Experience the Naadam Festival, a celebration of Mongolia’s nomadic heritage and the Three Manly Sports: wrestling, horse racing and archery. Meet nomadic families, explore the Gobi Desert, the Orkhon Valley, and other stunning landscapes, and discover the millennia-long story of living and migrating in harmony with nature.
Meet your tour leader at the airport in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia's cosmopolitan capital, and settle into the five-star Novotel Ulaanbaatar. Enjoy a welcome dinner with your fellow travelers. (D)
Wednesday, July 1Ulaanbaatar
Join your tour leader on a walking tour of Mongolia’s capital. Explore the country's history at the spectacular Chinggis Khaan National Museum, newly opened in 2022, and marvel at the splendid art and architecture of the Choijin Lama Temple Museum. (B,L,D)
Thursday, July 2Oasis in the Desert
Fly to Dalanzadgad, the capital of South Gobi Province. Visit nearby Three Beauties National Park, named for the Three Beauties Mountains, home to nomadic herders, their herds and myriad wildlife. Hike through the mountains’ Yolyn Am Canyon. The canyon’s high rock walls, covered in juniper and wild rhubarb, form an oasis home to Lammergeier bearded vultures and Siberian ibex. After the hike, settle into a ger at Gobi Mirage Lodge for your two nights in the desert. The lodge is a community-based oasis of excellent food and service in the stillness of the Gobi. (B,L,D)
Friday, July 3Flaming Cliffs
Start the day by meeting a family who raise the Gobi’s most iconic animals: two-humped Bactrian camels. Learn more about these remarkable animals on a camel ride through the barren desert landscape. Then, explore the red sandstone Flaming Cliffs. The cliffs, rich in dinosaur fossils, are renowned for the world’s first discovery of dinosaur eggs, uncovered in 1923 by an American Museum of Natural History expedition led by zoologist Roy Chapman Andrews. (B,L,D)
Saturday, July 4Ulaanbaatar
Fly back to Ulaanbaatar. In the city, visit Gandantegchenlin Monastery, the center of Mongolian Buddhism. Attend a performance of folk music, dance and throat singing by the renowned Tumen Ekh Ensemble. (B,L,D)
Sunday, July 5Genghis Khan
See how contemporary Mongolia is shaping its future with an eye toward the past. On a day trip to the steppe east of Ulaanbaatar, visit the towering 131-foot tall Genghis Khan Statue, built in 2006 for the 800th anniversary of the Mongol Empire. (B,L,D)
Monday, July 6The Steppe
Travel west onto the vast Mongolia steppe, reaching the beautifully decorated Mongol Nomadic Cultural Heritage Center. The family that runs the resort delights in sharing nomadic traditions, such as games, food and music, with guests. Join them in a demonstration of steppe nomadic traditions, and settle into your ger for the night. (B,L,D)
Tuesday, July 7Wild Horses and 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 in Hugnu-Tarna National Park. Spend the evening cooking and enjoying a meal, sharing traditions and, if interested, riding horses. Spend the night at a picturesque ger camp in the shadow of the Elsen Tasarhai Sand Dunes. (B,L,D)
Wednesday, July 8Khans 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. Spend the firt of two nights in a ger-inspired dwelling at the luxurious Asa Land Resort, located along the Orkhon River just outside Harhorin. (B,L,D)
Thursday, July 9Valley 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. (B,L,D)
Friday, July 10Naadam Festival: Horse Racing
Head back east toward Hui Doloon Hudag, the site of the annual Naadam Festival horse races, featuring children riding bareback on Mongolia’s legendary steeds. After cheering on the horses and riders at the finish line of one of the races, return to Ulaanbaatar. (B,L,D)
Saturday, July 11Naadam Festival: 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. Enjoy a final city evening and farewell dinner with your fellow travelers. (B,L,D)
