Between steppe and desert

Meet at noon at your hotel, where your guide will meet you before accompanying you to a local restaurant for lunch. This first moment of exchange is an opportunity to get acquainted, discover the main highlights of your adventure and gradually immerse yourself in the unique atmosphere of Mongolia.

Immerse yourself in Mongolian history with a visit to the National History Museum. Spread across several floors, the museum traces the country's rich past, from the earliest nomadic civilizations through the Soviet period, including the rise of the great empire founded by Genghis Khan. A fascinating visit to better understand the identity and culture of Mongolia.

Stroll through the downtown center of Ulaanbaatar to discover the famous Sukhbaatar Square, the heart of the capital dominated by the impressive statue of Genghis Khan. You will also observe the Mongolian Parliament and the hustle and bustle of this amazing city, between Soviet heritage and nomadic culture.

Around 6:00 PM, you attend a traditional Mongolian show at Tumen Ekh, famous for its performances blending folk dances, traditional music, contortion acts and khoomii, the fascinating Mongolian throat singing inscribed in the intangible cultural heritage.

Discovery of the Gandantegchinlen Monastery, the country's main Buddhist center. Each morning, monks gather there for prayers in an atmosphere filled with serenity. This visit also allows you to learn more about Mongolian Buddhism and to freely exchange with people present on the site.

For those who wish, it is possible to take a first horse ride in the surrounding area and quietly enjoy the landscapes of the reserve.

Then, you hike to the Khambiin Khiid Monastery. Perched in the mountains, this 17th-century monastery was built by Zanabazar in honor of his spiritual master, the monk Erdene. The peaceful atmosphere that prevails there and the views of the surrounding area make it a remarkable cultural and spiritual stop.

Visit to the Erdene Zuu Monastery, built in 1586 by a nomadic prince. The complex, inspired by Chinese and Tibetan architecture, is surrounded by 108 sacred stupas, which testify to the spiritual importance of the site. The discovery continues at the Karakorum Museum, dedicated to the history of the former capital and its region.

3-night stay with a nomadic herding family. You will discover the nomadic way of life and share in their daily routines in all simplicity. Depending on the season, you may be offered the opportunity to participate in milking animals, making traditional dairy products, or even herding livestock on horseback.

(Activities subject to seasonality)

Visit to the Ulan Tsutgalaan waterfalls, where clear water cascades over dark stone, sometimes crossed by a ray of sunlight that creates an ephemeral rainbow. Standing 16 meters high, they were formed nearly 20,000 years ago, as a result of a rare combination of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

At the end of the day, you attend the preparation of a Mongolian barbecue, then share this traditional meal with your hosts in a warm atmosphere.

Discovery of the site, known as the Ongii Monastery, as well as the small associated museum. The dwellings and monasteries, once occupied by nearly a thousand monks, were almost entirely destroyed in 1937. Since 2002, a few religious have returned and have undertaken the reconstruction of the temples with modest means but profound devotion.

Visit to the Bayanzag cliffs, known as the "flaming cliffs" because of their ochre and red hues, and famous for the "dinosaur graveyard". Surrounded by saxaul forests, they bear witness to a time when dinosaurs still roamed the region. It was here that paleontologist Roy Andrews Chapman discovered, in 1922, the first dinosaur bones and eggs ever unearthed, now visible at the Natural History Museum in Ulan Bator and in several museums around the world.

You set off for a camel trek in the heart of the Gobi Desert. At the leisurely pace of this emblematic animal, you progress along the dunes and the Khongor River, "Clear Bay", which alternates between surface and underground.

On foot, you climb one of the dunes to enjoy a wide panorama of the desert. From the summit, the silhouettes of the Three Beauties stand out on the horizon and, with a bit of luck, you will hear the singing dunes.

Hiking in the Yoliin Am canyon, the canyon of bearded vultures. You walk along the bottom of the canyon, covered with an almost permanent blanket of ice. The place is so enclosed that the sun's rays are only able to melt the ice from August onwards, while it invades the canyon for the rest of the year.

After this first hike, you head to the "Mukhart Shivert" canyon. Smaller than Yoliin Am and ending in a dead end, it remains very impressive: you make your way along a large trench surrounded by tall vertical cliffs, with a floor covered in smooth and shiny blue ice (outside the height of summer). At the end of the dead end is a frozen waterfall most of the time. The round trip takes about an hour.