Your Adventure Awaits
Altai to the Gobi
Travelling through Mongolia is a study in cinematic contrasts, beginning in the hyper-kinetic visual noise of Ulaanbaatar — where Soviet-era block apartments, gleaming glass high-rises, and traditional ger districts collide against a backdrop of rolling steppe — before slipping into the profound, centuries-old silence of the wild. Heading west, the snow-capped Altai Mountains surge out of the earth like jagged granite teeth, home to Kazakh hunters who still ride horseback alongside trained golden eagles amidst wind-scoured valleys and glacial lakes. Southward, the landscape shifts into the sun-baked expanse of the Gobi Desert, where whispering sand
dunes, red-rock canyon walls, and fossil-rich badlands stretch toward an endless horizon under an impossibly deep blue sky.
History & Culture
Distant Frontiers
Price On Request
When To Go?
Highlights
Accommodations
From evocative gers in the Altai Mountains and the Gobi Desert to the towering skyscraper that is the Shangri-la Ulaanbaatar, one element remains unequivocal and that is the essence of Mongolian hospitality - subtle, warm and authentic without the need for the superfluous.
Experiences
As inspiring and aspirational as it gets. Encounters and interactions with Mongolia's ethnics herders and nomads returns us to a state of innocence, embracing ancient traditions, virtues and teachings that are as profound as it is reinvigorating.
Itinerary
DAY 1: Arrive Ulaanbaatar via Seoul Incheon
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Arrive Seoul Incheon International Airport early this morning and proceed directly to the Incheon Airport Transit Hotel operated by Walkerhill for rest and rejuvenation.
In the afternoon, connect onto your onward flight on MIAT Mongolian Airlines to Ulaanbaatar.
On arrival at Ulaanbaatar Chingis Khaan International Airport, you will be met and warmly welcomed as we transfer to the Khubilai Hotel - the closest hotel to the airport - for check in and rest for the evening.
DAY 2: Ulaanbaatar / Khovd / Altai Mountains
Early this morning, we transfer back to Ulaanbaatar Chingis
Khaan International Airport (30mins drive) for your domestic flight on MIAT Mongolian Airlines to Khovd.
OM31 Ulaanbaatar 0645hrs Khovd 0755hrs
Arriving at Khovd Airport, you will be warmly met as we start in awe of the area dominated by the Altai Mountains, the highest mountain in Mongolia. These mountains help preserve the culture, language, and traditions of the Kazakh population that live here. You will take this opportunity to meet with local families and experience the Kazakh culture. Visit the local Khovd Museum to learn about the history of the province and its people before driving to the Three Eagle Camp located at the base of the snow-capped Tsambagarav Mountain - home to the Kazakh and Uuld people. This particular area is the autumn pasture of the Uulds, a Mongol-speaking people belonging to the Oirat ethnic group. The Uulds still use animals for moving and carrying loads and are very proud of their rich history and the Uuld king Amarsanaa Khan, who led the rebellion against the Qin Dynasty’s invasion of Mongolia. Each ger has its own ensuite facilities with hot showers and western-style toilets. You dine in a restaurant which is also used as a ‘discussion room’ or lounge.
DAY 3: Altai Mountains
Today after breakfast, we will dedicate an entire day to spend with the local Kazakh Eagle Hunters. For over a millennium, the Kazakh people have been practicing the art of falconry, a tradition passed down by their Turkic ancestors. They use these eagles as a way to hunt their food during the winter months. You will be welcomed to enter a Kazakh ger where you will get to see their unique traditionally designed homes, filled with embroidery
and warmth from a wood fire stove. Here you will be able to ask them questions about their life and falconry. After the conversation, you will go outside with the hunter where he/she will demonstrate how they interact with eagles and hunt together. You will also be able to go horse-back riding or hiking with them and their eagles. In the evening, enjoy a traditional Kazakh dinner with the hunter’s family. Kazakhs are great musicians and often over dinner regal guests with songs about the powers of their eagles.
DAY 4: Altai Mountains (The Ulgii Region)
An amazing day beckons after breakfast as we embark on an hour’s crosscountry drive to Bayan Nuur Lake, the northeastern side of the Tsambagarav mountain. Set dramatically with high mountains on its south and north banks, the lake is also rich with migratory birds. Spend some time having lunch and walking along its shores spotting birds and visiting with nomads who bring their animals to water. After relaxing at the Lake, drive to
Namarjin Valleys which lies in the shadow of the Tsambagarav Mountain. Here you will meet with a local nomadic family and learn how they produce dairy products to sustain their nomadic lifestyle for generations. With dairy products such as “Aaruul”, which is hardened milk curd. There are hundreds of different types of milk products in Mongolia that you will come across.
After learning, take a horseback ride or hike around the area before heading back to the camp to get dinner and rest for the night.
DAY 5: Altai Mountains / Khovd / Ulaanbaatar
We After 3 incredible nights in the Altai Mountains, we depart for Khovd Airport today for our domestic flight on MIAT Mongolian Airlines to Ulaanbaatar.
OM32 Khovd 1240hrs Ulaanbaatar 1535hrs
Arriving at Ulaanbaatar Chingis Khaan International Airport, we begin our drive into Ulaanbaatar. A brief orientation allows us a breather to admire the Sukhbaatar Square named after one of the leaders of Mongolia's 1921 revolution Damdin Sukhbaatar, a revolutionary symbol of independent Mongolia. We will also catch a glance of the surrounding buildings that include the Government House, a bronze colonnade monument to Genghis
Khan, the Mongolian stock exchange building, the State Ballet, the Central Post Office, the Opera House, the Gallery, the Blue Sky Tower amongst others. Later, we transfer to Shangri-la Ulaanbaatar, right in the heart of the city centre and the ideal base within walking distance of the famous Government House, Great Chinggis Khaan Square and main offices and embassies.
DAY 6: Ulaanbaatar
We begin our day with a visit to the National Museum of Mongolia, dedicated to the preserving the Mongolian history and traditional life with a vast collection of historical, archaeological, and ethnographical artefacts. Not far away, we visit the incredible Gandan Monastery, the seat of Buddhism in Mongolia. Although Buddhist monasteries were either destroyed or converted into museums during the Stalinist purges of the 1930s, Gandan Monastery continued to operate as a showpiece for government officials. We will also visit the recently renovated Chenrezi and
Kalachakra Temples, as well as the magnificent Statue of Migjid Janraisig, “the lord who looks in every direction.” This 82-foot high statue, gilded in pure gold and clothed with silk and precious stones, completely fills one of Gandan’s temples.
Thereafter, we stop at the stunning Bogd Khan Palace Museum. Built in 1924, it was designated as the winter palace of Javzandamba, the final Bogd Khan of Mongolia. The winter palace complex, which was constructed between 1893 and 1903, is renowned for housing Bogd Khan's personal library, Temple, and Gate of Peace. Sculptures by the renowned Taras, the first Bogd Khaan Zanabazar of Mongolia, are on display in the museum.
This evening, you are invited to The Bull, a cherished Mongolian Hotpot restaurant featuring an array of high quality steak and grilled meat, seafood and vegetables with your own individual hotpot to cook your beloved meat in its incredible broth.
DAY 7: Ulaanbaatar / Dalanzadgad / Gobi Desert
Today, a 2 hour's drive arrives us at the Chinggis Khaan Statue
Complex. At 40m tall, the remarkable stainless steel statue is the world’s tallest equestrian statue, built in honor of Mongolia’s greatest ever conqueror. Explore the museum in the complex and learn about the history of the Mongol Empire. Thereafter, head to the top of the statue for panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. We then return in the direction of Ulaanbaatar and a visit to the Zaisan Memorial, built by the former Soviet Union to commemorate fallen soldiers of World War II. Those who climb the 300 steps will be rewarded with a beautiful panoramic view
of the capital city, the Tuul River, and the surrounding countryside.
From here, we transfer to Ulaanbaatar Chingis Khaan International Airport for our domestic flight on MIAT Mongolian Airlines to Dalanzadgad.
OM91 Ulaanbaatar 1730hrs Dalanzadgad 1840hrs
Arriving at Dalanzadgad Airport, you will be met as we transfer to the Three Camel Lodge (1 hour drive), located at Bulagtai Mountain on the edge of Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park. The lodge offers a wide variety of activities such as horseback riding, archery, nature walks, a library with interesting books on Mongolia, a screening room for watching documentary films about nomadic culture, learning traditional Mongolian games, or
enjoying a relaxing massage.
DAY 8: Gobi Desert (Moltsog Els Sand Dunes)
After breakfast, we drive to Moltsog Els Sand Dunes, one of the few regions of the Gobi Desert covered by the majestic dunes. Explore the dunes on foot, but don’t miss riding a Bactrian camel. It is not everyday that you’ll get the chance to get up close and personal with a two-humped camel. In fact, these wooly creatures are native to this region and are only found in Central
Asia. Camel ride on the dunes are possible only if a local camel herding family is residing close to the dunes during the summer.
Remarks:
If camels are not available, we will explore the dunes on foot and ride camels in another location.
OPTIONAL: Bike Ride to a local nomadic family
Observing the vast Gobi by bicycle is a treat for travelers and allows you to experience nature you might otherwise miss. This afternoon head out on mountain bikes (helmets provided) for an easy to moderate, guided bike ride through the countryside to a home of a local nomadic family. Learn more about their way of life. If you wish, you may participate in their daily chores including herding and milking their animals, and learn how to prepare milk tea. You may also get the chance to learn the traditional games of the steppe, utilizing the ankle bones of sheep and goats.
Ger Building Activity at Three Camel Lodge:
In the afternoon, experience ger building firsthand. Join locals to learn the process of raising a traditional Mongolian Ger. Participating in building and setting up a traditional Mongolian ger will have you feeling immersed in the local culture.
DAY 9: Gobi Desert (Flaming Cliffs)
Early this morning, we awake to enjoy a relaxing walk at sunrise around the Bulagtai hillside, located behind the lodge. Here you will be able to see 8,000-year-old petroglyph and learn more about our unique Lodge.
Later in the morning, participate in a hands-on cooking class and learn to make some traditional Mongolian dishes. Here you will learn how to make Mongolian buuz (steamed dumplings) and khuushuur (deep fried meat pockets).
In the afternoon, we will finally come face to face with the Flaming Cliffs, also known as “Bayan Zag” for the orange glow of its rock at dawn and dusk. It was here in 1923 that Dr. Roy Chapman Andrews and his exploration team from the American Museum of Natural History found the first nest of dinosaur eggs. Although not obvious to the untrained eye, the Flaming Cliffs
are rich with dinosaur fossils and have been the site of important
paleontological discoveries.
DAY 10: Gobi Desert / Yol Valley / Dalanzadgad / Ulaanbaatar
Today, we embark on an excursion to the Yol Valley nestled at the heart of Zuun Saikhan Mountain of the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan Mountain range. This seven-mile valley is a lush landscape best known as a prime habitat for Yol vultures (lammergier), or bearded vultures. Visit the small, but informative museum to learn more about the local wildlife of the Gobi region before
driving to the starting point for your hike. The narrow valley with a stream running through the center delivers a rewarding hike for outdoor enthusiasts.
Remarks:
The Yol Valley hike is easy to moderate level spanning up to 6km and takes between 1.5 to 2.5hrs to complete. Horseback riding is also available (OPTIONAL)
Returning to the lodge to refresh and lunch, enjoy time at leisure before we transfer to Dalanzadgad Airport for our domestic flight on MIAT Mongolian Airlines back to Ulaanbaatar.
OM92 Dalanzadgad 1920hrs Ulaanbaatar 2025hrs
Arriving back at Ulaanbaatar Chinggis Khan International Airport, we will transfer to the Shangri-la Ulaanbaatar for check in and rest for the evening.
DAY 11: Departure Ulaanbaatar via Beijing
You have the day at leisure to unwind. Consider last minute shopping for souvenirs in Shangri-la Mall, the premier shopping destination in Ulaanbaatar offering numerous international brands or a walk to Morning Street with its series of colorful houses reminiscent of London Lane adorned with cafes, restaurants and small eateries.
In the afternoon, we will transfer to Ulaanbaatar Chinggis Khan
International Airport for your onward flight on MIAT Mongolian Airlines to Beijing.
Featured Hotels
Shangri-la Ulaanbaatar
Shangri-La Ulaanbaatar is located in the heart of the city centre - making it an ideal base for both business and leisure travelers. The hotel is within walking distance of the Government House - Great Chinggis Khaan Square as well as main offices and embassies. Chinggis Khan International Airport is 40 minutes and the train station is 20 minutes away by car. All rooms and suites are appointed with a contemporary and indigenous fusion design. Views overlook either Nayramdal Park to the south or Great Chinggis Khaan Square and a city panorama to the north.
Three Camel Lodge
The Three Camel Lodge is the luxury wilderness ger camp of Nomadic Expeditions. The Lodge blends into the stunning landscape of the surrounding Gobi desert sheltered by a 54 million year old volcanic outcrop of Mt. Bulagtai. It shelters guests with 40 felt gers or traditional nomadic tents as well as a main lodge of striking design with full facilities. An oasis of luxury in the desert, the Three Camel Lodge offers comfort and superb service while maintaining a tangible commitment to the ecology of the Gobi. The property was built in accordance with environmentally and culturally sustainable development guidelines through a cooperative agreement with local Mongolian authorities. The lodge is ideally situated for adventurous guests with ancient petroglyphs a short walk away and opportunities to experience daily life in the desert and interact with passing nomads who water livestock at a nearby well..
Privileges
Complimentary Breakfast
Priority Room Upgrade at check in*
$100 credit to be utilized during stay
Early check in/late check out subject to availability*