Mongol Horse Trails

Details

Transportation

Mongolian families frequently move from one pasture to another using traditional wooden carts. These are hitched to the animals available in the region. Here we will use yaks, or rather yak-cow crossbreeds called hainag. The services of some herdsmen will be hired by the expedition and they will provide us with their animals.

Included

English speaking guide, break-fast every day in Ulaanbaatar, welcome and farewell dinner. All meals outside Ulaanbaatar. All overnights in hotels (2n.) gers (2n.) and tents (7n.) in shared double, camping equipment and all local transport.

Not Included

Drinks, laundry, lunch in Ulaanbaatar. Air or train tickets in and out of Mongolia. Visa fee. Please bring your own sleeping bag.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrive Ulaanbaatar

Arrive in Ulaanbaatar. Transfer to your hotel. Tour briefing after dinner.

Meals

Accommodation

Day 2 - The Steppes

A.m. Visit the Gandan lamasery, possibly in time for the prayers, the center for the Buddhist revival in Mongolia. The Mongols follow the Tibetan version of Lamaism, the Dalai Lama being the supreme theocratical leader. We depart for the steppe and have a picnic lunch on arrival, pitching camp near some nomadic families. Here we will meet the yak carts and our horses.

Meals

Accommodation

Days 3 - 5 - Steppe ride

All our provisions, camping equipment and luggage will be loaded onto yak carts. Even a ger (yurt) will be brought, and we will learn how to set it up. We ride across open steppe, but also cover hilly terrain with occasional patches of birch forest. Throughout the ride we will have the chance to meet with local herdsmen, often relatives and friends of our local horsetrail guides. On the second day, forests will suddenly start to appear and we are now riding towards the Khentii wilderness area, which includes the Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area and Gorkhi Terelj National Park. In Mongolia the Siberian boreal forest meets the Central Asian desert and steppe and we will be riding through the transitional zone between grasslands and northern Larch forests.

Meals

Accommodation

Days 6 - 7 - Sharbulag Valley

The horses will enable us to ride through the Larch forests, up the slopes of the mountains and to follow ridges that offer views of superb scenery, whilst the yak carts will follow along the broad river valleys. We will arrive and pitch camp at Sharbulag Valley. We will spend two nights here, which will allow for some flexibility in the middle of our ride.

Meals

Accommodation

Day 8 - To Jalman Meadows

We ride towards Jalman Meadows, famous for its wildflowers, and reach our semi-permanent ger camp, which is situated next to a beautiful wooded meadow on the upper parts of the Tuul River. Here we say good bye to the herders and their yak carts caravan. We will stay at Jalman Meadows Ger Camp for two nights, having a superb last day ride in the surrounding area.

Meals

Accommodation

Days 9 - 10 - Jalman Meadows

We will ride towards Jalman Meadows, famous for its wildflowers, and reach our semi-permanent ger camp, which is situated a next to a beautiful wooded meadow on the upper parts of the Tuul River. We will overnight for two nights at Jalman Meadows, making a superb last day ride in the area.

Meals

Accommodation

Day 11 - Return to Ulaanbaatar and finish tour.

Return to Ulaanbaatar in the morning and check into your hotel or transfer to airport. See the capital city on your own. Distances are short. The local guide is standing by to assist finding out where your points of interest are located.

Meals

Important Information

Staff: A local guide who speaks English and Mongolian will accompany the group at all times. A cook will follow, with an assistant. In addition, the services of the local herdsmen will be hired along with their animals.

Meals: Our cook will prepare the meals. We pride ourselves in having cooks adept at both western and Mongolian cooking on our trips. There are always vegetables available and we have no problem accommodating vegetarians on our trips. For breakfast we can usually buy fresh yogurt from the herdsmen in the local area.

Reversal of trip: Trips may be done in the reverse for operational reasons.

Please ask for details about other horse trails available.