ESSENCE OF MONGOLIA

Roy Chapman Andrews was an American explorer, adventurer and naturalist who became the director of the American Museum of Natural History. He is primarily known for leading a series of expeditions through the fragmented China of the early 20th century into the Gobi Desert and Mongolia. The expeditions made important discoveries and brought the first-known fossil dinosaur eggs to the museum. His popular writings about his adventures made him famous.

Day 1. Capital - Ulaanbaatar

Day 2. Terelj National Park

Day 3. Murun/Lake Khuvsgul

Day 4. Lake Khuvsgul.

Day 5. Ulaanbaatar/Dinosaur Museum

Day 6. South Gobi

Day 7. Yol Valley National Park

Day 8. Bayanzag/ Flaming Cliffs

Day 9. Ulaanbaatar.

Day 10 Bayangobi/Ruins of Uvgun Monastery.

Day 11. Kharkhorin/Erdenezuu Monastery.

Day 12. Hustai National Park/ Ulaanbaatar

Day 13. Departure

Day 1. Capital - Ulaanbaatar. Arrival in Ulaanbaatar, transfer to hotel and start city tour in Ulaanbaatar, the nation’s capital, visit Chinggis square, Zaisan Hill; Museum of National History, famous for its exhibition for Stone and Bronze Age, Turkic and Mongol Empire, rise of Buddhism and communist regime, Gandan Monastery a centre of Mongolian Buddhism. This monastery is the largest and most important monastery of Mongolia with 500 monks. Overnight and relax in the hotel.

Day 2. Terelj National Park - Drive to the Terelj National Park after breakfast. The park lies at 1600 meters high and offers great opportunities for hiking, horse, camel and yak riding and rafting and rock climbing. The park is over 1.2 million acres large. Explore amazing egg-shaped granite rock formation and beautiful wildlife and Alpine flowers. Lunch at the park then we will drive back to Ulaanbaatar via 40m equestrian statue of Genghis Khaan in the steppe. We will enjoy traditional folklore performance in the evening. Overnight at the hotel in Ulaanbaatar.

Day 3. Murun/Lake Khuvsgul. Morning flight to Murun, a provincial capital of Khuvsgul province. Lunch at the Murun then we will drive to the Khuvsgul lake, the second freshwater lake with depth of 262m. Khuvsgul lake is inhabited by nine species of fish, while the nearby taiga forest, forest steppe, mountains and the lake provide habitat for 68 species of mammals, 244 species of birds and 750 species of plants. The lake is surrounded by stunning mountains, thick alpine forests. Overnight in the ger camp near the lake.

Day 4. Lake Khuvsgul. In the morning, we will hike or ride a horse around the lake shorelines. Optional tour for boating. In the afternoon, we will drive to the north to visit tsaatan, reindeer family where we can experience unique way of life, traditional tent dwelling “Urts” and herds of reindeers. Return to the ger camp and overnight in the ger.

Day 5. Ulaanbaatar/Dinosaur Museum. After breakfast, we will drive back to Murun to catch a flight back to Ulaanbaatar. Arrive in Ulaanbaatar in the afternoon, we will visit Dinosaur Museum which was opened in the summer of 2014 which holds millions of years old Dinosaur’s eggs and bones discovered in Mongolia including famous “Fighting Dinosaurs” skeletons. Overnight in the hotel in Ulaanbaatar.

Day 6. South Gobi. In the morning, we will drive to the airport to fly to Dalanzadgad; a provincial capital of South Gobi. The Gobi Desert is a sparsely populated place with wide temperature changes, low vegetation and small community of nomadic people. The Gobi is home for two humped Bacterian camel, Mazaalai Gobi bear and Wild camel Khavtgai. We will visit camel breeders’ family for riding a camel and wonderful photo opportunities. Overnight in the ger camp.              

Day 7. Yol Valley National Park. In the morning, we will drive to the Yoll valley in the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park. We will visit local museum at the gate of the park. The Yoll valley is consisted of rock walls which stand 200m. We will hike along the canyon and may have an opportunity to see wild sheep Argali, mountain goat Ibex and Yol Lammergeier. Overnight in the ger camp.

Day 8. Bayanzag/ Flaming Cliffs. Today is a day to explore Bayanzag - Flaming Cliffs. We will see desert landscape with camel herds and families. We will visit an ancient red rock formation of Bayanzag which was formed 60-70 million years ago. The Flaming Cliffs named by Roy Andrews Chapman, an American explorer who visited Mongolia in 1920s. The Bayanzag cliffs have dinosaur fossils, eggs and bones all over the place. We will drive to the Moltsog Els sand dunes to ride a camel. We will drive back to ger camp and overnight.

Day 9. Ulaanbaatar. In the morning, we will fly back to Ulaanbaatar. In the afternoon, we will visit the Bogd Khaan Palace Museum, known as Summer Green Palace. The palace was built in 1903 dedicated to the 8^th Bogd Gegeen, the last religious and political of Mongolia. The museum has fine collection of bronze castings, silk paintings, paper icons, mineral paintings, Buddhist deities made by Zanabazar. Overnight in the hotel.

Day 10 Bayangobi/Ruins of Uvgun Monastery. We will drive to the Bayangobi, a unique place with beautiful landscape; sand dunes, forests and mountains. We will visit Erdene Khambyn Khuree which is 20 kms drive from the camp. The monastery was built by Bogd Gegeen Zanabazar, who was a religious leader, philosopher, artist and sculptor. The soldiers of Oirad nobleman Galdan boshigt destroyed the monasteries and assassinated the monks in 1688. We will visit horse breeder’s family and experience making of airag, the Mongolian traditional drink made by mare’s milk. Overnight in the ger camp.

Day 11. Kharkhorin/Erdenezuu Monastery. We will drive to Kharkhorin; an ancient capital of Great Mongolian Empire and Erdenezuu Monastery. Kharkhorin was established in 1220 and played significant role in Mongolian history. We will see 800 years old Turtle Rock near the temple. We will visit local museum and Erdenezuu Monastery, the first Buddhist monastery which was founded by Avtai Sain Khaan, a descendant of Chinggis Khaan, on the ruins of Kharkhorin in 1586. Overnight in the ger camp.

Day 12. Hustai National Park/ Ulaanbaatar. We will drive to Ulaanbaatar via Hustai National Park. The park is the best managed park in the country. You will see wild horse called Takhi known as Przewalski horse to the world. The wild horses survive in nature by themselves because they have been reintroduced successfully to their homeland after 40 years of extinction. Currently, the number of Takhi has already reached more than 230. Drive back to Ulaanbaatar. Overnight and relax in the hotel.

Day 13. Departure. Breakfast at the hotel.   Our Essence of Mongolia Tours ends here by transferring to the airport.