Mongolian Panorama

Explore the mountain glaciers, desert landscapes, large lake basins and steppe grasslands in far western Mongolia on this exhilarating journey.

Starting in Ulaanbaatar, we fly to western Mongolia and head into the mountains, trekking to the impressive glacier at Turgen Mountain. A highlight will be the Naadam festival with its amazing displays of horse racing, archery and wrestling. In the Altai Tavan Bogd National Park we undertake the second part of our trek, incorporating visits with local nomadic herders to learn about their traditional way of life from the eagle-hunting prowess of the Kazakhs to the hauntingly beautiful throat-singing of the Tuvan people.

An option to extend your trip with a camel ride through the expansive Gobi Desert provides a panoramic journey of Mongolia.

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Itinerary / Highlights

DAY 1 Ulaanbaatar
On arrival at Ulaanbaatar airport we transfer to our hotel. After a light lunch it is time to get our bearings around the nation's capital city. First stop is Sukhbaatar Square, the central square named after the revolutionary hero of 1921Damdiny Sukhbaatar who declared
independence from China. We visit Gandan Monastery the largest and most famous functioning monastery in Mongolia, here we may
experience monks in worship and see the impressive Golden Buddha Statue of Migjid Janraisig. An important landmark on any
orientation tour is the State Department Store or “Great Shop” as it is known in Mongolian. We return to the hotel in the afternoon to relax before a welcoming concert of Mongolian traditional music followed by dinner and briefing from your guide.

DAY 2 Ulaanbaatar- Ulaangom
After an early morning breakfast at the hotel we will be transferred to the airport for our internal flight to Western Mongolia. We will be flying to the small township of Ulaangom, which is the capital of Uvs Aimag. An Aimag is like a state or province in Mongolia. The flight takes about 4 hours. At the airport our vehicles and drivers will meet us. As we head northwest out of the town to the valley of the Turgen Mountains. We will drive over pass Zuragt and will camp in the mountain valley.

DAY 3 Turgen Mountain (Walk 15 kms)
For the next two days we will be trekking to the base of Turgen Mountain where, at the foot of the peak is a long glacier. The surrounds here are picturesque, the air clear and crisp with the mountain peak towering overhead in all its grandeur. Nomadic families of the area move their gers up into these valleys in the summer months to graze their herds of livestock. Since
the journey to the glacier is quite a difficult one, the locals are delighted to meet any traveller who will take the time to come and visit them. We will enjoy true nomadic hospitality in this remote corner of the world with the Durvud minority group of Mongolia. Each night will be staying in tented camps. All camping equipment and personal baggage will be carried by vehicles. Today we trek for 15kms first by mountain valley then slowly ascending the mountain. We will hike towards the snow capped peaks following the river upstream towards the glacier. We trek through the Urd Turgen Valley where the terrain is dry grassland scattered with large boulders.
We set up our base camp for two nights, by the white water river as it flows through the deep gorge.

DAY 4 Turgen Mountain (Walk 18kms),
Today we will hike up the Urd Turgen Valley, crossing small mountain streams where wild flowers bloom in spring and early summer. We may have to clamber over boulders to continue our hike to reach the origin of the river, the edge of the glacier. In the afternoon we will hike back to our base camp.

DAY 5 Half day camel riding, Drive to Ulaan Davaa
This morning we will drive a short way to local nomadic family. Here we will have time for camel riding. Later in the afternoon we will continue our drive to Ulaan Davaa Pass outside of Ulaangom. We will camp in the hills at Ulaan Davaa where we can enjoy the view of the red mountains and the sprawling valley floor.

DAY 6 Naadam Festival in Ulaangom
Today we drive a short way to Ulaangom. The town is an administrative center for the area. It is quite a pleasant town with tree lined streets and fairly well kept buildings. Here we will celebrate the National Holiday and witness the Naadam Festival with local people. The Naadam Festival is held all over Mongolia, from the capital city to small provincial towns, for 11 & 12 July. The Festival consists of the three manly sports of horse racing, wrestling and archery. It is a time of great festivity for the whole country. Spending the Festival with local people in the countryside is an ideal way to get to know the nomadic way of life. Tonight we will stay in a hotel in Ulaangom.

DAY 7 Ulaangom - Uureg Nuur Lake
The morning will be spent at the Naadam Festival to see the Praising Ceremony of the Winners. After lunch at the hotel we drive to Uureg lake, a beautiful, freshwater lake set amongst towering peaks and, to the north, the Russian border. The mouth of the valley leading into the lake is lined with nomads' summer gers. We'll have the chance to swim, fish, walk, bird watch or just admire the view. We make camp by the lakeshore.

DAY 8 Uureg Nuur Lake - Olgii
This morning we will drive from Uureg Lake to Olgii town, the capital of Bayan-Olgii province. The drive will take us beside Achit Lake and then along the Khovd River bank. We will be passing through changing ecosystems from semi desert area to steppe and mountainous steppe areas. Tonight we will stay in the ger camp by Khovd riverside in Olgii. We will stay in Khazak gers, the
traditional dwelling of round shaped felt tent.

DAY 9 - 10 Olgii- Altai Tavan Bogd NP
Over two days we will drive into the Altai Tavan Bogd National Park. We will continue driving along the Khovd River and have lunch by the riverside. After lunch we continue our drive for hours. We will camp in the mountain valley. Next day we will continue our driving until lunch time. After lunch we will hike until we reach the foothills of Shiveet Mountain. While walking, our drivers will make our camp by Tsagaan River, at 2600m above sea level. In the evening we will visit local Tuva family. Altai Tavan Bogd is the highest mountain system in Mongolia. The name literally means Five Kings, as there are five peaks in the range itself. The highest peak is Huiten, which is elevated to 4350m above sea level. At the foot of Huiten peak is Potanin's Glacier. Tsagaan River originates from this glacier.

DAY 11 Trekking to Elegt Valley
Today we start trekking. Each day will be approximately 5-8 hours of trekking in the Mongol Altai Mountain Range, through high mountain meadows and wide, open valleys. We will follow the Tsagaan River, cross over the high pass at Most and continue onto Tsagaan Us valley. It is advisable you wear waterproof hiking boots. Today begins with a slowly ascending trail of about 15 kms. We will hike along Tsagaan River on rocky paths crossing small mountainous streams along the way. On the way we will stop
to explore some rock paintings in Shiveet Mountain. Our destination today is Elegt Valley, nestled within the snow peaked mountains. The vehicles will bring the equipment and camp will be set up on our arrival. For the next days journeys there will be pack camels for carrying all food and camping equipment.

DAY 12 Trekking over Most Pass
Our objective today is to cross Most Pass (3,200m). This is a very long day of trekking through a challenging terrain with snow and
glacier over the pass. The total length of trekking is about 20 kms, but the hiking gets more challenging as we ascend the steep slope to the Pass. From the top of the Pass we will see tremendous views of the surrounding peaks and high mountain lakes that are of turquoise colour. As we cross Most pass, we will be descending into Tsagaan Us Valley until we come to the campsite. Our campsite is on a small plateau high on the mountainous slope with fast flowing river flowing near by making a beautiful sound. There
is an amazing vista of the whole Tsagaan Us valley from the campsite.

DAY 13 Trekking in Tsagaan Us Valley
We continue hiking along Tsagaan Us river valley over undulating hills and forest. It is one of the rivers starting from the glaciers at Tavan Bog peak of Altai Mountain Range. The river fills up the valley with towering mountains from either side with larch forest. There are many cascades and streams falling down the mountain and flowing into the big river. In the afternoon we will get out of the mountains into more open space where we will meet our drivers and vehicles again. We may be able to visit a Khazak family,
experiencing their unique culture. Although their nomadic lifestyle is very similar to that of the Mongols there are some key difference. Firstly, the Kazakh people are Muslim and follow the religious traditions and customs of Islam. They are Kazakh-speaking. The Kazakh women produce some astonishingly beautiful appliqué, stitching and rug making out of crude felt. The floors and walls of their gers are strewn with these beautiful handicrafts. Many of the Kazakh men pride themselves with their great skill in hunting with eagles. Eagles are often caught at a very young age and trained to hunt small prey in the winter months. The men carry the large birds
on their arms as they ride on horseback, out for the hunt. In the summer months the family keeps the birds close to home and they are fattened for the winter's work. After the family visit we will farewell to our camel men and get into the vehicles to drive a short way
to the shore of Khoton Lake and camp for the night.

DAY 14 Khoton Lake
Today is free for you to explore on foot the shores of Lake Khoton. It is a fresh water lake nestled in a mountain depression surrounded by high mountains with forests. There is another lake next to Khoton called Khurgan Lake. Those two lakes are connected by a stream and fed by rivers and streams originated in Altai Mountains. Khovd River originates from the Lake. This region has distinctly varied terrain from the wooded shores of the lake where our campsite is on the southern side to classic open steppe on the northern side of the lakes. Mt Ikh Turgen (3,507m) rises dramatically from near our campsite.

DAY 15 Khoton Lake- Tolbo Lake
Today we drive 230km to Lake Tolbo, crossing streams that connect the two lakes. We will stop for lunch at the Mogoin River Gorge.
Tolbo Lake is formed by the deep depression of the high mountains surrounding the area, which form part of the Altai Range, towering at a height of 2080m in some areas. There are many different species of birds inhabiting the lake and two main species of fish - Osman and Grayling. Tonight we will camp by the edge of the lake under the stars.

DAY 16 Tolbo Lake- Khovd
This morning we continue driving 150km to Khovd town at the centre of Khovd province. It is the cradle to over 20 different ethnic minority groups including Khoton, Kazak, Uriankhai, Zakhchin, Myangad, Oold and Torguud peoples. The rivers and lakes provide sufficient water to support over a million head of livestock and an abundance or wild animals and birdlife. Today we have time to visit the local market and the Khovd Museum to discover more about this popular province.

DAY 17 Fly Ulaanbaatar
In the morning we transfer to the airport and fly back to Ulaanbaatar. The afternoon is free to relax in one of the capitals sidewalk cafes and watch Ulaanbaatar go by. For the more active, you may like to visit the Winter Palace of Bogd Khaan. This is where Mongolia's eighth living Buddha, and last King -Jebutzun Damba Hutagt VIII- lived for 20 years until his death in 1903. Tonight we enjoy a final farewell dinner together in a local restaurant.

DAY 18 Trip concludes Ulaanbaatar
After a leisurely breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your flight home or you can join one of the extension tours from Mongolia.

NOTE: The itinerary is a guide to the trek and may be varied. There is sufficient time for a comfortable pace throughout the trek.

Other Details

Accommodation Details

Twin share tourist accommodation in Ulaanbaatar.
Tented accommodation in the countryside