Meeting with the Dukhans - Horseback Mongolia
Off the beaten track

Meeting with the Dukhans

Live a great Mongolian adventure in the Northern borders of the country, among Dukhans, the traditional reindeer breeders. A tour that leads you on the banks of the blue pearl of Mongolia, before horseriding across the taiga to reach the camps of this people who kept alive the shaman traditions.

Day 1Arrival at Ulan Bator and visit of the city

Day 1Arrival at Ulan Bator and visit of the city

  • 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.

1h 15m-750km
3h-130km

Day 2-4Adventures around the great blue lake of Mongolia

Day 2-4Adventures around the great blue lake of Mongolia

Ulan Bator - Moron

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

Day 2

  • 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.

Also
  • Day 3Day 4

    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.

Meal and accommodations
Breakfast: Hotel Nine (2)
Breakfast: Alag tsar camp (3)
Breakfast: Made by your team (4)
Lunch: Made by your team (2, 4)
Lunch: Picnic from the camp (3)
Dinner: Alag tsar camp (2, 4)
Dinner: Made by your team (3)
Accommodation: Alag tsar camp

Day 5On the road to the Northern borders of Mongolia

Day 5On the road to the Northern borders of Mongolia

Alag Tsar - Oliin Dawaa

  • We drive towards Southeast of Lake Khövsgöl. The camps of the Dukhans are isolated in the mountains Northwest of the lake, and the journey will last several days. We'll arrive at Öliin Dawaa by a pass containing 13 ovoos. Ovoos are piles of stones and wood generally located in the passes and in the sacred places. Mongolians walk three times around the ovoo making offerings : stones, tugrugs, milk, vodka…

Meal and accommodations
Breakfast: Alag tsar camp
Lunch: Picnic from the camp
Dinner: Made by your team
Accommodation: tent camping
3h-80km
Tsagaan nuur

Day 6Arrival in Tsagaan Nuur depression and its thousand islands

Day 6Arrival in Tsagaan Nuur depression and its thousand islands

Oliin Dawaa - Tsagaan nuur

  • Journey towards North and Tsagaan Nuur, The land of Dukhans. In this landscape made of rivers and steppes, we'll cross a few passes and stop at Lake Tsagaan Nuur.

Meal and accommodations
Breakfast: Made by your team
Lunch: Made by your team
Dinner: made by the family
Accommodation: tent camping
Tsagaan nuur
7h-40km

Day 7-9Meeting with the reindeer breeders

Day 7-9Meeting with the reindeer breeders

Tsagaan nuur - Tsaatan camp

  • Meeting with the breeders who will come with us all along our tour towards the Dukhans. Beginning of our horseride. After en epic crossing of the Shishged River in "ferry boat", we discover the first landscapes of the taiga. Forming a natural barrier protecting the camps of the Dukhans, in summer the wild and inhabited taiga is hard : unfortunately, marshes, flies and mosquitos will be present. It's not the easiest part of your trip but, with your guide and the local guides, you can take advantage of the trek to discover the traditions and the way of life of Mongolian breeders. In the early evening, we set up our camp near the Moorog River, where we'll enjoy a quite needed rest. Tomorrow, we'll finally reach the camp of the Dukhans.

Day 9

  • This day is dedicated to the discovery of the Tsaatan people. The traveller must come and meet his/her host, so spend time to go in the tepees and to share a few moments with the family. Watch, take part in the daily tasks, listen to stories, legends and myths, and learn some games. A part of the day will be dedicated to shamanism, proper to spirituality of Tsaatans.

    After sharing dinner and evening with your host family, you'll fall asleep in a tepee made with reindeer skin in the camp of the host family.

Also
  • Day 7Day 8

    To reach the dukhan territory, we have to ride during one day and a half, outward and inward journeys, across the taiga. It's a self-sufficient ride and the equipment and your belongings are carried by pack horses.

Meal and accommodations
Breakfast: Made by your team
Lunch: Made by your team
Dinner: Made by your team (7)
Dinner: made by the family (8, 9)
Accommodation: tent camping (7)
Accommodation: Tsaatan family (8, 9)
7h-40km
Tsagaan nuur

Day 10-11Horseride in the taiga

Day 10-11Horseride in the taiga

Tsaatan camp - Tsagaan nuur

  • Meeting with the breeders who will come with us all along our tour towards the Dukhans. Beginning of our horseride. After en epic crossing of the Shishged River in "ferry boat", we discover the first landscapes of the taiga. Forming a natural barrier protecting the camps of the Dukhans, in summer the wild and inhabited taiga is hard : unfortunately, marshes, flies and mosquitos will be present. It's not the easiest part of your trip but, with your guide and the local guides, you can take advantage of the trek to discover the traditions and the way of life of Mongolian breeders. In the early evening, we set up our camp near the Moorog River, where we'll enjoy a quite needed rest. Tomorrow, we'll finally reach the camp of the Dukhans.

Also
  • Day 10Day 11

    To reach the dukhan territory, we have to ride during one day and a half, outward and inward journeys, across the taiga. It's a self-sufficient ride and the equipment and your belongings are carried by pack horses.

Meal and accommodations
Breakfast: Made by your team
Lunch: Made by your team
Dinner: Made by your team
Accommodation: tent camping
Tsagaan nuur
6h 30m-160km
Beltes river

Day 12Track among steppes, mountains, and rivers

Day 12Track among steppes, mountains, and rivers

Tsagaan nuur - Beltes river

  • Today we drive towards Moron, South. We set up our camp near the Beltes River. On the road, we discover another landscape, made of steppes, passes and rivers. Take the time to stop here. In the evening, if weather allows it, you can observe the sky by the fireside : Mongolia is definitely the land of the sky, Tenger, incredibly blue during the day and scattered with thousands of stars at night.

Meal and accommodations
Breakfast: Made by your team
Lunch: Made by your team
Dinner: Made by your team
Accommodation: tent camping
Beltes river
4h-120km
1h 15m-750km

Day 13Return flight to Ulan Bator

Day 13Return flight to Ulan Bator

Moron - Ulan Bator

  • We reach Mörön, the capital of province, and embark for our back flight to Ulan-Bator.

  • 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.

Meal and accommodations
Breakfast: Made by your team
Lunch: Local restaurant
Accommodation: Hotel Nine
Flight back

Day 14Have a nice journey and see you soon !

Day 14Have a nice journey and see you soon !

  • Breakfast at the hotel. We go with you to the international airport of Ulan Bator. The transfer can be organized at the time you want, according to the schedule of your flight.

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