Mongolian Gourmet Journey – Altai Adventure, Gobi Desert & Orkhon Valley

The adventure begins with an early domestic flight to Olgii, arriving in the morning. Our crew will be waiting for you at the local airport. You’ll head towards the ranger station of the Altai Tavan Bogd mountains, which is about a 5-6 hour drive. En route to the Altai mountains, you’ll traverse mountain ranges and rivers, surrounded by rocky landscapes. At some beautiful spot along the way, you’ll make a quick stop to set up camp for lunch. On the first day of your trip, you’ll start with a visit to the petroglyphs in the Tsagaan Salaa mountains, where you’ll discover rock carvings dating back 3,000-4,000 years. These ancient carvings depict scenes with horsemen, deer, dogs, and more, offering a fascinating glimpse into the culture of early people.Eventually, you’ll reach the valley known as the “Oigor,” home to nomadic Kazakh families for centuries. You’ll be welcomed by a local family, known for their hospitality, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in their culture and daily life. The nomadic family takes on many daily tasks, like milking cows and yaks in the evening and making dairy products. You’ll also have the chance to try your hand at some of these activities. You’ll experience the magic of Altai mountains by staying in a traditional Mongol-Kazakh Ger. These portable, round tents encapsulate the nomadic heritage of Mongolia, offering a unique and cozy experience. It’s a perfect way to immerse yourself in the rich history and culture of this remarkable region.(B,L,D)

In the morning, a group of local horse guides, accompanied by Bactrian camels, will arrive at your location. They’ll warmly greet you and they will load all your camping gear onto the camelbacks. For the next three days, bid farewell to family and drivers and embark on a horse trek with tour guide and cooks towards the base camp of the Altai Tavan Bogd mountains and glaciers, covering a distance of approximately 17 kilometers. These mountains represent not only the highest point in Mongolia but also the most picturesque national park in the country. The Altai Tavan Bogd boasts five perennially snow-capped peaks, with the highest named Khuiten towering at 4374 meters above sea level. Additionally, there are three substantial glaciers, the longest one spanning an impressive 20 kilometers. Just like other days, we’ll swiftly set up a lunch camp along the way, with a special stop at a spot known as the President’s Point. Here, you’ll be treated to an extraordinary view of the valley landscape, providing an ideal setting for breaks to capture photos and take rests. Continuing from the President’s Point, you’ll proceed on your journey towards the base camp. Tonight, you’ll be camping at the base camp in the tent. We have great camping equipment such as high quality expedition tents, bio-toilets, 10cm thick sleeping pads which makes you feel sleeping on a proper mattresses, very good warm sleeping bags and kitchen stuff. Most importantly we have the very well trained team in the West including tour guides, cooks and the horse guides who will take super extra care of you any situation during the tour. Enjoy the amazing night sky view with full of the stars.(B/L/D)

After breakfast, you’ll pack your lunch, fill your bottle with drinking water, and set off for a day of hiking toward Malchin Peak. The hike begins with an initial 3-kilometer trek to the base of the peak, followed by a steep ascent to the summit. While the climb is non-technical, it rewards you with stunning side views of nearby glaciers. The peak stands at an altitude of 4050 meters above sea level, providing a panoramic view of the entire valley from the summit. You’ll have your packed lunches during the climb to keep you energized. The descent back to the camp will be much quicker and easier than the ascent. In the evening, enjoy the beautiful sunset colors of the Altai mountains. Overnight.(B/L/D)

You’ll wake up to the breathtaking morning atmosphere of the Altai mountains and have breakfast before bidding farewell to the mountains and heading back to the Oigor Valley using the same route. Upon your return, you’ll arrive at the same family and can be involved in their daily tasks as well. Overnight at Ger.(B/L/D)

Bid farewell to the family and depart from Oigor Valley for the Twin Lakes for about 5-6 hours. As you journey towards the lakes, you notice the landscape subtly differs from the Altai mountains. You’ll explore the area with lush meadows, traverse mountains surrounded by foliage, and encounter Turkic-age human stones along the way. Upon reaching the destination, you’ll drive to the local Eagle Hunter family and be warmly greeted by the family members. Enjoy a peaceful dinner in the serene atmosphere. Overnight in a Ger. (B/L/D)

In the morning, a short drive takes you to the Baga Turgen Valley. It’s surrounded by snow-capped mountains, lush forests, rocky rivers, and green meadows. You’ll hike up to the beautiful waterfall for about 3 kilometers. The Baga Turgen Waterfall is one of the most stunning waterfalls in Mongolia, standing at 15 meters high. You’ll enjoy the nature, then will return in the cars. We will return to the family and will have more time to experience local cultures. There are many daily tasks in the nomadic lifestyle, such as women making dairy products in their unique way and men working with livestock, including golden eagles. You’ll practice everything from milking cows to making yogurt, curd, cheese, and more in the countryside. Additionally, you’ll have amazing opportunities to take photos with the golden eagle and its trainer. Playing traditional ankle bone games with local children is one of the fun things to do. Tonight, you’re going to have a local party with the locals. They’ll prepare their very traditional dish called Besbarmak, and you’ll all gather together, inviting the neighbors to have a huge meal. They’ll also have a traditional mini-concert with their traditional instrument called Dombra. Usually, our tours involve song battles between travelers and locals which could give you a great memory of Mongolia. Overnight in a GER.(B/L/D)

Bid farewell to the family, and leave twin lakes to village Sagsai for about 4-5 hours where you’ll meet the local Uriankhai family and experience their daily life. The Uriankhai is an ethnic group of Mongolians who have dwelled in the western part of Mongolia for hundreds of years. Their language is slightly different from the Khalkh Mongolian language, and their main religions are Buddhism and shamanism. They’ll make us traditional Mongolian vodka from dairies. Regarding their tradition, you’ll have a small archery competition with locals after you learn how to handle the Mongolian bow and arrow. Then, will head back to Olgii town for about an hour. Overnight in a tourist Ger camp.(B/L/D)

You’ll have an early breakfast at the tourist camp. Then, will get transferred to the airport by drivers and tour guides.  Arrive in Ulaanbaatar and driven straight to the White Stupa, a journey of about 5-6 hours. Once part of the seafloor, this escarpment resembles a white stupa, earning its name Tsagaan Suvarga (white stupa). Stretching 400 meters in length and rising 60 meters with a sheer 90-degree edge, it’s quite a sight. After rainfall, water cascades down, giving it the appearance of a massive waterfall and creating a surface reminiscent of Mars. It’s the perfect time to leisurely stroll along the White Stupa, capturing stunning photos, including drone shots, especially during the sunset.(B/L/D)

You’ll head to the Yol Valley, also known as Lammergeier Valley, in the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan Mountain National Park /Three Beauties of the Gobi/ for about 3-4 hours. This valley is a beautiful spot nestled in the Gobi desert, with thick ice almost year-round. The cliffs are incredibly high, blocking much of the sunlight, which helps the snow to stick around even in the summer. If you visit before August, you’ll encounter a glacier among the rocky cliffs as you ascend towards the ravine. Exploring the valley usually takes around 2-3 hours. For the remainder of the day, you can relax at the Mongolian Ger tourist camp, where you’ll have access to a hot shower. All the Gers are equipped with comfy mattresses and crisp white blankets.(B/L/D)

Embark on a journey to Khongoryn Els, the largest sand dune in Mongolia, towering up to 300 meters high. The drive covers about 200 kilometers, taking roughly 4 to 5 hours to reach the destination.

You’ll visit a local camel herder family, where you’ll also experience riding Mongolian Bactrian camels. As your first experience of Gobi, you’ll explore the Khongor sand dune on the camelback. The dual-humped Bactrian camels offer a smooth riding experience due to their leisurely and gentle pace and our camel guide ensuring a safe journey through the sandy terrain. You’ll also get to discover the beauty of the Seruun-Bulag oasis nestled amidst the dunes.

One of the highlights of the Khongor sand dune is climbing Duut Mankhan, also known as Sounding Dunes, for the sunset. It’s very challenging but quite safe. Climbing up is a blast, as the dune’s steep slope makes your feet slip with each step. Once you reach the summit, you’ll be treated to a breathtaking view of nature, with unusual vibrant hues of the setting sun.

It’s typical for cloud cover in the desert to be sparse, which keeps the sky clean. This gives you a chance to gaze at the countless stars that adorn the night sky. Overnight at the tourist camp with a hot shower, white blankets.(B/L/D)

You’ll drive approximately 160 km distance for about 4 hours and arrive in Bayanzag which is a famous archaeological site with its rich fossil finds, including dinosaur eggs and skeletons, which provide valuable insights into prehistoric life. Its history is deeply connected with paleontological discoveries made by American paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews in the early 20th century.

You’ll wander through the terrain where dinosaurs once roamed, observing saksaul trees and other typical desert vegetation. The region is also famously known as Flaming Cliffs. The Flaming Cliffs are named for the vibrant red and orange tones that light up the landscape forming a breathtaking visual display.  Then, you’ll depart from the Gobi to reach the Ongi Temple ruins, which once stood as one of Mongolia’s largest monasteries, hosting over 1000 monks at its peak. Unfortunately, many sections of the Ongi monastery were completely demolished in 1939 during anti-religious purges. Given the considerable distance between Kharkhorin and the Flaming Cliffs, attempting it in a single day would entail a very long drive. Therefore, you’ll spend the night relaxing at the Ongi temple ruins. Take a leisurely evening stroll through the area and spend the night at a lovely tourist camp.(B/L/D)

We’ll move to the heart of Orkhon valley to meet a local nomadic family to experience their daily lifestyle. The drive will take around 5-6 hours from Ongi temple ruin to the Orkhon valley and we will arrive at the Mongolian nomadic family’s dwelling. We will be greeted with warm hospitality, and in accordance with Mongolian tradition, enter their ger. They will extend their kindness and offer food. During this time, we will acquaint ourselves with the family members. 

Furthermore, you’ll get involved in the cultures. Our English-speaking tour guide will facilitate communication between you and the local inhabitants. We will spend the night at the ger.(B/L/D)

We’ll journey to the picturesque Tuvkhun temple at the mountaintop by riding horses through a stunning forested area, immersing ourselves in the serene atmosphere. We’ll arrive at a small open meadow in front of a towering rocky cliff. As we get closer to the mountaintop, the terrain becomes a bit steeper. The monastery sits on that cliff, so we’ll ascend to it using rocky steps. On the way, you’ll encounter three small temples. While exploring the monastery, you’ll come across various meditation caves and a small cave known as the “mother’s womb.” Local beliefs suggest that rolling in the womb can cleanse your body, much like being reborn. At the mountaintop, you’ll also find several ovoos and monuments dedicated to natural deities. This experience is definitely worth a try, as it offers a breathtaking display of nature from the mountaintop. Afterward, we’ll ride back to the family. Overnight.(B/L/D)

Today is a special day because you will learn about the unusual nomadic lifestyle, how nomads spend their days, and how they keep their traditions, and culture even in the present period. Generally, nomads are hardworking people, and daily tasks doing like processing milk products, milk livestock, cleaning cattle sheds, searching for high-productivity of pastures, and so on. 

One of the interesting jobs in processing dairy products from a mare called Airag. Fermented horse milk is a traditional beverage, well-known in central Mongolia since it is a little more familiar than other areas. Every two hours, a mare is milked by a herder, who also confines or separates the foals. For nomadic families, using a lasso to catch foals is considered one of the most interesting activities. Furthermore, there are other activities to perform to fence cattle off at night when milking cows, the next morning. It will be the best experience when you participate in it.  Traditional homemade dairy products will be instructed by the family members. Visitors will pay attention and have a chance to experience impersonally milking yak, processing milk, fermenting horse milk, making dried curd, and yak skim as well. Furthermore, there will be a mini-tournament to test your skill against locals and fellow travelers once a pre-start Khalkha archery course is given, one of Mongolia’s traditional sports. After lunch, transporting drinking water from two to three kilometers away on the mini truck can be fun.

Due to extreme weather causing climate change and drought reducing the power and endurance of both wild and farmed animals, the use of motorcycles in nomadic herding has increased instead in recent years. To feel adventurous, you can also sit behind the motorcycle and ride around the middle Mongolian plateau like the wind while herding cattle from the foothills of the mountains.

As mentioned above, adults process milk products while preparing dinner, while kids spend every evening playing knuckle-bone, horse racing, and other traditional games to have fun.

We’ll drive towards north to see ancient Erdene Zuu monastery. Kharkhorin was the capital of ancient Mongol Empire in 13th century, now one of the historical town of Arkhangai province.

Dates back to the XIII Century, contruction of the “Kharkhorum” was completed at the time of Chinggis Khaan’s successor Ogodei Khaan and it was a political and trade center through which passed the legendary Silk Road, the main commerce network of whole Eurasia.

Then we’ll visit Erdenezuu Khiid – the oldest monastery in Mongolia.

Erdene Zuu Monastery has been built on ruins of ancient capital using its stones after introduction of Buddhism in Mongolia end of XVI century. Now Erdene Zuu Khiid is considered by many to be the most important monastery in the country and a museum that is open to tourists. Overnight in a tourist camp.(B/L/D)

 You’ll depart from Kharkhorin in the morning and drive to Khustai National Park for about 3-4 hours, arriving at noon. Known for its successful reintroduction of Przewalski’s horse, also known as the Mongolian wild horse or Takhi, into its native habitat, Khustai National Park boasts diverse landscapes including vast grasslands, rolling hills, and rocky outcrops. These provide habitats for various wildlife species such as deer, marmots, and more, in addition to wild horses.

 Visitors can enjoy wildlife viewing, hiking, and learning about conservation efforts in this beautiful protected area. Afterward, we’ll head back to Ulaanbaatar on a paved road for 100km.(B/L)