Ride and discovery

Arrival at the airport, meeting with our driver. Transfer to your hotel, settling in, and rest.

Appointment at 12 o'clock at your hotel with your guide. He will take you to the restaurant of your choice.

Let's immerse ourselves in the heart of the Mongolian history, in the wonderful National History Museum. Three floors of a rich, glorious, violent and noble past, from prehistory to Soviet period, including the creation of the great Mongolian Empire by Genghis Khan.

Walk in the centre of Ulan-Bator. Discovery of Gengis Khan Square and the House of Parliament.

At 18 o' clock, Mongolian traditional show at Tumen Ekh: folkloric dances, contortion, and of course khoomi, the overtone singing.

Flight to Mörön, the capital of the province of Khövsgöl, where our driver is waiting for us.

We arrive at Lake Khövsgöl, one of the natural wonders of the world. This mountain covers an area of 2760 square kilometres, and its water is so pure that we can drink it! It's surrounded with many peaks culminating at more than 2000 metres and covered with forests of pines and lush meadows where yaks and horses graze!

We go towards East and the green small valleys of Alag Sar, and spend the night in a small yurts camp.

Let's start a beautiful story… With local breeders and their yaks, we leave for our 2-days hike or pony-trek in the tree-filled valleys of Alag Tsar. Following the peaceful tempo of the cart, we discover this land of nomadism. In the heart of summer, the area is flowered and we will move literally on a carpet of edelweiss, while at West, we will see on the opposite bank the peaks culminating at 3000 metres that bathe in the crystal water of the lake.

In the evening, with the breeders, we will put up the yurt that we carried, in which we will spend the night.

Visit of the site containing several deer stones at Uushigiin Övör.

Stop in Mörön to buy fresh supplies at the market.

Journey towards centre : the track goes through many passes and sinks into lost valleys where landscapes quickly change. Altitude exceeds 2000 metres (1,24 mile) at the passes.

Landscapes are more and more beautiful and there are more and more photo opportunities.

Road to Khorgo – Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur Natural Park that is located 2060 metres (1,28 mile) above sea level. This lake, called "the great white lake", and its whole volcanic surroundings, are the emblematic area of the province of Arkhangai.

We will spend 2 nights at a local family guesthouse, under the yurt, on the banks of the Terkhiin Tsagaan lake.

Hiking along the banks of the lake. We go towards Southeast where Khorgo Volcano reaches its highest point at 2240 metres (1,39 mile). (Easy) ascent of the volcano. From the top, we enjoy a splendid view of the lake and the surrounding hills. Nearby the volcano, stunning lava flows form an original landscape never seen up to now.

Stop at Tsetserleg, small lovely village nested in mountains of larches. We'll buy fresh supplies at the local market and visit Zayan Gegeen Museum.

Arrival at Tsenkher hot springs, where you can lounge in the hot springs of the camp.

We start our ride crossing the lower Khangai. We leave early in the morning in order to reach the Tsetserleg River for lunch. We ride along a valley before going down towards Tsetserleg, where we have a long lunch on the banks of the river. In Summer, it's possible to swim. After relaxing, there's one hour ride left to go back up the river. We set up our camp on its banks.

Visit of Tovkhon Monastery. Vehicles can't go until the top of Öndör Ulaan Hill and we will walk until there to discover Tovkhon Ermitage, where Zanabazar, the first religious leader of Mongolia, created the Soyombo alphabet. The monastery is located 2312 metres (1,44 mile) above the sea level and from that place we'll have a wonderful view on the whole Khangai range. We'll picnic in exceptional surroundings, facing Orkhon Valley.

We ride across a rolling path before reaching the Orkhon River and its canyons. We cross the river when we arrive at the place called Ongotstoin Guur, then reach @[Orkhon Valley]orkhon_valley) and its hundreds of herds and yurts. We ride on a path scattered with volcanic stones because the valley is located in an old area of volcanos.

Stay at herders' from the valley. During your stay, you will discover their way of life and you will be proposed many activities, such as milking, making traditional dairy products, or rounding up the animals with a horse.

You will also attend the preparation of a Mongolian barbecue that you will enjoy with yours hosts.

If some people wish, we will go for a pony trek until Mogoit hot springs.

Bath in the fitted out pools of Mogoit hot springs. The temperature of the springs is contained between 48 and 75°C (118 - 167°F), and they are perfect to recover from the tiredness of the travel.

Those who wish will go pony trekking along Orkhon Valley, from the camp until Orkhon waterfalls.

For the others, it will be possible to go to the falls by making a 6 km walk, or with the vehicle.

Visit of Ulan Tsutgalaan falls, white flood flowing on the black stone, transformed in rainbow by a short sunray… These 16-metres (52,49 feet) falls are just magic ! They were formed 20.000 years ago, as a result of a unique combination of earthquakes and volcano eruptions.

Stay at herders' from the valley. During your stay, you will discover their way of life and you will be proposed many activities, such as milking, making traditional dairy products, or rounding up the animals with a horse.

You will also attend the preparation of a Mongolian barbecue that you will enjoy with yours hosts.

Journey to Kharkhorin, the former capital of Mongolia. The legendary city of Genghis Khan was founded in 1220 and was one of the stages of the silk road. The Mongolian Empire was governed from this city until Kubilai Khan set up the capital in Beijing. Today, there are only a few vestiges left of the former capital.

Visit of Erdene Zuu Monastery, built in 1586 by a nomad prince. The Chinese and Tibetan-inspired buildings are surrounded with 108 sacred stupas. Visit of the Museum of Kharkhorin.

Day of transition between two ecosystems. We leave the green mountains of Khangai to go towards Gobi. We drive across the green steppe and reach Arvaikheer, the capital of province, where we stop to get fresh supplies at the local market.

We arrive in the sum of Saikhan Ovoo. West Saikhan Ovoo, some mountains located along the Ongii River, are the perfect place to rest between Northwest of Mongolia and Gobi Desert. In the bends of the river, we can see the ruins of two monasteries, Barlim Monastery on the Northern bank, Khutagt Monastery on the Southern bank.

Let's discover this site, best known as Ong lamasery, and the museum. In 1937, the Soviets almost completely destroyed the homes and monasteries where one thousand lamas were living. In 2002, some lamas came back and began to rebuild the monastery, with few resources but much enthusiasm.

Last day of track before reaching Great Gobi and its "Three Beauties", the three highest peaks of this part of the Gobi-Altai range : Baruun Saïhan, "the Western Beauty" ; Dund Saïhan, "the Middle Beauty" ; Züün Saïhan, "the Eastern Beauty", the highest (2846 metres, 1,77 miles).

Visit of the cliffs of Bayanzag, today are best known as "flaming cliffs", owing to their ochre red colour, where is located the "cemetery of dragons". The cliffs and the saxaul forests that surround them are the evidence of the time when Earth was still inhabited by huge creatures: dinosaurs. Palaeontologist Roy Andrews Chapman was the first man to discover in 1922 some bones and eggs of dinosaurs that we can see today in the Natural History Museum of Ulan Bator and in other museums in the world.

We wake up early today to hike on the Khavtsgait mountain. After some time on the jeep, we will start our trek. The ascent is quite sportive, but will provide a truly amazing view over the desert. From there it is possible to see numerous petroglyphs representing wild mountain sheep, horses, camels and men in the process of hunting.

We ride towards the west of the park to reach Khongor sand dunes, "light bay sand". These dunes extend at the foot of the "Three Beauties".

Visit of the dunes of Khongor. These dunes are the most spectacular ones of Mongolia, they extend on more than 180 kilometres (111,85 miles) long and 20 kilometres (12,43 miles) wide, and have an average height of 80 metres (262,47 feet), the highest one being 120 metres (393,70 feet) high. From the top, the view on the desert is quite amazing. From this place, it's also possible to hear the moving masses of sand, hence the name of "singing dunes". Beyond the dunes, the steppe extends for as far as the eye can see.

We'll stay with a Bactrian camels' breeder for two nights. It's a unique chance to discover their authentic way of life and their legendary hospitality.

Camelback hike. Camelback hiking in the Gobi Desert is an unforgettable experience. The nonchalant animal will take us with its peaceful gait along the dunes and the Khongor River, "light bay", that flows alternately on the surface and under the ground. We'll go until a small oasis at the foot of the dunes, where some bushes grow, such as saxaul. Camels are very fond of saxaul and Mongolians think it's the most precious wood.

We will walk until the top of a dune and will have a wonderful view of the desert. Far away, we will see the peaks of the Three Beautiful and, if we listen carefully, we might hear the song of the dunes.

Journey on the track towards the east of "the Three Beauties" to reach the area of canyons. Stop at Dungenee Canyon. We leave the vehicle to start our first magic hike along the river that flows between huge canyons.

Hiking in the canyon of Yol, the bearded vultures canyon. We will walk in the bottom of the canyon that is covered with perpetual snow. The canyon is so steep-sided, that sunrays make the ice melt only in August. The rest of the year there's ice everywhere in the canyon.

Arrival in town and transfer to your hotel where you can rest a few moments.

Rest of the day free. With our guide, you can go shopping in the centre of the city.