12 Days EXPLORE THE BEAUTY OF NORTHERN MONGOLIA WITH DANSHIG RELIGIOUS

12 Days EXPLORE THE BEAUTY OF NORTHERN MONGOLIA WITH DANSHIG RELIGIOUS

Mongolia always boasts with its colorful festivals which generously demonstrate its lifelong traditions and culture of Mongolian Nomads. During this trip you will be given opportunity to attend Mongolian traditional Danshig Festival which is unique combination of both religious and traditional festivities. Further on, you will also enjoy the true Mongolian Horse culture at the Horsemen Festival in Arkhangai. Khuvsgul, the largest freshwater lake located in the northern part is considered as a Blue Pearl of vast Mongolia. The area covered with pine and larch forest, rolling hills and high towering rocky mounts adds nuance to pristine crystal clear water of the locally respected Mother Sea perfectly matching the name Mongolian Switzerland. Northern Mongolia is also home of several ethnic groups such as Darkhad and Tuvan people or likewise known as Dukhan Reindeer people. For those Dukhans are the main source of their living and culture and they still continue living in their tepees.

Itinerary

Day 1: Danshig Festival- Opening ceremony

Stop At: Töv, Mongolia
• Depart from Ulaanbaatar to the venue where the Danshig Naadam takes place. Hence the event itself is dedicated to the honor of first Mongolian leader Zanabazar; the opening will be escorted with chanting of group of Lamas. Following the opening rituals, the opening tournaments of wrestling matches will begin in the field.
• One of the highlights of this event is Tsam or Religious Mask Dancing. Tsam is a Tibetan word which means to defeat the enemies completely. This Religious Mask dancing is an important religious ritual which shows Buddhist teaching thru artistic way with elaborately decorated costumes of religious apostles. By the various wrathful features of protector deities it demonstrates victory of Buddhist wisdom over the ignorance. Each scene tells a story with a very precise narrative content. Masks are usually made of paper mache an inlaid with various precious and semi-precious stones.

Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Lunch: We would prepare everything /vegan, vegetarian and meat/
• Dinner: We would prepare everything /vegan, vegetarian and meat/

Accommodation included: • Overnight optional camping out or nomadic family ger

Day 2: Naadam Day

Stop At: Töv, Mongolia
• Today is the second day of the festival which will continue with some archery contests and horse racing. Here you will not only enjoy the popular games but also visit Gers that are brought by different local areas presenting their local specialties. Follow the awarding ceremony for the winners of the festival.
• Continue our trip to Khustai National Park.

Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch: We would prepare everything /vegan, vegetarian and meat/

• Dinner: We would prepare everything /vegan, vegetarian and meat/

Accommodation included: • Overnight optional camping out or nomadic family ger

Day 3: Heading to Amarbayasgalant Monastery

Stop At: Orkhon Province, Orkhon Province
Ulaanbaatar – Amarbayasgalant 350km
• Continue our journey to one of the biggest and well preserved Buddhist Monastery Amarbayasgalant which means a place of “Tranquil Felicity”. This place of pilgrimage was built between 1727-1736 by the order Manchurian King as token of his respect for Mongolian religious leader Zanabazar. The complex consists of 30 temples. During the communist purges, the monastery was able to survive for its great contribution in Mongolian architectural art and invaluable cultural heritage.
• Upon arrival at the site you have opportunities to go for a short hike

Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch: We would prepare everything /vegan, vegetarian and meat/

• Dinner: We would prepare everything /vegan, vegetarian and meat/

Accommodation included: • Overnight with a local family/Tourist ger camp

Day 4: Extinct volcano in the national park

Stop At: Bulgan Province, Bulgan Province
Amarbayasgalant – Uran Togoo National Park 220km
• After breakfast, start our excursion around the monastery. To attend a morning chanting ceremony.
• Start to drive towards to Uran Togoo an extinct volcano crater which is located in Bulgan province on the way to Khuvsgul Lake. Uran literally meaning artistic is a crater almost looks like that its ridges has been carved in very fine craftsmanship. Diameter of circled crater ridge almost about 500ms with 15m depth and surrounded with trees will add color to the scenery.
• Optional climbing and hiking
• Lunch at a local restaurant

Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch: We would prepare everything /vegan, vegetarian and meat/

• Dinner: We would prepare everything /vegan, vegetarian and meat/

Accommodation included: • Overnight with a nomadic family

Day 5: Khuvsgul -Mini Switzerland of Mongolia

Stop At: Khuvsgul, Mongolia
Uran Togoo – Khuvsgul Lake 380km
• Arrive at Khuvsgul Lake which respectfully referred as “Blue Pearl” or “Mother Sea “by locals. The Lake is one of the wonders and top destinations of Mongolia. Khuvsgul Lake is located in the northwest of Mongolia near the Russian border, at the foothills of the eastern Sayan Mountains. It is 1,645 meters (5,397 feet) above sea level, 136 kilometers (85 miles) long and 262 meters (860 feet) deep. Khuvsgul Lake is the deepest lake in Mongolia. It is the second-most voluminous freshwater lake in Asia, and holds almost 70% of Mongolia's fresh water and 0.4% of all the fresh water in the world. Almost hundred springs, rivers and streams flow into the lake when only Egiin Gol River flows out form this gigantic water pool. Plus its water factors, Khuvsgul National Park cover huge percentage of Mongolian forest and primarily Taiga.

Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch: We would prepare everything /vegan, vegetarian and meat/

• Dinner: We would prepare everything /vegan, vegetarian and meat/

Accommodation included: • Overnight with a nomadic family

Day 6: Khuvsgul -Mini Switzerland of Mongolia

Stop At: Khuvsgul Lake, Mongolia
• Morning at leisure. Optional horse riding and hiking. The scenic fields of edelweiss and other colorful flowers, happily grazing yaks and herds of horses will definitely make to wonder around the lake.
• Visit to Reindeer - Tsaatan people

Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch: We would prepare everything /vegan, vegetarian and meat/

• Dinner: We would prepare everything /vegan, vegetarian and meat/

Accommodation included: • Overnight optional : Tourist ger camp or nomadic family

Day 7: Exploring the Steppe

Stop At: Khuvsgul, Mongolia
Jankhai Mountain Pass– Murun 145km
• Today we will gradually head back to the Steppes of Western and Central Mongolia. On the way stopover by Uushigiin valley where you can see complex of deer stone monuments erected besides the burial sites dating back to early Bronze Age era over some 4000 years ago. Deer stones were part of the ancient funeral practices and were mainly dedicated to express common people’s mourning over their great warriors and military leaders. There are 14 deer stones and one of the exclusive monuments is a deer stone with a human face.
• Short stop in Murun city for fresh supplies at the market
Murun - Zuun Lake 130km
• Journey of the hills and steppes. As we go deeper in the remote valleys, landscapes will change dramatically into barren plains with beautiful green meadows. The Mountain passes are over 2000ms above the sea level. Great photo opportunities.

Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch: We would prepare everything /vegan, vegetarian and meat/

• Dinner: We would prepare everything /vegan, vegetarian and meat/

Accommodation included: • Overnight optional: Tourist ger camp or nomadic family

Day 8: The Great White Lake of Mongolia

Stop At: Arkhangai Province, Arkhangai Province
Zuun Lake – Khorgo-Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur National Park 180km
• Road to Khorgo-Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur National Park which is located in Arkhangai province and created by a volcanic eruption. The Lake is called White Lake by locals as a symbol respect to the nature and water. There are few kinds of fish were found in the lake.

Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch: We would prepare everything /vegan, vegetarian and meat/

• Dinner: We would prepare everything /vegan, vegetarian and meat/

Accommodation included: • Overnight optional: Tourist ger camp or nomadic family

Day 9: The Great White Lake of Mongolia

Stop At: Arkhangai Province, Arkhangai Province
• Hiking along the shore of the Lake. Visit to an extinct volcano Khorgo which is on the height of 2240ms. From the top of the Volcano you will enjoy the amazing lava flows covered with forest and splendid view of the lake. Some thousands of years old lava flow formed an original scene that has never seen elsewhere in Mongolia.
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch: We would prepare everything /vegan, vegetarian and meat/

• Dinner: We would prepare everything /vegan, vegetarian and meat/

Accommodation included: • Overnight optional: Tourist ger camp or nomadic family ger

Day 10: Relaxing in Tsenkher hot springs

Stop At: Tsetserleg, Tsetserleg, Arkhangai Province
White Lake National park –Tsenkher hot springs –via Tsetserleg city -220km
• Arrive in Tsetserleg city, the center of Arkhangai province. It’s a lovely small city situated in an amazing valley of forested mountains. Visit to local museum which displays rich items of ethnography, history and culture of the Mongolian people. Short stop at the market for supplies.
• Arrive at Tsenkher Hot springs. It is one of the biggest Mongolia’s hot springs, has a temperature of 86 degrees with high flow rate and high alkalinity and relatively high amounts of fluoride. The hot spring is mostly used for relaxing and restoring your health. Here we will have a hot tub outside and enjoy cold beer and beautiful scenery. Optional hiking and hot tub with natural sulphur spa. A great place for wild flower observers.

Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch: We would prepare everything /vegan, vegetarian and meat/

• Dinner: We would prepare everything /vegan, vegetarian and meat/

Accommodation included: • Overnight at the tourist ger camp

Day 11: Joy of desert in Khugnu Khan Nature Reserve

Stop At: Bulgan Province, Bulgan Province
● Arrive at Khugnu Khaan Nature Reserve today which is a combination of all kinds of natural settings such as mountains, forest, steppe, desert, small lake and mineral water spring all in same location forming unique scenery and representation of different natural zones. The area is perfect for hiking, climbing and horse riding.
• Horse trekking to the ruins of Erdene Khamba Monastery which dates from 17th century with the perfect location of concealing and escaping the wind and cold of the steppe in the granite mountain. Later restored by a local nun and operating as a small place of pilgrimage for locals.
• Visit Dunes of Elsen Tasarkhai on the camel back.

Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch: We would prepare everything /vegan, vegetarian and meat/

• Dinner: We would prepare everything /vegan, vegetarian and meat/

Accommodation included: • Overnight optional : Tourist ger camp or nomadic family ger

Day 12: Back to the capital Ulaanbaatar

Stop At: Töv, Mongolia
• Return to Ulaanbaatar. On the way you see the herds of horses crossing the roads, smokes of gers fading away and never ending hills and steppe. Arrive in town, transfer to your accommodation.
• If time allows you can do some short city orientation and shopping with our guide.

Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch: We would prepare everything /vegan, vegetarian and meat/

No accommodation included on this day.