Itinerary
- Day 1
Ulaanbaatar
Your flight touches down and a driver holding your name sign meets you at arrivals. Stop by the airport exchange office to convert your currency, then head to your hotel in Ulaanbaatar. The rest of the day is yours to recover from traveling or take a walk around nearby streets if you're feeling up for it, using tips from the hotel staff.
Optional Activities
- Walk around nearby areas (subject to hotel recommendations)
- Day 2
Ulaanbaatar - Naadam Festival
Hotel pickup happens at 8am for the Naadam festival group tour. You'll check out the ankle-bone shooting stadium first, then move to the archery field where you can watch archers dressed in colorful traditional outfits. After walking through the Naadam stadium grounds to see people in traditional clothing and grab food, you'll head into the main stadium for the opening ceremony and watch wrestling matches. Following lunch, drive about an hour to Hui Doloon hudag horse racing field where 150-200 horses race with young riders competing across Mongolia. Evening transfer returns you to the hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Naadam Festival Opening Ceremony
- Ankle-bone shooting competition stadium visit
- Archery field visit
- Mongolian national wrestling matches (beginning of tournament)
- Naadam horse racing at Hui Doloon hudag
Landmarks/POIs Ulaanbaatar National Stadium Hui Doloon hudag Horse Racing Field - Day 3
Ulaanbaatar to Gobi Desert - Bayanzag
Early transfer takes you to the city airport for a morning flight to the Gobi Desert (roughly 1.5 hours). Your Gobi guide meets you there and you drive to Bayanzag, where the first dinosaur fossils were found. The red hillocks created by wind and water erosion glow like fire in the distance. At your Ger camp, watch a video about Roy Chapman Andrews' expedition that discovered the first dinosaur eggs here. Then take a short drive to Flaming Cliffs and walk the red hills looking for fossilized bones still visible today. Night at camp.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Bayanzag dinosaur fossils exploration
- Flaming Cliffs visit and hiking
- Video about dinosaur discovery and Roy Chapman Andrews expedition
Landmarks/POIs Bayanzag Flaming Cliffs - Day 4
Gobi Desert - Khongor Sand Dunes
Drive west toward the Khongor sand dunes, which rise 300 meters high and stretch across an area that's 2-12 km wide and 180 km long. After lunch and rest at camp while the heat fades, visit a camel herder family at their Ger and try fermented camel milk. You'll ride camels (Bactrian camels with two humps, known for being calm) at Khongor Sand Dunes. Later, hike up the Singing Dune, one of the highest, where you get desert views from the top and can hear strange sounds like airplane engines on windy days. The Khongoryn River creates oases along the dunes.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit to camel herder family Ger
- Camel ride at Khongor sand dunes (1 hour)
- Singing Dune hike and climb
Optional Activities
- Try Hormog (fermented Mongolian camel milk)
Landmarks/POIs Khongor Sand Dunes Singing Dune Khongoryn River - Day 5
Gobi Desert - Yol Valley
After breakfast, head to Yol Valley in the Three Beauties of Gobi National Park, famous for dramatic scenery and thick ice that stays almost year-round except late summer. Lunch is at a local restaurant in Bayandalai village, then you drive through Dungenee Canyon to reach the valley. Hike through grassy meadows and small streams in the long narrow valley with high cliff walls, where wildflowers and rocks create a nice backdrop. You might see wild sheep and goats on the cliff walls. Later transfer to another Ger camp for dinner and overnight.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch at local restaurant at Bayandalai village), Dinner
Included Activities
- Yol Valley hiking
- Dungenee Canyon drive-through
Optional Activities
- Wildlife spotting (wild sheep and goats)
Landmarks/POIs Yol Valley Three Beauties of Gobi National Park Dungenee Canyon - Day 6
Gobi Desert to Terelj National Park
Early morning transfer to the airport for a flight back to Ulaanbaatar, then drive to Terelj National Park, one of Mongolia's most visited. See Turtle Rock, an interesting formation that actually looks like a turtle, and visit Ariyabal meditation temple surrounded by scenic mountains and large rock formations. Climb to the top for views over the park. You'll also visit a local nomad family to see how people live in the countryside with livestock, and help them with their daily tasks to understand their traditional lifestyle.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Turtle Rock viewing
- Ariyabal meditation temple visit
- Local nomad family visit
- Nomadic daily task participation
Landmarks/POIs Turtle Rock Ariyabal Meditation Temple Terelj National Park - Day 7
Terelj National Park to Ulaanbaatar
After breakfast, drive back to Ulaanbaatar and stop at the Genghis Khan Statue Complex, the world's largest equestrian statue at 40 meters high with an elevator up to the horse's head for panoramic views. Lunch happens at Modern Nomads restaurant, then you'll see Sukhbaatar Square surrounded by government buildings, banks, and theaters, including equestrian and bronze statues. Next is the Museum of Mongolian National History covering prehistoric times to today. Visit Gandan Monastery, Mongolia's largest functioning Buddhist monastery, to see the 26-meter gilded statue of Megjid Janraisig. At 6pm catch the Wonders of Mongolia folklore show by Tumen-Ekh ensemble featuring traditional music. Dinner is at Bd's Mongolian Barbeque before returning to your hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch at Modern Nomads restaurant), Dinner (Dinner at Bd's Mongolian Barbeque)
Included Activities
- Genghis Khan Statue Complex visit
- Sukhbaatar Square visit
- Museum of Mongolian National History visit
- Gandan Monastery visit with Megjid Janraisig statue
- Wonders of Mongolia folklore show by Tumen-Ekh ensemble
Landmarks/POIs Genghis Khan Statue Complex Sukhbaatar Square Museum of Mongolian National History Gandan Monastery - Day 8
Ulaanbaatar Departure
Your trip ends today with a transfer to the airport for your flight onward or back home.
- Meals
- Breakfast
