SIGNATURE OF MONGOLIA & 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

Khovsgol Lake National Park, Northern Mongolia

Today, you will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to the city airport for the flight to Murun, which is the center of the Northern Province.
Upon arrival, meet your local guide and transferred to the Khovsgol Lake, which is known as the Switzerland of Mongolia and second the clearest lake in Central Asia.
Take a 2 hours’ drive to the Khatgal village on the shore of the lake and explore the village’s life, the market and main port of the lake. On the way, we will see hundreds of grazing livestock and wildlife of northern region of Mongolia
Khovsgol province is home to the southernmost indigenous reindeer herding people (Tsaatan) in the world. Some of Tsaatan families came from remote Taiga at the summer camp near to the lake from June until end of August. Reindeer herders practice shamanism and live in teepees and moving around 5 times a year. We will meet reindeer herders and explore their daily life, custom and sacraments.
Check-in and dinner at Tourist camp, which is located near to the lake.
Accommodation: Tourist camp. Meals: B, L, D.

Full day at Khovsgol Lake

This morning, we will explore the national park from horse back. Mongolia is the best destination for horse riding trip and especially Khovsgol Lake is the best recommended place for this experience.
After given preliminary instructions, orientation about horse riding, we will discover around nature from horseback until lunch time.
In the afternoon is free time for you to be on your own. You can explore the surrounding hills and walking along the shore of the lake. The Lake water is well known for crystal clear blue and surrounded by beautiful lash green deep forest and magnificent mountains.
Also, there is a great opportunity to do hiking, kayaking, ride motor moat or just enjoy at wild nature to take photos.
Accommodation: Tourist camp. Meals: B, L, D.

Flight back to Ulaanbaatar – Terelj National Park

Early this morning, we will drive to the local airport in Murun town and take a return flight to Ulaanbaatar.
On the way, we will visit Uushig ancient Deer Stone Monument as another wonder of the Khuvsgul region. This is most clearly depicted deer stones left behind by bronze-age men. A deer, an arch, a shield, a horse, a knife, the moon, the sun and a mirror figured belt were engraved on the stones.
Upon arrival in the city airport, transferred to Terelj National Park, which is one of the most visited national parks in Mongolia which is by its natural beauty, forested alpine mountains and interesting rock formations very well known.
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. Here you can see the herders with their daily tasks and get an idea of how nomadic people alongside of their livestock.
Accommodation: Tourist camp. Meals: B, L, D.

Terelj National Park trip – Genghis Khan’s Statue Complex – UB

In the morning, we will explore the national park and to see Turtle Rock – interesting rock formation looking like a turtle and 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.
After lunch, we will drive to “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.
Return to Ulaanbaatar and transfer to the hotel.
Accommodation: Hotel 4*. Meals: B, L.

Naadam festival opening ceremony – 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.
• The 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, L.

Naadam, horse racing at Hui doloon khudag –Hugnu Khan Mt. National Park

• Early this morning at 07.30am, we will drive out of the city for one 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 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.

After explore Hui doloon khudag, drive to Hugnu Khan National Park – It is a picturesque area of Rocky Mountains, semi desert, Gobi sand dunes and steppes all in one location represents three different natural zones. There is ideal for hiking, wildlife observation and photography. There we will visit the Uvgun Monastery in the national park through the semi-desert and interesting Rocky Mountains in beautiful Mountain View.
Accommodation: Tourist camp. Meals: B, L, D.

Kharakorum & Erdenezuu Buddhist Monastery

After relaxing breakfast, 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.
In the afternoon, 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 Buddhist stupas. Here you can see interesting listen to monk chanting Buddhist sutras.
Accommodation: Tourist Ger camp. Meals: B, L, D.

Ongi River valley, Middle Gobi

Following breakfast, we will travel through the rolling hills and pastureland and heading to the Gobi.
In the late afternoon, we reach at Tourist camp, which is near to the ruined monastery of Ongi Temple along the Ongi River makes a good resting place to break a trip between the two major destinations.
Ongi temple was established in 1660 and once composed of 30 temples, 4 big Buddhism universities. It was destroyed by the communist purges of the 1930s and is being restored by a number of monks.
Nowadays that one temple serves as a small museum. We will explore around and ruins of the monastery.
If you want, you can have pleasant massage and sauna at the camp.
Accommodation: Tourist camp. Meals: B, L, D.

Ongi steppe – Bayanzag (Flaming cliffs), Gobi

On this day, we will pass the huge open landscape called Ongi steppe, which is over 80km wide steppe in the Gobi zone and arrive in the midday at the Bayanzag (Flaming cliffs). This area 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.
Roy Chapman Andrews and American expedition discovered the first nests of dinosaur eggs from Bayanzag in the 1923. 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.
Accommodation: Tourist camp. Meals: B, L, D.

Khongor sand dunes, the biggest sand dunes in Gobi

TToday, 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 camp. Meals: B, L, D.

Yol Valley, Three beauties of Gobi” Mt. National 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 – Half day city tour

Early this morning, transfer to the local airport for morning flight to Ulaanbaatar. Upon arrival in the city airport, transferred to the hotel and leave our luggage.
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 Khццmii (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