“Gobi desert and ancient Mongolia” 13 days/ 12 nights

We head into the Gobi area. The sites of the Gobi are varied and unique, like the valley at Yoliin Am, known as Eagle Valley, whose depths support huge glacial sheets that remain until the hot summer months, or the massive sand dunes. Of great interest to foreign travelers and scientists alike are the dinosaur remains scattered throughout the Gobi.

Day 1. Arrive in Ulaanbaatar (UB)

-     City tour including Sukhbaatar square. Winter Khan Palace museum and Gandan monastery. Overnight at hotel

Day 2. Ulaanbaatar – South Gobi – Yolin Am

-     Morning flight to South Gobi. Flight will take 1.30 hrs. Transfer to the gers (Mongolian traditional home) at the camp and drive to Gurvan Saikhan Mountain. Gurvan Saikhan Mountain or the Three Beautiful Mountains is a legendary Gobi oasis. It’s at the eastern end of the Altai mountain range, which forms a vertical rock barrier along the northern edge of the Gobi Desert. It’s not a conventional, Saharan style of oasis, with palm trees, but a narrow rock gorge cut into a sheer wall of metamorphic rock. The sides of the gorge are vertical, but there are rock ledges with clumps of stunted juniper. The bottom of the gorge, which only sees the sun when it is directly overhead is filled witch snow and ice. The home of such faunas as small birds, jerboas, rabbits, snow finches, solitary Great Rosefinch. Argali- mountain sheep and  ibexes-the wild mountain goats.

-     Box lunch at the Valley.

-     Visit to Eagle Valley or” Yoliin am” in Mongolian, Eagle Valley is famous for its dramatic and very unusual scenery-it is a valley, stuck in the middle of the Gobi Desert, with 2-3 meters thick ice almost all year around.

-     Visit the small museum at the gate on the main road to Eagle Valley, which has a collection of dinosaur eggs, bones and stuffed birds and snow leopard.

-     On the way visit camel breeding family to explore the life style of Mongolian nomads, who have kept their life style unchanged for thousands of years.

-     Continue driving back to the camp.

-     Overnight stay in gers at the camp.

Day 3. South Gobi – Bayanzag – Khongor Sand Dunes

-     Drive to Khongor sand dunes via Bayanzag for 260kms. Bayanzag, which mean “rich in saxauls” is khown as the “flaming cliffs”. Fossilized dinosaur bones and eggs 1st excavated in 1922 in Bayanzag. It’s a classic desert of rock, red sands, scrub, sun and awesome emptiness. Drive further to Khongor sand dunes.

Khongor Sand Dunes: The 800 – meters high sand dunes are called Khongor sand dunes. These dunes are 20kms. wide end 100kms. long. The small Khongoryn River flows along the sand dunes and gives birth to oasis.

-     Spend some time at the dunes, trekking, walking or climbing.

-     Overnight stay in gers at camp.

Day 4. Khongor Sand Dunes – South Gobi

-     Drive back to first camp for 220kms. Box lunch on the way near the rocky mountain a 1000-6000 head of wild antelope white tailed gazelle in one herd.

-     Arrive at the camp and transfer to gers.

-     Overnight in stay in gers at the camp.

Day 5. South Gobi – Ulaanbaatar

-     Morning flight back to Ulaanbaatar.

-     City tour including Natural history museum, which displays whole skeletons of dinosaurs of different species excavated in Gobi desert. And shopping for souvenirs.

-     Lunch and dinner at the restaurant.

-     Overnight stay in hotel.

Day 6. Ulaanbaatar – Khognokhaan

-     Drive to Khognokhaan mountain for 280kms. Just in the border area of Bulgan. Ovorkhangai and Tuv provinces is the Khognokhaan mountain. This is a picturesque area with steppes, mountains, forests and mineral water sources. Plus ruins of the 19th Century temples and monasteries are found in the Khogno Khaan mountain. Trekking and horseback riding tours are available for visitors as on option.

-     In the 17th century, the 1st Bogdo Ghegheen (holy king) Zanabazar of Mongolia, initiated the construction of many temples and one of them was built in Khognokhaan mountain. Zanabazar dedicated this monastery to one of his teachers, Erdene-Tsorj, and eventually the complex became known as Erdene Khamba temple. At the further site was built the so -called Ovgon Temple (Old man’s temple), supposedly a much scaled down model of the Potala in Lhasa.

-     Overnight stay  in gers at tourist camp

Day 7. Khognokhaan – Kharkhorin – Khognokhaan 

-     Drive west to Kharkhorin, the ancient capital city of Mongolia founded in 1220 by the order of Chinggis Khaan. After moving the capital city of Mongolian empire to Yuan Dynasty in 1270, role of Kharkhorin as a capital city had been abandoned. In 1586, in commemoration of adopting Tibetan Buddhism as an official religion of Mongolia, present Erdene Zuu monastery was founded on the place of ruined Kharkhorin city,

-     Visit Erdene zuu monastery circled by 400 X400meters fortress kind fence dotted with 108 stupas.

-     Drive back to Khognokhan mountain.

-     Stop at nomadic-horse breeding family to explore another life style of Mongolian nomads in Khangai region.

Day 8. Khognokhaan – Khustai National Park

-     Drive backward Ulaanbaatar to Hustai National Park the main attraction her is the one and only species of wild horse, the Takhi (Przewalski’s Horse), which was discovered at the end of XIX century and is being reintroduced to Mongolia in Khustai National Park, MACNE (Mongolian Association for the Conservation of Nature and Environment) along with FRPH (Foundation Reserves of Przewalski’s Horses) brought a total number of 84 takhi to Mongolia during last 10 years. The number of takhi has reached more than 140 Khustai National Park locates from Ulaanbaatar 120kms. There you will be able to see Przewalski’s horses (wild horses).

-     Overnight at the camp of national park.

Day 9. Khustai National Park – Dugana Khad resort

-     Continue driving backward UB and arrive to Dugana Khad tourist resort  for another 150kms. on Paved road /2 hrs. driving/.

-     Dugana Khad tourist resort in north from Ulaanbaatar.

-     Is located in a picturesque mountain valley of Khentii mountain range.

-     Stop at “Ovoo” worshipped by Mongolians erected on the road usually on the mountain passes.

-     After arrival, free at leisure at the resort.

-     After dinner, overnight in gers at the resort.

Day 10. Dugana Khad resort – Ulaanbaatar

-     Drive back to Ulaanbaatar for 150kms. After arrival transfer to the hotel. Visit to Natural history museum.

-     Which displays findings related to dinosaurs excavations. After the museum shopping.  Dinner in restaurant. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 11. Ulaanbaatar – 13th century park

-     Drive to the complex

-     The 1st part of the Complex 13th Century Theme Park is the Chinggis Khaan statue, located in 70kms. from Ulaanbaatar, east, nearby “Tuul” river. The Complex covers and area of 80sq. kms. The statue is  42meters high, including its round shaped base construction. The top of the statue itself has a height of 30 meters.  King’s museum, display hall, restaurant, pub, cafe, conference and meeting facilities, and souvenir shops are in the base construction. Elevator will take you up to the upper end of the horse tail. Walking through the part of horse chest and the edge of the saddle, you will reach to the forehead of horse. This is the last stop, where you enjoy farseeing and pleasant view of natural scenery.

-     Drive further 45kms. to the main stop at the 13th century compex. It is recognized as the period of Mongolian empire. Here the project XIII century National Park aims to provide you these opportunities by welcoming you at its micro Kingdom. You will be amazed with watching and practicing XIII century’s Mongolians everyday life, such as state affairs, breeding the livestock, traditions and customs, garments etc visiting 6 tribal camps called Relay station camp, Craftsmen camp, Educational camp, The Herders camp, Shaman camp, and the King’s Palace.

-     A Mongolian traditional lunch at the King’s Palace during exploring the complex.

-     Overnight at the camp Sum.

Day 12. 13th Century Complex – Terelj – Ulaanbaatar 

-     Drive to the Terelj national park. Visit to the Turtle Rock and temple of meditation. Lunch at a restaurant in national park.

-     Drive back to Ulaanbaatar

-     Dinner at a  restaurant.

-     Overnight at hotel.

Day 13. Departure

Map