You’ll picked up from your accommodation 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)

The journey continues with a drive to the heart of the Khangai Mountain range to explore the extinct Khorgo volcano. Arkhangai province is known for its yaks, and you’ll have the opportunity to experience yak riding on the way to Khorgo at Taikhar Chuluu, a single giant rock in the steppe. Upon arrival at the Khorgo mountains, you’ll hike steeply to the summit to capture the view of the volcano crater. About 9000 years ago, the Khorgo volcano erupted, forming the Terkh white lake where you’ll be staying at a Ger camp tonight.(B/L/D)

The journey will arrive in the center of North Mongolia, Murun town, where you’ll enjoy the second part of the tour with the Reindeer Herders. Upon arrival, you’ll visit the local black market and museum to get to know the region better. Afterwards, you’ll relax at the hotel to prepare for the next part of the adventure. Overnight.(B/L/D)

Wake up a bit earlier in the morning and head north to explore the Taiga. You’ll embark on a journey through stunning mountainous areas and tranquil valleys, passing by the local town called Ulaan Uul. As you drive through a pass just in front of the town, you’ll encounter 13 shamanic sacred “Ovoo,” marking your entry into the land of Shamans. For the next few days, you’ll stay in comfortable and high-quality expedition tents, and one of our skilled cooks will prepare three daily meals for you.(B/L/D)

Following a delightful morning in the Ulaan-Uul village, your journey continues through the captivating Darkhad valley to reach Tsagaan Nuur town. Upon arrival at Khogorog, you’ll rendezvous with our local horse crew, marking the start of an exceptional equestrian adventure the following day.(B/L/D)

You’ll be embarking on a 6-7 hour horse trek to visit the Reindeer herder family today. Comfortable, soft saddles will be provided for the journey. You’ll need to pack only essential items for the next three days, as you can’t carry too much on the luggage horses. Two horses will be allocated for carrying foodstuff, kitchen essentials, sleeping bags, and mattresses. Once the horse guides have loaded all the luggage onto the carrier horses, you’ll begin the trek to the Taiga. You’ll ride through dense forests, swampy meadows, and cross rivers for approximately 30 km until you reach the Reindeer herders in the evening. Will have a packed lunch along the way. You’ll conclude your day by meeting the Tsaatan people, who are the local Reindeer herders. “Tsaatan” means “Reindeer Herder,” derived from “Tsaa” or “Tsaa-Buga” for Reindeer/Deer and “tan” as a suffix similar to “-er” in English (e.g., driver, cleaner). Tonight, you’ll stay in the traditional tent teepee of the Tsaatan people. Overnight.(B/L/D)

You’ll spend the day with the Reindeer herder tribe. Ethnically, these individuals are Tuvans, also referred to as Dukha people. Their language, religion, and culture differ slightly from typical Mongols. They primarily speak Tuvan, but many young people have begun to use Mongolian as well. Their main religious practice is Shamanism. They use reindeer like horses and consume their milk as regular milk. You’ll not only learn about their cultures but also actively participate in them. You can try your hand at milking reindeer and ride them in the surrounding areas. For the remainder of the time, relax in the serene surroundings of the Taiga. Overnight.(B/L/D)

Bid farewell to the Reindeer herders and will return to the Khogorog through the last way. Overnight.(B/L/D)

So, we’ll head out from Khogorog early in the morning and drive about 350 km off-road, which should take us 7-8 hours to reach the lakeshore. Khuvsgul Lake, also known as Blue Pearl Lake, is surrounded by forested mountains and stands as one of Mongolia’s largest lakes. We’ll arrive at the tourist camp in the evening, where there are bathroom facilities. Chill out at the tourist camp.(B/L/D)

Enjoy a boat ride to Khusliin Khad, climb up the mountain to enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of the lake, and take a leisurely stroll along the lakeshore. Afterward, we’ll drive for about an hour to Murun via a paved road and have dinner at a restaurant. Overnight at the hotel.(B/L/D)

Driver will pick you up from the hotel and you’ll transferred to the airport. You’ll catch a morning flight to Ulaanbaatar, flying for about an hour. We’ll bid you farewell, hoping that we were able to be a part of your unforgettable vacation and add some color to your life.(B)