On this overland trip along this imperial route you will explore westward of Ulaanbaatar towards Karakorum and the homeland of Ancient Mongols. Your travels will include Khadagt Khoshuu—a special place of worship for local herders, the Manduhai Queen Monument, the beautiful Swan Lake, and a landscape of sand dunes. You will visit herder families, and have the opportunity to ride by camel cart, ox cart, and horse with a herder guide in the Khogno Khaan National park. Khorgo and White lake national park are remarkable locations within Mongolia but when combined with the ancient empire of the Mongols (Karakorum) – then its just Awesome!
Day One – Overland Trip Across Central Mongolia to Khogan Khan National Park for some Camel Riding and Horseback Riding to the Locally Worshiped Khadagt Khoshuu (B,L,D – Overnight in extra Mongolian Nomadic Ger – Cultural Home Stay): In the morning at 08am you will depart from UB by public bus for 280kms to Rashaant village and then take rural car to first family jeep and you will arrive at family ger of herder Mr. Byambatogtoh around 2pm. You will be served tea and lunch. Then Mr. Byambatogtoh and his sons will guide you to the locally worshiped site of Khadagt hoshuu for 10.5kms. You will dismount from your camels or horses and participate in our herders’ worshiping activities according to custom. Then you will back to herder family’s ger. He will welcome you to have dinner and to stay overnight at his ger.
Day Two – Horseback Riding Trip to Next Mongolian Nomadic Family to Visit the Human-like Stone Statue of Ar Bulan (B,L,D – Overnight in extra Mongolian Nomadic Ger – Cultural Home Stay): After breakfast, you will continue your journey to next family by camel and horse for 10 kilometers. When you arrive at Mr. Otgonbayr he will served you a nomadic lunch and tea. Then you will start your travel by ox cart for 12ms to Bugdiin Ovoo /means all people’s Ovoo/. Ovoo worship ceremony originates from Mongolian’s traditional respect and worship of nature. An ovoo is a pyramid shaped collection of stones, bones, woods and silk scarves, placed on the top of the hill or mountain. Ovoo is sacred and whenever you go by an ovoo you should walk around it three times to pray and make a wish. Then you will back to herder family’s ger. He will welcome you to have dinner and to stay overnight at his ger.
Day Three – Horseback Riding Trip to the Gobi Desert‘s Northern Region known as Mongol Sand Dunes to visit a local Oasis called Swan Lake (B,L,D – Overnight in extra Mongolian Nomadic Ger – Cultural Home Stay): After breakfast, you will continue your trip by horse for 6kms to next family. When you arrive at Mr. Idertsogt he will served you a nomadic lunch and tea. Then he will guide you beautiful Swan Lake and Mongol sand dune by horse. It will be about 6km round trip and you will enjoy the beauty of this lake and sand dune. You might have an opportunity to see swan couples there. Then you will back to the family. He will invite you to have dinner and to stay overnight at his ger.
Day Four – Short Horseback Riding Trip to Queen Manduhai’s Filming Location followed by Overland Travel to Karakorum, the Ancient Mongol Empire, (B,L,D – Overnight in extra Mongolian Nomadic Ger – Cultural Home Stay): Before your breakfast you have opportunity to participate in milking animals. Mr. Idertsogt will guide you to Queen Manduhai Monument which was constructed for the movie about the wise Queen Manduhai. It will be 5km round trip. Then you will back to herder family’s ger. He will welcome you to have a farewell lunch and tea. Then you will drive to Karakorum ancient capital city. Upon arrival, you will visit Karakorum city ruins and Erdenezuu monastery. The city was established in 1220. Karakorum was the capital of Mongolia for 140 years and the capital of the Mongol Empire for 32 years. Erdenezuu monastery was the first Buddhist monastery, erected on the initiative of Abtai Sain Khan in 1585 at Karakorum. Stay overnight in ger camp.
Day Five – Overland Trip towards the ever Relaxing Tsenher Hot Springs (B,L,D – Overnight in extra Mongolian Ger Camp): After breakfast you will continue to drive to Arkhangai province which is called ‘paradise of the horse herders’. Arkhangai aimag can claim to be Switzerland in Mongolia- amazingly beautiful scenery of mountains, cliffs, rapid rivers, and green forest. Today we will overnight at Tsenher hot springs, where water flows out of the ground at 82° C, and where we can enjoy a relaxing soak. Stay overnight in ger camp.
Day Six – Setup a Mongolian Ger (B, L, D – Overnight in Family’s Extra Nomadic Ger): Up early today for breakfast prior to the long 180 kilometer overland trip towards Mr. Lhagvadondov’s where you will part-take in nomadic activities. Upon your arrival at family, you will have an opportunity to erect a traditional Mongolian dwelling known as a “Ger” with the assistant of his family members. After lunch, you can enjoy trekking along the Chuluut River Canyon and admire the natural beauty of the location before evening’s nomadic dinner and hot traditional tea followed by a well-earned rest in the nomadic families extra Ger.
Day Seven – Trek an Inactive Volcanic Mountain (B, L, D – Overnight in Family’s Extra Nomadic Ger): In the morning you can participate in the milking of the family’s livestock as well as assist in the preparation of the nomadic breakfast with the family. After breakfast, the host family will drive you to the next family Mr. Ganbat where you will begin the 10-kilometer roundtrip hiking to Khorgo Volcano; from the summit at 2100 meters above sea level there is a splendid panoramic view of the whole lake and region. As you continue your journey, you will also visit the famous Yellow Dog’s cave (a local legend stated that a compassionate monk kept a sick dog in this cave in order to protect it from being killed) and have a picnic lunch. In the evening, you will return to the family where you will have an opportunity to participate in making a traditional nomadic dinner or milking animals with the family. After dinner, you will have plenty of time to relax and even get an early nights rest in the family’s extra nomadic Ger.
Day Eight – Visit to Mr. Battulga’s Family and Walk Along the White Lake’s Scenic Shoreline (B, L, D – Overnight in Ger): After breakfast, you will walk to the next nomadic family along the astonishingly beautiful White Lake; the lake is about 20 kilometers long and 16 kilometers wide, it supports Pike and other fish as well as rare birds’ species. In the afternoon you will be served a picnic lunch along the shoreline before returning to the family where you learn the basics of nomadic dairy products; how to boil milk to make “urum” a creamy spread used to eat on bread and in Mongolia teas. In the evening, you will be welcomed to a farewell dinner with hot traditional milk tea before retiring to your Ger for your last night among Mongolia’s nomads.
Day Nine – Tsetserleg town (B): After your breakfast a driver will pick you up and take to Tsetserleg town. After check in local guest house you can trek around the beautiful Bulgan Mountain and local museum.
Day Ten – Ulaanbaatar (B): In the morning you will take a public bus back to Ulaanbaatar.
