Journey to the roots of nomadic culture and beautiful nature in Mongolia 12N/13D

Journey to the roots of nomadic culture and beautiful nature in Mongolia 12N/13D

Highlights of the tour.
- See all-natural beauties in one tour: Gobi desert, endless grassland, and steppe, forest mountains and rivers
- Study nomadic culture and way of life together with nomads: nomadic way of traveling (horse riding), making all kinds of dairy products, making delicacies of nomadic food, milking different domesticated animals, nomadic games, making nomadic hand-made products made of natural raw materials
- Having only eco foods
- Beneficial to local communities and intellectually beneficial to travelers in terms of getting to know new, but ancient by history cultures and traditions.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Ulaanbaatar

Stop At: Ulaanbaatar Department Store, Peace Avenue-57 Sukhbaatar district, Ulaanbaatar 14250 Mongolia
Our rep meets the guests and transfers to the hotel. Hotel check-in.
The rest of the day is on guest's disposal either for sightseeing or restaurants or other. Overnight at the hotel.

Duration: 2 hours

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: A 3-star hotel

Day 2: Ulaanbaatar-Khognokhan mountain

Stop At: Elsen Tasarkhai, Mongolia
In the morning, our guide-interpreter joins the guests at the hotel and transfer to the long-distance bus terminal and get on board. The journey heads west, covers about 273kms for about 4 hours and arrives in Rashaant village, Bulgan province. A staff of Khankhar-Uul tourist resort meets the customers with car and takes to Elsen tasarkhai sand dunes. Thus, the guests find themselves in the part of Gobi desert. Take some walking through sand dunes on bare foot and try short camelback riding. Have a box lunch in the nature and transfer to the resort. 12kms. Check-in to ger (traditional Mongolian dwelling set up as guest accommodation). Take a walk around surrounding nature.
After dinner, rest in traditional ger, in nature’s calm.

Duration: 20 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch: Lunch box
• Dinner
Accommodation included: In a traditional ger as a yurt.

Day 3: Khognokhan mountain

Stop At: Erdene Khamba Monastery, Mongolia
A whole day for free and light walking through vast grassland to see Erdenekhamba temple located in about 4kms.
Back to the resort and take a lunch. Then, visit a nomadic family, which is quite nearby the resort.

Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: In a traditional ger as a yurt


Day 4: Khognokhan mountain – Khishig Undur village

Stop At: Bulgan Province, Bulgan Province
Member of the 1st host family will come covering 150kms to pick up their guests at the resort and drive north.
Stop at remnants of an ancient fortress dating back to 6th century of our era-a period of Kidan dynasty, predecessors of Turkic dynasty.
After about 4 hours drive, arrive at the 1st host family, the family of Mr.Bulgan. A welcome, family lunch prepared by the hostess of the family.
Mr.Bulgan’s family has been growing hundreds of sheep, goats, cow and horses for about 20 years and a prominent family in the village.
They are fully engaged with receiving baby animals, combing down cashmere wool from hundreds of goats in the spring, in the summer, they shear 100s of sheep, hold horses to milking their mares & making (brewing) fermented milk a kind of wine (milking mares start after 1 June), milking cows by hand to get milk and make such dairy products as “orom”-thick film of fat got after heating up the raw milk in pot, yoghurt, cheese and dry yoghurt and etc. Except shearing sheep wool, all other daily works done in autumn the same as in summer time. Another traditional and nomadic brew made of milk is a kind of mild vodka distilled any time. In autumn, every nomadic family goes to grasslands to mow hay in big quantity for winter feeding the animals. It occurs in August and beginning of September. Thus, everything that nomads consume in their daily life is only eco, as the water the animals drink, the grass they feed, the environment they live in, are all natural, no fertilizers, no contamination and no pollution.
This is how Mongolian nomads live in full harmony with mother-nature.
Thus, we are bringing up a rare opportunity to enjoy this tour while studying, exploring and even engaging in the nomadic lifestyle, which stays in full harmony with the mother-nature.
Overnight in guests ger.

Duration: 1 day

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: In a ger as yurt

Day 5: Mr. Bulgan’s family

Stop At: Bulgan Province, Bulgan Province
The host family will teach the guests how to milk cow, mare (milking mares start after 1 June) and look after sheep & goat herds. Also, the hostess of the family will teach the guests how to make dairy products and the guests can enjoy tasting freshly made products made by themselves.
Overnight in guests ger.

Duration: 1 day

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: A ger as a yurt

Day 6: Horseback riding to Orkhon river

Stop At: Bulgan Province, Bulgan Province
Today is the day of another entertainment. Enjoy horse riding, travel about 25kms for 2-3hrs through the countryside where the guests will meet only local nomads. No tourists. The river is longest in Mongolia, blocked with tremendous cliffs from 2 sides and edged with beautiful nature.
Visit a local nomadic family and take lunch together with them.
After arriving at the river, set up a tent right on the bank. Walk or go on horseback along the river.
In the evening, set bonfire and cook a dinner by themselves and enjoy. Rest in the tent.
Horses will be taken care by the horse guide guy.

Duration: 20 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: In a tent

Day 7: Orkhon river-Bulgan’s family

Stop At: Bulgan Province, Bulgan Province
The horse guide will bring “orom”, “boortsog” and hot milk tea from a family, which is nearest and the guests enjoy simple breakfast.
Pack the tent and ride back to Bulgan’s family.
After arrival, take a lunch.
Afternoon, the guests can do things as accompanying the host during marmot hunting or going after horse herds or churn mare’s milk (milking mares start after 1 June) held in 200 l cylinder tank for 1-2hrs, which is the way of fermenting and making tasty fermented mare’s milk (milking mares start after 1 June).
Overnight in guests ger.

Duration: 20 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: In a ger

Day 8: Change 1st host family to the next family

Stop At: Bulgan Province, Bulgan Province
Today, another nomadic family, Mr.Enkhbat’s family will come to Bulgan’s family to pick the guests up. The 2nd family will come with horses and guests will move there while doing horseback riding again. It’s about 5kms, easy and short ride, goes through beautiful nature.
Build up a tent close to the family ger and guests will overnight in the tent next 2 days.
The hostess of the new family will cook and host with delicious Mongolian food-“buuz” for lunch.
Guests will be given a chance to learn how to make “buuz” and further delicacies on spot.
Guests can do what they wish like helping the family in taking care of animals or walking around or help the hostess while she is milking mares.
The hostess of this family likes to make hand-woven accessories like hats, stockings, and colorful embroideries.
Enkhbat’s family grows also hundreds of sheep, goats, cow and horses like Bulgan’s family and well respected by locals.
They are nomads in generations.

Duration: 20 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: In a tent

Day 9: Horse riding to forest mountain

Stop At: Bulgan Province, Bulgan Province
If the guests took a tour to Orkhon river while staying with Bulgan’s family, today the tour will take them to “Zalaat” mountain range on horseback.
The mountain is covered with birch tree forest and willow, just less than an hour ride west to get there. After about another hour riding up the mountain, the riders will get on top of it. It opens really stunning and breathtaking view of the surroundings.
Have box lunch in the beautiful nature.
Afternoon, after coming back to the family, the horse riding ends.
For the dinner, the guests will be introduced to how “khuushuur” is made. This is another delicious food of us, which everyone loves. Taste and smell! This food is prepared for rare guests.
The dinner will be farewell party hosted by the family and the neighbors may be invited. Drinking mare’s fermented milk (milking mares start after 1 June), singing and cheering up.
The guests will have a chance to learn games and funs that nomads enjoy.

Duration: 20 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch: Lunch box
• Dinner
Accommodation included: In a tent

Day 10: Khishig Undur village – Khustain Nuruu National Park

Stop At: Khustain Nuruu National Park, Ulaanbaatar Mongolia
Thus, 7 days with nomads finishes today.
Mr.Enkhbat’s family will take the guests to the village center, guests get on local passenger transportation car, which is comfortable one, bye, bye and start towards Ulaanbaatar.
After about 180kms and 4hrs drive, drop off at Khustain nuruu NP tourist camp. Check-in to ger.
Visit to NP information center to have general introduction to the NP.
In the evening, walk up to Khustai mountain to watch and take photos of grazing wild horses and some other wild animals. This NP is only NP functioning in strict environment and wildlife protection since 1992 after some wild horses called “Przhewalsky horses”, brought back from Czech, Netherlands and Ukraine to reintroduce to their historic homeland, which is Mongolia.
At the beginning, the NP counted about 50 heads of wild horses and now there are already over 600 heads of them living in big herds.
Overnight at the NP camp in comfortable ger

Duration: 18 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: In a ger as yurt

Day 11: Khustain Nuruu NP-Ulaanbaatar

Stop At: Khustain Nuruu National Park, Ulaanbaatar Mongolia
Walk around in NP to shoot photos of nature, wildlife and animals.
Leave for Ulaanbaatar by a private car, 120kms, about 2hrs.
Check-in to the hotel.
The rest of the activity is on the guests' own arrangement in Ulaanbaatar.
Overnight at the hotel.

Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: In a 3 star hotel

Day 12: Whole day in Ulaanbaatar

Stop At: Ulaanbaatar City Museum, Peace Avenue, Ulaanbaatar Mongolia
On guests' own arrangement: They can go visit museums, monasteries, and shops.
Overnight at the hotel.

Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: A 3-star hotel

Day 13: Transfer to the airport or train station and departure home

Stop At: Ulaanbaatar, Ulaanbaatar
Transfer to the airport or train station and departure home.
If the traveler departures from the new airport that expecting to open in 2020, a minimal surcharge may apply.
Duration: 2 hours

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