Nomadic Life and Naadam
Tuesday, July 9 Arrival
Meet your tour leader at the airport in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s cosmopolitan capital, and settle into the iconic five-star Blue Sky Hotel, the only hotel located directly on Sukhbaatar Square, the city’s central plaza. Enjoy a welcome dinner with your fellow travelers. (D)
Wednesday, July 10 Naadam: Mongolian Clothing
Enjoy Naadam Festival celebrations on Sukhbaatar Square, joining Ulaanbaatar residents who gather annually the day before Naadam wearing traditional deel (silk gowns), to celebrate Mongolian clothing and show off their finest colors. Enjoy the excitement of this community celebration. Also enjoy visits to the National Museum of Mongolia and Gandantegchenlin Monastery, the center of Mongolian Buddhism. (B,L,D)
Thursday, July 11 Naadam: Wrestling and Archery
Naadam, the annual festival of the Three Manly Sports: wrestling, archery and horse racing, officially begins with the pageantry, music and dancing of the Naadam opening ceremony at Ulaanbaatar’s Naadam Stadium. After watching the ceremony, take in the wrestling, archery and anklebone shooting tournaments. (B,L,D)
Friday, July 12 Naadam: Horse Racing
Head west onto the Mongolian steppe for a Naadam horse race, featuring children riding bareback on Mongolia’s legendary steeds. After the race, settle into your first ger (nomadic dwelling) at the beautifully decorated Mongol Nomadic Ger Camp. The family that runs the resort delights in sharing nomadic traditions, such as games, food and music, to guests. (B,L,D)
Saturday, July 13 Nomadic Life
Embark on an early morning expedition to Hustai National Park in search of Przewalski’s horses, the world’s only truly wild horses. Then, delve deeper into nomadic life with a visit to a nomadic family who summer near Mt. Hugnu Khan, a site of profound cosmic energy. Spend the evening cooking and enjoying a meal, sharing traditions and, if interested, riding horses. Spend the night at a picturesque ecolodge in the shadow of the Elsen Tasarhai Sand Dunes. (B,L,D)
Sunday, July 14 Khans and Lamas
Venture further into the steppe to explore the remote UNESCO World Heritage Orkhon Valley, the cradle of nomadic civilization. Reach Harhorin, the site of Karakorum, the 13th century capital of the Mongolian Empire, and visit Mongolia’s oldest monastery, 16th century Erdene Zuu. Then, travel down the valley to the Ursa Major Ecolodge, located in a stunning setting overlooking the Orkhon River and spend the first of two nights at this elegant retreat. (B,L,D)
Monday, July 15 Valley of History
Explore the Orkhon Valley. Join your tour leader on a search for ancient graves and monuments marking millennia of nomadic life or enjoy a hike along the river, enjoying herds of yaks and horses in pastures alive with demoiselle cranes and other bird life. In the evening, gaze at the blanket of stars through the ecolodge’s telescope. (B,L,D)
Tuesday, July 16 Ulaanbaatar: Cultural Center
Return to Ulaanbaatar and enjoy a performance of throat singing, contortionism and folk dancing by the renowned Tumen Ekh Ensemble. (B,L,D)
Wednesday, July 17 The Gobi Desert
Fly from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad, the capital of South Gobi Province in the heart of the Gobi Desert. Head west through the Three Beauties Mountains, past herds of Bactrian camels and vast desert plains to the legendary Hongoryn Els Sand Dunes, towering six hundred feet over the Gobi. Spend two nights in a remote ger camp outpost near the dunes. (B,L,D)
Thursday, July 18 Shifting Mountains of Sand
Spend the day exploring Hongoryn Els. Hike on the shifting mountains of sand and, if interested, ride camels in their shadows. Explore Seruun Bulag, a spring-fed oasis at the base of the dunes. (B,L,D)
Friday, July 19 Flaming Cliffs
Spend the morning traveling across a vast plain, searching for elusive Mongolian gazelle. In the afternoon, search for fossils at the red sandstone Flaming Cliffs, where the 1920s Central Asiatic Expeditions, led by American Roy Chapman Andrews, made the world’s first discovery of dinosaur eggs. Enjoy dinner with a family of desert herders who summer near the cliffs before settling into a ger at Dream Gobi Lodge for your final two nights in the desert. The lodge is the desert’s premier resort, a community-based oasis of excellent food and service in the stillness of the Gobi. (B,L,D)
Saturday, July 20 Desert Oasis
On your last full day in the Gobi Desert, hike through Yolyn Am Canyon. The high rock walls and stream at the canyon’s base provide a sanctuary for bearded vultures, Siberian ibex and myriad wildflowers in the midst of the forbidding desert landscape. (B,L,D)
Sunday, July 21 Ulaanbaatar
Fly back to Ulaanbaatar. Explore an exhibit of dinosaur fossils from the Gobi Desert and enjoy a farewell dinner with your fellow travelers. (B,L,D)
Monday, July 22 International Departure
Return to the airport for your flight home. (B)
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