries it was a major international city with foreigners having religious debates, caravans coming and going, a main trading centre, and well as the centre for the entire Mongolian empire. |
| Day 10: | Tsensher Hotsprings. In the morning of Day 10 we will head to the beautiful Erdene Zuu Monastery. It was built starting in 1586 and continued for over 300 years and was the first centre of Lama Buddhism in Mongolia. At its peak the monastery housed over 1000 monks and held 62 temples. In the 1930s the monastery suffered greatly in the Communist religious purges and most of the temples were destroyed and monks killed. Luckily, there has been a great effort to restore it and today provides some idea of its former greatness. If we are lucky we can see monks chanting. Later we continue our way to the Tseren Hotsprings (about 4 hours drive). They are located in about 30 kilometres from Karakorum. The place is very popular among both locals and tourists - hot waters are said to have healing powers. The ger camp nearby is the perfect place for relaxation. You can chose to spend time in the natural hot spa, or go horseback riding, or chat with locals and play snooker with your drivers (they are very good at it!) |
| Days 11-12: | Great White Lake. About 6 hours drive on Day 11 takes us through some very unique scenery: gjgged, black volcanic rock, mountains rising in the distance, rolling hills. Ger camp at the lake shore is situated in a National Park. It is one of the most beautiful areas in the county. There are lots of options how to spend Day 12. The lake is great for swimming or fishing, and the hills nearby fantastic for hiking for views and animal watching or horseback riding. Some interesting lava formations and the chance to hike down into the centre of a long extinct volcano wait for us here as well. |
| Day 13: | Grasslands. Our drive, around 10 hours, takes us deep into the steppe to really experience the nomad life as we head towards the lake. A wonderful opportunity to experience nomadic life up close and personal, practice your Mongolian language skills or perhaps try your hand at yak milking. Depending on the size of the nomadic family and their gers, accommodations can be very basic. In case if nomads can't provide enough space for our group, we will camp nearby (camping gear is provided). |
| Days 14-16: | Khovsgol Lake. A long drive (around 9 hours) along stunning Mongolian steppes takes us to Khovsgol Lake, the largest lake in Mongolia. The protected national park is the home to several of the ethnic minorities and has spectacular scenery of evergreen forests, flowering meadows, grasslands and small streams. On Days 15 and 16 you will have free time to do optional activities like horseback riding, meeting a family of fishermen making smoked fish, hike the hills, or if you are brave, jump in the icy waters of the lake. One of the best things to do is to follow your drivers down to the lake and have fishing competition (whatever you catch will be your dinner!) |
| Days 17-18: | Selenge River. Our journey continues as we head towards the beautiful Selenge River stopping in Bulgan first (approximately 8 hours). Spectacular scenery once again is enjoyed throughout the drive and once we arrive as well. The river is the largest in Mongolia, and eventually makes its way to Lake Baikal (in Russia). Some wonderful areas to take in the local life here, a little different from other areas as the families are living along the river. As on previous days, our stay with nomad family depends on how many gers the family has and whether they can accommodate us. Otherwise we will simply camp nearby (camping gear is provided). On Day 18 we continue our journey along Selenge River (about 6 hours). This night we spend in a small ger camp. There is a small volcano nearby for those who want a good hike. |
| Day 19: | Khustai National Park. In the morning of day 19 we continue our drive (almost 8 hours) to Khustai National Park. Home to the last of the truly wild horses in the world, the Park is a our chance to see the Takhi horses in their natural environment. At one point there were none in the wild, but after a hugely successful captive breeding program in various worldwide zoos, they were reintroduced. |
| Day 20: | Ulaan Bataar. On Day 20 we will head back to the capital (about 3 hours). Last glimpse at the grasslands before we will be ready to explore Ulaan Baatar once again. Head the museums and shops you may have missed at the beginning of the trip, or maybe just head to a restaurant for a relaxing drink or see a local troupe preserving the rich heritage of song and dance of Mongolia. In the evening we'll get together once again - for final night dinner. |
| Day 21: | Ulaan Baatar - departure day. You may depart at any time on Day 21. |
traveller reviews for Holiday in Mongolia
Most memorable was the solar eclipse. Also visiting a nomadic family one night. (more)
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. how this holiday makes a difference
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Group size: In order to keep the environmental and negative social impact of travel to a minimum, we operate this tour with a maximum of 15 passengers.
Accommodation: The majority of our hotels are small, locally owned and family operated establishments. This tour includes two homestay nights, which will give our travellers an opportunity to experience the Mongolian way of life firsthand. This tour also includes eight nights in a traditional Mongolian ger. Local guides and operators: By working with local guides and operators, we provide economic benefits directly to the local people and businesses. Our local guides are experts in flora, fauna, history, culture, and provide our travellers with insight into local knowledge. Tour leaders: Our tour leaders receive special training in low-impact travel and regional conservation issues and projects. They are also provided with a Sustainable Travel Manual. Tour leaders are selected based on their knowledge of, and commitment to sustainable travel. All our tour leaders speak English and have first aid and CPR certification. Our foundation: Through our commitment to responsible tourism we have developed our own foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of people and communities around the world through support of international charities, local organizations and community projects in the places that we visit on our tours.  Through this, we support Seva Canada Society, an international non-governmental organization dedicated to the elimination of preventable and treatable blindness. Seva has worked in Nepal and India for 25 years and more recently in Tibet and Tanzania. Today, nearly 40 million people are blind with ninety percent of the world’s blind living in developing countries. Another 135 million have debilitating low vision. The good news is that most of this blindness can be prevented or cured. Half of the world’s blindness is caused by cataract that is reversible with a 15-minute operation costing $20 - $50 in most developing countries. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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