10-Day Overland Trip

dates

28.06.08

Ulaan Baatar
capital of Mongolia

arrival in Ulaan Baatar - capital of Mongolia - transfer from the airport to the hotel

You will be met by a travel guide at the airport. Your travel guide will accompany you during your stay in Ulaan Baatar and will be glad to answer any question you may have.

visit Ulaan Baatar

Ulaan Baatar National History Museum
The museum houses a rich collection of historical and ethnographic
exhibitions starting from the time when human beings first inhabited
Central Asia.

The displays tell the history of Mongolia through several millennia; beginning with the Stone Age, running through the Turkic and Mongol empires, the rise of Buddhism, the communist regime and ending with a colourful display of contemporary society.

29.06.08

Ulaan Baatar

Baga Gazriin Chuluu
National Reserve

Dundgobi province
southern Mongolia

start of the overland trip by minibus accompanied by your travel guide and driver
to Baga Gazriin Chuluu National Reserve south of Ulaan Baatar in Dundgobi province

sightseeing around the area

visit Sum Huh Burd

overnight at Bayanbulag ger camp

day distance 240 km

Baga Gazriin Chuluu National Reserve
Travelling in the beautiful nature of Baga Gazriin Chuluu ( small Earth Stone )
This is a granite rock mountain in the middle of the dusty plains.
In the 19th century two revered monks lived here in their gers. Remnants of their rock paintings can be found in the area. The rocks are worshipped by locals who make occasional pilgrimages to this mountain. A ‘legend’ says that Chinggis Khaan stayed at these rocks.
Five km away you will find the highest peak in the area. Baga Gazriin Chuluu (1978 m) takes about five hours walk to climb. The mountain also has a cave with an underground lake. The mineral water springs and trees in the region make it an idyllic spot to camp and there are plenty of rocky hills, topped by ancient ovoos to explore.

An Ovoo is a standing stone or wooden cairn dedicated  to gods and ancestral spirits as well as a traditional place for shamanistic offerings. Ovoos are sacred ! When you come to an Ovoo, you normally walk around it clockwise up to three times and make a wish. You can also make an offering of anything.

Sum Huh Burd
A small beautiful oasis with different species of birds surrounded by thick green reeds amongst the open desert steppe. In the 16th century a small castle was built here on an island in the middle of the lake. The castle is 9 m high and 25 m long with a guard house and protective stone wall over 40 m in length. It is said that the gate stones were brought from over 300 km away on a camel caravan. It is a wonder of the period. Sum means temple in Mongolian and Sum Huh Burd translates as “ little temple on the shore of Lake Burd “.

30.06.08

Bayanbulag ger camp

Tsagaan Suvraga

Dundgobi province
southern Mongolia

continue south to the border of
Dundgobi and Umungobi provinces to a picturesque place called Tsagaan Suvraga

overnight at Tsagaan Suvraga ger camp

day distance 255 km

Tsagaan Suvraga
A fissure running east to west from the upper slopes of a mountain down across the steppe. Looking into the fissure you will see high mud columns rising from the depths below. The yawning gap looks like the open jaws of some fabulous animal. From a distance Tsagaan Suvraga resembles the ruins of an ancient town with crumbling buildings. Painted and carved on the rocks are ancient images of people hunting ibex with long bows and petroglyphs depicting wild animals and cattle. There are also Turkic inscriptions with different seals and images in the caves here. Some of the caves are multi chambered one of which stretches back over 70 metres.

01.07.08

Tsagaan Suvraga

Gurvansaikhan National Park

Umungobi province
southern Mongolia

drive through the territory of Umungobi province towards Gurvansaikhan National Park

stay at Juulchin Gobi ger camp 1

day distance 200 km

Gurvansaikhan National Park
Located south west of Ulaan Baatar, near the town of Dalanzadagad, directly above the Chinese northern border. Unlike other National Parks in the Gobi Desert, the Gurvansaikhan National Park is home to a unique combination of mountains, extraordinary sand dunes, mysterious rock formations and a valley that has ice for most of the year ( in the desert !). But what really makes this park worth a visit are the world famous dinosaur fossil sites and the modern day fauna and flora. The park is home to over 200 species of birds, including the Mongolian Desert Finch, Cinerous Vulture, Desert Warbler and Houbara Bustard. The sparse vegetation manages to support black-tailed gazelle, snow leopard, ibex, argali sheep and endangered species of wild camel.

02.07.08

Gurvansaikhan National Park

Yoll Valley

Hongoriin Els Sand Dunes

Umungobi province
southern Mongolia

we take you to Yoll Valley and visit Hongoriin Els Sand Dunes

stay at Discover Gobi ger camp

day distance 255 km

Yoll Valley
Yolyn Am ( Vulture's Gorge ) is famous for its dramatic and very unusual scenery. It is a valley in the middle of the Gobi Desert covered in ice, over
1 m thick, almost all year. The small nature museum at the gate on the main road to Yolyn Am has a collection of dinosaur eggs and bones, stuffed birds and a snow leopard. Look out for the remarkable petrified wood lying in front of the museum. From the museum the road continues for another 10 km to a car park. From here there is a pleasant walk following the stream, which leads to a glaciated gorge. In winter the ice is up to 10 m high and continues down the gorge for 10 km. It remains frozen most of the year, except for about a month starting in late August. It is impossible to reach this place in winter.
The surrounding hills offer plenty of opportunity for some excellent walking - though somewhat strenuous day hikes. If you are lucky you might spot ibex or argali wild sheep along the steep valley ridges.

Hongoriin Els Sand Dunes
The Hongoriin Els Sand Dunes are some of the largest and most impressive sand dunes in Mongolia.
Also known as the Duut Mankhan ( singing dunes ). They reach up to 300 m in height, are 12 - 25 km wide and 100 km long. The largest dunes are north west of the range. You can climb to the top of the sand dunes and slide down : simultaneously the dune begins to make an amazing sound : similar to singing. From the top of the sand dunes the view of the desert is awesome !

03.07.08

Hongoriin Els Sand Dunes

Bayanzag

Ongi Monastery

Dundgobi province
southern Mongolia

the journey continues to Bayanzag
north east of Gurvansaikhan National Park

opportunity to ride a camel

drive to Ongi Monastery

overnight at Ongi ger camp

day distance 320 km

Bayanzag Rich Saxual
In the early 1920s newspapers brought news of the discovery of dinosaur eggs in southern Gobi Desert by American traveller Roy Chapman Andrews. This place is known as flaming cliffs discovered by the palaeontologist Roy Chapman Andrews. First dug in 1922, it is now world famous for the dinosaur bones and eggs found in the area, which are now displayed in museums around the world, although you will find the largest and most important collection on display at the museum of Natural History in Ulaan Baatar. The area is a classical desert of rocks, red sands, scrub, blazing sun and awesome emptiness.

Ongi Monastery
Was built in the 17th century and destroyed in 1937. It was one of the largest temples in Mongolia and housed over 1000 monks.

04.07.08

Ongi Monastery

Kharakorum

Uvurkhangai province
central Mongolia

arrive in Karakorum
terrritory of Uvurkhangai province
the central heart of Mongolia

overnight at Hangai ger camp

day distance 280 km

Kharakorum
A number of domestic and foreign scholars have investigated the site of Kharakorum city since the end of the 19th century. These investigations have revealed that in Kharakorum where palaces, temples, shops, military stores and residential quarters within a rectangular wall pierced by gates at each of the four cardinal directions. It is believed that Kharakorum was founded in 1220 when Chinggis Khaan sited his head quarters on the bank of Orkhon River.
Thanks to the monk Wilhelm von Rubruck, an envoy of French King Saint Louis, who was received by Mangu Khan in 1256, we have the following description of Kharakorum :
The city had two quarters artisan and trading. Further, there were 12 shrines of various faiths, two mosques and one Christian Church. Kharakorum was surrounded by an earthen wall, brick trade was in progress at all of the four gates.
Wilhelm von Rubruck was amazed to see a huge fountain in the shape of a silver tree which was built in front of Tumen Amgaln Khaan’s palace.
An artists impression of the silver fountain can be found printed on the modern day 5,000 T note.
After Chinggis Khan's death the city was completed by his son Ogedoo Khan but Kharakorum was not the capital of the empire for long. Chinggis Khan's grand son Kublai Khan moved his court to Khanbalig ( now Beijing ). Kharakorum fell into decay never to regain its former grandeur and was later destroyed by invading hordes of Manchurian soldiers. Whatever remained of Kharakorum was used to help build the Erdene Zuu Monastery.

05.07.08

Kharakorum

Erdene Zuu Monastery

Tsenkher Hot Springs

Arkhangai province
Central Mongolia

todays high lights are
Erdene Zuu Monastery and
Tsenkher Hot Springs
in Arkhangai province west of Kharakhorum

overnight at Tsenkher Jiguur ger camp

day distance 110 km

Erdene Zuu Monastery
In 1586 when the Mongolian Khan Abtaisai returned home from his long pilgrimage to Tibet, he founded the first Buddhist monastery in Mongolia. For its beauty it was named Erdene Zuu or Hundred Treasures. It is surrounded by a monumental wall with 108 stupas, measuring 400 x 400 m. Each of the four sites of the wall has a tower gate. In 1792 there were 62 temples, 500 buildings with about 1000 lamas inside the surrounded wall. It houses considerable historical and cultural valuables, statues of deities, ritual masks and costumes, canvases with religious motifs, samples of mural and ceiling painting and also artifacts made by skilled crafts men. Erdene Zuu's temples where destroyed in the 1930’s through the anti religious campaigns of Stalin and an unknown number of monks where killed. The monastery remained closed until 1965 when it was permitted to reopen as a museum.

Tsenkher Hot Springs
Throughout Mongolia there are many hot water springs. From very ancient times Mongolian people have bathed in these hot springs, which help treat a variety of different ailments. The minerals in the water certainly have medicinal properties, and we definitely recommend bathing at Tsenkher Hot Springs. The hot mineral water relaxes the whole body and relieves any pain leaving one with a sense of well being and rosy health.

06.07.08

Tsenkher Hot Springs

Horgo Terkhyin Tsaagannuur National Park

Arkhangai province
central Mongolia

drive north west to Horgo Volcano and
Lake Terkhyin Tsaagannuur

overnight at Maihan Tolgoi ger camp

day distance 220 km

Horgo Terkhyin Tsaagannuur National Park

Horgo Volcano
Horgo Volcano at 2965 m above sea level is an extinct volcano, which lies east of Lake Tsaagannuur. An astonishingly beautiful lake with extremely pure water. Horgo Volcano is covered with basalt, rich in beautiful mountain scenery with high cliffs, white water streams, rivers, lakes, extinct volcanoes, green forests and green pastures where yaks and horses graze.

Lake Terkhyin Tsaagannuur
Terkhyin Tsaagannuur means great white lake and is breathtaking. Torrents of lava issuing from Horgo Volcano blocked the north and south Terkh rivers and formed the natural reservoir of Lake Terkhyin Tsaagannuur.

07.07.08

Horgo Terkhyin Tsaagannuur National Park

Moron
capital of Hovsgol province

arrive in Moron - capital of Hovsgol province

stay at Harganat ger camp

day distance 250 km

Moron
A mid size provincial town of about 28,000 residents and the administrative center of Hovsgol province located 671 km north-west of the capital. Moron is situated in the beautiful valley of the Delger River, at an altitude of 1283 m above sea level. The area is great for hiking and seeing nature at its best, it is also historicaly rich with some of the best preserved deer stones in the world.

08.07.08

Moron

Hovsgol National Park

northern Mongolia

the last day takes us to
Hovsgol National Park to the shores of Hovsgol Lake

overnight at Toilogt ger camp

day distance 150 km

Hovsgol National Park
The magnificent Hovsgol Lake, one of the most scenic spots in Mongolia and also known as "The Blue Pearl Of Mongolia" it is the sparkling jewel of the country's largest and most breathtakingly beautiful National Park.
The lake is surrounded by tall evergreen taiga forest, lush grass, icy streams and mountain peaks nearly 3000 m high. The crystal clear alpine lake of Hovsgol has water so pure you can drink it, yet even to this day is largely undiscovered by the world traveller. The National Park protects the habitat of ibex, deer, wolves and many other rare species of fauna and flora.

09.07.08

Hovsgol Lake

northern Mongolia

stay at Toilogt ger camp on Hovsgol Lake

camp Toilogt offers some great activities like kayaking on Hovsgol Lake or hiking in the area

Toilogt
A ger camp in a stunning location on the western shore of Hovsgol Lake. Camp Toilogt, situated at 1650 m above sea level.

10.07.08

Hovsgol Lake

northern Mongolia

stay at Toilogt ger camp on Hovsgol Lake

another day to relax or we can arrange a day ride by horse;
further details on horses and horse riding can be found on our page “ Horse Riding “

11.07.08

Hovsgol Lake

Ulaan Baatar
capital of Mongolia

return to Ulaan Baatar

by jeep to Moron

day distance by jeep 150 km

continue by plane to Ulaan Baatar

Ulaan Baatar
You will be met by your travel guide at Ulaan Baatar airport who accompanies you on the transfer to the hotel and for dinner.

12.07.08

Ulaan Baatar
capital of Mongolia

departure from Ulaan Baatar