Compare Nomadic Mongolia by G Adventures vs The Tsar’s Gold Westbound from Mongolia:Trans-Siberian Railway by Nomadic Expeditions
Compare details and see what other travelers are saying.
| Trip |
5 | Excellent
|
5 | Excellent
|
| Duration | 14 days | 15 days |
| Price From | $ 2,559 | $ 10,795 |
| Price Per Day | $ 183 | $ 720 |
| Highlights |
|
|
| Trip Style | Small group tour | Group tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Luxury |
| Physical Level |
|
|
| Travel Themes |
|
|
| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions |
|
|
| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
| Activities |
|
|
| Meals Included | 13 breakfasts, 11 lunches, 10 dinners |
14 Breakfast,13 Lunch, 14 Dinner |
| 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. |
An in-depth Trans-Siberian Railway experience between Siberia and Mongolia filled with unique historical and cultural perspective, this fifteen-day expedition begins in Ulaanbaatar and the Gobi Desert and continues on to the Trans-Siberian Railway aboard the famed Tsar’s Gold. Find yourself in Novosibirsk, the heart of Siberia, along the shore of the oldest lake in the world, Lake Baikal, and the magnificent diversity of the Gobi Desert’s incredible ecosystems. |
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:Ulaanbaatar
Meals: Dinner
In the morning you arrive in Ulaanbaatar and visit the Zaisan Memorial, built by the former Soviet Union to commemorate fallen soldiers of World War II. Climb the 300 steps and reward yourself with a beautifully panoramic view of the capital of Mongolia and the Tuul River.
Day 2-3:Gobi | Yol Valley | Tugrugiin Shiree | Bulgan Sum
Meals: 2 Breakfast, 2 Lunch, 2 Dinner
Accommodation: Three Camel lodge
Fly south to the Gobi and discover the diverse ecosystems it has to offer including the verdant Yol Valley, carved from an ancient river. Over the next day, explore Tugrugiin Shiree, site of the famed ‘Fighting Dinosaurs’ fossil, and Bulgan – home to one of the Gobi’s only farms.
Day 4-5: Moltsog Els | Flaming Cliffs | Family Visit | Ulaanbaatar
Meals: 2 Breakfast, 2 Lunch, 2 Dinner
Drive to Moltsog Els, one of the only areas of the Gobi covered in sand dunes, before visiting a family and continuing on to the Flaming Cliffs. Discovered by Dr. Roy Chapman Andrews in 1923 during the Central Asiatic Expeditions, the Flaming Cliffs glow a legendary and brilliant orange hue in the fading sun. Enjoy a stay at the Three Camel Lodge, our luxury eco-lodge in the heart of the Gobi, before returning to Ulaanbaatar to visit the Bogd Khan Winter Palace museum.
Day 6: Ulaanbaatar | Board the Tsar’s Gold, Trans-Siberian Railway
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Wake in Ulaanbaatar and visit Gandan Monastery, the seat of Buddhist activity in the region, along with the newly-remodeled National History Museum’s Stone and Bronze Age artifacts. Afterward, 976 Art Gallery provides you with a glimpse into the modern day world of the nomad: this contemporary art gallery is a regular attraction for a hip crowd of intellectuals who support and promote growing Mongolian artists. After dinner board the Tsar’s Gold train and depart for Ulan Ude.
Day 7-9:Ulan Ude | Lake Baikal | Irkutsk
Meals: 3 Breakfast, 3 Lunch ,3 Dinner
Pass through the valley of Selenga, the largest river in Mongolia, and join the main route of the Trans-Siberian Railroad in Ulan Ude. The next day enjoy a full day of activity in and around Lake Baikal, exploring the wonderful atmosphere of the lake and its picturesque town. Enjoy a short boat ride on the lake, and then move on to Irkutsk the following day. A tour of the city includes the lively market hall, drama theatre, and a newly-erected statue of the Tsar as well as an open-air museum displaying Siberian life in the old days.
Day 10-11: Onboard the Tsar’s Gold, Trans-Siberian Railway | Novosibirsk
Meals: 2 Breakfast, 2 Lunch, 2 Dinner
After breakfast travel through the landscapes of Eastern Siberia’s mountains, crystal-clear rivers and verdant slopes. Enjoy lectures, a social get-together with caviar and vodka, and lively conversation with your fellow passengers. The following day pull into the Novosibirsk station, Siberia’s largest city, and take a tour of the city on the mighty Ob River.
Day 12-13: Yekaterinburg | Kazan
Meals: 2 Breakfast, 2 Lunch, 2 Dinner
The capital of the Ural Mountains and the border between Asia and Europe, Yekaterinburg, is the site of a varied and somewhat tragic history. The city tour includes the center, restored in 2009, and the newly-erected Cathedral-on-the-blood built in memorial of the last Tsar of Russia Nicholas II and his family. The next day arrive in Kazan, the old Tatar capital on the banks of the Volga, and take a guided tour of the Kremlin to learn about the bloody relations of the Tatars, Cossacks, and Russians.
Day 14: Tour of Moscow
Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner
Before noon arrive in Moscow, one of the richest and most dynamic cities in the world, and end your journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway. After your arrival and check-in to a first-class hotel, take a guided tour of one of the oldest Kremlin in the world and its glorious cathedrals. After dinner, take a special tour of the city’s lights and sights, including the Red Square. The following day take a guided tour of the reconstructed Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Lomonossov University and St. Basil’s Cathedral before departing for home.
Day 15: Departure
