8 Days Naadam Festival and Gobi Desert

8 Days Naadam Festival and Gobi Desert

Central Asian Expedition led by American researcher and explorer Roy Chapman Andrews brought home the first ever recorded dinosaur eggs found from Desert of Mongolia. Imagine yourself eye witnessing the great Flaming Cliffs where all the fossils and eggs were discovered while enjoying the dusk. Wonders of Gobi will continue with long stretches of Khongor sand dunes which lie within Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park.
The Naadam festival is the biggest yet most jubilant national celebration for Mongolians. The Festival consists of three main games referred as “Three Manly Sports” such as traditional wrestling, horse racing and archery. In the aisles of the Central Stadium, both archery and the fourth Naadam game- ankle bone shooting will surely capture your interest. Hundreds of herders with their race horses will rush from various parts of the country to participate the biggest race. We kindly recommend booking in advance our Naadam Festival Tour.

Itinerary

Day 1: Naadam Festival

Stop At: Töv, Mongolia
Ulaanbaatar – via Central Stadium –Khui Doloo khudag – Ulaanbaatar 90km
• 7:30 Departure from “Mongolia Vision Tours”.
• 8:00 Breakfast provided at local restaurant.
• 9:00 Stop at Chinggis Khaan Square to view the marching of 9 White Banner of State from Parliament House to Central Stadium escorted with colorfully dressed Mongolian National Army.
• 10:00 Arrive at Central Stadium. The Festival will be officially opened by the welcoming speech of President of Mongolia. Following the opening ceremony, a grand cortege is held including the ceremonial parade of adult and children representing nomadic culture, history and ethnic people of the country eventually escorted with folk music and dance. Further, you can pay a visit to archery competitions where participants can only rely on their sharp eye, firm hand and rich experience to release the arrow. The targets are usually a fist-sized leather balls which are placed in 60ms distance from women and 70ms for men contestants. Enjoy the game of ankle bone shooting. First round of wrestling match starts right after the opening ceremony.
• 12:30 Later on drive to Khui Doloon Khudag an area where horse races are held. It’s hard to imagine a Mongolian or a nomad without their horses. Mongolians possess a great heritage of horse culture as part of their daily living. The best winner horses across the country gather in Ulaanbaatar for the most important National race. Mongolian people have been training their horses genuinely in their nature and winning the race during State Naadam festival will definitely bring them tremendous joy and glory.
• Depending on driving hours and traffic conditions lunch will be picnic package.
• After witnessing horses arriving at finish line guest shall be back at the bus for short afternoon tea break. Drive back to Ulaanbaatar, since all the viewers of horse race will return towards the city, driving may be little longer than expected.

Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: • Overnight optional : hotel or hostel

Day 2: The granite formations of Baga Gazriin Chuluu

Stop At: Mandalgovi, Mandalgovi, Dundgovi Province
Ulaanbaatar – Baga Gazriin Chuluu 250km
• Visit one of the few rocky mountains of Gobi, Baga Gazriin Chuluu where you will find gorgeous looking granite rock formations shaped in different forms eroded by wind and other violent elements of Gobi. During mid 18th century some high ranked and locally respected Buddhist monks lived in the area, as evidence of their existence we will see some temple ruins and inscriptions on the rock. According to some historical sources, Chinggis Khaan also had lived here. It’s a great location for some pleasant hike.

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 / nomadic family ger

Day 3: The great white stupa in the desert

Stop At: Dalanzadgad, Dalanzadgad, Omnogovi Province
Baga Gazriin Chuluu – White stupa 220km
• Today we will be driving thru vast and empty rocky desert and semi-arid steppe to reach out White Stupa. Mongolians always have admired and honored this unique natural formation of 30ms height, abrupt, stupa shaped slopes as White Stupa. The place definitely will remind travelers some lunar landscape with its mystery of fossils hidden underneath and stunning color combinations. The area deemed to be bottom an ancient ocean.

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

Day 4: Three beautiful mountains- Gobi Gurvan Saikhan

Stop At: Dalanzadgad, Dalanzadgad, Omnogovi Province
White stupa – Yoliin am 225km
• Today we will reach Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park which covers some chain of mountain ranges as the southern end of the Gobi-Altai Mountain range. Gurvan Saikhan literally meaning “Three Beauties” referred to the highest three peaks of the range which is almost over 2800ms.
• Hiking in the Yoliin Am or Bearded Vulture’s canyon. Regarding the snowfall and shade in the canyon, oftentimes there formed a high layer of ice cover which sometimes will stay till mid July. During our walk, we may either walk on top or bottom, or just see the parts of this ice. The canyon is surrounded with steep Rocky Mountains creating some shade which is pleasant to hike thru during hot days of Gobi desert. During out hike, you may notice some rodents such as pica and ground squirrel along with colorful wild flowers and plants. Although mountains are the home for wildlife like ibex, mountain goat and argali, the wild sheep, spotting these animals will purely depend on fortune.
• Continue driving towards to Dungenee canyon where we can start another beautiful hike along the stream in the canyon.

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 / tent

Day 5: Khongor sand dunes

Stop At: Dalanzadgad, Dalanzadgad, Omnogovi Province
Gobi Gurvan Saikhan - Khongor sand dunes 180km
• Continue driving to west of the park to Khongor sand dunes which are known as the highest and biggest dunes in the country.
• Stop at Khongoriin Els or Khongor sand dunes. These are the most astonishing dunes of Mongolia with extension of over 180kms length and around 3-15kms width and average height is 80ms. The highest dune is 200ms and from the top these dunes you will capture amazing view of Gobi with the most beautiful sunrise and sunset. When you climb the dunes they shift and cause a sound of vibration which very much resembles to the sound of an airplane hence it’s also called Singing Dunes.
• When you are in Gobi, you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to get on the Bactrian Camels. It’s obviously is one of the remarkable experiences to trek on the camels along the dunes, on the green lush down the foot of the dunes. Our camel riding will last until we reach a small oasis where there are some Gobi bushes and shrubs. Camels are great lovers of Saxaul shrubs and it’s considered as the most precious wood in the desert for its outstanding survival and growth on desert soil. You will surely enjoy the pristine nature and high mountains during the 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

Day 6: The flaming cliffs of Bayanzag

Stop At: Dalanzadgad, Dalanzadgad, Omnogovi Province
Khongor sand dunes– Bayanzag 150km
• Arrive at the cliffs of Bayanzag, most commonly known as “Flaming Cliffs” for its bister red color which is the cradle of dinosaurs. A Saxaul forest not far from the cliffs and cliffs themselves are true evidences of the time when Earth was still inhabited by massive creatures-the dinosaurs. American explorer Roy Andrews Chapman was the first to reveal dinosaur fossils and eggs in 1922 from Bayanzag and other neighboring localities which are today displayed in Mongolian dinosaur museums in Ulaanbaatar and other museums around the world.

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

Day 7: Zorgol Khairkhan Mountain

Stop At: Töv, Mongolia
Bayanzag – Zorgol Khairkhan 320km

• This locally sacred mountain name was mentioned in the “Mongolian Secret History”. This 20kms long granite rock mountain has all sizes of caves, sources of mineral springs and home for mountain goats and sheep, eagles and hawks. Also around the mountain there were found several ancient burial sites of Mongol warriors. According to traditional Mongolian shamanic beliefs, names of holy, sacred mountains shouldn’t be pronounced whilst you are there. Optional for hiking and moderate climbing.

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 camping out in the tent.

Day 8: Back to 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.