IMMENSITY OF MONGOLIA

Arrive in Ulaanbaatar the capital city of Mongolia. Our driver and guide will help you transfer to your hotel. The city tour of Ulaanbaatar takes you through some of the principal sights of this unique city. You visit the Gandan Monastery. Your tour also takes you to the Chinggis Khan monument on the Chinggis Khan square and the Museum of National History. In the evening, you will enjoy a Mongolian folk Music and Dance Performance. Then welcome lunch in a Mongolian restaurant.

You will reach the granite fracture crossing the Middle Gobi desert. Baga Gazriin Chuluu means “Small land rocky mountain”, and it is elevated at 1768 m above see level, contains a lot of beautiful and unusual view and formation of rocks.
Walking into the granite canyon of Baga Gazriin Chuluu, which is standing in the heart of the steppe, and the walls were polished by the elements. Then after the picnic along the way drive to the oasis Khukh Burd. This is the most luxury oasis in Gobi area. The oasis comprises the small lake, where birds are crowded, and reed covered small forest. There is a tiny island in the middle of the lake. In XVI-XVII centuries a son of Tibetian of lord started to build a big castle with rocks. He was arrested before the castle was not covered with the roof.

A long road through a large desert and rocky plateau awaits you today. Arrive at Tsagaan Suvarga or “White Stupa”. This cliff eroded by the wind and rain water look like a ruined city if you observe them from a certain distance. They are about 60 metres high, and 400 metres long. This sacred site is revered by locals. The area is rich in marine fossils because it used to house a huge lake.

This morning we will drive to the mountain range Gurvan Saikhan or Three Beauties. On the way we will passing through the Dalanzadgad, capital of the South Gobi. Then walk in deep of Yoliin Am, where are inhabited by the magnificent lammergeier, or bearded vulture. The park is a haven for some endangered species like the argali sheep, snow leopard and Siberian ibex, also pikas.

The road passes through arid and large plaine. Arrival to the majestic dunes Khongor, a huge range of sand dunes with 6–12 km wide, 185 km long, and rising to a height of 220 metres Approaching them, you may hear the melody of the movement of the melody appears, hence the nickname “Singing Sands”. Camel riding and sunset in a surreal setting.

Drive to Bayanzag, one of the famous places, ancient sea bed which excited 60-70 million years ago where a lot of palentological findings have been discovered. The place is known as Flaming Cliffs so named by Roy Andrew Chapman American explorer, who had visited Mongolia in 1920. The barren cliffs look strikingly as if they are aflame during sunset. Not so far from the Flaming Cliffs, there is a forest of saxaul trees –Gobi trees with extremely deep roots.

You begin your ascent to the north, and enter the basin of the river Ongii. It used to be a big Buddhist monastery compound built by Bari Yonzon Khamba Lamaist bishop at the Ongi river. The monastery was built in 1666 on a steep rocky slope of a mountain. Unfortunately, the Ongi Temple had the same fate of destruction during the communist purges of 1930s as other 700 Buddhist monasteries in Mongolia.

Drive to the Kharkhorin, the ancient capital of Mongolian Empire. This capital was built as far back as the 8th century, and was the city with the name “Takhil Shivee”. In 1220 Chinghis Khan declared it as the capital city of his Empire. Karakorum was destroyed a century later by the Ming troops. It remains today the remains. Visit the Erdene–Zuu, the largest and first Mongolian Buddhist monastery in Mongolia. This architectural gem surrounded by 108 stupas dates from the sixteenth century and is built on the ruins of the former imperial capital.

The Orkhon valley is one of the most populated Mongolia, because this region has fertile soil. After the picnic visit the buddhist hermitage Tövkhön or “Temple of Art”, nestled on the wooded foothills of the Khangai. This lovely monastery was built by Zanabazar, in 1654, the first religious leader of Mongolia. Walking through a beautiful forest.
In the evening arrive and visit the famous waterfalls of Orkhon. The waterfall formed by combination volcanic eruption and earthquakes some 20.000 years ago cascades down from a height 24 meters.

Today we’ll driving to the Tsenkher hot spring. After having a rest you can hike along the surrounding forested mountain and in the evening enjoy taking a hot spring bath. His curative water and amazing nature featured by wooden mountains make this an excellent place for relax. Night bath is great. Sitting in the pool drinking while seeing stars at the dark sky is one of the favorite activity in here.

In this morning, after breakfast drive to the Tsetserleg. Tsetserleg or “Garden” is capital of Arkhangai province. One of beautiful city in country was founded in 1631, when the Zaya Gegeen’s monastery was built with the initiative of Zaya Gegeen just in front of the huge granite massif known as Bulgan Uul (1950 m). You will visit this monastery, now is local musieum. Also, you walk through the city, local market, photography as you wish. Then lunch in the city. Then road to the valley of Ikh Tamir, where you set up your camp along the river. In the afternoon, walk through the valley of Ikh Tamir. The magnificent prehistoric site Tsatsiin Ereg, you’ll be searching the 26 steles to deer, hundreds of petroglyphs and graves of the first nomadic tribes, from the Neolithic period.

Today we drive to the lake Terkhin Tsagaan and the Khorgo volcano. On the way, you visit the canyon of Chuluut river. This canyon from basalt was formed of lava of nearby extinct volcano such as Khorgo and others with combination of earthquake. The canyon stretches 56 km in long, and above 60-70 m in high. We will then make our way up to the Lake Terkhiin Tsagaan National Park. Climb an extinct Khorgo volcano for the best views in landascape and lake. Wonderful views of the lake with 20 km long, 61 km2, which was formed by dam of lava flows from volcanic eruption many millennia ago. Observation of endemic plants growing on basaltic plateaus. Also, you can visit the Hell of Yellow Dog, Ice Hole and the Youth Cave that are pretty impressive!
Our camp will be close to the lake shore.

Today for you a day off to rest. You can walk along the banks of the lake and ride on horseback as you wish.

After breakfast we living the ger camp and drive to the nort. Two day the trail winds through the hilly and mountainous landscapes covered in coniferous forests. First beautiful tent camping in the middle of a wild nature of Khovsgol. Then tomorrow after crossing high passes and stopping for photography as you wish, you’ll get a Moron, the capital of Khovsgol. After lunch in the city drive the 2 hours to Khatgal, the gateway to Khovsgol National Park at the southern end of the lake with same name. Khovsgol is one of seventeen ancient lakes in the world, being more than 7 million years old, and the most pristine, as well as being the most significant drinking water reserve of Mongolia. We crossing the river Eg over the old wooden bridge. Our camp will be close to the lake shore.

Take a rest after long drive. Horse riding on the beach, between forests of pine and larch trees, in the middle of herds of yaks and sheep. At the edge of the lagoons are constructed wooden huts where lives farmers in the region.

You begin your return to the south, in the direction of Ulaanbaatar. Stop in Moron, capital of the province Khovsgol. Then progression in the heart of the beautiful valley of the Selenge river valley, whose banks are covered with sparse forest.
Campfire beside the Selenge river.

Road through the typical landscapes of the Bulgan province, rich in rivers, forest steppes, fertile pastures and many cattle. We approach at the foot of an extinct Uran Togoo volcano. This is an extinct volcano whose crater reaches 1686 metres above the ground, has 500 metres in diameter and 50 metres in depth. It’s the most beautiful and the most famous volcano of Mongolia. It was active 60 to 65 millions of years ago. We can find an exceptional and plenteous fauna and flora. In effect, the lava that flowed there many thousands of years ago gave way to a very fertile environment. A hike along a footpath through the Siberian larches will lead you to the crater. A surprise awaits you!

This morning after breakfast, we are moving in the direction of the monastery Amarbayasgalant. On the way, we pass through the Bulgan city, which is the capital of Bulgan province. Then we will enter the city Erdenet. This city is the third-largest city in Mongolia and the capital of Orkhon–Uul province. Erdenet, one of the youngest settlements in Mongolia, was founded in 1974 in an area where large deposits of copper had been discovered in the 1950s.
The city hosts the fourth largest copper mine in the world. In the afternoon, we finally get to the Amarbayasgalant monastery. Visit the magnificent Amarbayasgalant monastery or the “Monastery of Tranquil Felicity”. It was built by Manchu Emperor between 1727-1736 with more than 40 temples in honor of Saint Zanabazar, the first Bogd and the great artist. The architectural construction of the monastery is amazing. The main style is Chinese while it combines little Tibetan and Mongolian architecture.

Drive back to Ulaanbaatar. You will have an opportunity to shop at cashmere and souvenir shops.
Farewell dinner with your interpreter and driver in a Mongolian restaurant.

Transfer to the airport.