Mongolian Wilderness Adventure

19 days - from $1645

Venture into the real Mongolia on this camping adventure as we traverse untouched parts of an untouched land. As it seems wherever you are in Mongolia you are always miles from nowhere.

Itinerary:

Day 1 - Ulaanbaatar Arrive in Ulaanbaatar. Later this evening you will have the chance to meet your tour leader and the other members of the tour. Ulaanbaatar (or UB) is the gateway between new and old in Mongolia. One third of the population live here and as more foreign investment comes in, the old Soviet-influenced buildings are starting to be dwarfed by new office and apartment blocks while the Russian vans are starting to be outnumbered by new Japanese imports. But in the middle of this developing city the traditional 'Del' is still proudly worn. Ulaanbaatar has a number of important and impressive sights, in particular: Ganden Monastery, which currently supports a population of almost 200 monks; the black market where local traders sell everything from gas masks to Ger parts; and some interesting museums. Depending on your taste, perhaps visit the dinosaurs at the Natural History museum, the museum of Fine Arts or learn about the communist purges at the Victims of Persecution Memorial Museum. The Cultural show in Nairamdal Park is also well worth a visit. Check with your tour leader for the latest timings. Drinking is a popular Mongolian pastime and with 1 bar or night club for every 850 citizens, you'll have no trouble finding a place to relax in the evening and sample a few local brews or, of course, Mongolian Vodka. Day 2-3 - Arburd Sands We travel southbound over the treeless steppes to Arburd Sands. This area is a combination of grasslands and sand dunes and offers a realistic glimpse into nomadic lifestyle as we visit a local family. You may be invited into the ger and offered airrag (fermented mares milk), vodka or snuff as a sign of respect. This area is also well known for its horsemanship and we will see boys as young as 8 years old expertly controlling their horses. Day 4 - Baga Gazriin Chuluu Today we travel to Baga Gazriin Chuluu via Zorgol Hairhan Mountain. This is a day of travel amongst the rock formations of Zorgol Hairhan. These sacred mountains are dotted with ovoos (shamanistic rock formations), holy springs and caves. We have a picnic lunch nestled amongst these rock formations before continuing to our destination. Once we arrive at campsite you may wish to take a hike amongst Mongolia’s granite belt with a chance to see Siberian Ibex along the ridges. Day 5-6 - Karakorum We slowly meander over the next two days making our way from the Gobi dessert to central Mongolia. The landscape will change as we make our way to the cradle of Mongolian civilisation, Karakorum. Genghis Khan set this up as the capital of the Mongol empire 800 years ago and it still holds much importance to a proud race. Unfortunately it was sacked and destroyed over the ages and little remains. As we get off the beaten track you will rarely see another soul except for the wondering nomads who set up camps in the most fertile soil for their stock. Day 7-9 - Chuluut Canyons In the morning we visit the Erdene Zuu monastery, the first centre of Lamaism (Tibetan Buddhism) in Mongolia. Building started in 1586 and continued for the next three centuries. In its heyday the complex contained 62 temples and housed up to one thousand monks. Tragically, most temples were destroyed during the communist period but three remain standing and are sufficient to evoke some idea of how impressive it must have once been. After we visit the Monastery we start making our way towards Horgo national park. The journey we undertake leads us to the Chuluut canyons where we will camp for the next two nights. We have a chance to explore this scenic canyon on a full day hike. Chuluut canyon is a beautiful canyon situated along Chuluut river with its many rapids and tributaries. If you are lucky enough on the hike you may discover some petroglyphs dating back 10000 BC. Day 10 - Horgo National Park We enter the scenic Horgo national park to view and hike along White Lake. This volcanic lake is one of the most stunning and dramatic in all of Mongolia. It positively teems with hungry pike, making for some of the best fishing of the trip. En route to the lake, we pass through a strange landscape littered with black volcanic rock. The lake itself is ringed on all sides by large hills (hike to the top for some wonderful views over the lake and beyond) and topped by an extinct volcano - Horgo. We have an easy climb to get to the top of this volcano to enjoy the views. Day 11-12 - Sangiin Dalai Lake We drive to the beautiful Sangiin Dalai Lake area. This is a strange phenomenon of an inland salt water lake. It is surrounded by mountains, hills and rock formations that rise up out of an otherwise flat landscape with rolling grasslands. We have a full day to explore this area and witness the herder communities who seldom see foreigners. If you are into bird watching you may get a chance to view rare species of the Swan Goose and Great Bustard. These nights camping on the open steppes give you a true Mongolian experience with the isolation and majestic beauty of the open plains. Day 13-15 - Lake Khovsgol We have a full days driving to Lake Khovsgol, a magnificent clear blue lake on the Siberian border. We stay near the banks of the lake and have two full free days to hike around the lake or just relax and enjoy the views. The landscape initially becomes more arid and rocky but later we drive through pine forest before getting our first glimpse of the magnificent Lake Khovsgol. The lake is 2,760 square km, surrounded by mountains and contains water is so pure that you can drink it. It is without any doubt the scenic highlight of Mongolia and we have two full free days to explore the area. You can either relax on the lakeside, enjoying stunning views, or trek into the surrounding hills either by foot or on horseback. Day 16-17 - Selenge We drive on to our final picturesque camp spots. By this stage you may be missing some creature comforts. Don't wish your time away. You should savour this last 2 days of true wilderness experience. Leaving Lake Khovsgol behind, we drive through spectacular alpine scenery to the beautiful Selenge River. This is Mongolia’s largest river in terms of water volume, and it eventually empties into Lake Baikal in Siberia. We drive south to the Selenge River, one of the most lush and beautiful parts of Mongolia. En route we visit Uran-Togoo Nature Reserve. We have two nights camping in this province on our way to the Amarbayasgalant Monastery. Day 18 - Ulaanbaatar In the morning we visit Amarbayasgalant Monastery. This Manchu style Monastery was dedicated to the great Buddhist sculptor Zanabazar and is one of the top three Buddhist institutions in Mongolia. Its northern location escaped the communist purges of 1930's and it is still a working monastery today. After this we drive back through the grasslands to Ulaanbaatar leaving behind the dramatic remoteness of this amazing landscape. Day 19 - Ulaanbaatar Tour ends after breakfast.

Included

Included Tour leader, accommodation, meals, transportation, and sightseeing excursions as per itinerary.

Excluded

Excluded:

* Visa costs
* Border Taxes
* Entrance fees
* Drinks, tips, laundry and other items of a personal nature.
* International flights
* Arrival & Departure transfers
* Meals other than those listed

Trip Reference: AAMW