Explore the northern part of Mongolia with it´s prestine nature, the great Siberian forest, mountain ranges and the Khuvsgul lake - the second largest freshwater lake in whole Asia. Meet the reindeer people and learn more about their culture and customs. Visit the Amarbayasgalant monastery, an UNESCO World Heritage Site and explore the rich history of the Mongolian people.
For the whole experience, including horse riding to meet the reindeer people (Tsaatan), join the 13 day tour. If you have less time on your hand, or not up for to much adventure, choose the shorter tour. Both options are described in detail below.
Day 1. Amarbayasgalant Monastery
We depart early from Ulaanbaatar and start driving north, towards the province of Khuvsgul. On the way we make a stop at Amarbayasgalant Monastery. Build between 1727 and 1736 and dedicated to Saint Zanabazar, Mongolias first Buddhist saint. This was, between the 17th and 19th centuries, one of the greatest places of Buddhists pilgrims. Under it´s heyday more than a thousand lamas lived here. During the communist era many buildings were destroyed and monks were banished. With the help from UNESCO the monastery has been restored. Today about 50 monks reside here. Amarbayasgalant was designated as an UNESCO World Heritage Site 1996. We stay overnight in ger/yurt.
Day 2. Uran Togoo
The journey continues west and we make a stop at one of Mongolia's largest extinct volcanoes, Uran Togoo. 1,696 meters high and a protected natural monument since 1965. The entire area, the volcano itself with surroundings, is 58 square kilometers large. The protected area is the home to numerous kinds of rare animals such as red deer, wild Argali sheep, Siberian ibex and wild boar. We spend the night camping.
Day 3. Khuvsgul lake
In the afternoon we arrive to lake Khuvsgul. Located in the most northern part of Mongolia, bordering to the great Siberian forest and at the foot of the Sayan Mountains. We spend the night in ger/yurt.
Day 4. Hiking in the mountains
We explore the surroundings and do a day hike up one of the nearby mountains. In the evening we come back to our ger/yurt and enjoy a warm and hearty dinner.
Day 5. Darkhad family
After a couple of hours of driving, we meet the Darkhad family. Here we begin our preparations for the upcoming three-day horse trek. The family will provide us with horses and guides. We spend the night in a ger/yurt.
Day 6. Start of horse trek
Early in the morning we saddle the horses and start riding towards the reindeer people. This is a full day riding. In the afternoon we find a nice spot and pitch our tents.
This is a true adventure and is on the bucket-list for many travelers,You don't have to be an experienced rider or extreme sportsman. All that is required is curiosity, a happy mood and that you feel comfortable with physical activity. If, however, you want to be sure of being able to ride with a helmet, it is good to bring one from home!
Day 7. Reindeer people (Tsaatan)
After half a day of riding, we arrive to a family belonging to the reindeer people (Tsaatan). We enjoy their warm hospitality and learn more about their culture and customs. We spend the night in one of the families tepees.
"Tsaatan" actually means "those who have reindeer in the Mongolian language. It´s an ethnic group, indigenous to Siberia and live in Mongolia, Russia and China. They speak "Tuvan", a Siberian Turkic language, and have historically been livestock-herding nomads for thousands of years. The traditional religion of the Tsaatan is animistic shamanism. Some have converted to Buddhism but the shamanistic elements continue to be very present in the day-to-day practice. In Mongolia Tsaatan live primarily in the Khuvsgul region.
Day 8. Horse trek
After thanking the family for their hopitality, we saddle our horses and set off. This is a full day riding. In the evening we set up camp, cook ourselves a hot meal and sleep soundly in our sleeping bags.
Day 9. Back to the Darkhad family
After about a half day of riding we arrive back to the Darkhad family. The afternoon is spent relaxing, playing games and having some well deserved leisure time. We spend the night in ger/yurt.
Day 10. Murun city
We hop in the jeep/van and drive towards Murun city. We stay in a hostel and can enjoy hot showers, internet access and sleeping indoors.
Day 11. Hutag Undur
After resting and resupplying in Moron we start driving eastwards again, towards Ulaanbaatar. In the evening we find a nice place, along the river Selenge, to pitch our tents.
Day 12. Orkhon river
On our way back towards Ulaanbaatar we pass the Orkhon river. It´s the longest river in Mongolia (1124 km). Also know for it´s many fishes and flourishing wildlife. The last night of the tour we camp along the riverside.
Day 13. Back to Ulaanbaatar
At late evening we reach Ulaanbaatar. We drop you off at your guesthouse/hotell.
Summary
Duration:13 days and 12 nights
Transportation: Jeep, minivan or russian van (type of vehicle depends on group size)
Available: May to October
Price
Tour with 2 people / 1820 $ per person
Tour with 4 people / 1430 $ per person
We are happy to arrange tours with more participants and bigger groups. Just contact us and we will give you a price adjusted to the size of your group.
Included in the tour:
Not included:
Day 1. Amarbayasgalant Monastery
We depart early from Ulaanbaatar and start driving west, towards the province of Khuvsgul. On the way we make a stop at Amarbayasgalant Monastery. Build between 1727 and 1736 and dedicated to Saint Zanabazar, Mongolias first Buddhist saint. This was, between the 17th and 19th centuries, one of the greatest places of pilgrimage in the world for Buddhists of the Mahayana tradition. Under it´s heyday more than a thousand lamas lived here. During the communist era many buildings were destroyed and monks were banished. With the help from UNESCO the monastery has been restored and today about 50 monks reside here. It was designated as an UNESCO World Heritage Site 1996. We stay overnight in ger/yurt.
Day 2. Uran Togoo
The journey continues west and we make a stop at one of Mongolia's largest extinct volcanoes, Uran Togoo. 1,696 meters high and a protected natural monument since 1965. The entire area, the volcano itself with surroundings, is 58 square kilometers large. The protected area is the home to numerous kinds of rare animals such as red deer, wild Argali sheep, Siberian ibex and wild boar. We spend the night camping.
Day 3. Khuvsgul lake
Our journey continue and and we arrive to lake Khuvsgul. Located in the most northern part of Mongolia, bordering to the great Siberian forrest and at the foot of the Sayan Mountains. We start our preparations for the next day horse trek and spend the night in ger/yurt.
Day 4. The reindeer people (Tsaatan)
After breakfast we meet up with our horse guides and start the trek (on horse back). We meet a family belonging to the reindeer people (Tsaatan) and learn more about their culture, customs and generous hospitality.
Tsaatan actually means "those who have reindeer in the Mongolian language. It´s an ethnic group, indigenous to Siberia and live in Mongolia, Russia and China. They speak "Tuvan", a Siberian Turkic language, and have historically been livestock-herding nomads for thousands of years. The traditional religion of the Tsaatan is animistic shamanism. Some have converted to Buddhism but the shamanistic elements continue to be very present in the day-to-day practice. In Mongolia Tsaatan live primarily in the Khuvsgul region. After meeting with the family we ride back and spend the night in ger/yurt.
Day 5. Driving towards Ulaanbaatar
Whole day is dedicated to driving back east, Towards Ulaanbaatar. At dinnertime we find a nice spot and spend the night camping.
Day 6. Back to Ulaanbaatar
At late evening we reach Ulaanbaatar. We drop you off at your guesthouse/hotell.
Price
Tour with 2 people / 780 $ per person
Tour with 4 people / 595 $ per person
We are happy to arrange tours with more participants and bigger groups. Just contact us and we will give you a price adjusted to the size of your group.
Included in the tour:
Not included:
