Quite possible to modify this program according to your wishes!!!
Day – 1 : Arrive in Ulan Bator city
Arrival at Ulan Bator and transfer to your hotel for a warm shower and a moment to relax after this long flight (no lunch included).
Afternoon, visit of Gandantegchinlin Monastery. Built in 1809, the Gandantegchinlin Monastery – formerly known as the Gandan Monastery – is a Tibetan-style Buddhist monastery located in Ulan Bator. Its name of Tibetan origin can be translated as “Great site full of Joy”.Several hundred monks currently reside there.
It contains a statue of Megjid-Janraiseg (Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara – called Chenrezig in Tibetan) by 25 meters high.
The original statue, made of copper, was erected in 1911 and was dismantled in 1937 by Soviet troops (the remains of the statue were subsequently used to make bullets during the siege of Leningrad). Following the fall of communist regimes, it was rebuilt in 1996 with donations of gold from Nepal and Japan.
Adorned with gold and nearly 2,286 precious stones, the statue weighs over 20 tons and is covered with nearly 100 kg of silk clothing.
Visit of the National Museum of Mongolian History. The National Museum of Mongolian History tells the story of the country, from prehistoric times to today. In this museum there is also an ethnographic section with costumes and jewels from various ethnic groups of countries: Kazakhstan, Buriats, Clzemchins…
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day – 2 Ulaanbaatar to National Park of Terelj (70km – 1 to 2 hours on the road – strongly depending on the condition of the roads)
We leave the capital to start our beautiful adventure in the steppe of the last nomads of the world. First image through the glass: the large empty steppe untouched, the herds of horses run free, from time to time we see pearls (yurts) from the steppe.
Located 60km northeast of Ulan Bator, this park, created in 1993, is the ideal place to discover the authenticity of Mongolia and especially for horse riding. Here, the rather mountainous and very hilly landscape reveals many rock formations. Rivers, forests and mountains hide and then reveal reefs with curious, surprising and even unusual shapes.
Excellent place for nature lovers, it is home to lots of birds, wild animals and flowers.
After a few kilometers, we discover the famous rock known as the Turtle before joining the unmissable temple of Aryabal.
At the end of the day, we are warmly welcomed by our first nomadic family. The hospitality of our friends will impress us.
This night, we will sleep in a “yurt of hosts” close to the yurts of our nomadic family.
The comfort is simpler and you will discover the real nomadic way of life …
Day – 3 – 9 Horse riding in Terelj National Park (3 to 5 hours of horse riding every day)
Here is the day of our horseback riding begins!
Each morning our ride begins after breakfast.
We will do our horseback ride to discover the wonderful Terelj National Park from west to east.
For the duration of our riding, we take the yaks with us to transport our things.
Every day, the facet of nature will be different.
In the saddle! The space is ideal for galloping in vast green steppes, surrounded by high forest mountains of the chain of Khentii. Next to us, the Terelj River follows its course, crisscrossing between the flowerbeds of edelweiss. It is in this magical and unexpected setting that we do our horseback riding.
Each day of our horse ride, our bags and our picnic will be brought by our pack horses or our yaks, nothing to wear on horses, so that we can enjoy many gallops!
After each ride, we choose a quiet and sublime place for dinner and night.
Day – 10 TERELJ National Park to KHUSTAI National Park (180km – 2 to 3 hours on the road – strongly depending on the condition of the roads)
Breakfast; will drive to Khustai National Park.
Declared Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2002, the Hustai National Park covers 50 000 hectares of steppe and mountain forest and is home to many species of mammals and birds.
It is best known for hosting the conservation project to protect the endangered Takhi. This wild horse, also known as Przewalski’s horse, had completely disappeared from its natural habitat. Only a few specimens were still present in zoos around the world.
A breeding and reintroduction program was initiated in 1992, resulting in a wild and sustainable Takhi population inside the Khustai park which now stands at about 260 individuals.
To observe the Takhi, it is best to travel by vehicle to the banks of rivers where they come to drink early in the morning and evening. The rest of the day, they disperse into the mountains in search for food.
In the afternoon, we go on a drive in the Park to try and find the Takhi.
Dinner and night at the yurt camp (2 to 4 riders per yurt, with single beds, showers in a separate building).
Day – 11: Hustai – Ulan Bator (90km – 1 to 2 hours on the road – strongly depending on the condition of the roads)
Breakfast and early departure to Ulan Bator (2 – 4 hours on the road – strongly depending on the condition of the roads).
Lunch and free time for shopping in stores downtown.
In the late afternoon, you will attend a show with traditional dances, music and songs from Mongolia, especially the amazing Khoomei.
The Khoomei is an overtone singing (throat singing) in which the singer produces two distinctively audible pitches at the same time, including a low pedal note, or drone, derived from the fundamental frequency of the vocal cord vibrations, and higher melodic notes that result when the singer’s mouth acts as a filter, selecting one note at a time from among the drone’s natural overtone series pitches.
The sound is reminiscent of the Jew’s harp.
This type of song is recorded in Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010.
Dinner downtown and overnight at a 3* hotel.
Day – 12: Return Home
Breakfast (depending on your flight schedule) and transfer to airport for your flight back home.
INCLUDED
- Airport / hotel / airport transfers
- 2 nights in a ** hotel in Ulaanbaatar, breakfast included
- Full board during the excursion
- Meal at Ulan Bator
- Mineral water
- 1 nights in a comfortable yurt camp with hot shower
- 1 nights homestay, in guest yurt
- 7 nights in a tent
- Travel in 4×4 or mini bus + driver
- Gasoline
- English speaking guide
- Cook for groups> 4 participants
- Horse riding
- Horse rental + 1 additional horse for 3 or 4 people in case of bad understanding with your horse or injury
- Local horse guides
- Equestrian equipment with Kazakh or English riding saddles
- Entrance fees to the parks and museums mentioned
- Traditional show
- IRIDIUM satellite phone
- Kitchen equipment (mess tent, camping tables and chairs) and for sleeping (tent, sleeping bag, ground mattress), sanitary tent
NOT INCLUDED
- International transport
- Passport & Visa Fees
- Repatriation insurance
- Travel insurance
- Extra drinks / alcohols
- Phone calls
- Any excursion not mentioned in the program
- Baggage supplement if you are carrying more than 15Kg (hold and cabin baggage combined)
