Mongolia Eagle Festival: Steppes, Deserts & Nomads

The group flight is scheduled to arrive in Ulaanbaatar this morning. The tour

starts at our hotel in the city centre. This afternoon/evening there will be

a welcome briefing in the hotel, followed by a group welcome dinner. 



*Standard Hotel*

We have the whole day to discover Ulaanbaatar. Our sightseeing tour will

include a visit to Zaisan Hill where we'll see the memorial painting which

honours allied Mongolia and Soviet soldiers who fought in World War II. We'll

also visit the Bogd Khaan Winter Palace Museum, which houses one of the

largest collections in the country and we'll go on a cashmere factory tour.



*Standard Hotel*

In the morning we head west out of Ulaanbaatar towards Karakorum, making a

detour to the KhustainNuruu National Park, 2 hours west of UlaanBaatar.

KhustainNuruu is famous for the re-introduction of Mongolia's wild horse. The

Takhi Horse or Przewalski's horse was once native to Mongolia and almost

became extinct earlier this century, though thanks to the efforts of several

Mongolian and international organizations, these magnificent wild horses now

roam once again on the steppes of KhustainNuruu National Park. We will visit

the Project Information Centre and take a guided hike to see the wild horses

before spending our first night in a traditional Mongolian Ger.

*Ger Camp*

After breakfast we continue our journey westwards towards Karakorum along an

asphalt road. Today's destination, the Mongol Els or 'Little Gobi Desert' as

it is known, is a unique belt of sand dunes in the steppe. Arriving at

lunchtime, we check into a nearby ger camp and after lunch head out to

explore the surrounding region. It is an incredible sight to witness the

Bactrian camels wandering the desert dunes whilst horses graze on the green

steppe nearby. We will also visit Mt Khogno Khan, the small temple at its

base. This region is also renowned for its birdlife, including steppe eagles.

Mt Khogno Khan offers a great spot for bird watching where we will stay for a

while before we return to camp in the late afternoon.

*Ger Camp*

We start the day with a (90km) transfer to the 13th century capital of the

Mongol Empire - Karakorum. Karakorum was established by Ogedei Khan and

remained the Mongols power base until Khublai Khan established Beijing as the

capital. Here we will visit the Erdene Zuu Monastery (meaning Hundred

Treasures), this is the largest Monastery in Mongolia, built in 1586 under

the direction of Abtai Khan on the ruins of the ancient capital. Much of the

monastery was destroyed during Stalin's purges of the 1930's but an

impressive wall with 108 stupas and a number of temples still remain.

*Ger Camp*

We drive on a paved road to Arvaikheer, the capital of Ovorkhangai Aimag and

on the northern edge of the Gobi. On the way to Arvaikheer we visit Shankh

Monastery, once the home of the great Mongolian theorist Zanabazar. We should

arrive at Arvaikheer during the middle of the afternoon and check into our

hotel. In the afternoon there will be time to visit the local museum, which

contains nature collections, stone figures and Turkic scripts.

*Standard Hotel*

After an early breakfast we start towards Orog Lake via Bayanteegsoum, a

coal-mining centre. Passing over Taats River, the majestic Ikh Bogd Mountain

should be visible in the distance, the highest mountain in the Gobi Altai

Mountain Range. We stop for a picnic lunch and then skirt the eastern edge of

Mt Ikh Bogd, travelling a further 80km southwest to the Gobi Camels Ger Camp

where we spend the night.

*Ger Camp*

We start our journey southwards with a short drive (2-3 hours) to the Bayan

Mountain Range to view petroglyphs (Rock Art), called Bichigt Khad. The rock

inscriptions and pictures here date back to 3000 BC; we will see paintings

including depictions of ibex, argali and men riding horses. It is possible to

see some of these from the vehicles (better so with binoculars) but for those

who wish, it is also possible to hike up to the cliffs for closer inspection

of these Bronze Age works of art (the main cliff is a steep climb for 50-60m

and walking poles are required so we usually visit the smaller cliff, which

is more accessible). Our journey then continues through classic Gobi desert

scenery of flat stony plains mixed with small rocky outcrops and patches of

sand across the Khatan Suudal Steppe. We stop for a picnic lunch on the way,

with views of the Bogd Mountain to the north. After lunch we head off to our

ger camp in the Kongoriin Els sand dunes and should arrive there in the late

afternoon.



*Ger Camp*

Today we have a full day to explore the sand dunes and surrounding area. The

Khongoriin Els stretch for 200km and reach heights of 300 meters in places.

They are known as the 'Singing Dunes' because of the beautiful sound that

resonates through the dunes on a windy day. The South Gobi has 100,000

camels, typically used by herders to transport their gers. We will take the

opportunity today to visit a camel breeding family and get a glimpse of the

way of life of the nomadic herders of these parts.

*Ger Camp*

This morning we drive through the Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park. Gobi

Gurvansaikhan means 'Three Beauties of the Gobi' and this range marks the

eastern end of the Gobi Altai mountain range. The park's landscape is

extremely varied, with rocky and sandy desert plains, precipitous cliffs,

ravines, salt pans and oases. We visit a spectacular natural sight of this

region - Yolyn Am. Yolyn Am means Vulture's Mouth and is a canyon so deep and

narrow that even in the height of summer winter ice can remain on the valley

floor. This region is also renowned for the diversity of its wildlife and

many endangered species can be found here, including Khulan, Ibex, Argali and

Snow Leopard. We explore the canyon before transferring to a nearby ger camp

for dinner and overnight.

*Ger Camp*

Today we make a short drive to Bayanzag (70 km) known as the Flaming cliffs

and hike amongst colourful sands of red, yellow and orange. Bayanzag is a

world-renowned dinosaur fossil exploration site, discovered in the 1920s by

Mongolian and American Palaeontologists. We are free to explore the region

and may even be lucky enough to spot dinosaur fossils. After a picnic lunch

we head to our camp for the afternoon.

*Ger Camp*

After breakfast we transfer to the airport for the mid-morning flight to

Ulaanbaatar (please note that we may be flying at a different time, possibly

even the evening before depending on the airline's changeable schedules).

Once back in UB we transfer to the Terelj National Park, here there are lots

of things to see and we will spend the day exploring the fascinating rock

formations, visiting the meditation temple and strolling through the green

meadows carpeted with wild flowers. After lunch at our camp we will make a

short trip to visit a local nomadic family to see how they live and hear

about the nomadic way of life, here we will also enjoy a tasting experience

of homemade dairy products, such as yoghurt, cheese, curds and traditional

salty milk tea.

*Ger Camp*

After breakfast we drive to the giant Chinggis Khan Statue, standing at 40

meters tall and made of stainless steel it is quite a sight! Here we have

some time to fully explore the statue and surrounding area before making our

way back to Ulaanbaatar where we have the option to go and see a live

performance of traditional Mongolian song and dance. Performed by the world

famous Tumen Ekh dance troupe, we will see throat singers, contortionists and

Tsam dancers.

*Standard Hotel*

In the morning we fly to Olgii in western Mongolia, from where we drive

off-road for about an hour to Sagsai village. Here we visit the home of the

Kazakh people; there will be plenty to see and do. We spend the day seeing

how they go about daily life, taking care of and milking the cows, goats and

sheep and we may even get to help process the dairy products. We will also be

able to sample their traditional food and taste home-made yak cheese and

yogurt. This is a great opportunity to explore the real way of living like a

nomadic family and to personally experience their friendliness and

hospitality. In the afternoon we return to Olgii and stay overnight at Ger

Camp.

*Ger Camp*

Today we attend the Eagle festival. For the first day of the festival, we

will see the competition for the best Kazakh costume, horse racing and

archery. In the evening we will see a cultural performance in the local

theatre.

*Ger Camp*

Today we have another chance to witness the competitions and events of the

Eagle festival. We will be able to see a demonstration from the eagles and

their hunters, a camel race and the lively competition of Kukhbar. Kukhbar is

essentially a fighting match on horseback where two riders have to fight over

a goat skin each trying to claim possession of it. After enjoying the

festivities we return to camp for dinner.

*Ger Camp*

After breakfast we transfer to the airport for the mid-morning flight to

UlaanBaatar, arriving in the nation's capital at midday. We transfer to the

hotel and freshen up before a light lunch. This afternoon is free for last

minute sightseeing or souvenir shopping around UB - cashmere, leather goods

and traditional handicrafts are all good options and the guide will recommend

the best places to go for these. Night owls may want to sample the nightlife

of UlaanBaatar!

*Standard Hotel*