Genghis Khan Trails & Naadam Festival

Day 1 - Fly London to Ulaanbaatar

Fly overnight from London to Ulaanbaatar.

Overnight: In flight

Day 2 - Arrive Ulaanbaatar (Ulan Bator), 1,300m/4265.092ft. Transfer to hotel.

On arrival at Ulaanbaatar there will be a group transfer to your hotel in the city centre. The rest of the day is free to relax and recuperate after your flight.

Overnight: Bayangol Hotel, Ulaanbaatar

Day 3 - Drive to Khogno Khan Mountain, 1,967m/6,453ft - 290km, 5-6 hours.

You will drive out of Ulaanbaatar and across the open steppe and rolling hills of Tuv Province. There are very few permanent buildings and apart from the small village of Lun, most of the population in the area live a nomadic existence. You will see plenty of families with their herds of horses, cows, sheep and goats. On the way you will pause to visit the ‘Mongolian Nomadic Show’ - a great first opportunity to learn about the Mongolian nomadic way of life. You will be introduced to the traditional life of a Mongolian family – their herding of sheep and goats, milking and manufacture of dairy products, making tea and other traditional foods, as well as felt making and the all-important construction of the typical nomad's home, the ger. You will have lunch at the ger camp, and then continue your journey to reach the sacred protected area of Mount Khogno Khan.

You arrive at a ger camp by a lake, approximately 8 km from Khogno Khan Mountain. Gers are the traditional yurt-like tents used for centuries by Mongolian nomads. Your ger camp tonight is typical of the comfortable ger camps set up for visitors. You will find several gers for sleeping, a ger for dining and a separate shower/toilet block. The sleeping gers are very cosy, furnished in traditional style with 2 or 3 single beds around the sides, a table and a couple of chairs, and a multi-fuel burning stove in the centre. You can request that your stove is lit after dinner so you have a nice, cosy ger to sleep in. Sheets, blankets and pillow cases are provided.

You will have time in the afternoon to explore your immediate surroundings – to swim in the nearby lake, take a camel or horse ride, or simply relax and enjoy your peaceful surroundings.

Overnight: Ger Camp

Day 4 - Walk to Little Gobi - 13km, 4 hours.

From your ger camp you begin by hiking beside the lake where you are should see swans, eagles and other birdlife. You walk across an open plain to Elsen Tasarkhai, the so called "Little Gobi", where an 80km long belt of desert zone cuts across the central steppe. The scenery here is of big golden sand dunes and desert vegetation. While walking, along the way, you will pass several ger camps - it is wise to make a detour to avoid such camps as they invariably have fierce guard dogs to protect the animals. As well as these summer camps, you will also see some temporarily abandoned winter camps, which will be reclaimed by nomadic families when they return from summer pastures. You will visit a nomad camp where you will have lunch with the family and then after lunch you may take the opportunity to ride a camel in the dunes or go horse riding. You may also take a hike through the desert sand dunes or along the river. Or you may simply relax and enjoy the tranquil surroundings. The scenery is a perfect combination of desert, picturesque mountains, river and grassland.

In the afternoon you will drive back to your Ger camp for dinner and overnight.

Overnight: Ger Camp

Day 5 - Walk to Khogno Tarniin Ovgon Khiid Monastery - 10km, 2-3 hours.

In the morning you will further explore the Khogno Khan Natural Reserve. Today’s walk is gentle and mostly flat, taking you towards Khogno Khan Mountain. Here massive granite outcrops have been sculpted by the weather to form dramatic boulders, arches, caves and peaks colonised by a myriad of wild flowers, plants and trees, growing amongst the colossal boulders. The many animals of this wild region include wolves, deer, ibex and foxes, as well as numerous birds of prey. You will visit the ruins of a small temple, Ovgon Khiid, built in 1660 but destroyed by the communists in the 1940s, with the resident monks being tragically massacred. In the early 1990’s, after the Soviet withdrawal from Mongolia, two new monasteries and meditation places were built. You can visit these new monasteries – note that it is traditional to leave a small donation and also if you wish to take photos inside the monastery a further amount will be requested. A small shop nearby sells attractive paintings of Mongolian landscapes and other local subjects, with a percentage of sales going towards the upkeep of the monastery.

For the energetic you can walk a further 2km up the valley, taking you to another ruined monastery. This return hike would take approximately 1½ hours.

After a picnic lunch within the sacred protected area of Mount Khogno Khan you will trek back to your ger camp through the foothills of Khogno Khan Mountain.

Overnight: Ger Camp

Day 6 - Visit Kharkhorin and Erdene Zuu Monastery.

Today you start early to drive to Kharkhorin (Karakorum). As you journey from desert like terrain to come to open grassy steppe country you may see some of Mongolia’s prolific birdlife as cranes, hawks and eagles soaring ahead of you. At Kharkhorin you reach the ruins of the ancient town of Karakorum, established by Genghis Khan as the capital of his Mongol Empire in the 13th century. Although the Mongol capital was later moved to Beijing, Karakorum has retained a symbolic importance as being the city 'founded' by Genghis Khan.

In the afternoon you visit the famous Erdene Zuu Monastery, the oldest surviving Buddhist monastery in Mongolia, founded in the sixteenth century on the site of Genghis Khan’s capital. The monastery dominates the town, being surrounded by a distinctive wall creating a massive walled enclosure with 108 stupas. Many of the temples within were damaged during the Communist era, but the monastery is active again now. You will have time to wander around the temples, taking in the very special atmosphere.

You may then drive up the hill to examine the mosaic maps of the Asian Empires and your guide may also take you to see the stone turtle (representing eternity), which was one of four protecting the ancient capital's boundaries. Nearby there are also some possible walks: these include a lovely walk along the Orkhon valley and into the surrounding hills as well as other possibilities, so it is advisable to speak to your guide about the best options for the time available. If you would prefer a horseback ride across the steppe, your guide may be able to arrange this.

Overnight: Ger Camp

Day 7 - Attend the Naadam Festival. Drive to Tsenkher Hot Spring.

Today you start early in the morning to drive to Tsetserleg town to see the Naadam Festival, a colourful, exciting and fun event. The festival dates back to the time of the great Khans and is as much a sporting competition as a festival. Wrestling, archery and horse racing were the three skills that were considered essential for any Mongol warrior and they are showcased here, celebrating Mongolia’s nomadic culture and athletic traditions. After the opening ceremony there are competitions in the three ‘manly’ sports of wrestling, archery and horse riding, with displays of strength, speed and agility. It’s said that “Mongolia is not Mongolia without horses”; horses are vital to the national identity. The country has its own native breed of horse that some say hasn’t changed much since the time of Genghis Kha - short, stocky, fast and strong, with a long tail and mane. Mongolians can ride these horses over the most forbidding terrain, they have been called the world’s best equestrians. It is quite something to see dozens of horses and their riders crest a distant hill and come galloping down over the steppe.

Your visit to Naadam will no doubt be a real highlight of your trip, so make sure your cameras batteries are fully charged! Later you will Drive to Tsenkher Hot Springs for dinner and overnight in the ger camp.

Please be aware that the date of the Naadam Festival may change, in which case your programme would be revised.

Overnight: Ger Camp

Day 8 - At Tsenkher Hot Springs. Visit nomadic family.

Today you will have a full day at Tsenkher Jiguur. Here hot mineral water bubbles out of the ground and has been channelled into rock pools at the nearby ger camp. The rock pools are said to have healing powers for articular and nervous system diseases. Mineral waters and hot springs have always played an essential part in Mongolian traditional medicine, and while some are known as healing springs, others are purely for relaxing. The pools are situated in a wooded valley and you can enjoy a dip in the hot tub and relax and enjoy the view of the surrounding hills.

In the afternoon you may visit a nomadic family and see how they live their ancient and fascinating lifestyle. Try their summer diet of a variety of milk products (fermented mare's milk, tea, clotted cream, yoghurt, cheese, curds, etc.) and perhaps have a ride on their yak and cart.

In the evening you can relax again in the outdoor hot bath at the ger camp.

Overnight: Ger Camp

Day 9 - Drive to Khustain Nuruu National Park - 120km, 4-5 hours. Evening walk.

Today you will drive to Khustain Nuruu National Park with a stop by Ugii Nuur Lake on the way for a look at its s famous diversity of birdlife. The Khustain Nuruu National Park is a 50,620-hectare reserve formed to protect the steppe environment, but especially Mongolia's wild horse, the takhi, also called the Przewalski horse. These horses have never been tamed - it is the only truly wild horse in existence. This Rare and endangered wild horse was originally native to the steppes of Central Asia, and was reintroduced here in 1990, and the breed has now recovered, almost from extinction, till there are today more than 800 Takhi horses roaming in the wild.

While nomads have used the area of the park as pastures for their stock, the park has never had a permanent settlement or been used for agriculture. This limited use has allowed the preservation of one of the world's most threatened ecosystems. The National Park is a fine example of the wide river valleys separated by the hilly terrain that characterize forest steppe and is a great habitat for locally and globally endangered animals and birds - a wide variety of wild animals can be seen here including wolves and deer in addition to the takhi. 55 species of mammals, and 223 species of birds have been registered in the park.

You will take a walk through this protected area and hopefully view some of the wildlife.

Overnight: Ger Camp

Day 10 - Return to Ulaanbaatar - 95km, 2-3 hours. Sightseeing in the afternoon and a concert in the evening.

Drive back to Ulaanbaatar to your hotel. A last chance to enjoy the Mongolian steppe as you leave the wilderness and approach the city.

In the afternoon you will have a city tour including a visit to Gandantechinlen Monastery where the 13th Dalai Lama lived in 1904 when fleeing the British.You will also go to the Fine Art Museum with its bizarre yet beautiful exhibits of Buddhist art.

In the evening you will attend a concert of traditional music and dance at a local theatre. Your leader will suggest a restaurant for dinner for your last night in Mongolia.

Overnight: Bayangol Hotel, Ulaanbaatar

Day 11 - Transfer to the airport. Fly to the UK.

After breakfast there will be a group transfer back to the airport for your flight to London.