Not organized for tourists, Khovsgol Ice Festival is a fascinating event for cultural travelers and lifestyle photographers. In Khovsgol, reindeer herding Dukha tribe resides in the depths of the Taiga forest, shamans perform rituals, and the locals continually use the horse sled on the frozen lake Khovsgol and in the snow-covered mountain valleys. Both Khovsgol local residents and people from all over Mongolia attend the Khovsgol Ice Festival wearing their nicest traditional clothes. During this unique and colorful event, you will mingle with Mongolians like a local, see and photograph events and matches, or can even attend the games. On your way to and back to frozen Khovsgol Lake, you can visit as many nomadic families as you wish to witness the nomadic life and photograph their lifestyle.
Itinerary
Feb 28 - March 1, Day 1-2: Days to drive to Khovsgol Lake
Your guide and driver greet you at your accommodation and start the adventure heading to Khovsgol Lake, driving on paved roads, passing several towns, and viewing picturesque Mongolian scenery. On your way, visit nomadic families for nomadic experiences and lifestyle photography. Have an overnight at a hotel in Erdenet copper mine city. On day 2, you will arrive at Khovsgol Lake in the evening and check in at a ger camp.
Accommodation: Local hotel, ger camp
Breakfast-1, Lunch-2, Dinner-2
March 2, Day 3: Participate in the Ice Festival
After the Ice-Festival opening, you will see the festival games and matches, including the Dukha tribe performance, ice-cube game, ice target archery, winter cloth fashion contest among attendees, ice skating competition, ice hitting game, and horse sled race. The bonfire festival and see the shamanic ritual takes place in the evening.
Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
March 3, Day 4: The Ice Festival and the competitions continue
Today, ice skating and ice target archery continue. Additionally, you will witness more ethnic group concerts, tug of war, relay races, and Sumo wrestling on the frozen lake. The nicest horse sled competition and horse trotting are part of today's program. The Ice festival ends with the game and the competition winner's prize award. If time allows, you can do horse sledding, besides trying freshwater smoked fish, traditional Mongolian meals, and buying handmade souvenirs.
Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
March 4-5, Day 5-6: Journey back Ulaanbaatar
We will drive back to Ulaanbaatar, staying overnight at a hotel in Erdenet. Arrive in Ulaanbaatar late afternoon on 6th March, and the tour ends when transferring you to your accommodation.
Accommodation: 1 night in a local hotel
Meals: Breakfast-1, Lunch-2, Dinner-1
Background
Is Khovsgol Ice Festival Tour Suitable for You?
The tour has not included any physical or demanding activities, but staying in a fire heating gers and having outdoor activities at +5°C to -18°C makes the tour moderate and experiential. We drive 1950 km within four days, and you should expect 6-7 hours of daily driving on Day 1, Day 2, Day 5, and Day 6.
When is the Khovsgol Ice Festival Tour?
Mongolians celebrate the Khovsgol Ice Festival on the 3rd and 4th of March in 2023. We will drive to Khovsgol Lake with overnight stops on the two ways. The beginning of March is spring, but the signs of winter are still there. The winter weather lasts until mid-March in some years. Snow and storm are common climatic conditions. Therefore, we suggest you bring warm clothes. You should expect -10°C to +5°C daytime and -5°C to -25° at night. Please check the winter tour packing list for the packing idea. If you wish, we can borrow traditional warm cloth “deel.” We provide the deel upon request.
Accommodation
During the tour, you will stay 2 nights in a ger camp near the lake. However, the condition of the ger camp will be different than how it works in summer. Due to cold weather, the shower is not available. A stove fire will heat the gers. Along the way to and back Khovsgol, you will stay two nights in local hotels, where showers and WC are available.
Guides
The majority of our company's guides are English speaking. We also have German, French, Spanish, Russian, and Japanese-speaking guides. They are all friendly and helpful. The majority of the guides were born and raised in the Mongolian countryside. Therefore, they have good knowledge about every aspect of Mongolia.
Tour drivers and transportation
Depending on the group size, Japanese/Korean vans or jeeps serve you. Our experienced drivers are friendly, flexible, and handy mechanics.
If your time allows, we suggest you combine the itinerary with the Taste of Mongolian Winter Tour.
