Detailed Itinerary:
Day 01 (11 July): Full at Naadam festival
In the morning at 8.30-9am, your tour guide will pick you up from your hotel and joining in naadam small tour group. Today we will be attending the opening ceremony of the Festival of Naadam in Ulaanbaatar national stadium. It's Mongolia's biggest, most colorful and most important annual cultural event, focusing on three sports: horse racing, Mongolian-style wrestling, and archery. It's no coincidence that all three skills derive from the capabilities of Genghis Khan's legendary military - a force that conquered and controlled the largest empire the world has ever known.
Special Naadam lunch will be served at “Crocus Event Hall”
After lunch, return to the Naadam stadium and visit naadam archery field beside central stadium. The archery field will be filled with men and women archers in colorful ethnic national costumes who shooting arrows from their bows. This kind of contest was in existence in the 13th century and was in use until recently.
We reenter into the naadam stadium watching for Mongolian national wrestling, you’ll see many wrestlers wrestling onto the green field. In the usual 512 wrestler tournament, there will be nine elimination rounds of wrestling over two days. There is no weight category in Mongolian wrestling.
Also, we will visit stadium of ankle-bone shooting competition. Even though naadam’s original nickname is “three manly games” meaning wrestling, horse racing and archery, a fourth game came into the naadam’s official agenda in 1998, Mongolian ankle-bone shooting (shagain harvaa), and another UNESCO registered world heritage. Ancle-bone shooting by middle finger is a team game, a sort of miniature version of bowling.
We will wander around outside of Naadam stadium to watch locals who dressed their national costumes, food and trade corners etc.
End of the day, transfer to the hotel.
Accommodation: hotel is not included, and Meals: Lunch
Day 03 (12 July): Naadam, horse racing at Hui doloon khudag - Hustai National Park (Wild horse park)
Be picked up from hotel at 7-7:30 am. This morning we will take 1-1.5 hrs drive to Hui Doloon hudag (horse racing field of Naadam festival) for witness the Naadam horse races, featuring children riding bareback across the steppe. All of these racers from each corners of Mongolia.
You will experience the brilliant madness of the horse race field and the unsurpassed cultural opportunity to watch the “Soyolon” (5-year-old horse) race will start for 25km - Soyolon horse is the fastest and most powerful. Mongolians often say that the one who stands in dust of Soyolon race will be blessed till next Naadam. So don’t be surprised if you see many businessmen, crowds of people wearing fancy traditional garments, as well as the Mongolia ‘strong-men’ that will wait for Mongolian fastest of the Soyolon horses. While you are waiting for next race, you will have a great opportunity to take photography local horse trainers, peoples with traditional garments and so more.
After explore Hui doloon khudag, 1.5hrs drive to the Hustai National Park. The park is home of last wild horses in their natural environment in the world, known as Perzevalski horse (takhi). The National park has over 450 species of vascular plants, 200 of which are medicinal.
Check-in and lunch at Ger camp, rest and relaxing.
There is you can visit a small Ger museum about the national park, wild horses and how they was reintroduced into the wild some years ago now for European zoos.
The best time to observe these wild horses in their natural habitat is around 2-3hrs earlier than sunset, during they come down from mountains for water to stream. We will take short drive and hiking to see the horses.
There is great opportunity to take photo for these endangered horses. If you are lucky, you can see fox, deer, marmot, eagle and more wild animals. Besides of the wild animals you can find here beautiful sceneries of the Mongolian nature that features mountain and steppe.
Accommodation: Ger camp, and Meals: Lunch and Dinner.
Day 03 (13 July): Terelj National Park – visit local Nomadic family
After breakfast, we will drive to Terelj National Park - is one of the most visited national parks in Mongolia. You can see the extraordinary formation of rocks and stones; some of them look quite similar to turtles.
We will arrive around 1pm at Ger camp, which is located in the most spectacular spots in the National park.
In the afternoon is rest and relaxation time at the camp. You can hiking around the camp; explore national park, take photos and watching wild flowers.
Before dinner time, we will visit local nomadic family to experience firsthand how people live the country side, a lifestyle which has not changed for centuries. Here you can help the herders with their daily tasks to get an idea of how nomadic people alongside of their livestock.
Accommodation: Ger camp, and Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 04 (14 July): Terelj National Park trip - Genghis Khan’s Statue Complex - UB
In the morning, we will explore the national park and take a short drive to see Turtle Rock - interesting rock formation looking like a turtle and visit Ariyabal meditation temple - surrounded by scenic mountains with massive rock formations and sits at top of the mountain. The distance between the gate and the actual temple is about 1 km and it is only accessible by walking. To get to the top, you would cross the suspension bridge and climb up on 108 stairs, according to Buddhist prayer beads. This small hike is seen as a ritual to cleanse one’s sins. From the top, you can enjoy the breathtaking view overlooking the Terelj National Park.
After lunch, we will drive to visit Genghis Khan Statue Complex, which is currently the biggest (40m high) equestrian statue in the world. There is a recreation area, restaurants, and souvenir shops occupy the base structure. From here, we use an elevator or walk to the head of the horse through chest and back neck of the horse, where we can have farseeing and good panorama view over the complex area.
Drive back to Ulaanbaatar and transfer to the hotel around 5pm.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch.
What’s included in the Price?
- English speaking local guide,
- 2nights accommodations based on twin/double occupancy;
- Best Ger camps in the national parks – 2nights
- All meals 8 as specified in the itinerary: 2 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches & 2 Dinners,
- All relevant transfers and transportation in air-conditioned vehicle + Experienced driver,
- All sightseeing and entrance fees as described in the itinerary,
- Naadam Festival Opening Ceremony Ticket(s) with best seat(s)
- Car entry permission to Naadam stadium and horse racing field,
- 0.5l * 2-3 bottled water per day during the trip ,
- All service charge, local and government Taxes,
- Visa invitation letter, if required.
What’s Not included ?
- Hotel/Hostel in Ulaanbaatar
- International flights and visa,
- Travel and medical insurance,
- Daily personal expenses, additional services & single rooms
