Compare Nomadic Mongolia by G Adventures vs Private Expedition: Mongolia by National Geographic Expeditions
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| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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3.5 | Average
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| Duration | 14 days | 10 days |
| Price From | $ 2,559 | $ 7,095 |
| Price Per Day | $ 183 | $ 710 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Small group tour | Private guided tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Luxury |
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| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
| Activities |
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| Meals Included | 13 breakfasts, 11 lunches, 10 dinners |
8 Breakfasts, 8 Lunches and 8 Dinners |
| Description |
Long after the reign of Genghis Khan, nomadism remains a way of life in modern Mongolia. But with so much to see and do here, it’s only natural that people would want to move about and explore. This adventure taps into the nomadic lifestyle embraced by almost 40% of the local population, travelling through ruggedly beautiful gorges and sandstone mountains in search of golden eagles, desert gazelles, and the Mongolian horse. And when you’re not moving, you’ll experience local customs up close, exploring rural villages and sleeping in traditional ger tents. |
The timeless spirit of Mongolia can be found in the remote corners of its countryside, upon the rolling steppe and desert landscapes where nomads have roamed for millennia. Embrace this intriguing way of life as you explore the soaring Altay Mountains, hike through the grasslands of the steppe, and traverse undulating dunes in the Gobi. Sleep in the serenity of traditional ger tents and spend time with nomadic families in their settlements. In Ulaanbaatar, where ancient temples stand amid contemporary skyscrapers, see past and present mingle within an evolving, modern cityscape. |
Day 1 Ulaanbaatar
Arrive at any time.
There are no activities planned until an evening welcome meeting.
Day 2 Ulaanbaatar
Enjoy a free day exploring the city. Opt to take a morning city tour including visits to Gandan Monastery, Bogd Khan Palace, and Zaisan Hill. Afterwards, stop for a visit to No Limits Cafe and enjoy coffee, tea, and snacks prepared and served by local youth with Down Syndrome, and their mothers.
Spend a free day exploring this fascinating capital city. Enjoy the sights of UB and opt to visit to the Gandan Monastery, Bogd Khan Palace, and Zaisan Hill.
Day 3 Ulaanbaatar/Baga Gadzrïn Chuluu
Drive to the Dungobi Aimag region – Middle Gobi – stopping at the Choir Monastery on the way. Spend the night at the first Mongolian ger camp.
Leave the capital and head south through the steppe to the Middle Gobi. Visit the Choir Monastery before continuing on to a small ger camp not far from Mandalgovi, the regional centre.
Gers are traditional Mongolian tents made with wooden frames and layers of felt. The camps we stay at will have 4 beds per ger with mattresses, linens, and extra blankets. They have a central stove to keep the place cozy and a small table and chairs.
Day 4 Baga Gadzrïn Chuluu/Yolyn Am
Arrive at Yolyn Am — a narrow gorge in the Gurvan Saikan mountains. It's an amazing place for hiking. Bring stable shoes and warm clothes, as some places are covered in thick ice year round.
Day 5 Yolyn Am/Khongoryn Els
Drive to Khongoryn Els. En route, stop by a local natural history museum. Enjoy the unique activities the Gobi Desert has to offer.
Day 6 Khongoryn Els
Immerse yourself in the wonders of the Gobi Desert. This morning, visit the biggest sand dunes in the western Gobi, then meet a nomadic camel-herding family. Opt to hike along other nearby sand dunes, and try riding a camel.
Day 7 Khongoryn Els/Bayanzag
Explore the Flaming Cliffs - a world renowned archaeological site for the vast amount of dinosaur bones and eggs found here.
Made of red sandstone, these cliffs and canyons offer visitors a scene of breathtaking beauty. Take some time to explore.
Day 8 Bayanzag/Ongiin Hiid
Drive through western parts of the Gobi Desert. In the surrounding mountains, visit the ruins of the Hoshuu and Ongiin Khiid monasteries.
Drive to the Delger Khangai Mountains area. Explore the ruins of the monasteries in the area.
Day 9 Ongiin Hiid/Nomad Camp
Leave the Gobi Desert and drive through the Mongolian grasslands. Spend the next two nights with a local nomadic family, observing how they live. Enjoy a traditional meal with them.
Enjoy a long drive northwest, leaving the Gobi desert area and heading into the Mongolian steppe. The nomads here live simple lives and move their cattle along the same routes their great-grandparents travelled hundreds of years ago. In the evening, have dinner together with your hosts. One of the best things to try is the famous Mongolian barbecue.
Depending on the size of the nomadic family and their gers, accommodations can be very basic, with minimal to no facilities. In case if nomads can’t provide enough space for our group, we will camp nearby (camping gear is provided).
Day 10 Nomad Camp
Learn more about nomadic life in the steppes. Get to know your hosts and opt to participate in traditional activities such as milking a yak and preparing fresh dairy products. Discover what it takes to handle a Mongolian horse, and if the season is right, try airag (fermented mare's milk) - long important to cultures across Central Asia.
Day 11 Nomad Camp/Kharkhorin
Drive to Karakorum, the ancient capital of Mongolia. Visit the Erdene Zuu Monastery, the first centre of Lama Buddhism in Mongolia. En route to tonight's ger camp, stop by the Karakorum Museum.
Journey to Kharkhorin, stopping at the beautiful Erdene Zuu Monastery. Destroyed during the Communist era, this monastery is slowly being rebuilt.
Day 12 Kharkhorin/Khustai National Park
Stay in Khustai National Park—home of Mongolian wild horses. Here, look for Takhi horses in their natural habitat.
Day 13 Khustai National Park/Ulaanbaatar
Drive back to the capital for last minute sightseeing. Opt to see a local cultural show, an excellent display of dancing and Mongolian throat singing.
Day 14 Ulaanbaatar
Depart at any time.
Day 1: Arrive Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Accommodation: Kempinski Hotel Khan Palace
Arrive in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s bustling and expansive capital. Ride from the airport to your downtown hotel and enjoy an evening at leisure.
Day 2: Ulaanbaatar
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Kempinski Hotel Khan Palace
The day begins with a visit to Gandan Monastery, one of the few monasteries in the city that survived Stalin’s religious purges of the 1930s. Greet red-robed monks and explore intricately decorated temples in this Buddhist sanctuary. Get an overview of Mongolia’s past at the National Museum of Mongolia, where galleries display Stone and Bronze Age artifacts, sacred relics, and tribal costumes. After lunch, tour the Zanabazar Museum of Fine Art, home to one of the world’s greatest collections of Buddhist art and artifacts.
Day 3: Ulaanbaatar/Hustai National Park
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: HS Khaan Resort Hotel
Join paleontologists for a behind-the-scenes tour of a local laboratory and examine the latest batch of dinosaur fossils excavated from the field. Then, travel west to Hustai National Park, home to the takhi—also known as Przewalski’s horse, the world’s last remaining species of wild horse. Learn about conservation efforts and try to spot these untethered beauties on an excursion through the rolling green pastures of the reserve. Tonight, stay in a luxury ger and gaze out over the grasslands as you dine on the resort’s terrace.
Day 4: Hustai National Park/ Ulaanbaatar
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Kempinski Hotel Khan Palace
This morning, visit the Neolithic graves of the Ongud, an ancient Mongol people that were active during the reign of Genghis Khan. On your return trip to Ulaanbaatar, travel through the scenic foothills of the Hogno Mountain, where grassy steppe contrasts sharply with striking desert dunes. En route, get a taste of Mongolian hospitality at the home of a local family and learn about the daily rituals of the area’s nomadic tribes.
Day 5: Gobi/Gegeet Valley/Khongoryn Els
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Fly over Mongolia’s vast wilderness to the mystical Gobi, a semiarid landscape that defies conventional notions of desert scenery. Here undulating sand dunes give way to stretches of green shrublands teeming with diverse wildlife, including Bactrian camels, argali mountain sheep, goitered gazelle, and golden eagles. On your way through the Gegeet Valley, keep your eyes peeled for wildlife including the elusive and endangered snow leopard. Tonight settle into a traditional ger at the base of Khongoryn Els, a 60-mile stretch of towering sand dunes that rise up before the craggy slopes of the Altay Mountains.
Day 6: Khongoryn Els Sand Dunes
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Three Camel Lodge
Rise early for an excursion through the Gobi’s “singing sands” and slide across the dunes to induce their famous groaning sounds. Visit the camp of a camel-herding family and learn about the practical and spiritual importance of these animals for Gobi nomads. Continue on to Bulgan, a small city built around a natural desert spring. Stop at one of the only farms in the desert and see a local school before heading to the Three Camel Lodge. This sustainability-focused National Geographic Unique Lodge is renowned for its ambitious efforts to protect and nurture the surrounding landscapes, wildlife, and communities. This afternoon’s ger-assembly demonstration gives a fascinating introduction to your accommodation.
Day 7: Yolyn Am
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Three Camel Lodge
Travel to Yolyn Am, the Valley of the Eagles, and hike the valley running through the foothills of the Altay Mountains. Spot yaks, Altay snowcocks, ibex, and lammergeiers as you trek through this dramatic gorge where lush vegetation, craggy terrain, and ice fields (weather permitting) coexist. Learn more about the surrounding flora and fauna at a local natural history museum. Later this afternoon, enjoy an exclusive cooking lesson with the lodge’s chef. Discover how the nomadic lifestyle shaped local cuisine, and try your hand at making some Mongolian specialties. This evening, turn your eyes to the night sky and spot stars and constellations alongside an astronomy expert.
Day 8: Tugrigiin Shiree/Flaming Cliffs
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Three Camel Lodge
Head to Tugrigiin Shiree where paleontologists unearthed the famous “fighting dinosaurs” fossils of a Protoceratops and Velociraptor locked in combat. Drive to the Flaming Cliffs of Bayanzag, a landscape of rust-red sandstone concealing a trove of dinosaur fossils just below the surface. Trek through the rock formations, looking for fossils at your feet and taking in magnificent landscapes on the horizon.
Day 9: Ulaanbaatar
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Kempinski Hotel Khan Palace
Return to Ulaanbaatar and visit the Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan. Home to Mongolia’s last emperor, Bogd Jebtzun Damba Hutagt VIII, the ornate temple complex is now a museum displaying his personal possessions and regalia. The remainder of the afternoon is free for exploring downtown. Consider stopping at the Black Market, where you can browse traditional Mongolian clothing such as dels (tunics) and riding boots. This evening, enjoy a mesmerizing performance of Mongolian dance and traditional khoomii throat singing.
Day 10: Ulaanbaatar/Depart
Transfer to the airport and catch your international flight home.
