We start our first day exploring Ulaanbaatar, the nation’s capital. Sukhbaatar Square is in the heart of the city. Our next stop is Zaisan Hill. This hill provides a panoramic view of Ulaanbaatar. We will visit the Natural History Museum which is well-known for its precious collection of dinosaur eggs and bones. We will also visit the Bogd Khan’s Winter Palace which houses precious artifacts of Mongolia’s last ruler. After a busy afternoon, our guide and driver will take you to your hotel. Overnight in hotel.

After having breakfast at your hotel, we will drive west to the Khustai National park. When we arrive, we will visit a local museum and view a video about the National Park. We will then drive deep into the park to see the wild Mongolian horses known as “Mongolian Przewalski Horses”. Within this beautiful setting, you may also see marmot, deer, and wolves. Overnight in ger camp. 

Bayangobi is a unique combination of Gobi sand dunes, forests, and Rocky Mountains. Driving through the landscape, you will see how nomadic Mongolians have lived for thousands of years with their herds of livestock.  We may encounter livestock sunbathing peacefully in the middle of the road.   There will be an opportunity to hike in the sand dunes and to ride a camel. We will also visit Ovgon Monastery, the only remaining Buddhist “red head sect” temple in Mongolia. We will then drive on to our ger camp for dinner. Overnight in ger camp.  

After breakfast, we will drive to Kharkhorin for a full day of excursions around his ancient capital of the Great Mongolian Empire and the Erdenezuu Monastery, a treasure of Mongolian Buddhism.  There is an extraordinary collection of Buddhist paintings, priceless religious objects, special costumes for Tsama religious dances, and superb Buddhist iconography in true Mongolian and Tibetan style. Overnight in ger camp.  

After having breakfast at our ger camp, we will drive back to Ulaanbaatar for lunch in a local restaurant and the check-in at your hotel. The afternoon will be free for relaxation. In the evening, we will attend a fascinating performance of traditional folk songs, throat singing, melodies from a “horse-headed” fiddle, dances, and artistic contortionism. We will have a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in hotel.

International departure