Amarbayasgalant is a beautiful, least-visited monastery in the picturesque valley of the Iver River in Selenge province. It is worth visiting the monastery even though it is situated 360 km far from Ulaanbaatar. You will have stunning views of the mountains, lush green valleys dotted with nomads’ traditional dwelling gers, and their countless animals grazing peacefully. The stunning architecture monastery was built by the wood interlock method without utilizing a single nail. The gorgeous surroundings of the monastery, religious items, and monks, including child monks make you have joyful and peaceful feelings.
A nomadic family visit and traditional ger stay will make your short trip experiential.
Itinerary
Day 1: Travel to and visit Amarbayasgalant Monastery
Meet with your guide and driver and start the tour to Amarbaysgalant, one of the most beautiful, stunning architectural old monasteries in Mongolia. On your way, you will visit Darkhan city and have lunch. Arrive at Amarbayasgalant monastery in the late afternoon. Check-in at a ger camp close to the monastery. After some time, visit the beautiful monastery and hike up the foothills of Burenkhaan Mountain where huge Buddha sculptures and tall stupas stand. The hilltop allows you to see gorgeous views of the Iven River Valley and the whole monastery.
Accommodation: Ger Camp
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Day 2: Visit nomad family and drive back Ulaanbaatar
Drive back to Ulaanbaatar with a visit to a nomadic family to discover the traditional nomadic life. Arrive in Ulaanbaatar late afternoon and transfer to your accommodation.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Background
Is Amarbayasgaant Monastery tour suitable for you?
Amarbayasgalant Monastery tour is a regular. No hard physical or challenging activities. Traveling in Mongolia always requires long driving through changing landscapes and scenic views. The monastery is located 360 km from Ulaanbaatar. Only 35 km out of the 360 km is rough roads. We planned the tour to let you have a break while having lunch in Darkhan City. Except for lunch, you can stop as many times as you wish for photo shooting, stretching, and hiking, etc. The approximate daily driving will be 5-6 hours. However, the driving time is subject to change due to weather and road conditions when driving on rough roads. Going upstairs to the hills with the stupas requires some active movement. Once you are there, glorious views of the monastery and the Iven River Valley will fascinate you.
Meals
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 the 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 the 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. If you wish, we can supply one large bottle (1.5 liters) of water instead of 2 small bottles of water. More information on Mongolia Meals
Accommodation
During the trip, you will stay in the traditional dwelling ger of a ger camp. The ger camp is a seasonal accommodation available between 15 May and 15 September at full operation. During the other months, the ger camp works bed and meal basis, without running water.
Guides
The majority of our company's guides are English speaking. We also have guides who speak German, French, Spanish, and Japanese. They are all friendly, helpful and most of them were born and raised in the Mongolian countryside. Therefore, they have good knowledge about every aspect of Mongolia and have at least three years or more years of guiding experience. During the camel riding, a local guide will support you.
Transportation
We designed the tours with four-wheel driving Japanese/Korean vans driven by experienced, friendly, and good mechanic drivers. Different car types are available upon request, and you may check the travel vehicle details at Mongolia transportation
When is the best time to travel to Amarbayasgalant Monastery?
The most suitable time to travel to Amarbayasgalant Monastery is between 10 May and 20 September. During this period, the weather will be warm and enjoyable. However, the weather in May and September could be chilly. As well as the rural accommodation ger camps operate during this period. October and during off-seasons, the ger camp provides ger and meal service. Running water and WC is not available during the cold months. The average day temperature of summer is +28 °C, and the highest is +38°C (June, July, August). The average day temperatures of May and September are +20°C and the highest is 30°C. The evening and night temperatures drop by 15 to 20°C. The temperature dramatically falls if it rains. You may experience occasional chill wind and snowfalls in May, September, and October. To prepare for this inflexible weather condition, please check the recommended packing list for the discovery tours.
To plan your dream holiday or customize the tour exclusively for you, please check the things to do in the different parts of Mongolia and attractions in Central Mongolia.
