DURATION:
8 Days
GROUP SIZE:
1-6 pax
Beginning and ending in Ulaanbaatar, this tour is the perfect mix of adventure, culture, and relaxation. With your friendly English-speaking guide, head out with a private driver to Fairfield Guesthouse in Arkhangai. Along the way, stop off at the ‘Mini Gobi’ sand dunes—where you can try a camel ride if you choose—and the historic Erdene Zuu Monastery.
Spend a day exploring the charming town of Tsetserleg and getting a feel for the area before starting your four-day horse trek. Ride through the breathtaking foothills of the Khangai Mountains and the Tamir River valley, staying with nomadic families each night. It’s an incredible chance to immerse yourself in their unique way of life.
After the trek, enjoy a rest day back at Fairfield, including a relaxing soak at the Tsenkher Hot Springs. On the way back to Ulaanbaatar, visit Ugii Nuur and the ancient Khar Balgas ruins before being dropped off at your accommodation.
Discuss how many days you have available for your trek, as this can be shortened or extended to any duration.
Cost
Single traveller: USD $1900 per person
Group of 2+: USD $1550 per person
Day 1
Fairfield Guesthouse, Tsetserleg
Meet your guide and driver and travel about eight hours by private car from Ulaanbaatar to Tseterleg, Arkhangai province.
Along the way, stop off at the Elsen Tasarkhai sands–nicknamed Mongolia’s ‘Mini Gobi’–for camel rides surrounded by scenic vistas of windblown dunes bordered by mountains and grasslands.
A little further down the road, visit the Erdene Zuu monastery in Kharhorin, the ancient capital of the Mongol Empire. Built in 1586, Erdene Zuu is steeped in history and is quite possibly the oldest Buddhist monastery in Mongolia.
Upon arrival in Tseterleg, get settled in and enjoy the hospitality and comfort of Fairfield Guesthouse.
Day 2
Tsetserleg
Explore Arkhangai your way: climb a mountain for sweeping views of town and the surrounding countryside, rent bicycles and venture out on two wheels, visit Tseterleg’s various Buddhist centres and holy sites, or head down to the local market and immerse yourself in Mongolia’s vibrant rural culture.
Leave some time to prepare for your horse trek the following day, enjoying Fairfield’s cosy hospitality and service.
Day 3
Horse Trek
Meet your horse guide at Fairfield, driving together about 20 mins out of town to your guide’s family’s gers. Head inside for tea and hospitality in traditional Mongolian style.
Next, saddle up and begin your journey into the Khangai mountains and river valleys.
Stay with a nomadic family overnight, eating your evening and morning meals with them.
Day 4
Horse Trek
Continue your trek with your Mongolian guide into the lush Tamir River Valley. The Tamir River is the main tributary of the Orkhon River, the longest river in Mongolia.
Stay the night with a different nomadic family and deepen your experience of their unique way of life.
Day 5
Horse Trek
Continue travelling this breathtaking landscape in a manner practically unchanged for millenia.
Hosted once more by a family of nomads, get involved with whatever it is they are working on - cooking, splitting firewood, milking and working with livestock, etc.
Day 6
Horse Trek, return to Fairfield
Join with your host family in doing morning chores, preparing food, and working with livestock.
Ride your final few hours back to your guide’s gers. Say goodbye and head back into town in the mid-afternoon for a hot shower and a coffee at Fairfield.
Day 7
Tsenkher Hot Springs
Enjoy a rest and recovery day at your own pace. In the afternoon, drive about an hour to Tsenkher Hot Springs where you can soak away any lingering aches and weariness from your horseback adventures.
Relaxed and rejuvenated, continue on to Kharhorin for a stay in a comfortable ger camp on the banks of the majestic Orkhon River.
Return to Ulaanbaatar
Visit the Turkish Museum at Tsaidam, dedicated to displaying and preserving some of the most important archaeological remnants from the First Turkic Khaganate (6th-8th centuries AD).
Then, begin making your way back to the capital by private car, stopping briefly to take in the views at Ugii Lake as well as visit the ruins of Khar Bukh Balgas, a significant fortified city from c. 700 AD.
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14