The Endless Plains

Upon landing in the airport of Ulaanbaatar, you will be met with a guide and a driver who will drive you to the steps of the extraordinary Shangri-La Hotel which is just moments away from all the shopping centers and museums of the city. After checking in, you will have the rest of the day to yourself. You may choose to explore this city, filled with ancient relics sitting side by side with modern high-rises but be sure to back for dinner which will be prepared for you in the hotel.

After a restful night’s sleep, enjoy some breakfast and have the morning to yourself. In the afternoon a guide will come pick you up to visit the Gandan Monastery, the Seat of Buddhism in Mongolia that survived through the purges of the thirties. Tibetan Buddhism has grown and woven its roots in Mongolia’s nomadic culture. With recent freedom of religious practice, there have been many more Lamas that have joined the faith which you will see chanting and performing rituals in the monastery. In the temple you will also get to see the eighty-two-foot towering statue of Migjid Janraisig, “ the lord who looks in every direction”, garbed in silk and decorated in precious stones. After the Monastery you will be brought back to the hotel to relax and have the rest of the day to yourself.

*On this day you can have the option to take the overland tour rather than the main flight tour. If you wish to take this option please scroll down to the bottom to find the overland itinerary.
You have breakfast in the morning, and you will be transferred to Khovd Airport, where you will take the connecting flights to Dalanzadgad in The Gobi. Do not let the desert fool you for it is a vastly diverse biome, home to many rare and elusive mammals, such as the dhole, snow leopard, Gobi bear, and the wild Bactrian camel. Once landed, you will be driven to Yol Valley National Park, cradled in the foothills of the Altai Mountains where an ancient river runs through. You will take the chance to hike through this valley you may see cradled in the foothills of the Altai Mountains so that you can set sights on indigenous vulture-like Lammergeiers, Altai snowcocks, ibex, yaks, and Argali Mountain sheep. After a wonderful hike, you will retreat back to the award-winning Three Camel Lodge on Bulagatai Mountain. You will have dinner in their renowned accommodation and get to see the astounding star-filled night of the Gobi.

Wake up and have breakfast in the Gobi desert. Today you will have the option to choose between two sunrise activities. You may choose to go horseback riding, after a safety briefing, and helmet fitting and then be led around by a wrangler. If you are an experienced rider you may ask for a more challenging ride for yourself. Or You may choose to go on a guided bicycle tour through the Gobi countryside. One of the best ways to soak in the surroundings and enjoy the vicinity. After your activity you will visit a local nomadic family in Moltsog Els, to learn of their culture and livelihood. Mongolia is home to one of the last remaining cultures in the world, and thirty percent of the population still lives nomadically. You may also get the chance to learn the traditional games of the steppe, utilizing the ankle bones of sheep and goats. After enjoying lunch at Moltsog Els, you will continue to explore the giant sandbox that is the Gobi with a chance of riding a Bactrian camel that can be only found in central Asia. After a camel humpback ride, enjoy a dinner in the desert with an exchange of Mongolian Folk Stories. After dinner take a drive to Hays Gait Valley, where you will hike to see hundreds of petroglyphs adorn rocks scattered on the top of the mountain that date back more than five thousand years old. Please advise that this hike is steep and difficult so it is not recommended for people with walking difficulties. After the hike, drive back to the Lodge for the night, you may choose to go on an evening bicycle ride in the Gobi.

After breakfast at the lodge, you will go to visit Yol Valley National Park. This time to visit the local Natural History Museum for an overview of the flora and fauna of the surrounding area. After exploring the museum, head back to the lodge for lunch. Upon finishing lunch you will be driven to visit legendary bright red-orange sandstones that glow during sunrise and sunset known as the “Flaming-Cliffs”. It is at this site that a group of archaeologists found the first nest of dinosaur eggs and this area continues to be a rich archaeological site with many profound discoveries. After this, continue back to the lodge to relax and have some dinner.

After your morning breakfast, take an hour's drive to Bulleen Valley, home of the snow leopard and the “Western Beauty” Baruun Saikhan Mountain. You will be spending the whole exploring the area, maybe catching a site of the snow leopard. This area is also home to Siberian Ibex and Argali wild sheep. There will be opportunities for catching the sites of bearded vultures, cinereous vultures, Eurasian kestrels and chukars. After trying to look at wildlife all day, return back to the Lodge to relax and have dinner underneath the star-filled night sky. The lack of light pollution combined with crisp cool evenings make for excellent star gazing. The lodge has a telescope for your use.

Enjoy your breakfast before being transferred to Dalanzadgad to catch your connecting flights to Ulaanbaatar. Once landed you will have a transfer ready for you to take you back to the Shangri-la Hotel. There will be lunch served for you at the hotel. In the late afternoon, a guide will come to take you to explore the Ger district where sixty percent of the population live. Where you will see a whole different type of lifestyle compared to the rest of the city where people have no running water or central heating. You will be brought to visit a local women’s workshop where local women come to create the art of Zeeg Applique. An ancient craft that has existed since the sixteenth century used as offerings for the monasteries. After visiting the district, head back to the hotel to enjoy some dinner and relax for the night.

After breakfast, take a two-hour drive to Gorkhi-Terelj National Park which comprises the southern Khentii Mountain Range. This mountain, forest, and steppe region provides habitat for a variety of bird and plant life. Also sheltered in this protected area are endangered musk deer and moose, brown bear, roe, elk, wolf, fox, and badger. You will have the choice to explore the area on foot or on horseback. Your first stop in the area will be the Aryabal Monastery, along the way you will pass the wooden bridge, known as the “The Bridge that Leads to Wisdom”. After the bridge, you will climb 108 steps lined with signboards written with Buddhist teachings. Upon reaching the temple you will get a spectacular view of the green valley. After visiting the monastery, you will visit a rock formation that resembles a turtle called Turtle Rock. Have lunch after the rock formation at a local ger camp. When lunch is finished you will visit the 250-ton stainless steel monument of Chinggis Khan Equestrian Statue in Tsonjin Boldog. You will be able to visit the base of the monument where Chinggis Khan’s legendary golden whip is encased and then take an elevator to the head of the elevator to see the view of the Mongolian Steppes. After the monument, head back to Ulaanbaatar to catch dinner at a local restaurant and then head back to rest at the hotel.

Have your breakfast early so that you are prepared to depart to the airport to catch your flight to Khovd. An area dominated by the Mongolian Altai Mountains, the highest mountain in Mongolia. These mountains help preserve the culture, language, and traditions of the Kazakh population that live here. You will take this opportunity to meet with local families and experience Kazakh culture. Visit the local museum to learn about the history of the province and its people before driving to the Expedition Wilderness Ger Camp located at the base of the snow-capped Tsambagarav Mountain. This Mountain is home to the Kazakh and Ulud people. This particular area is the autumn pasture of the Uulds, a Mongol-speaking people belonging to the Oirat ethnic group. The Uulds still use animals for moving and carrying loads and are very proud of their rich history and the Uuld king Amarsanaa Khan, who led the rebellion against the Qin Dynasty’s invasion of Mongolia. We will be staying in Mongolian gers furnished with a wooden bed, table, and chairs made by our Three Camel Lodge carpenter. Each ger has its own ensuite facilities with hot showers and western-style toilets. You dine in a restaurant which is also used as a ‘discussion room’ or lounge.

Have breakfast to prepare for your big day to spend with the local Eagle Hunters. For over a millennium, the Kazakh people have been practicing the art of falconry, a tradition passed down by their Turkic ancestors. They use these eagles as a way to hunt their food during the winter months. You will be welcomed to enter a Kazakh ger where you will get to see their unique traditionally designed homes, filled with embroidery and warmth from a wood fire stove. Here you will be able to ask them questions about their life and falconry. After the conversation, you will go outside with the hunter where he/she will demonstrate how they interact with eagles and hunt together. You will also be able to go horse-back riding or hiking with them and their eagles. In the evening, enjoy a traditional Kazakh dinner with the hunter’s family. Kazakhs are great musicians and often over dinner regal guests with songs about the powers of their eagles.

Have some breakfast before a driver takes on a one-hour cross-country drive to Bayan Nuur Lake, the northeastern side of the Tsambagarav mountain. Set dramatically with high mountains on its south and north banks, the lake is also rich with migratory birds. Spend some time having lunch and walking along its shores spotting birds and visiting with nomads who bring their animals to water. After relaxing at the Lake, drive to Namarjin Valleys which lies in the shadow of the Tsambagarav Mountain. Here you will meet with a local nomadic family and learn how they produce dairy products to sustain their nomadic lifestyle for generations. With dairy products such as “Aaruul”, which is hardened milk curd. There are hundreds of different types of milk products in Mongolia that you will come across. After learning, take a horseback ride or hike around the area before heading back to the camp to get dinner and rest for the night.

After a relaxing breakfast, you will transfer to Khovd Airport to catch your flight to Ulaanbaatar. Upon arriving you will be transferred to your hotel to relax and do as you wish for the rest of the day. Dinner at the hotel

Enjoy your breakfast at your own pace and be ready for your transfer to the airport for departure back home.

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On Day 3 , after breakfast you start your drive (approximately 4 - 5 hours) from Ulaanbaatar to Karakorum, the ancient Capital of the Mongol Empire. In the afternoon a guide will take you to Erdene Zuu Monastery, the largest monastery in Mongolia that has stood for centuries even surviving the destruction of the Karakorum. Bask in the grounds surrounded by 108 stupas. Erdene Zuu has been a place of Buddhist activity for centuries. Explore the monastery grounds and meet with the head lama for a private meditation session.) After the temple, visit the Karakoram Museum to study ancient archaeological and new scientific findings ongoing in Mongolia. After a day surrounded by ancient relics and studying history, drive back to your hotel and enjoy your dinner.
HOTEL: Secrets of Silk Road Ger Camp (Deluxe Ger)

In the morning you will have breakfast and head out with your guide to either hike or on-horseback ride the Orkhon Valley. Explore this region to unlock its rich many archeological, cultural, and historic sites that show how nomadic culture shaped trade, commerce, military, and religious practices. You will stop to have lunch along the way to visit Kultegin Monument, built to honour a prince during the Turkic Empire in the Eighth Century. This monument is subject to much Archaeological research and many significant artifacts have been found here. After hiking and exploring all day, head back to your hotel to have some dinner.
HOTEL: Asa Land (Chalet)

After breakfast, take about a five-hour drive to Ongiin Khiid and explore the ruins of a seventeenth-century temple, situated in a beautiful mountainous region. Still known as the “Pearl of the Great Desert,” Ongiin Hiid was one of the largest monasteries in Mongolia until its destruction during the purges in the thirties. After exploring the “Pearl”, drive to your luxury Ger in the desert for the night to relax and enjoy dinner for the night.
HOTEL: Secrets of Ongii Ger Camp (Deluxe Ger)

In the morning after breakfast, you will visit a local camel-herding family to learn about hospitality and livelihood. You will also be taken to camel safari amongst the sand dunes. After visiting the family, you will journey towards Three Camel Lodge (and reconnect to the main itinerary Day 3 afternoon)

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