14 Days Eastern Mongolia – Birthplace of Great King Tour

14 Days Eastern Mongolia – Birthplace of Great King Tour

General description
Eastern Mongolia has historically always been known as native land of Mongolians. No wonder why the great kings have chosen these vast plains of grassland plentiful of beautiful rivers and lakes. Great stretches of pine forests and land majestically towering holy mountains. Eastern regions probably are one of the less travelled and less discovered destinations of Mongolia. Despite its outstanding historical, archeological and religious sites, east of Mongolia always boosts with its unlimited natural beauties. Thru this trip, we will take around the less visited mysterious elegance of the East.

Itinerary

Day 1: Terelj National Park

Stop At: Töv, Mongolia
Ulaanbaatar –via Terelj National park- Chinggis Statue 130km
• Start taking the road to Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, a place of granite formations created by natural erosions, slopes covered with pine and larch, fields shattered with colorful wild flowers, pristine rivers and lake. Short stop at one of the highlights of the park, Turtle shaped rock and hiking to the Aryapalo Meditation Center.
• Packed picnic lunch
• Visit to Giant Statue of Chinggis Khaan towering with 40ms height on the bank of Tuul River facing symbolically its birthplace, the direction of East. As the legend says, great king found a golden whip, which for nomads meant symbol of immense fortune and victory.
• Optional horse ride along the scenic Tuul River and valley of wild flours and green meadows.

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: Tourist ger camp / local nomadic family

Day 2: Blue Lake and Baldan Bereeven monastery

Stop At: Khentii Province, Khentii Province
Chinggis Khaan statue- via Khukh lake-Baldan Bereeven monastery 170km
• Today we will arrive at one of the important sites relevant to history of Great Mongolian Empire. The name Khar Zurkhnii Khukh Nuur means “Blue Lake of Black Heart”. The Khar Zurkh is the sharp topped mountain on the north side of the lake. Lake area has an unusually beautiful landscape and abundant flora and fauna. Regarding it historic importance, here Temuujin, after uniting separate tribes, he was enthroned in 1189 as a Great King and bestowed title of “Chinggis Khaan” which means “King of Oceans”. Currently as a memory of this event, in the forested shore of the lake, there is a complex of wood carved monuments of 36 kings of royal family and other important figures of Great Mongolian Empire. A great place for hiking.
• Drive towards to Baldan bereeven monastery in Omnodelger Sum of Khentii province was first built in 1777. The monastery of Baldan Bereeven is surrounded by four mountains each said to resemble an animal: a lion on the east; a dragon on the south; a tiger on the west; and a Garuda on the north. Each cardinal point is also guarded by a Protector Deity. The originally temple was destroyed during the persecutions of the late 1930s .At its peak it was one of the three largest monasteries in Mongolia and home to 1500 lamas. The monastery is currently being restored by tourist-volunteers under the auspices of the American-based Cultural Restoration Tourism Project

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 / local nomadic family ger

Day 3: Uglugchiin Kherem

Stop At: Khentii Province, Khentii Province
Baldan Bereeven monastery – Uglugchiin Kherem 180km
• Today we will continue our journey to a historic site named “Uglugchiin Kherem” which means Alm Givers Wall. Piles of granite stone made up to 3ms high walls is located in the valley of Daichin Mountain. According to the archeological expeditions, the place may have been a royal cemetery of 13th century Mongolians.
• Optional hiking and horse riding

Duration: 6 minutes

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 / local nomadic family ger / tents

Day 4: Legendary Birthplace of Chinggis Khan

Stop At: Khentii Province, Khentii Province
Uglugchiin Kherem- Dadal sum 250km
• Drive to present Dadal village of Khentii province, the birthplace of Chinggis Khaan. As the sources would say, this marvelous landscape of wooded hills was the birthplace of Temuujin, thus for the 800th anniversary of his birth date, there was erected very first statue of Chinggis Khaan in 1962 in area of Deluun Boldog.
• Visit other related sites.

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 / local nomadic family ger

Day 5: Legendary Birthplace of Chinggis Khan

Stop At: Khentii, Mongolia
• Drive to present Dadal village of Khentii province, the birthplace of Chinggis Khaan. As the sources would say, this marvelous landscape of wooded hills was the birthplace of Temuujin, thus for the 800th anniversary of his birth date, there was erected very first statue of Chinggis Khaan in 1962 in area of Deluun Boldog.
• Visit other related sites.

Duration: 6 minutes

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 / local nomadic family ger

Day 6: Choibalsan city

Stop At: Choybalsan, Choybalsan, Dornod
Dadal village – Choibalsan city
• Drive to Choibalsan city, center of Dornod province. Here we will visit local museum and market.

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 local hotel

Day 7: Buir Lake

Stop At: Dornod, Dornod
Choibalsan city- Buir Lake 300km
• After breakfast continue driving to Buir Lake. On the way we will drive around 100kms thru the biggest and flattest steppe of Mongolia, Menengiin Tal.
• Arrive at Lake Buir, which considered only water boundary of Mongolia and the biggest fresh water lake of Eastern region. It has 40ms of length and 21km width. There are several species of fish are found in the lake and is an ideal spot for fishing.
• Sandy shore of the lake allows you to enjoy an afternoon swimming. Optional boat ride.

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 / nomadic family ger / tents

Day 8: Ikh Burkhant Complex

Stop At: Dornod, Dornod
Buir Lake – Ikh Burkhant 80km
• Our today’s destination will be a religious site called Ikh Burkhant complex which has a significant historical, cultural and astrological meanings. It’s a complex where the giant stone monument of Buddhist deity of Compassion, Avalokitasvara magnificently lies on the hillside. The construction of the monumental complex took over 5 years between 1859-1864 by order of local nobility Too Wang who was the initiator and dedicated this specific carving for the well being of his people.
• Except the main monument of the Janraisig, deity of compassion, surrounding it, there were found some 20 images of different guardians and 12 stupas which makes the area as an attractive destination.

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 in the tents.

Day 9: Numrug National Park

Stop At: Dornod, Dornod
Ikh Burkhant – Numrug National park 180km
• Today we will continue our journey with stops around some major historic sites which such monuments devoted for the Battle of Khalkhiin Gol, heroic Russian military officer and victory of the battle. Those monuments were erected to commemorate the battle between Japanese Army and Soviet soldiers due to the Soviet – Japanese border conflict in 1939.
• Later drive to Khalkhiin Gol village and stop at Stone figures of 13th century Mongolian nobles.
• Head to Numrug National Park which is known as ecologically specific with a diverse flora and fauna as any other places in Mongolia. It covers some uninhabited and isolated for eastern boundary of the country. Upon the arrival at the park, an optional hikes around 3 river confluences. Although wildlife observation is the matter of luck, opportunities to spot some faunas such as moose, boars, grey wolves and antelopes.

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 in the tents

Day 10: Dornod Mongol National Park

Stop At: Dornod, Dornod
Numrug National Park- Dornod Mongol National Park 320km
• Our next destination will be so called Mongolian Serengeti or Dornod Mongolian National Park. The Eastern Mongolian Steppe was registered in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2005. In the steppe region of Eastern Mongolia, biological and geographic areas are divided into three different regions. These include the Daurian steppe, the high grasslands of Dornod Mongolia and the Khangai Mountains. The goal of the government to take Dornod Mongolian Strictly Protected Area under state protection in 1993, was to safeguard the preservation of the grassland steppe ecosystem, which is one of the world's most important habitats for gazelles.

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 in the tents.

Day 11: Lkhachinvandad Nature Reserve

Stop At: Sukhbaatar Province, Sukhbaatar Province
Dornod Mongol National park- Lkhachinvandad Mountain 130km
• Today we will arrive at Lkhachinvandad Mountain Nature Reserve which is a home of some abundant wildlife, primarily deer family. It’s almost a pure coincidence that deer was introduced here. According to the facts, a local noble man was given a couple of deer and he localized these deer on this mountain ever since number of deer population has increased significantly. Due to its habitation for deer and other wildlife, the area was taken under state protection in 1965.
• Upon the arrival hike around the area and search for some wildlife.

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 in the tents.

Day 12: Altan Ovoo Extinct Volcano and Shiliin Bogd Holy Mountain

Stop At: Sukhbaatar Province, Sukhbaatar Province
Lkhachinvandad Mountain- Shiliin Bogd 120km
• Today we move onto Shiliin Bogd Mountain, which is the highest peak of flat plains of Sukhbaatar province. A caldera of an extinct volcano is at 1778m height, has an important spiritual meaning for Mongolian people. By rising to top of the mountain before sun rise, men will revive their spirits and fortune. An ideal place for a great sunrise. The place is quite close to the Chinese border, so watch out if you have decided to wonder around.
• Today after breakfast we will start to visiting sites like Altan Ovoo, Ganga Lake, Toroi Bandi monument and Cave of the Steppe. Altan Ovoo is the sacred shrine where Mongolian people come and pay their respects and ensure their lives and fortunes. Ganga Lake has always been associated with Swans. This is the place you can observe and enjoy the water birds. Monument of Toroi Bandi was dedicated to a so called local Robin Hood who fought against and stole horses of Qing rulers and distributed to local pheasants. 200m long cave found literally in the middle of nowhere, in the steppes.

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 in the tents

Day 13: World Energy Center

Stop At: Dornogovi Province, Dornogovi Province
• After breakfast, we will continue to Khamriin Khiid Monastery, a land of Shambala and its founder is 18th century charismatic religious leader and poet Danzanravjaa. He chose particularly this location believing that it contained and beams with super natural energy cultivated in the Gobi. Unfortunately Communist repression also heavily impacted on the monastery and was destroyed in1937. Restoration works began since 1992 and several temples were successfully built over the recent years.
• And later an excursion to Khamriin Hiid monastery and related sites around the area.
• On the way stop at Khusliin Khar Uul, a magic mountains that fulfills wishes of true believers in its power. You can whisper your wishes and ensure your fortune.

Duration: 6 minutes

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: A tourist ger camp / a local hotel

Day 14: Back to the capital

Stop At: Töv, Mongolia
Sainshand- Ulaanbaatar 450km
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
No accommodation included on this day.