Journey to Mongolia's Altai Mountains alnd of snow-capped peaks, mountain lakes and ancient rock art. Enjoy the culture of the region including the ancient tradition of falconry with golden eagles and the hauntingly beautiful sounds of throat singing. Experience nomadic life during homestays with two families. Enjoy private meals from one of Mongolia's leading chefs as you travel across the rugged Altai frontier.
Meet your tour leader at the airport in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia's cosmopolitan capital, and settle into the centrally located five-star Novotel Ulaanbaatar. Enjoy a welcome dinner with your fellow travelers. (D)
Monday, August 3Ulaanbaatar
Explore Ulaanbaatar, with visits to Sukhbaatar Square, the city's central plaza, the spectacular Chinggis Khaan Museum, Mongolia's largest museum, and the Choijin Lama Temple Museum. (B,L,D)
Tuesday, August 4The Altai Mountains
Return to the Ulaanbaatar airport and fly to Ulgii, the principal town of ethnically Kazakh Mongolia. Travel deep into the heart of the Altai Mountains, past snow-capped Mt. Tsengel Kharikhan and through a rocky area filled with ancient Bronze and Iron Age burial monuments. Reach the twin lakes of Hoton and Hurgan, nestled under mountains that form the border with Xinjiang, China. Spend the first of two nights with a nomadic family who summers near the lakes. Meet your tour chef, a specialist in preparing delightful and varied cuisine for travelers in the remote countryside, who will be accompanying your group for the next six days. (B,L,D)
Wednesday, August 5Images of the Ancients
Explore the stunning area around Hoton and Hurgan Lakes. Begin the day by exploring the rocky hills of petroglyph-filled Aral Tolgoi. The images, some dating back to the Stone Age, are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Mongolian Altai Petroglyphs. Then, enjoy a hike to Baga Turgen Waterfall, where the pure meltwater forms one of the Altai's most scenic views. In the evening, enjoy time with your host family, as well as another dining experience with your trip chef. (B,L,D)
Thursday, August 6Frontier Town
Return to Ulgii and explore the town, which is famous for keste, Kazakh embroidery, one of Mongolia's most popular forms of folk art. Spend the first of two nights in a small hotel in the heart of Ulgii. (B,L,D)
Friday, August 7Golden Eagles
Spend the day exploring the Altai Mountain's rich tradition of eagle hunting, or falconry with golden eagles. Take a day trip just outside the city to a private eagle hunting event organized just for your group. Meet eagle hunters and their golden eagles, and learn about the special human-animal near the shore of Lake Hoton. Eagle hunting is the ancient Kazakh art of training and hunting with a golden eagle. Meet the family's eagle and learn about this special human-animal relationship. NOTE: The hunting season is in the winter, so no hunting will take place at this event. (B,L,D)
Saturday, August 8Throat Singing and the Great Lakes
Travel south through along the Hovd River, western Mongolia's main waterway to the Great Lakes Basin, a series of massive fresh and saltwater lakes at the edge of the Altai. In the heart of the region is Chandmani, the region famous as the birthplace of huumii, Mongolian throat singing. Meet the family of one of Chandmani's legendary throat singers and spend the first of two nights with the family. Your host will introduce us to their town as you discover how thier small community maintains such a rich musical tradition. (B,L,D)
Sunday, August 9The Birthplace of Huumii
Enjoy more music and travel into the surrounding mountains and lakes, where the throat singers will share how the natural world and nomadic life created and shaped throat singing. Chandmani is also home to the endangered saiga antelope, which you may be able to see running across the steppe. Enjoy a festive, music-filled evening, as we bid farewell to the throat singers, their families, our tour chef, and the mountains. (B,L,D)
Monday, August 10Ulaanbaatar
Travel to the nearby town of Hovd, fly back to Ulaanbaatar, and enjoy an evening folk music and dance performance by the renowned Tumen Ekh Ensemble. (B,L,D)
Tuesday, August 11Genghis Khan
On your last full day in Mongolia, see how contemporary Mongolia is shaping its future with an eye toward the past. After a morning visit to Gandantegchenlin Monastery, the center of Mongolian Buddhism, travel to the steppe east of Ulaanbaatar and visit the towering 131-foot tall Genghis Khan Statue, built in 2006 for the 800th anniversary of the Mongol Empire. Return to the city for your farewell dinner. (B,L,D)
