MONGOLIA, NOMADIC BY NATURE & 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

Mongolia Naadam Festival – Half day city tour

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 a stadium of anklebone 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 the 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.

In the afternoon, we will explore the city and visit Zaisan Memorial Hill is located in the south side of Ulaanbaatar City, right beside the Bogd Khan Mountain has a good view of the city and surrounding hills.
Continue to visit Bogd Khan Palace Museum – the complex was a residence of 8th Bogd Javzandamba in the 19th century, the head of Mongolian religion. The palace consists of seven Summer Prayer temples and the winter palace. Afterwards, transferred to the hotel.
Accommodation: Hotel 4*. Meals: B, D.

Naadam at Hui Doloon Khudag – Bayan Gobi sand dunes

• Early this morning at 07.30am, 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 from each corners 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.

After explore Hui doloon khudag, drive to Bayan Gobi sand dunes – surrounded by hills with willow trees, streams and bushes, and appear as a small desert in the center of the country. This sand dune is 80km long and the widest part of the sand dune is 9-10 km.
After some time of refreshment in the Ger camp, we will visit local camel herder family in their Ger, explore their unique nomadic lifestyle. Also, we have lunch with them. Its chance to try drinking Hormog (fermented Mongolian camel milk).
The sand dunes are the perfect place for camel riding. We will discover this magnificent place on camel back. Mongolia is home to 2/3 of the two-humped Bactrian camels in the world. It is a gentle, calm and extraordinary patient animal and can carry on without water for a month.
Accommodation: Tourist camp. Meals: B, L, D.

Orkhon Valley & Orkhon Waterfall

Today we will travel to across vast grassy plains, interspersed with basalt rocks and meandered rivers. Our slow progress on the damaged track leaves us plenty of time to observe the different scenes of nomadic life. Orkhon Valley recognized as a “Cultural Landscape” of the UNESCO World Heritage in 2004. Orkhon waterfall was formed by volcanic eruption and earthquakes some 20000 years ago. The Waterfall cascades down from a height 27 meters. Once we come, we will check in and have lunch. Take an excursion to the waterfall and explore around the nature.
In the evening, we will enjoy visiting the local nomad family to experience firsthand how people live in the country side and a lifestyle which has not changed for centuries. From there, we explore the around nature from horseback for one hour.
Accommodation: Tourist camp. Meals: B, L, D.

Tsenher Hot Spring, Khangai Mountains

After breakfast, drive towards through forested mountain road to the beautiful valley of Tsenkher, which is the some of the lushest countryside in Mongolia with green forested mountains and meandering rivers.
There is famous Tsenkher hot spring that reaches +86.5″C, supposed to have curative properties for arthritic joints and other ailments.
Check-in, lunch at Ger camp and time for relaxing. There are you can do hike and walking around the camp for watching wild flowers. Have a relaxed evening taking a hot bath in the hot spring water.
Accommodation: Tourist camp. Meals: B, L, D.

Karakorum & Erdene Zuu Buddhist Monastery – Ugii Lake

In the morning, head to Kharkhorin, a small village, and one of the country’s major tourist destinations. Historically known as Karakorum, which was an ancient capital of Mongolia Empire founded by Genghis Khan in 1220. Also, Karakorum was one of the most important cities in the history of the Silk Road.
After lunch, we will visit the museum of Karakorum and learn more about the beautiful ancient Karakorum city and Genghis Khan.
Continue to visit the magnificent and the oldest Buddhist Monastery complex of Erdenezuu, built in the 16th century, with 108 buddhis stupas. Here you can see interesting listen to monk chanting Buddhist sutras.
In the late afternoon, we will take 1.5hrs drive to Ugii Lake – is located up 1337m from the ocean level and it is a pure water steppe lake, which is 7.9km long, 5km wide. The lake Ugii is a famous for its birdlife. Ogii lake has registered in the Ramsar Convention for being important breeding and staging area for a variety of waterfowl.
Check-in Ger camp on shore of the lake.
The rest of the day free time for your own.
Accommodation: Tourist Ger camp. Meals: B, L, D.

Hustai National Park trip (Wild Horse Park)

Depart for the Hustai National Park. This area is home to the Mongolian wild horse known as Perzevalski horse (Takhi) with a unique landscape that features mountain and steppe.
Lunch and check-in at tourist camp near the National Park.
In the afternoon, we visit the information center and learn familiar with the national park and wild horse.
Take a short drive and walking to see the horses in their natural habitat. There is a great opportunity to take photos for these endangered horses. If you are lucky, you can see fox, deer, roe deer, eagle, and more animals and birds…
Accommodation: Tourist camp. Meals: B, L, D.

Terelj National Park trip

Today, we will 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, you can ascend to the head of the horse using an elevator. There you have a good panoramic view over the complex area and the scenery beyond.
In the afternoon, continue to 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. Then, we will check 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