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Overview

Adventure Travel in Mongolia with a Private Guide

This unique adventure in Mongolia, birthplace of the legendary Chinggis Khaan, focuses on the lifestyle of the nomads. Along with your private guide, you’ll dive into the life of the Mongolian nomads, learn how they managed to adapted to their natural environment, but also how their rich ancestral heritage was passed on from generation to generation and managed to survive even in today’s modern era. On this Mongolian adventure, you’ll be awestruck by the beauty of the Khentii Mountains, in the Northern reaches of the Siberian Taiga. Hiking across this verdant land of alpine prairies, you’ll also come across myriad beautiful wildflowers and endemic plants. On top of all this, you’ll spend some time with nomad families, giving you the opportunity to live like a nomad – a completely unique and authentically Mongolian experience!

Make sure you contact Uniktour’s Mongolia expert for more information on this magnificent adventure to the far reaches of the steppe!

Itinerary

Day 1| International Flight

Day 2| Ulaanbaatar
Arrival in Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia. Transfer to your hotel. Stop at a moneychanger and grab some lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit Gandan Khiid, the country’s largest monastery. Built in 1810, this temple features a 26-meter-high standing Buddha, making it one of Asia’s tallest. Then you head to Zaisan memorial, where you’ll enjoy panoramic views of the city from the top of the monument. Welcome dinner and traditional arts show (dances, chants, and music) in the evening. Overnight at hotel.

Day 3| Kherlen Khödöö Aral
A vehicle will take you to Kherlen Khödöö Aral, south of Kherlen Bayan Mountain. The great conqueror Chinggis Khaan is said to have built his great “castle” on the shores of the Avarga River. This is where was written “The Secret History of the Mongols” in 1240. A monument was built in 1990 to commemorate the 750th anniversary of this historic event. Take a short walk in the region. Overnight in a yurt.

Day 4| Mount Kherlen Toono Region
Trekking around Mount Kherlentoono, east of Kherlen Bayan (about 4-5 hours of walking, covering 15-18 km). During our hike, we can take a look at many ancient Khunny symbols painted on the mountainside. Overnight in a tent.

Day 5| Öndörkhaan
A 3-4 hours transfer will take us to the city of Öndörkhaan, in the center of Khentii province. Visit the local market and the museum. In the afternoon, hike for 3-4 hours in the Mongolian steppe. In the evening, take part in dinner preparations to familiarize yourself with Mongolian cuisine (optional activity). Overnight in a tent.

Day 6| Binder Sum
Private vehicle transfer to Binder Sum (160 km, 4-5 hours on the road). The mountainous prairies along the Onon River are covered in wild flowers and home to many different animal species. The Onon takes its source in the Khentii Mountain Range and flows for more than 800 km before joining the Shilka River, one of the longest in Eurasia. Dinner and overnight in a tent in a campsite owned by the local Onon River community.

Days 7-8| Hiking along the Onon River
For two days you will hike along the shores of the Onon River, to the heart of the birthplace of Chinggis Khaan (5-6 hours, covering 18-20 km). On your way, you’ll visit many interesting sites related to this country’s history. Overnight in a tent.

Day 9| Jargalant
A private vehicle will take you to the small community of Jargalant, mainly populated by shepherds and farmers (150 km). On your way, visit five stone reindeer statues dating back to the 7th century. Still today, these statues are shrouded in mystery, as no one has figured out what they were built for. Once in Jargalant, visit a family of nomads and sample a few traditional dishes in their company. Overnight in a tent.

Days 10-11| Baldan Baraivan Forest
Today you begin a two-day excursion across the Baldan Baraivan forest (5-6 hours of hiking for about 18 km per day). During this hike you will also visit the ruins of Baraivan Monastery. Built in the 18th century, it was once one of the three largest monasteries in Mongolia, and home to more than 5000 Buddhist lamas between the 18th and 20th centuries. A horseback riding tour of the area around the monastery is available (optional). Overnight in a tent.

Day 12| Khar Zurkhen Khökh Lake Region
A private vehicle transfer will take you to the Khar Zurkhen Khökh Nuur (80 km, about 2 hours). This is a very important site in Mongolian history, as Chinggis proclaimed himself king of the Mongol empire in 1189 on this spot. Overnight in a ger camp.

Day 13| Mount Zorgol
Private vehicle transfer to Mount Zorgol (2 hours, 75 km). On your way, spend some time with nomad families and sample some traditional milk products, such as dried cheese, salted milk tea, and Mongolian biscuits. In the afternoon, hike in the surrounding hills and valleys for a few hours. Overnight in a tent.

Days 14-15| Hiking in the Tavan Salaa Region
A two-day hike along the Kherlen river, one of the two main waterways of the Khentii mountains. The trail snakes through many valleys and climbs a few mountain passes. On day 14, the afternoon will be spent relaxing and swimming in the Kherlen river. A traditional “khorkhog” (Mongolian barbecue) will be served for dinner. Overnight in a tent.

Day 16| Ulaanbaatar
Private vehicle transfer to Ulaanbaatar (4-5 hours, 230 km). Free time to visit the city for the rest of the day. Overnight in a hotel.

Day 17| Ulaanbaatar
Guided tour of the National Museum of Mongolian History. In the afternoon, enjoy some free time to make some last minute shopping for souvenirs and local handicrafts. Goodbye dinner in the evening. Overnight in hotel.

Day 18| International Flight
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your international flight.

Budget

**Rates published on this website are for information purposes only and are not legally binding (since departure dates are not given). Prices on this website are known to fluctuate frequently in relation to changes in currencies and hotel pricing. In order to obtain a definite quote, please click here.

Other fees

Accommodation in Mongolia
Every hotel in this program is clean, friendly, and includes a comfortable bar and restaurant. In Ulaanbaatar, you’ll be staying in a 4-Star hotel. All rooms have Western toilets, shower, IDD, cable TV with international channels, and a minibar. Many additional services are available, including a business center, laundry, and room service. As single rooms are in short supply, we strongly recommend booking in advance for the summer season.

Traditional accommodation: Yurts and Gers
The Ger is the traditional home of Mongolia’s nomads, and has been since the reign of Chinggis Khaan. These days, due to foreign influence, customs in gers aren’t as strict as they once were. This being said, it is still useful to familiarize yourself with the local code of conduct and to know what behavior is proper when living in a ger. Mongols are particularly generous and welcome all tourists coming into their country with open arms. Please keep in mind that you are in someone else’s home: it is therefore appropriate and courteous to respect their culture, lifestyle, and customs. Visitors are allowed to enter a ger without knocking at the door. They sit on the left side, while the host sits at the opposite end of the ger, facing the entrance. If the family offers you another place, you should accept it. After tea, dinner is served, often on a large dish placed in the middle of the ger from which everyone helps themselves. On special occasions, vodka or airag (fermented milk) are also served. If you want to move around inside the ger, go clockwise, and make sure you don’t walk directly across the ger. When you exit a ger, it is customary to give your host a small gift by way of thanks.

The ger is perfectly suited for this country’s harsh climate, offering protection from cold winter temperatures and strong winds blowing across the steppe. The word ‘Yurt’ is actually of Turkish origin and is a translation of ‘Ger’, the original Mongol name for these nomadic homes. A ger is made up of many layers of felt carefully placed on a wooden frame. It is erected directly on the ground and always oriented towards the south. Depending on its size, it takes about 1-2 hours to set up (the average yurt covers an area of roughly 18-20 square meters). Taking down a yurt and carrying it around is a relatively simple operation: all you need to do is put everything down on a cart, which will then be pulled by an animal. The ger’s interior symbolizes intimate space and is seen as a reflection of the cosmos. Nowadays, young Mongols prefer to live in the comfort of modern apartments in the city, spending their vacations in gers.

Beds in a ger are either traditionally decorated wooden frames (1.8 to 2 meters long and 1 to 1.2 meters wide) or standard hotel beds (1.8 to 2.1 meters long, 1 to 1.2 meters wide), and come with clean sheets, mattresses, pillows, and blankets. Hot water is always available. Most gers have enough room for 2-3 beds. If you stay in a ger on your own, there will be extra fees. The camp supplies restaurant and bar services, Western toilets, and showers.

Camping in Tents
During this adventure, you will also spend some time sleeping in tents. We will supply you with lightweight and spacious tents with enough room for two adults. Our team can help you set up your tent. A central tent will also be set up for groups of more than 6 travelers. Though each traveler will be given a mattress, we recommend that clients bring their own sleeping bag, for reasons of hygiene – this being said, note that we can also provide clean sleeping bags on demand, at no extra cost.

Traveling with a Family
Staying with a local family is often the best way to discover Mongolia and learn all about its inhabitants, traditions, and customs. Some nomad families travel with a second ger, which they are happy to share with guests. You can opt to experience this rustic lifestyle for yourself by staying in a traditional home in the steppe. Your host family will provide you with traditional meals made from fresh local ingredients and will happily invite you into their ger to share some tea or airag. Immersing yourself in a local family’s lifestyle and participating in their daily routine is the best way to learn about traditional Mongolian life, allowing you to truly get a feel of what it means to be a nomad.

Overview

Though few travelers make it here, everyone has heard of Mongolia: horses galloping freely in the steppe, remote yurts, and the Great Gobi Desert: this is our universe, and we’re glad to have the opportunity to tell you all about it. Take a deep breath and let the freedom of the steppe fill your lungs. Traveling to Mongolia means choosing wide open spaces where the steppe stretches to the horizon and Mongol horsemen ride with the wind.

Of course, there’s more to Mongolia than the vast expanse of the steppe: kissing the sky, the Altai mountains make for an interesting visit, as do Dornod plain, the verdant landscape around Selenge, and of course, the arid world of the Gobi desert.

With a current population of about 2,750,000, Mongolia is one of Asia’s least populated countries. About 60% of the Mongolian population is urban, with more than half living in Ulaanbaatar. The population for this city is estimated at around 1,150000 people, half of which live in apartment building in the city enter.

Ulaan-Baatar’s population almost doubled in the last five years, due to mass rural exodus from provincial towns and the countryside, particularly following the two years of dzud. Most of these migrants now live in yurt communities set up around the capital.

Seventy percent of the population is less than 30 years old and life expectancy is about 65-70 years. Close to 36% of the population lives in extreme poverty, living on less than 0.68 USD per day. Public services are constantly deteriorating, particularly in the health and education sectors. Statistically, population density is 1.52 persons per square kilometer, making it the world’s lowest. Yet 38.3% percent of the population lives in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, where population density reaches 211.6 persons per square kilometer.

One third of the population is considered nomadic (or semi-nomadic), living in traditional felt tents called Ger, following the movements of their herds and resettling at least twice a year in search of greener pastures. In the winter, most of them migrate to the nearest city.

In terms of ethnicity, Mongolia is a rather homogenous country. The most notable ethnic minority are the Kazakhs who live in Western Mongolia and make up about 5% of the total population.

Though Mongolia is a free and democratic country, its economy was greatly scarred by the collapse of a once-dominant communist system. It is now largely dependent on a wide variety of semi-domesticated herds that outnumber humans by a ratio of 10:1. Thousands of sheep, horses, camels, goats, and yaks graze freely in this immense territory. The terrible winters of 2000 and 2001 had a horrible impact on the country, many nomad families losing all their cattle and forced to move to the city. Most people fled to the capital, whose population jumped from 850000 to over a million in the last two years.

Considering centuries of Russian and Manchurian rule, it’s almost a miracle that this country managed to stay independent and that their way of life and culture remained unchanged for so long. Renewing interest in their unique blend of Buddhism and animism, proud of their history and their glorious past, Mongols live in perfect harmony with their powerful neighbors. Mongolia is opening up to the world, despite its geographical isolation. Most Mongols hope their country continue widening its international presence, seeing this potential change as a chance to test the strength of their identity, and, perhaps, as an opportunity for the powerful winds of the Steppe to breathe a message of harmony and tolerance into the world.

Tourism

Language
The official language is Mongol. Mongolian language is a blend of various Ataic languages, with a grammar and syntax that closely resemble that of Turkic. There are two main dialects: Oriat in the West, and Khalkh dialects in the east. The latter is the dominant one, being the language of the Khalkh Mongols, who represent 79% of the total population. The rest of the population is divided into twenty or so ethnic groups of Mongolian and Turkic origin.


It should also be noted that more than 4 million Mongols live in Inner Mongolia (China), and another 500 000 Mongols live in Russia, mostly in small towns in Siberia and the Khalimags.

Traditional written Mongol reads vertically from left to right. In 1946, the Cyrillic alphabet was declared the official way of writing Mongol and imposed on the population, while traditional handwriting was forbidden.

Geography

In the heart of Central Asia, Mongolia is sandwiched between two large nations: Russia and China. In the north, the Russian border stretches for 3485 kilometers, while the southern border with China is even longer, at 4670 km. The great Altai Mountains rise in the West, while the north is covered in Siberian forests. The east presents a flat landscape: the Mongoliin Tal is a flat steppe that stretches for hundreds of kilometers. World-famous Gobi desert is in the country’s South.

Culture

Despite its seemingly endless deserts and desolate landscapes, practically all of Mongolia is inhabited: Mongols have been traveling all over this vast land for centuries and know every last isolated corner of the country. These warm and friendly people have come to love and cherish their homeland’s inhospitable and untamed nature, on which they depend for their survival.

Half of the two and a half million inhabitants freely roam the steppe, mountains, and deserts as nomads, living off their cattle and the few natural resources available in these lands, following ancient centuries old traditions. Though ‘urban’, the other half of the population still never turns down an opportunity to wander through the infinite steppe, whether it’s for pleasure, or by necessity. Mongols are nomads at heart, but, contrary to other traveling cultures, they way of life is naturally recognized by their leaders and countrymen, and there is no lack of space and fresh air here – yet.

Climate

Mongolian climate is continental: very dry and cold in the winter, warm in the summer. Summer and fall are the best seasons to visit. In the summer, the further south you travel, the warmer it gets, while temperatures remain relatively cooler in the North and Northwest. Peak climbing and trekking season in the high mountains of Altai and Khangai runs from June to August: come September and October, we recommend heading south to the Gobi desert.

Despite being threatened by natural hazards and the excesses of modernity, the country’s fauna and flora are extraordinarily diversified and exuberant, especially in the peak travel seasons.