Mongolia riding tour

Today you will arrive in Ulaan Baatar and enjoy a short city tour. You'll visit Gandan monastery and the Museum of National History. Overnight in hotel. 

Today you'll catch your flight to South Gobi. You'll then drive to Yol Am, also known as Yoliin Am (Eagle Valley) in the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan mountains. Yoliin Am is a sunless canyon located in the middle of Gobi Gurvan Saikhan mountains with buzzards and eagles gliding in the skies.

The cliffs of the canyon block the sunlight from the rivers below, so that they remain frozen throughout the year. Overnight in a tourist camp.

These two days will be camel riding days. You will drive to Khongor sand dunes, the largest and most spectacular sand dunes in Mongolia. The dunes of Khongor are known as the "singing sands" and rise from the plain reaching a height of 800 m and extending for 150 km. These dunes are bordered by lush green vegetation supported by small Khongor river.

On the first day you'll hike and slide through the sand dunes, visit a camel breeding family, take camels and make short riding sessions. The next day you'll ride camels towards the Khongor dunes and have a rest. You'll enjoy the beauty of the place while sliding and walking around. Overnight in a tourist camp.

Today you'll drive to Bayanzag, a desert made of rocks, red sands, scrub and characterized by unbelievable emptiness. This is why it has become famous as the "Cemetery of Dinosaurs". It was discovered by the American paleonthologist Roy Chapman Andrews, who was also the first to discover fossil beds of dinosaur bones and the first ever recorded dinosaur eggs in 1992.

Nowadays there is a local museum displaying important facts and some exhibits of this famous area. Overnight in a tourist camp.

On this day you'll drive to the north towards central Mongolia. You'll spend the night in Middle Gobi province, in a tourist camp, after visiting Ongi monastery ruins.

You will reach Orkhon waterfall, formed by volcanic eruptions about 20,000 years ago. This waterfall cascades from a height of 20 metres and is a scenic, tranquil spot sorrounded by nature. Here, there are good opportunities for walking and riding.

You'll also visit a herder's family and see domestic yaks. Overnight in a tourist camp.

You will drive to Kharkhorin and visit the ruins of the ancient capital of the Mongolian Empire. On the way, you will also visit Tovkhon monastery and Erdene Zuu monastery. You'll stop at a local market for souvenirs and artworks.

Kharkhorin was once the great capital city built by Ugudei Khan in 1235. It was strategically located at the crossroads of traditional routes, forming a good staging post for migrating nomads and merchant caravans.

The city was destroyed by Manchu soldiers when Hubilai Khaan moved the capital to Beijing in 1264. However the bricks and stones from the ruins of this ancient city were used to build the Erdene Zuu monastery. Overnight in a tourist camp.

These will be horse riding days. You will drive to Ugii lake, another lovely place for silence and tranquillity. The lake is situated 1,387 metres above sea levels and offers charming views. It is rich in fish and birds.

During these two days at the lake you will ride horses and visit a nomad family. You can also choose an optional walking activity around the lake shore. Overnight in a tourist camp. 

You will now return to Ulaan Baatar. En route you will stop for an overnight stay in Hustai National Park to watch takhi wild horses, known as "Prejevalski horses", the only wild horses that have survived in modern times. 

The species were returned to Mongolia from world zoos and reserved to Hustai park 100 km west of Ulaan Baatar. The park also exhibits good vegetation, springs, birch forests and rocks, along with 46 species of mammals and 172 species of birds. The best time for game viewing is the early morning and the early evening. Overnight at Hustai ger camp.

You'll arrive in Ulaan Baatar at around 11 am. After lunch you'll visit Bogd Khaan Winter Palace Museum and the State department store. In the evening you'll enjoy a cultural performance. Overnight stay in hotel.

You'll be transferred to Ulaan Baatar airport for departure.