GOBI DESERT CLASSIC TOUR & NAADAM FESTIVAL 2023

Arrival in Ulaanbaatar

Welcome to Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by Amicus driver in the arrivals hall at the international airport and transferred to your hotel. After check-in, free at leisure and have a good rest to recover from the jet lag. If you feel like going for a walk and checking out places nearby, feel free to ask the hotel receptionist for recommendations.
Accommodation: Hotel 4*. Meals: None

Enjoy at Naadam Festival for full day

Today, we will be attending the opening ceremony of the Festival of Naadam in Ulaanbaatar national stadium. It’s Mongolia’s biggest, most colorful and most important annual cultural event, focusing on three sports: horse racing, Mongolian-style wrestling, and archery. It’s no coincidence that all three skills derive from the capabilities of Genghis Khan’s legendary military – a force that conquered and controlled the largest empire the world has ever known.

• At 8am picked up from the hotel lobby, join in Naadam group and visit the central Naadam stadium.
• First visit is stadium of ankle-bone shooting competition.
• Next, visit the archery field. The field will be filled with men and women archers in colorful ethnic national costumes who shooting arrows from their bows.
• We will wander around outside of the Naadam stadium to watch locals who dressed their national costumes, food and trade corners etc.
• Afterwards, we will enter into main stadium for the opening ceremony of Naadam Festival.
• Once finish the opening ceremony, we will watch the beginning of 1st part of Mongolian national wrestling. In the usual 512 wrestler tournament, there will be nine elimination rounds of wrestling over two days.
• After lunch, we will drive out of the city for a hour to Hui Doloon Hudag (horse racing field of Naadam festival) for witness the Naadam horse races, featuring children riding bareback across the steppe. All of these racers are gathered here from each corner of Mongolia.
• You will experience the brilliant madness of the horse race field and the unsurpassed cultural opportunity to watch the horse racing competition included around 150-200 horses. Also, there are you will have a great opportunity to take photography local horse trainers, peoples with traditional garments and so more contrast.
  End of these experience, return to the city and transferred to the hotel.

Accommodation: Hotel 4*. Meals: B, L.

Flight to Gobi Desert – Bayanzag, Gobi

In the early morning, you will be transferred to the city airport for morning flight to the Gobi Desert (~1.5 hours). Upon arrival, your local Gobi tour guide will meet you and depart to the Bayanzag which is a famous for containing exceptional dinosaur fossils in the heart of the Gobi Desert. Also, this area is well known for red tall hillocks formed as a result of wind and water erosion, which look like fire in the middle of the desert from a distance.
In the 1923, Roy Chapman Andrews and American expedition discovered the first nests of dinosaur eggs from Bayanzag. Their findings proved to the world that dinosaurs laid eggs
We will explore around significant area, including the saxual trees and wander on the red hillocks. Occasionally the pieces of fossilized bones and eggs are still found by visitors. If you found something, don’t touch it, because of removing fossils without a permit is illegal.
Dinner and overnight at Tourist Ger camp near to the Bayanzag
Accommodation: Tourist camp. Meals: B, L, D.

Khongor sand dunes, the biggest sand dunes in Gobi

Today, we will drive through the wilderness of the Gobi to the extraordinary of Khongor, which is one of the most scenic areas of the Gobi Desert. This impressive white sand dunes stretch more than 180km and highest point is around 300m known as Duut Mankhan.
Upon arrival at the tourist camp near to the sand dunes, we will have lunch and time for relaxing at cozy Ger camp until Gobi hot temperature decrease.
In the late afternoon, we will visit local camel herder family in their gear, and explore their unique nomadic lifestyle. Then, we will ride a camel and explore the area from the camel back. Around the area is the perfect place for camel riding. Mongolia is home to 2/3 of the two-humped Bactrian camels in the world. It is a gentle, calm and extraordinary patient animal.
Afterwards, we will make a little excursion to a beautiful green oasis of Seruun Bulag near the Khongor River and sand dunes. Then, take a little drive to the highest point of sand dunes known as Singing Dune and climb up to the Duut Mankhan.
When it is windy some of the dunes give a strange sound like the engines of an aero plane. From the top of the sand dunes, the view of the desert is awesome and a breathtaking view. If you want, we can see the amazing sunshine panorama of sand dunes from the top.
Dinner and overnight at the tourist camp.
Accommodation: Tourist Ger camp. Meals: B, L, D.

Yol valley, Three beauties of the Gobi Mt. N/Park

After breakfast, we will go ahead to the Yol valley (also called Yolyn Am & Eagle valley) situated in the “Three beauties of Gobi” Mt. National Park. This green valley is one of the main highlights in the Gobi Desert and sheltered by high cliff walls and covered with wild flowers and Gobi plants.
In winter season, a narrow stream in the valley creates ice on the bottom of the valley that even lasts during the summer months.
The walk through the valley is a lot of fun, about an hour walking there and an hour of walking back by walking the same route, where you climb over rocks and must jump over the small river. If this walking seems challenging, you can just walk to the middle of the way or horseback through the valley.
The high cliffs that flank the valley are very impressive. You may be lucky enough to spot wild sheep and goat, grazing high on the cliff walls.
Accommodation: Tourist camp. Meals: B, L, D.

Flight to Ulaanbaatar – Terelj National Park trip

Early this morning, transfer to the local airport for morning flight to Ulaanbaatar. Upon arrival in the city airport, depart for Terelj National Park. This is one of the most visited national parks in Mongolia which is by its natural beauty, forested alpine mountains and interesting rock formations (Massive wool-sack weather conditions) very well known.
In the afternoon, we will explore the national park and see Turtle Rock – interesting rock formation looking like a turtle. Also, visit the Ariyabal meditation temple – surrounded by scenic mountains with massive rock formations and sits on top of the mountain. From the top, you can enjoy the breathtaking view overlooking the Terelj National Park.
Accommodation: Tourist Ger camp. Meals: B, L, D.

Genghis Khan’s Statue Complex – Ulaanbaatar city tour

After breakfast, we will return to Ulaanbaatar. On the way visit “Genghis Khan Statue Complex” which is currently the biggest (40m high) equestrian statue in the world. There is a recreation area, restaurants, and souvenir shops occupy the base structure. From here, we use an elevator or walk to the head of the horse through the chest and back neck of the horse, where we can have farseeing and good panorama view over the complex area.
In the afternoon, explore the city and visit “Gandan” Monastery, Mongolia’s largest functioning Buddhist monastery including the Mongolian Buddhist University. The highlight of visiting to Gandan is a 26-meter-high majestic gilded indoor statue of Megjid Janraisig.
Continue to visit the Museum of Mongolian National History – the museum presents Mongolian history and culture from prehistoric times to the present day.
Next, visit Sukhbaatar square which lies at the heart of the city surrounded by important buildings such as government palace, banks and theaters and post office. There is an equestrian statue of Sukhbaatar and a massive Bronze statue of Genghis Khan with his four warriors in front of Parliament House.
Our next highlight is a famous cultural show in the city, which is featuring traditional performances by singers, dancers and contortionists. It’s a great chance to hear Khoomii (throat singing) and see some fabulous costumes. After dinner, transferred to the hotel.
Accommodation: Hotel 4*. Meals: B, L, D.

Departure

You will be free at leisure in your hotel or wander around on your own until being escorted to the Chinggis Khaan International Airport for your departure flight home. End of service. Meal: Breakfast