Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Ulaanbaatar

Your driver meets you at the airport/train station and transfers you to a centrally located hotel. Free day. If you wish, you could discover the city on your own as the hotel location is perfect, just 5-20 min walking distance from main attractions, museums, restaurants, and shops.

Accommodation: 3* hotel

Day 2: Giant statue of Genghis Khaan and Khukh Nuur (Dark Blue Lake)

Meet with your guide and driver at 8:30 AM and leave Ulaanbaatar heading Khukh Nuur Lake. On our way, you will see a 40 m tall statue of Genghis Khan on horseback. The statue is not only to see and take pictures. We visit the statue complex, see the marvelous Khan Khentii mountains and the Tuul River Valley from the observation deck of the statue horse. Arrive at Khukh Nuur late afternoon, where Temuujin (childhood name of Genghis Khan) spent his childhood tending his eight bay horses, and later he entitled as Genghis Khan in 1189. Khukh Nuur is a small beautiful lake that lies at a transition zone from the Siberian Taiga to mountain steppes. There is a 15 meters diameter circle of a ger on the southern shore of the lake, believed Genghis Khan's ger site according to the Mongolian chronicle book Secret History of the Mongols. On this site, you will see a statue of Genghis Khan, and woodcarvings feature the golden generations of the king, his queen, his mother, and military generals.

Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Toson Hulstai Nature Reserve

Today, you will travel to Toson Hulstai Nature Reserve, where endless grasslands meet enormous blue skies, covering parts of Khentii and Dornod provinces. Eastern Mongolia, particularly Toson Hulstai Nature Reserve is the least traveled area within Mongolia. A perfect place for nature lovers and animal lovers to enjoy the serenity of the earth’s last grasslands without interruption of others. Toson Hulstai Nature Reserve is the main habitat of white-tailed gazelles. That is why 4,700 square kilometers of dry steppe ecosystem has been protected since 1998. On the way, you will visit a nomad family to learn first-hand about their unique life. Arrive at the nature reserve and put your tents in the middle of nowhere.

Accommodation: Camping
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Central Baruun Urt

The journey continues over flat steppes with views of white-tailed gazelle herds. Baruun Urt is a central town of Sukhbaatar province on the open, but earthy steppes. You will visit the small museum of the town displays costumes and daily items of the region’s three different ethnic groups.

Accommodation: Local Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5-6: Dariganga area, Ganga Lake, and Moltsog Sand Dune

Dariganga country has the Mongolian richest collection of anthropomorphic balbal or man stones. Researchers revealed that the statues were erected in honor of kings, noblemen, and queens after their death. Today, you will explore a few of them. Arrive at a local camp near Shiliin Bogd, the largest extinct volcano among over 220 volcanoes in the area. Next morning, you will get up very early (almost midnight) and climb the Shiliin Bogd Mountain to see the steppe sunrise and see the numerous extinct volcanoes that look like bubbles on the steppes. Drive short to Moltsog, the most eastern edge of the Mongolian sand dunes. It is covered with vegetation. There are numerous natural springs around the dune. Among them, Orgihiin Bulag stream is most attractive as it outwells by voice tone. Along the northern side of the dune are six lovely freshwater lakes. One of them is Ganga Lake in Ganga Nuur Nature Reserve, where hundreds of migratory swans congregate in summer and autumn. You also see a statue of Tooroi Bandi, known as Mongolian Robin Hood, and see Mongolian sacred mountain Alan-Ovoo.

Accommodation: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7: Tsonjiin Chuluu Rock Formation

Today, we will turn our vehicle wheel back to Ulaanbaatar with two overnights at outstanding natural formations. Our first stop is Tsonjiin Chuluu, hexagonal stones among the steppes. Those basalt columns are some of the best according to their perfectly shaped six sides.

Accommodation: Camping
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8: Ikh Nart Nature Reserve

Ikh Nart is a unique rock formation on the steppes of the semi-arid Gobi desert, a habitat of Argali sheep/wild sheep of approximately 600 heads within a relatively small area of 66,000 hectares. Also, Mongolian gazelle, Siberian ibex, black vultures are the main creatures in the nature reserve except for over 30 mammals, 6 reptiles, 125 birds. You will arrive at the national park in the afternoon. Next, hike through the rock formation in search of the wild sheep and ibex. Your last camping day under countless sparkling stars enjoying the calmness and emptiness of the Gobi desert area.

Accommodation: Camping
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9: Return to Ulaanbaatar

Today is the last day you spend in the beautiful countryside of Mongolia. Arrive in Ulaanbaatar after a 5-5.5 hours’ drive.

Accommodation: 3* hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 10: Departure

We will transfer you to the airport/railway station.

Meals: Breakfast

Tour Price

Background

This is a moderate tour to explore the top attractions and scenic places of the east and southeastern part of Mongolia. Due to remoteness and flatness, tourism has not yet developed in this part of Mongolia, let you have a real feel of the country, meet curious rural locals, and be captured by the emptiness. According to the attraction distances, you will spend 5-7 hours in a vehicle per day. Less than half of the driving takes place on paved roads. The tour has not included any demanding physical activities, but some soft hiking of 2-3 hours and an extinct volcano climb. The areas the tour takes place elevated relatively low compared to other parts of Mongolia. People of any age and group can take this tour.

Tour meals are included according to the itinerary. In the countryside, ger camps serve occasional European but mainly Mongolian meals. Meat is the main ingredient for meals and is served for lunch and dinner along with vegetables, salads, and soups. There will be more meat in traditional Mongolian meals. A typical breakfast is tea or coffee, bread, jam, butter, eggs and sausage. There are some cookies, cheese, cereals, pancakes and more at some of the ger camps for breakfast. For lunch, meals include salads, Mongolian soups and a main course (pasta, rice, vegetables, beef/mutton/chicken/fish near lakes/rivers), and dessert and tea. Salads, a main course, a dessert, and tea will be served for dinner. With nomads, you will try authentic Mongolian meals. Different types of meals offered simultaneously are not customary in Mongolian tradition. If you are a vegetarian or have other dietary restrictions, please inform us in advance, and we will make arrangements accordingly. We will supply two 0.5L bottles of water a day. Supplying one larger bottle (1.5 liters) of water instead of 2 small bottles of water is available upon request. More information on Mongolia meals

Due to the weather condition, the tourism season in Mongolia is short. Mongolian tourism depends on the season, and the seasonal accommodation ger camps work between 20 May and 10 September. During other shoulder months, the ger camps are partially open and closed in winter. The tour includes 3 days basic ger camps stay, 3 nights camping, a day in a local hotel, and 2 days in 3* hotel in Ulaanbaatar. Local families operate both the local hotel and ger camps. Therefore feel of the experience will be authentic. About the camping, the vehicle will carry everything required for camping, including sleeping bags. For more information about the accommodation, check Mongolia Ger camps, Mongolia nomad family stay, and Mongolia hotels

The majority of our guides are English speaking. We also have some guides who speak German, French, Spanish, and Japanese. They are all professionally trained, friendly, helpful, and most of them were born and grown in the countryside. Therefore, they have good knowledge of their motherland’s culture, tradition, history, and geography.

Four wheels driving Japanese/Korean vans driven by experienced, friendly, and good mechanic-drivers will serve you. Different car types are available upon request. You may check the tour vehicles at Mongolia transportation

The most suitable time to travel along this tour is between 20 May and 15 September. During this period, the weather will be warm and enjoyable. However, you should not expect warm weather during the entire trip, either in summer, because vast Mongolian territory differentiates in altitude and earth surface. Overall, Mongolia is elevated at least 700 m high above the surrounding Siberian plateau and Chinese territory. Therefore, the weather is extreme and fluctuates a lot hourly, daytime, and at night. Receiving snowfalls is usual in May and September. Average monthly temperatures are +22°C, the highest 28°C at daylight in May, the first half of June, the last half of August, and the first half of September. +26°C, highest +35 to +39°C day time in the last half of June, July, and the first half of August. The temperature drops by 10-20°C in the evening and at night. For your pre-departure preparation and an idea to prepare this inflexible weather condition, you may check our detailed packing list of the discovery tours.

To plan your dream holiday or customize the tour exclusively for you, visit Eastern Mongolia Attractions.

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