Tour itinerary

This adventure tour in Mongolia combines hiking and horseback riding!

After 5 days hiking through the mountains of Khangai spend 4 days on horseback  in the Orkhon Valley.

This balanced adventure tour  gives the opportunity for beginning horse riders to experiment their first gallops in the steppes of Mongolia ...

Day 1: Ulan Bator - Hustai National Park

Welcome to Mongolia!
Your English or French speaking translator is waiting for you at Ulan Bator airport at the arrival of Turkish Airlines flight TK236 usually landing at 07:15am for a grouped transfer.
Immediate departure for the Mongolian Steppe!
A 2h30 drive takes you to the famous Hustai National Park, home to Przewalski's wild horses, also known as Takhi.
We set up camp and enjoy a lunch prepared by the team.
Your driver will take you on a 4x4 safari in Hustai National Park, in search of Przewalski's wild horses, as well as deer and marmots, which abound in this protected area.
Dinner and night in tents.
CAMPING: Everyone pitches their own tent (shared tents or individual tents are provided at no extra cost for single travellers who request one when booking; couples are provided with a tent for 3 people so that they can settle in comfortably).
A mobile shower tent and a large tent for preparing meals add to the comfort of the camp (see our page dedicated to the camping equipment used on this trek).

Day 2: Hustai National Park – Bayan Gobi Desert

Breakfast at the camp.
You continue your journey by 4x4 to to Khogno Khan Park, also named the Bayan Gobi Desert, the ‘rich Gobi’ (approximately 2-3 hours’ drive depending on traffic conditions).
This region is truly the heart of Mongolia.
It is not only the geographical centre, but also lies at the meeting point of three major Mongolian ecosystems: two of the country's three major mountain ranges - Khangai and Khentii - and a northern tip of the Gobi Desert.
Mount Batkhan overlooks this region and gives rise to several rivers that mix their waters with the sand of the Elsentasarkhai dunes - the ‘sand fracture’ - forming changing and spectacular landscapes.
First short hike to the Ovgon Khiid Monastery and in the Elsentasarhaï sand dunes.
Your campsite for this night is in the middle of nowhere, in a very sparsely populated area in the heart of the Bayan Gobi Desert. Dinner and overnight in tents in the wilderness, with mattress and shower tent.

Day 3: Bayan Gobi Desert - Tsenkher Hot Springs

After breakfast, our 4x4 vehicle truly lives up to its name as we leave the paved roads behind and head for the tracks that wind their way into the Khangai Mountains, towards the hot springs of Tsenkher. Picnic lunch en route.
Settle into the yurt camp near the hot springs, where you can enjoy a relaxing soak.
Dinner and overnight stay in the yurt camp (2 to 4 people per yurt, in single beds, with showers and toilets in a separate building).

Days 4, 5, 6 and 7: Hiking in the Khangai Mountains

These four days are devoted to trekking, with a hike through the Khangai Mountains, which we cross towards the south-west.
From the hills surrounding Tsenkher, we walk along valleys carved out by rivers, passing a succession of medium-altitude passes.
The landscape alternates between flower-covered steppes and larch forests. We regularly meet nomadic families who settle in these grassy valleys with their herds and yurts during the summer.
After three days of walking, on the fourth and final day of the trek, we reach the peaks overlooking the Orkhon Valley at over 2,400 metres.
Here we discover the Tovkhon Monastery, one of the most sacred places in Mongolia, perched in the heart of these mountains. The climb to the monastery is the steepest part of the hike. You can avoid it if you wish by renting a horse at the bottom of the climb.
Each day, we walk between 4 and 6 hours in mid-mountain terrain.
We spend the nights camping in the wilderness in 1- or 2-person tents with mattresses.
Dinners and nights in tents.
Our 4x4 vehicle meets up with the group each evening with the camping equipment.
On the evening of day 7, after climbing up to Tovkhon Monastery, we drive to a nomadic family's yurt camp near the Orkhon waterfalls. This is the opportunity to discover the unique lifestyle of Mongolian nomads.
Dinner and night in a guest yurt next to the family yurt.

Days 8, 9, 10 and 11: Horse riding in the Orkhon Valley

These four days are devoted to trail riding through the famous Orkhon Valley.
During this horseback trek in the heart of Mongolia, we discover the Uurt Bend, which offers spectacular views of the valley, and the narrowest part of the valley just before reaching Karakorum, the ancient capital of the Mongol Empire.
Each day, we ride for between four and six hours. This trail ride is designed to be accessible to beginner riders, but experienced riders will have the opportunity to gallop as the group is always accompanied by at least one nomadic guide and an interpreter, allowing sub-groups to be formed according to each rider's ability.
The vehicle meets us for a picnic lunch (nothing to carry on horseback), then in the evening to set up camp.
The first 3 nights are spent in the wilderness, in camping tents for 1 or 2 people, with mattresses.
On the last evening, we arrive in Karakorum.
Dinner and night in a yurt camp in Karakorum (2 to 4 people per yurt, in individual beds, showers and toilets in a separate building).

Day 12: Karakorum - Ulan Bator

Breakfast and visit to the Erdene Zuu monastery.
We then set off towards Ulan Bator.
Lunch in a restaurant en route (6-7 hours’ drive depending on the traffic conditions).
Transfer to a hotel or yurt camp on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar, heading towards the airport.
Dinner and night at the hotel / yurt camp in a double or triple room.

Day 13: Transfer to airport

Early in the morning (5:30 am), transfer to the airport on time for Turkish Airlines flight TK237 usually departing at 08:40 am.
Breakfast is not included as the transfer leaves too early but you will find a coffee shop at the airport in the right part of the transit area.