DESTINATIONS - Mongolia

A landlocked country in Central Asia, bordered on the north by Russia and on the east, south and west by the People’s Republic of China, Mongolia has been ruled over the centuries by a number of nomadic empires, including the Mongol Empire which was founded in 1206 by the legendary Genghis Khan. Our adventure trip across the mystic serene steppes of Mongolia will be by jeep, camelback, horseback, trekking and kayaking. Along the way, we will have an opportunity to view and visit a number of historically significant sites, including the Amarbayasgalant Monastery, officially the retreat of the “Dalai Lama” of the Mongols, UgiiLake,Kharkhorin, ruins of Ongi Monastery, Khongor sand dunes and the Flaming Cliffs.

Minimum participants: 1 | Maximum participants: 20

Languages: English, French, German, Russian, Japanese

Day 1: (Arrival Day)
The group will be met by the Elder Expeditions' representative at the Chinggis Khan (Genghis Khan) International Airport in Ulaanbaatar at a time to be determined based on participants' times of arrival. We will be transferred to our comfortable international hotel in the city center. After a short rest from travel we will head out to begin our Mongolian adventure with a comprehensive tour of Ulaanbaatar.
Evening: We will attend a fascinating performance of traditional folk songs that features throat singing, a melody of horse-headed fiddles, ethnic dances and body contortionists.
Dinner and overnight will be at our hotel.

Day 2: (Ulaanbaatar / Amarbayasgalant Monastery)
Morning: After breakfast we will pile into our four wheel drive Japanese jeep for the first leg of our trek across Mongolia.Traveling north, we will have our first encounter with the forest steppe landscape.
Noon: We will have lunch in Darkhan, Mongolia’s second largest town.
Afternoon: We arrive at the Amarbayasgalant Monastery, known as the Monastery of Tranquil Felicity. By the early 1900’s, the monastery, once one of three largest Buddhist centers in Mongolia, housed up to 8000 monks who practiced Buddhist philosophy, astrology and medicine. As we tour the monastery we will learn the tragic fate, in 1937, of all high ranked monks, religious leaders and intellectuals, a result of the infamous Stalin purges.
Evening: Dinner and overnight at a ger camp. (See section on lodging for a description of a ger camp.)

Day 3: Bulgan Province
Morning: Following breakfast at the ger camp, we will travel through thick forests, wide valleys, low mountains with gentle slopes and rich pastureland toward our destination in Bulgan province. Today we experience the daily life of a Mongolian horse breeder’s family and taste the airag, Mongolian traditional drink made with mare’s milk.
Evening: Dinner and overnight at a ger camp.

Day 4: (Ugil Lake; kayaking)
Morning: Following breakfast at the ger camp, we will start our jeep journey to Ugil Lake on the edge of Bulgan province. This 27 square kilometer (16 ½ square mile) lake has an average depth of seven meters (about 22 feet) and boasts gentle waves surrounded by a whetstone coast with delicate sands, an ideal location for our kayaking experience. In addition to (or in lieu of) kayaking, we may choose to swim, sunbathe, fish and / or bird watch.
Evening: Dinner and overnight at a ger camp.

Day 5: (Kharkhorin/Erdenezuu Monastery; horseback riding)
Morning: After a late and relaxed breakfast at the ger camp, we will begin our drive to the Turkic stone site of KhushuuTsaidam, the archeological remains of four of the most important memorial complexes from the Turkic Empire which extended across central Asia from the sixth to the eighth centuries. Our next stop will be the Shankh Monastery. Founded in 1647, the Shankh Monastery, the oldest in Mongolia, was one of the foremost seats of Buddhist teaching and practice in Mongolia for almost three centuries. The monastery suffered a brutal end in the 1937 Stalinist purge.
Afternoon: After lunch we will mount our Mongolian horses and set out for an afternoon ride. As equestrian techniques in Mongolia are different than in the West, there will be adequate instruction for all of us, including experienced riders.
Evening: Dinner and overnight in the ger camp at Kharkhorin

Day 6: (Kharkhorin/Tsenkher hot spring)
Morning: After breakfast we will begin a full and busy day excursion around Kharkhorin, an ancient Capital of the Great Mongolian Empire, a main treasure of Mongolian Buddhism and a stopping point on the legendary Silk Road for 140 years. Kharkhorin was an ancient capital of the Great Mongolian Empire until Khubilai Khan, grandson of Chinggis (Genghis) Khan moved the capital to Beijing. We continue our tour with a visit to the Erdenezuu Monastery. Founded by a descendant of Chinggis Khan, the Erdenzuu Monastery was, for centuries, a Mongolian spiritual and intellectual center. Today it houses an extraordinary collection of Buddhist paintings, priceless religious objects, special dresses for the Tsama religious dance and Mongolian and Tibetan style Buddhist iconography. Continuing our day’s travel, we will drive to the Tsenkherhot spring, a sulphur spring that emerges from the ground at 85 degrees Celsius (185 degrees Farenheit where we will have an opportunity to try the baths.
Evening: Dinner and overnight in the ger camp.

Day 7: (Orkhon Waterfall, hiking)
Morning: After breakfast at the ger camp we will set out to explore the region of Mongolia’s ancient khans and aristocrats as well as some of the mysteries of Mongolia’s past.
Afternoon: We will visit the picturesque Orkhon waterfall which cascades into Mongolia’s longest river which bears the same name as the waterfall. This visit culminates with a hike through the gorge at the bottom of the waterfall.
Evening: Dinner and overnight at a ger camp.

Day 8: (Khujirt hot spring / ruins of the Ongi Monastery)
Morning: After breakfast we will head out to the Khujirtresort which is situated on the banks of the Khujirt River at 1758 meters (about one mile) above sea level. Mongolians regard the 40 to 55 degree Celsius (104 to 131 degrees Farenheit) waters as having a therapeutic effect on kidneys and joints as well as on various bodily traumas.
Afternoon: After lunch we will proceed to the ruins of the Ongiin Khiid Monastery and the small local ger museum where we will experience a magnificent sunset from atop the nearby hills.
Evening: Dinner and overnight at a ger camp.

Day 9: (Bayanzag/ Flaming Cliffs, hiking)
Morning: After breakfast we will start our drive to Bayanzag, known throughout the world as the “Flaming Cliffs.” As we proceed we will recognize the dramatic changes in the landscape as the steppe gives way to the arid Gobi desert inhabited by camel herds and herding families.
Noon: Today’s lunch will be picnic style on the Gobi sand.
Afternoon: After lunch we will continue our day’s journey to the Flaming Cliffs, named by an American explorer who visited Mongolia in the 1920’s. Significant quantities of dinosaur fossils, eggs and bones are visible throughout the striking red Bayanzag cliffs. Late in the day we will enjoy a hike through the surrounding area.
Evening: Dinner and overnight in a ger camp.

Day 10: (KhongorlinEls Sand Dunes / Khonger River; camel ride)
Morning: After breakfast we will start our day’s journey to the sand dunes by passing through some amazing desert scenery with plain, stony and sandy landscape, arid land vegetation, countless interesting rock structure and herds of speedy wild antelopes.
Afternoon: Arrival at the amazing sand dunes that stretch for an extraordinary 180 kms (nearly 110 miles), sometimes as wide as 7 to 20 meters (21 to 60 feet). The sound of masses of wind-blown sand can be heard from a considerable distance. This wonderfully melodic sound gives the 200 meter (650 foot) high sand dunes the name “Singing Dunes” or “Sand that sings”. We will continue to the Khongor River oasis where we will mount the waiting two humped Bacterian camels for a ride through the desert on these creatures that the Mongolians call “living dinosaurs” and “Princes of the Gobi.”
Evening: Dinner and overnight at a ger camp.

Day 11: (Yol Valley/Gobi GurvanSaikhan National Park; canyon hike)
Morning: After breakfast we drive to the majestic Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park where we will enjoy the incredible “Yol Valley".
Afternoon: We will explore the unusual narrow canyon of a river that flows through the Zuun Saikhan Mountain and forms the Yol Valley. The sheer rock walls surrounding the canyon stand 200 meters (about 650 feet) high.The stunning green meadows with a thick glacier layer that is deeply set between the canyon walls provide an unforgettable vista. We will hike along the canyon where we may catch a glimpse of the rarely seen wild Argali sheep, the Ibex mountain goat and the Yol lammergeyer.
Evening: Dinner and overnight in a ger camp.

Day 12: (Return to Ulaanbaatar)
Morning: After breakfast we will relax and enjoy the Gobi sunshine before our transfer to the airport for our flight to Ulaanbaatar.
Afternoon: Upon arrival in the capital we will transfer to our hotel where we will enjoy a well deserved rest and hot showers.
Evening: A relaxing dinner and overnight in our hotel.

Day 13: (Ulaabaatar)
Morning: We start our last but unforgettable touring day from the Gandan Monastery, the heart of Mongolian yellow head Buddhism. We will experience the true sense of Buddhism in Mongolia and see the outstanding and impressive 24 meter (approximately 75 foot) golden plated statue of Buddha, Megjid Janraiseg. The Gandan monastery with its 500 monks is the largest and most important monastery of Mongolia. Our next stop will be the Choijin Lama Museum which was built as a monastery in 1908 for the Choijin Lama (monastic title), Luvsankhaidav, the state oracle and younger brother of the eighth Bogd Gegeen. The remainder of the afternoon is for last minute shopping and scanning the rest of the city.
Evening: Dinner and overnight in the hotel.

Day 14: (Departure Day)
Morning: After breakfast at our hotel and a final farewell to our Mongolian hosts, we will be transferred to Ulaanbaatar’s Chinggis Khaan international airport.

2012 DATES
June 3, 2012 to June 16, 2012
August 26, 2012 to September 8, 2012

For solo travelers, a $675 single supplement will apply; unless:

• The solo traveler agrees to share lodging AND Elder Expeditions is able to match the solo traveler with at least two other willing trip participants; or
• The solo traveler agrees to share lodging AND Elder Expeditions is able to match the solo traveler with ONE other same sex trip participant, then the supplement will be $450.00

For two people traveling together, there will be a supplement of $450 unless the two traveling together are willing AND Elder Expeditions is able to find a third and / or fourth Elder Expeditions traveler wishing to share a 3 or four person ger.

The stated price includes all transportation from the meeting point at the Chinggis Khan international airport in Ulaanbaatar on Day 1 to the return to the same airport on Day 14, lodging in Ulaanbaatar hotels on Days 1, 12 and 13, and in four bed Mongolian ger camps on the other nights, three meals a day, sport and related safety equipment, sightseeing as per the above itinerary and all related entrance fees, the cultural performance and a guide fluent in English (or other available language as may be required by the ethnic composition of the group).

The stated price does not include gratuities, alcoholic beverages or items of a purely personal nature.

A fifty percent deposit is due at the time of booking. The remaining balance is payable forty days prior to Day1 of this expedition.

LODGING

On nights 1, 12 and 13, we will be in a comfortable hotel in Ulaanbaatar. On nights 2 through 11, we will be in various ger camps along our route. The camps are made up of a series of four bed Mongolian yurts, i.e. the circular portable dwellings used by the Mongol and Turkic peoples of central Asia.

The activities on this trip do not require any particular experience or skill level. As our hosts can accommodate different equestrian abilities, an experienced rider as well as a beginner will be wholly at ease. There is a weight limit of 200 pounds for the equestrian activity.

Sufficient instruction will be provided for participants who are beginners or who have limited experience with respect to any of the listed activities. All that is required is a spirit of fun and adventure as well as an open mind and a willingness to try something new.

Participants should be generally in good health and able to walk up to 8 miles (13 kilometers).

Elder Expeditions recommends that all participants engage in a physical conditioning and fitness program as part of trip preparation. Our fitness partner, Fit for Trips®, provides custom designed fitness programs designed especially for the activities of each of our ELDER EXPEDITIONS vacations.

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS

Participants who are nationals of countries other than Mongolia are advised to check with the Mongolian embassy (or a Mongolian consular office) in their home countries to determine the applicable passport / visa requirements. As of the date of publication, U. S. citizens planning to remain in Mongolia for ninety days or less need only a valid passport. Elder Expeditions suggests that your passport be valid for a period of six months beyond the date that you anticipate departing Mongolia.

Please visit the Embassy of Mongolia website for the most current visa information. You can also contact the Embassy of Mongolia at 2833 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007, telephone (202) 333-7117 for the most current visa information.
Additionally, Elder Expeditions highly recommends that participants check the transit visa requirements in all countries through which they will be passing in transit or changing planes en-route to Mongolia.

No inoculations/vaccinations are required to enter Mongolia, unless you are coming from a country where Yellow Fever is present; in this case you may be required to show a current vaccination. All participants are advised to have a current tetanus shot. Elder Expeditions recommends that you consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov/travel/ or your personal physician to consider whether you wish to get shots for typhoid, hepatitis, and other diseases.
Some HIV/AIDS entry restrictions exist for visitors to and foreign residents of Mongolia. If you believe that this restriction may affect you, please contact the Embassy of Mongolia for more information.