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Mongolia is a unique destination, even in winter when the climate is extremely harsh nearly 5 months. In these exceptional conditions Évasion Mongolia invites you to discover the Khövsgöl area with his Ice Festival. It’s a -20 / -25 degrees cold during the day, but in the evening warm and comfort at the ger, when the heat emanating from the burning wood inside the furnace is distributed throughout and the shadow of the blazing fire danced and bounced funny along the walls of the ger or the hut. All this will be unforgettable wonderful memories for you.
This festival involves a great variety of activities and competitions, including Ice Sumo, ger building with ice, ice skating and sleigh rides, all on or by the shores of the beautiful Lake Huvsgul. During the Ice festival you can participate in ice skating, tobogganing, horse sleigh ride, watch the competition where which sculptor is the best inventor of the ice, or a which fisherman is best, and do not miss a contest whose traditional winter clothing is best.
Arrive in Ulaanbaatar the capital city of Mongolia. Our guide and driver will greet you at the airport. Transfer to your hotel. Depends on time of your arrival, taken on city sightseeing tour including a visit the Gandantegchilen Monastery or “Great Place of Complete Joy”. It features a 26.5-meter-high statue of Avalokiteśvara. Then our tour takes you to the Chinggis Khan monument on the Sukhbaatar square which is heart of the city, and visit the Museum of National History. In the evening, you will enjoy a Mongolian Folk Music and Dance Performance “Tumen Ekh”. Then welcome lunch in a Mongolian restaurant.
Today in the morning after breakfast at the hotel we will drive to Bulgan, where we will meet with Davaasuren’s family. Upon our arrival, they help us accommodate in the Bugat for several days. Along the way to the Bulgan you will see how beautiful the Mongolian winter is when travel through snow covered hills, wide open steppes, forested mountains in cooling fresh air. Arriving in your host family in the late evening. In here you will be welcomed a hot nomadic dinner and tea. First contacts with the nomadic family.
In this morning, you will get up at the sunlight shine upon top window of the ger and noise of waken up animals. You will have one days to observe what nomads do daily, Iearn their custom and tradition and taste home cooked meals. Volunteering to help nomads is available to milk animals, cook traditional meals and cookies, make dairy products from milk, tend livestock, collect horses riding on horseback, see how horses are caught, play traditional games, help milking animals and much more.
Now, it’s time to drive to north. On the way you will observe an extinct volcano whose crater reaches 1686 meters above the ground, has 500 meters in diameter and 50 meters 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! Then after lunch we continue our road to Mörön. Arrival in the city in the late evening. Dinner at the restaurant of the hotel
Today we will drive to Khatgal. It’s a 1.30 hour’s drive from Mörön. Finally, the famous Lake Khövsgöl presents to you on arrival at the village of Khatgal. Its crystal clear water is so pure, and the winter finds the lake under more than a meter of ice, though it still teems with fish species. The surrounding countryside is a joy for the explorer – clean air, quiet glades in the taiga forest, sweeping mountainside, and the play of gentle sunlight on the waters of this lonely mere. The reflections of the snowy peaks stand out on the lake and offer beautiful colors.
After breakfast, we will attend Ice festival opening ceremony, Ice creation competition, Ice Sumo wrestling, Ankle bone shooting, and Shaman Ceremony and National Folklore concert. After lunch, visit Horidol Saridag Mountain to meet with a reindeer breeding family & explore their tradition and nomadic life. You will watch bonfire and sacrificing shamanic ceremony. Then, return to hut or ger. Dinner and overnight in a hut or ger. The second festival day will begin with reindeer sleigh event, competition of horse sledding and reindeer sledding on ice of lake, skating, fishing and lots of games, lunch, horse sledding trip on the ice of Khövsgöl lake. Horse riding trip along the lake shore. In the evening return to hut or ger. Dinner and overnight in a hut or ger.
This morning after breakfast it’s time to say goodbye to your host nomad family. Then drive to Mörön. After lunch in the city we continue our road to Bulgan, where waiting us Davaasuren’s family. In the evening arrival at the family and dinning here.
After say goodbye with your host family we will drive to Natural Reserve of ‘Dugan Khad’ Rock. Walk in the reserve environment, known by its natural beauty and strange forms of rocks in mountains.
Today we will discover one of the beautiful meditation monastery Aglag Buteel, or temple of Serenity. A hiking day to explore the sacred mountains of Garid. The Garid (or Garuda in Sanskrit) is a man-bird belonging to Buddhist mythology. Also, symbol of courage and honesty, he is the guardian of this mountain. Located in the forest this is an important spiritual place, known by its energy power.
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
