Nomadic Mongolia

Arrive at any time. There are no activities planned until an evening welcome meeting.

Enjoy a free day exploring the city. Opt to take a morning city tour including visits to Gandan Monastery, Bogd Khan Palace, and Zaisan Hill. Afterwards, stop for a visit to No Limits Cafe and enjoy coffee, tea, and snacks prepared and served by local youth with Down Syndrome, and their mothers. Spend a free day exploring this fascinating capital city. Enjoy the sights of UB and opt to visit to the Gandan Monastery, Bogd Khan Palace, and Zaisan Hill.

Drive to the Dungobi Aimag region – Middle Gobi – stopping at the Choir Monastery on the way. Spend the night at the first Mongolian ger camp. Leave the capital and head south through the steppe to the Middle Gobi. Visit the Choir Monastery before continuing on to a small ger camp not far from Mandalgovi, the regional centre.

Arrive at Yolyn Am — a narrow gorge in the Gurvan Saikan mountains. It's an amazing place for hiking. Bring stable shoes and warm clothes, as some places are covered in thick ice year round.

Drive to Khongoryn Els. En route, stop by a local natural history museum. Enjoy the unique activities the Gobi Desert has to offer.

Immerse yourself in the wonders of the Gobi Desert. This morning, visit the biggest sand dunes in the western Gobi, then meet a nomadic camel-herding family. Opt to hike along other nearby sand dunes, and try riding a camel.

Explore the Flaming Cliffs - a world renowned archaeological site for the vast amount of dinosaur bones and eggs found here. Made of red sandstone, these cliffs and canyons offer visitors a scene of breathtaking beauty. Take some time to explore.

Drive through western parts of the Gobi Desert. In the surrounding mountains, visit the ruins of the Hoshuu and Ongiin Khiid monasteries. Drive to the Delger Khangai Mountains area. Explore the ruins of the monasteries in the area.

Leave the Gobi Desert and drive through the Mongolian grasslands. Spend the next two nights with a local nomadic family, observing how they live. Enjoy a traditional meal with them. Enjoy a long drive northwest, leaving the Gobi desert area and heading into the Mongolian steppe. The nomads here live simple lives and move their cattle along the same routes their great-grandparents travelled hundreds of years ago. In the evening, have dinner together with your hosts. One of the best things to try is the famous Mongolian barbecue.

Learn more about nomadic life in the steppes. Get to know your hosts and opt to participate in traditional activities such as milking a yak and preparing fresh dairy products. Discover what it takes to handle a Mongolian horse, and if the season is right, try airag (fermented mare's milk) - long important to cultures across Central Asia.

Drive to Karakorum, the ancient capital of Mongolia. Visit the Erdene Zuu Monastery, the first centre of Lama Buddhism in Mongolia. En route to tonight's ger camp, stop by the Karakorum Museum. Journey to Kharkhorin, stopping at the beautiful Erdene Zuu Monastery. Destroyed during the Communist era, this monastery is slowly being rebuilt.

Stay in Khustai National Park—home of Mongolian wild horses. Here, look for Takhi horses in their natural habitat.

Drive back to the capital for last minute sightseeing. Opt to see a local cultural show, an excellent display of dancing and Mongolian throat singing.

Depart at any time.

Hotels (3 nts), ger camps (8 nts, shared facilities), family stay or tent camping (2 nts, multi-share, no facilities).

Private van, 4x4 vehicle, walking.