Great Naadam Festival & Gobi Desert Group Tour

Great Naadam Festival & Gobi Desert Group Tour

The group departure is available between 11 and 21 July, 2020.
The group departure is available between 2 and 12 July, 2020.

Naadam Festival is the major highlight of the Mongolian festivals and the most famous national holiday. There is plenty to feast you and attract your attention such as traditional wrestling, archery and open field horse races of different horse age categories, magnificent opening and closing ceremony of the festival and the people themselves feasting proudly in colorful traditional dresses and much more. Combining the festival tour with a visit to the vast expanses of the Gobi provides you a nice escape from the buzzing cities. The Mongolian Gobi is the least populated area in the world but has a lot see and experience ranging from endless steppes edges with the horizon, the spotless blue sky during daytime and bright stars at nights, the world rare two-humped camel riding experiences, natural scenery, nomadic life and more.

Itinerary

Day 1: July 11: Participate in the Naadam Festival

Stop At: Naadam Center, Chinggis avenue-6, Stadium Orgil G-201, Ulaanbaatar Mongolia
Meet with the guide and driver. Visit to the Naadam Festival stadium. The national holiday Naadam is not only famous among Mongolians but also in the world. Many tourists, guests and journalists come to Mongolia to take part. The Festival starts with a transferring ceremony of the nine white banners from the Government House to the Naadam Stadium followed by a horse parade. Genghis Khaan used to use the nine banners during festive and peaceful times. Next, the magnificent opening ceremony starts. Traditional wrestling, archery and horse race are main highlights of the festival. As well as, you will see anklebone shooting and Naadam trade starting from Naadam main dish Huushuur, souvenirs, traditional clothes and much more.
Duration: 5 hours

Meals included:
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: 3* Hotel

Day 2: July 12: The festival continues, see horse race

Stop At: Khui Doloon Khudag, Songino Khairkhan, Mongolia
In the morning, drive to the horse racing area, 30 km west of Ulaanbaatar. The horses race on the open steppes by age category (6 ages): from two-year-old horse to full-grown stallions. The racing distance depends on horses’ age. For example, two-year-old horses race 15 km, while the full-grown horses race 30km in the open field. Today, you can have a choice of 4 years old horses’ race or 2 years old horses’ race. In the afternoon, drive south of Bogd Khaan Mountain and have an overnight at a ger camp.
Duration: 5 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Tourist ger camp

Day 3: July 13: Baga Gazariin Chuluu Mountains

Stop At: Baga Gazriin Chuluu (Small Rock Formation), Delgertsogt Mongolia
Start the countryside tour to Baga Gazariin Chuluu, a zone of granite stone mountains; the highest peak is 1700 m above sea level. It has been keeping some historical remains such as ruin of a monastery, ancient tombs, etc. Challenge your imagination seeing unique features of the granite formations in Baga Gazariin Chuluu, discover ruin of the old monastery and enjoy the emptiness of the Gobi desert.
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Tourist ger camp

Day 4: July 14: Tsagaan Suvarga colorful mud cliffs

Stop At: Tsagaan Suvarga (White Stupa), Mongolia
Travel to Tsagaan Suvarga, means "White Stupa.” It is one of the most famous highlights in the Gobi. Tsagaan Suvarga is a beautiful natural formation of colorful, massive mud cliffs look like stupas. Hiking through the cliffs and take pictures.
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Tourist ger camp

Day 5: July 15: Gobi Gurban Saikhan Mountain National Park and visit Eagle Valley

Stop At: Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park Mongolia
The Gobi Gurban Saikhan means "Three beautiful mountains in the Gobi.” The Gobi Gurban Saikhan Mountain is a beautiful national park itself rich in wildlife and scenic places. Among them, Yoliin Am/Eagle Valley is the accessible one by car. After our car parks at an allowed area, gentle hiking through the beautiful valley into depths sheer rock canyon, which accepts no sunlight. Therefore, it has ice until the end of June. The hiking continues 2.5 to 3 hours on the two ways. Golden eagles, very shy wild sheep and ibexes are indigenous to the valley.
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Tourist ger camp

Day 6: July 16: Khongor sand dunes, visit nomads and camel riding

Stop At: Khongoryn Els, Gobi Desert, Dalanzadgad 212503 Mongolia
The journey will continue to Khongor, the largest sand dunes. After reaching the sand dunes, go hiking along the green river shore, climb sand dunes, visit a nomad family and have an hour camel riding. If you can climb one of the tallest sand dunes, don't forget to spread the sand northwards against the wind to find the reason why locals call the sand dunes "Singing Sand.” The views are fantastic from the top of the sand dunes.
Duration: 5 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Tourist ger camp

Day 7: July 17: Flaming Cliffs

Stop At: Bayanzag Saxual Forest, Mongolia
Our adventure will continue to the Flaming Cliffs, where American explorer Roy Chapman Andrews found the cemetery of dinosaurs and the first dinosaur eggs ever discovered in the world. You will have some hiking through the cliffs in search of dinosaur fossils may found and see the Gobi tree grove named “Bayanzag.” Bayanzag means “rich in saxaul trees.”

This tree only grows in Central Asian Gobi.
Duration: 5 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Tourist ger camp

Day 8: July 18: Drive to Ongi Monastery on the vast expanse of Ongi steppes

Stop At: Ongi Monastery, Saikhan-Ovoo Mongolia
Drive first through slate mountains and next on 80 km Ongi steppes heading Ongi Monastery. Ongi Monastery was one of the biggest seven monasteries in Mongolia. There were two separate monasteries consisted of more than 30 temples on the shores of the Ongi River surrounded by the Gobi mountains. The temples destroyed during the socialist purge of the 1930s. Now the ruins of the monasteries involve a vast area. Visit a new active temple, a ger museum, explore the monastery ruins and climb a nearby mountain to have views of the surrounding areas from up.
Duration: 5 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Tourist ger camp

Day 9: July 19: Ancient Monastery Erdenezuu & Kharkhorin in the Orkhon Valley

Stop At: Erdene Zuu Monastery, Kharkhorin 62090 Mongolia
Today’s tour takes place in the transition zone from the Gobi desert to mountain steppes. Kharkhorin, formerly known as Kharakhorum, was once a capital of Genghis Khaan's Great Mongol Empire in the 13th century. After the move of Mongolian capital to Beijing, and the fall of the Empire, Karakorum was abandoned and then destroyed by Manchurian soldiers in 1388. Today, in the vast valley of the Orkhon River, awe-inspiring ancient monastery Erdenezuu coexists with Kharkhorin town. See some valuable religious articles in the monastery museum, view its stunning architecture and visit the Kharakhorum Museum display remnants of the ancient city.
Duration: 7 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Tourist ger camp

Day 10: July 20: Visit nomads, horseback riding and drive back Ulaanbaatar

Stop At: Elsen Tasarkhai, Rashaant, Mongolia
Today is the last day to spend in the beautiful countryside of Mongolia. On our way to Ulaanbaatar, visit a horse herding nomad family and have some horse riding. You also join the nomads for lunch. Arrive in Ulaanbaatar and check in a hotel.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Tourist ger camp

Day 11: July 21: Departure from Ulaanbaatar

Stop At: Ulaanbaatar Railway Station, Teeverchid Street, Ulaanbaatar Mongolia
The driver transfers you to the railway station/airport.
Duration: 1 hour

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