This tour combines all the highlights of Mongolia – from the busy capital Ulaanbaatar to the Gobi Desert and the land of Orkhon Valley. We hope this trip shall be memorable and adventurous to you. All the attractions you might want to see and visit are included in this tour.
Arkhangai and Uvurkhangai provinces are located in the center region of Mongolia. Elsen tasarkhai is an unique sight to see, a desert surrounded with mountainous area. The Uvurkhangai Province includes World Heritage Center Orkhon Valley and numerous archaeological remains of the nomads. And the site of the ancient capital city of Chinggis Khan – Kharkhorin – the center of the largest Empire the World has ever known.
The Mongolian government established the Great Gobi National Park in 1975 and the UNESCO designated as the Great Gobi as the fourth largest Biosphere Reserve in the world in 1991. Mongolians consider that there are 33 different Gobi , where sandy desert occupies only 3 percent of the total territory. The area is often imagined as a lifeless desert like in many other parts of the world. Gobi Desert is a land of dinosaurs and it is the home for camel breeders rich with wildlife and vegetation. Dinosaur skeletons and their petrified eggs have been preserved here to the present day. Wild asses, camels, snow leopards, mountain sheep and gazelles flourish here, as do different types of flora.
Duration
13Days / 12 Nights
Available
May 20 – September 20
Highlights
- Stunning scenery including open Steppe, the Gobi desert, scenic mountains
- Many birding highlights
- Stay in wonderfully scenic comfortable ‘ger’ camps
- Przewalski’s Horse, Siberian Ibex & Argali Sheep among the mammal highlights
- Explore Terelj National park
- Khustai National Park
- Discover Gobi Desert and its beauties
- Experience nomadic lifestyle
Our Price Includes
- 7 overnights in Ger Lodges (twin/double bed)
- Entrance fees and taxes of National Parks, museums and tourist attractions according to the program, travel permits
- 4 overnight in hotel
- Car with driver
- Transfer to the Airport
- All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) except alcoholic drinks
- Birding guide
Not includes
- International and Domestic flight tickets
- Soft and alcoholic drinks
- Personal expenses
- Any activities not mentioned in our program
- Personal travel and cancellation insurance
- Everything not mentioned as inclusive
- Insurance
Itinerary
Day 2: Arrival in Ulaanbaatar
Morning arrival in Ulaanbaatar, pick-up from our guide at the airport/train station, transfer to the hotel, refreshment, afternoon walk through Genghis Khaan Square, visit of the National Historical Museum, dinner.
D in UB
Gunjiin sum ger camp
Day 3: Terelj National park
Today we will visit Gorkhi terelj national park
Terelj National Park is the most popular destination and the third biggest protected area in Mongolia . Visitors can take leisurely strolls on meadows carpeted with edelweiss and a dazzling variety of other wild flowers, view fascinating rock formations against a backdrop of pine covered mountains and wander along the wooded banks of a mountain stream. The park is located 80 km away from Ulaanbaatar and is one of the most beautiful places in Mongolia.
B/L/D
stay in ger camp
Terelj view from Aryabal monastery
Day 4 Khustai National park
After breakfast at hotel we will start our journey to west, Khustai national park.
Lunch at ger camp and then we will go to see wild horse and mongolian deer.
The Mongolian Government declared Hustai National Park as a Specially Protected Area in 1993, one year after the initiation of the reintroduction project of the Takhi (Przewalski’s horse) to the Hustain Nuruu. The HNP extends through the Khentii Mountains and includes the western edge of the Mongolian steppe at the boundaries of Altanbulag, Argalant and Bayankhangai Soums of Töv Province.
Khustai national park is home to 459 species of vascular plants, 85 species of lichens, 90 species of moss and 33 species of mushrooms. 44 species of mammals have been recorded, including red deer, Mongolian gazelle, roe deer, wild boar, wild sheep, ibex, Mongolian marmots, grey wolves, Eurasian lynx, Pallas cat, red fox, corsac fox and Eurasian badger. The 217 species of birds include golden eagle, lammergeier, great bustard, whooper swan, black stork, Daurian partridge and little owl. There are 16 species of fish, 2 species of amphibians, and 385 species of insects (including 21 species of ants, 55 species of butterflies, 10 species of bush crickets and 29 species of grasshoppers). A new species of soil insect has been found in the Hustai and given the scientific name of Epidamaeus khustaiensis.
In 2002, the Man and the Biosphere Reserves organization of UNESCO certified the HNP as a member of the world biosphere network of natural reserves. The HNPT was enrolled as a member of IUCN in 2007.
B/L/D stay in ger camp
Day 5-6:Orkhon valley Talbiun lodge
After breakfast we will go to visit Ugii lake for some birding photography and then drive to Talbiun Lodge. Our lodge is located at the beautiful scenario of Khaalgan Denj, Khujirt sum of the Uvurkhangai province, the heartland of ancient nomads. We shall settle in our ger lodge and have a lunch. Our service and food are considered one of the best in the province.
Uurtiin tohoi. Mongolian for “Eternal Elbow”, this is a steep cliff bordering a right angled bend of Orkhon River. Located at 1630 meter above sea level and originally named Khuurtiin Tokhoi, the cliff offers a marvelous view over Orkhon Valley.
Then Grave stones Temeen Chuluu: Temeen Chuluu burial site is on the many burial sites around camp Talbiun. The surrounding area has many tombs and burial mounds belong to the Bronze Age
The Orkhon Waterfall water flows for remarkable 1120 km to the North and lies in the historically significant Orkhon Valley, UNESCO World Heritage site. The waterfall formed by combination volcanic eruption and earthquakes some 20000 years ago cascades down from a height 27 meters. There are many rocks and boulders around the river as well as some waterfalls like a small waterfall with 4-5 m height and the Ulaan tsutgalan waterfall is the biggest in Mongolia at a height of 26m.
B/L/D
Talbiun Lodge
Tuvkhun Monastery
The monastery was built in 1654 by Saint Zanabazar who was a great sculptor and one of the biggest representative of Buddhism in Mongolia. The creation work temple dedicated to religious study and art works became the foundation of today’s Tuvkhun Monastery. It is located on a rocky mountain hill surrounded by forests elevated in 2300 meters above sea level. In 1651, the first religious statesman Zanabazar built a small stony building.
In 1648, about the time he had found what now Shankh monastery on the Shariin gol, Zanabazar noticed an unusual armchair-shaped peak among the ridges west of the Orkhon River. He soon concluded that the mountain, known as Shireet Ulaan Uul, was an auspicious spot. Upon his return in 1651 from his first trip to Tibet he had a small walled stone meditation hut built here. 1653, he visited Erdenezuu, founded by his great grandfather, and appeared before a convocation of kalkh nobility. While there he prevailed upon his followers to build temple and retreat at Shireet Ulaan Uul in his own personal use. Later it became worship where many of his famous artworks were created; including five transcendent Buddha’s now located in the Zanabazar Fine Art Museum and Choijim Lama Musuem. Zanabazar also reportedly designed his Soyombo Alphabet while his residing here. During Zanabazar’s lifetime retreat was called Bayasgalant Aglag Oron (Happy Secluded Place
Day 7: Back to Ulaanbaatar city
Today we will drive back to Ulaanbaatar city by visiting Khugnu tarna national park (Elsen tasarkhai)
B/L/D
Stay in **** hotel Bayangol
Day 8: Vulture valley (Yoliin am)
Early in the morning we will fly to the Dalanzadgad. After arrival we will head to Yoliin am (Vulture valley) Gobi mirage ger camp.
It’s one of the natural secret of Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park and beautiful deep canyon with many rocky cliffs, has been created by many years of water erosion. The Yoliin Am (Vulture Valley), a protected site in 1965, is 62 km north west of Dalanzadgad. Very wide at the intrance, it narrows gradually into a remarkable gorge. A spring 2 or 3 km long winds its way through the defile and in July, freezing into a thick corridor of ice that stretches along a considerable distance. In earlier times, the blocks of ice rarely melted, being protected from the vicious sunlight. This, however has changed in recent years, partially because of the multitudes of tourists that walk on the ice. You can still see ice here in July but it is almost completely melted by August. Following the canyon to the very end, one emerges into a beautiful wide valley. Surrounding mountains are home to argali, ibex, and many birds of prey, as well as numerous small rodents particular to the gobi. A small museum marks the entrance to the protected zone and provides information on the petrified trees, fauna and flora of the Gobi. The walk along canyon must be done on foot.
B/L/D Stay in ger camp
Day 9-10: Khongor Sand Dunes
Today we will drive through vast terrains of the Gobi Desert to our next destination, FLaming cliffs and then Khongor Sand Dunes, tallest sand dunes in Mongolia. They are up to 200 m high, 2-4 km wide and about 100 km long. The spectacular dunes are bordered by lush green vegetation supported by a small river Khongor, which is fed by underground sources from surrounding mountains.
There you can visit Nomad family, Ride camel, Hiking at sand dunes etc.
The Flaming Cliffs site, also known as Bayanzag,, is a region of the Gobi Desert in the Ömnögovi Province of Mongolia, in which important fossil finds have been made. It was given this name by American paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews, who visited in the 1920s. The area is most famous for yielding the first discovery of dinosaur eggs. Other finds in the area include specimens of Velociraptor and eutherian mammals.
Khongor sand dune is one of the largest and most spectacular sand dunes in Mongolia. Rising as high 200 m, the dunes are 7-8 km wide and about 180 km long. The dunes rise up between a spur of the Altai mountains to the south, and springs and oases on the north side with lush green. Climbing the dunes is breathtaking, not only for the view at the top, the sand dunes makes a singing sound while you climb.
Knowing as singing sands. Once you are up on the top of sand dunes, the sound of people or animal will be heard clear, the people and the cars in the slope of the dunes will look like a tiny bug. Many tourists are visiting to the Mongolian Gobi. The sand dunes make you feel extraordinary comfort and infinite peace and to see the sun rise. Number of tourists are visiting to the South Gobi to see a sun down. You will have a great experience visiting to the Mongolian Gobi desert.
2x B/L/D Stay in Ger camp
Day 11: Back to Dalanzadgad city
Today we will drive back to Dalanzadgad city. Stops in Bulgan soum for lunch.
B/L/D Stay in hotel in Dalanzadgad
Day 12: Flight to Ulaanbaatar
Early morning we will fly back to Ulaanbaatar and drive to our hotel.. After refreshing from the trip we will have a city tour we can visit Gobi cashmere shop and souvenir shopping, in the evening we host a dinner by A Star Mongolia LLC.
B/L/D stay in hotel Bayangol
Day 13: Departure
We hope you had a great trip and wish you safe journey
Breakfast
