Grand Mongolia Adventure

Start your 18-day Mongolia private tours from the capital, Ulaanbaatar! On arrival, you’ll be greeted warmly by our guide and the driver and then be sent to the hotel. After that, we will leave the rest of the day to your own plan. You may either wander in the neighborhood or feed yourself in the hotel restaurant with local delicacies. 

 Free Time Suggestion
Wander around Sukhbaatar Square, located at the heart of Ulaanbaatar, where many public events always take place. You may encounter Mongolians in vibrant deels celebrating birthdays or weddings, which makes it undoubtedly a good place to experience the blend of nomadic culture with modern city life. On the south of the square, a Genghis Khan statue was set to commemorate this heroic leader.

 Little-known Fact: Enigmatic Tomb of Genghis Khan
For centuries, Genghis Khan’s tomb has remained a mystery. Some say his grave lies in the Khentii Mountains, where he buried numerous treasures, such as jewels and a sword with secret powers. To avoid being disturbed, Genghis Khan asked his guardians to trample the evidence of his burial site with thousands of horses and execute all people who knew the exact location. Another speculation says that Khan’s body fell off on the way to the Khentii Mountains and was eaten by animals. 

Accommodation: Grand Hill Hotel Ulaanbaatar (4 stars) or similar

After breakfast, please pack your luggage and all your necessities. Our local guide and the driver will come to pick you up and set out to explore the hinterland of Mongolia. Today’s destination will be Baga Gazriin Chuluu, about 260 kilometers (160 miles) or 4 hours’ drive away. The scenic views outside the window will not make the trip boring. Also, you can ask for stops anytime for a rest or to take pictures. Baga Gazriin Chuluu is nicknamed the “Mongolia Grand Canyon”, composed of boundless granite landforms. On the various rock formations, locals hang many colorful prayer flags, adding some vitality to the place.

Tonight, we’ll stay in a ger camp, and so will the following days. The facilities inside may not be as good as those in star hotels, so make some preparations, for example, bringing a toothbrush and toothpaste.

 What is a Ger Camp?
A ger is something like a yurt, the traditional home for the Mongols, and now it is a popular movable hotel for visitors. A camp generally holds 30-40 gers, a restaurant and some entertainment facilities. They change locations in different seasons to catch the most beautiful scenery, and thus, they offer all visitors a good experience and can save time to sightseeing spots, which is something that real hotels can't compare to. Stepping out of the ger, getting close to the vast steppe, and staying away from the crowds is a completely new and worthwhile experience.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Tourist Camp

In the morning, move on to Tsagaan Suvarga, also named the White Stupa, which is regarded as the holy land by the locals. It is a huge cliff with a height of 60 meters (197 feet) and a length of 400 meters (1,312 feet). You’ll see the Bianco limestone formed due to the thousand-year natural weathering. It is also a wonderful shooting place, so the guide will escort you to hike around to take some nice pictures.

 What Kind of Food is Served during the Ger Stay?
During the whole tour in Mongolia, we would like to offer a full board, as there are not many choices for different restaurants, especially during the visits deep into the steppe and desert. Generally, Mongolian traditional food will be offered, including steamed or fried dumplings, barbecue, meat, seasonal vegetables, and soft drinks. During peak tourist seasons in July and August, when there are plenty of guests, the buffet will also be served. Proper arrangements will be made for those who are allergic to some special items.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Tourist Camp

After breakfast, we’ll continue driving for 3-4 hours to Eagle Valley (Yol Valley), about 240 kilometers (150 miles) away. Here, the guide will also accompany you to hike around among the mountains to see the picturesque scenery and trace wildlife. This hike will last for about 2 hours. If you think the time is too long, we can cover half of the hiking distance or go back by horse.

 The Road Conditions along the Way
In Mongolia, about 20% of the roads are paved roads, and the remaining 80% are countryside roads. On this journey, you’ll spend 2 to 6 hours a day on the road transferring, but the beautiful scenery along the way may satisfy all your fantasies about the steppe. On the almost deserted roads, overlooking the endless grasslands, plus the blue sky and white clouds, is a process of letting the mind go empty. To make the trip more enjoyable, our guide and the driver will stop at proper places for you to stretch, spot wild animals, take nice photos, and perfect this overland tour.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Tourist Camp

The sightseeing stop of today will be the Khongor Sand Dunes. As the largest and most spectacular sand dune in Mongolia, it is 20 kilometers (12 miles) wide on average and extends for 100 kilometers (62 miles). Besides, it has an oasis with the Khongor River flowing by.

★ Visit Nomadic Family to Learn Mongolian Traditions

Once there, the guide will lead you to a local family where you can chat with them to learn about the folk customs of the nomads. The host will treat you with their favorite dairy products, such as milk tea (Suutei Tsai). Since ancient times, Mongolians have loved tea, especially black tea, as it can promote gastrointestinal peristalsis and digestion and ensure that the body has sufficient vitamins to meet daily needs. When transportation and trade were not developed, a brick tea could be exchanged for a cow at a time. To save expenses, later, they began to make suutei tsai with milk, which gradually became their daily cuisine.

Afterwards, ride a camel to travel through the sand dunes and hike to the oasis, listening to the ringing of camel bells and admiring ripples left by the wind. Next, we’ll drive to the top of one dune to appreciate the amazing rolling landscapes. If you listen carefully, you can hear the sand “singing” when the wind blows.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Tourist Camp

Today, your Mongolia adventure tours will be extended to the rust-red Flaming Cliffs. The cliff is 5 kilometers (3 miles) wide and 8 kilometers (5 miles) long, stretching from south to north. What’s also worth mentioning is that this place was a habitat of dinosaurs that lived 60-100 million years ago. If lucky, we can even find some of their traces.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Tourist Camp

After breakfast, drive on to cross the large Ongi steppe to reach the Ongi Monastery. There were once two temple groups facing each other across the Ongi River, one built in 1660 in the south and the other built in the 18th century in the north. However, they were severely damaged in 1939 during anti-religious activities. But we can still feel its past prosperity from the remains. After the escorted sightseeing, the guide will leave the rest of the day for your own plan. The rolling mountains around are good places to enjoy hiking. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Tourist Camp

This morning, we’ll leave for Karakorum, the ancient capital of the Mongol Empire and the world’s center in the 13th century. It once collected many rare treasures presented to the Mongol khans or robbed from other countries, so it was also the world’s richest and most powerful city back then. However, it gradually fell because of continuous wars. From 1948 to 1949, a large-scale excavation was conducted, unveiling many ruins of earthen walls, palaces, folk residences, and streets. In addition to these ruins, the guide will also lead you to visit the Karakorum Museum, where you can gain a further understanding of this ancient city. Then, go to the Erdene Zuu Buddhism Monastery, which was initially built in 1586. It contains many Buddhist cultural objects from the 16th to the 18th centuries. In 2004, both Karakorum and Erdene Zuu Monastery were included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage.  

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Tourist Camp

Rated as one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites, the Orkhon Valley is a scenic place where you can take many amazing pictures. Occupying an area of 121.967 hectares, it’s impossible to visit it all, and we’ll travel to its most scenic area near the Orkhon Waterfall, where many herders set up their camps. Orkhon Waterfall was formed by volcanic eruptions and earthquakes 20,000 years ago, with a height of 27 meters (88 feet). Upon arrival, our guide will accompany you to walk down the nearby steep stones to the bottom of the valley to appreciate the scenery around.

After sightseeing, we’ll specially arrange a family visit to introduce you to the nomad life in the countryside. Have a chance to learn about how these herders have adhered to their traditional way of life and have never made changes for centuries. Later, explore more about this vast area on horseback for about one hour.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Tourist Camp

Today, let’s drive to Tsenkher Hot Spring, the second hottest hot spring in Mongolia, whose outlet temperature reaches 65-90 ℃ (149-194 ℉). We’ll arrange a bath in the nearby camp, where the spring water will be lowered to an acceptable temperature by the body. The Tsenkher hot spring, surrounded by cliffs and turbulent rivers, is situated between stunning mountain ranges. After running through the steppe and desert for a few days, it is definitely not too much to describe Tsenkher as heaven when you soak in the hot spring. Afterward, the guide will accompany you to hike to the adjacent Khangai Mountains covered by lush forests and beautiful flowers.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Duut Resort or similar

Today’s destination, Khorgo & Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake National Park, is a large extinct volcano zone. This area is known to the world because of its primitive natural environment, splendid landscapes, clear lakes, and a large number of small caves. We’ll climb to the Khorgo extinct volcano crater, which provides a panoramic view of the whole area and the charming lake. Tonight, stay overnight at a tourist camp near Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Tourist Camp

After spending a beautiful night on the shore of the lake, our excursion continues towards the Northern part of Mongolia through beautiful nature routes and vast grasslands and crosses High Mountain passes.

A traditional Mongolian lunch will be arranged at a local camp, where you can have a rest and also try the hot spring. After that, we’ll continue the drive towards North Mongolia and stay overnight at a tourist camp on the way.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Tourist Camp

After breakfast, we’ll continue to Khovsgol Lake. On the way, we’ll take a break and have lunch at Murun Town, the center of north Mongolia. Upon arrival at the lake, leave your luggage in the camp, and then our guide will show you the main port of the lake. With an area of 262,000 hectares (647,416 acres), it is the second-largest freshwater lake in Mongolia and one of the few glacial lakes remaining from the last Ice Age. Surrounding the lake are mostly coniferous forests, earning the site the reputation of "Switzerland of the Orient". Besides, we’ll wander in the Khatgal village on the lake shore and explore their market to experience villagers’ lives, which must be the best way to learn local culture and lifestyle. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Khuvsgul Eco Tour Camp or similar

We’ll spend the day at Khovsgol Lake. The clear lake, green grasslands, lush forests, and blue sky will help you forget all the annoyances and purify your inner heart. Our guide will accompany you to explore this area in the morning, and you can enjoy an afternoon free.

 Free Time Suggestion
The camps offer various optional activities, such as fishing, boating, horse riding, and hiking. You can choose any of your preferred activities. Or, just take a leisurely walk around the lake. There are paths into the forest where you can go hiking or explore by yourself to feel nature.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Khuvsgul Eco Tour Camp or similar

After breakfast, we’ll drive for 4-5 hours to Uran Togoo Mt. Natural Reserve. The mountain is actually an extinct volcano formed due to an eruption 100 million years ago. After being formed, the area has seldom been inhabited, so the scenery is unspoiled and primitive. On arrival, the guide will escort you to explore this untouched land.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Tourist Camp

Today, continue driving for 200 kilometers (125 miles) to visit the Amarbayasgalant Monastery, a charming ancient architecture complex hidden in the Mongolian grassland on the border of Mongolia and Russia. It is one of the three largest Buddhist monasteries in Mongolia and the retreat place for the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism. On the way, we’ll have a chance to interact with the nomads, talk to them, and experience their daily life. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Tourist Camp

Today, we’ll return to Ulaanbaatar and climb Zaisan Hill to overlook the city. After that, the guide and the driver will transfer you back to the hotel, and the rest of the day is free for you. If interested, you can head to the Galleria shopping mall at the center of Ulaanbaatar, where you can get the best cashmere and dazzling souvenirs. Besides, it also houses restaurants that not only serve traditional Mongolian food but also offer fantastic views of Ulaanbaatar’s skyline.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Grand Hill Hotel Ulaanbaatar (4 stars) or similar

The guide and the driver will transfer you to the airport and see you off. May you have a pleasant trip home! Intrigued by the epic Trans-Siberian railway? We can continue to tailor a train tour from Mongolia to China to learn about its thousand-year-long history or to Russia to admire the majestic buildings and scenic Lake Baikal. If interested, please feel free to contact us any time!

Meals: Breakfast