Mongolia : Gobi and steppes horse ride

HORSE RIDING TRIP IN MONGOLIA
INDICATIVE ITINERARY *

Day 1: Arrival in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, in the early morning. You will be met by your French- or English-speaking interpreter, depending on the departure schedule, upon arrival of Turkish Airlines flight TK236 (generally scheduled to land around 7:20 am). Immediate departure for the Mongolian steppe! After a 2.5-hour drive, you will arrive at the famous Hustai National Park, home to Przewalski's wild horses, also known as Takhi. The camp will be set up, and you will enjoy a lunch prepared by the team. Your driver will then take you on a 4x4 safari in Hustai National Park, in search of Przewalski's wild horses, as well as deer and marmots, which are abundant in this protected area. Dinner and overnight stay in tents.
CAMPING: Each person sets up their own tent. You will be accommodated in pairs in 3-person tents for more space. Smaller individual tents are provided at no extra charge for solo riders who request them when booking.
A trekking shower tent and a large mess tent for meal preparation add to the comfort of our campsite.

Day 2: Przewalski's Horses (Khustai) - Bayan Gobi Desert.
Breakfast and departure by 4x4 to the Bayan Gobi Desert, the "Rich Gobi," where the first part of your horseback trek takes place, between the dunes and steppes of Mongolia (approximately 2-3 hours drive depending on traffic conditions). Lunch prepared by the team. You will meet the nomadic herder who will be your equestrian guide for these 2 days of horseback riding in the Bayan Gobi Desert. Lunch. First contact with traditional Mongolian nomadic life: how each family organizes its life in the yurt, how the horses, goats, and sheep live freely in the surrounding steppes... Dinner and overnight stay in a guest yurt near the nomadic herder's family yurt (up to 5 people per yurt).

Day 3: Horseback Riding in the Bayan Gobi Desert.
A full-day horseback riding excursion in the Bayan Gobi Desert. It's important to know that horseback riding is not possible in the southern Gobi Desert. This northernmost point of the desert is therefore a unique opportunity to ride through a typical Gobi Desert landscape. This region is truly the heart of Mongolia. It is not only the country's geographical center, but also the meeting point of three major Mongolian ecosystems: two of the country's three major mountain ranges – the Khangai and Khentii – and an extension of the Gobi Desert. Mount Batkhan overlooks this region and gives rise to several rivers that mingle their waters with the sand dunes of Elsentasarkhai – the "sand fracture" – creating ever-changing and spectacular landscapes. You will ride through the dunes and surrounding mountains. You will visit the Ovgon Khiid Monastery, nestled in the stunning setting of a valley with a geological landscape sculpted by erosion (this visit can also take place the evening before). The campsite is set up in the heart of nature, in a sparsely populated area of ​​the Bayan Gobi Desert. Dinner and overnight stay in a tent.
PLEASE NOTE that these two days can be reversed, with the first night spent in a tent followed by the night in a guest yurt.

Day 4: Bayan Gobi Desert - Orkhon Valley Nomads.
After breakfast, you'll ride again across the dunes of the Bayan Gobi Desert. Enjoy lunch in the open air, then continue your journey towards the Orkhon Valley, arriving at the yurts of another herding family near the famous Orkhon Falls. Dinner and overnight stay in a guest yurt near the yurt of a nomadic family (up to 5 people per yurt).

Day 5:Horseback Riding in the Orkhon Valley (Orkhon Falls).
After breakfast, you'll meet the nomadic herders who will accompany you on your horseback riding adventure in the Orkhon Valley! You'll discover the famous Orkhon Falls on horseback, then continue your ride upstream through the Orkhon Valley, in increasingly wild landscapes. In this volcanic region, ancient solidified lava flows create a striking landscape, their black color contrasting with the white foam of the Orkhon River. They bear witness to Mongolia's tumultuous volcanic past. Lunch will be provided by the 4x4 vehicles. You'll soon reach the edge of the forest. Before you rise the wooded slopes of Naiman Nuur National Park, the "Park of Eight Lakes," where you'll hike independently for the next few days. You will meet the 4x4 vehicle in the late afternoon to set up camp. Dinner and overnight stay in the tent.

Day 6: Horseback riding in Naiman Nuur National Park (with pack yaks).
After breakfast, a complete change of scenery awaits: you'll venture into the wild mountains of Naiman Nuur National Park. The trek is now self-supported. This region is only accessible by vehicle via a track that would require a long detour, so pack yaks will carry your luggage and all the cooking equipment. Prepare a small bag with what you'll need for these three days (we suggest using a small bag that you can also use as carry-on luggage on the plane). The rest of your luggage will remain in the vehicles with the drivers who will be waiting for us in the valley for three days. You'll load the yaks and begin your ascent towards the lakes nestled in lush greenery... The climb is challenging, through larch forests, along narrow and rugged tracks. After a few hours of climbing, you'll be rewarded with the sight of the yurts of nomadic families who live high up, near the lakes. You'll be staying with them for the next two nights. This region is ideal for yaks; the herding family hosting us has over 300! Lunch will be followed by the continuation of your horseback trek, exploring the famous "Eight Lakes."
PLEASE NOTE: The rugged terrain of Naiman Nuur National Park doesn't allow for very fast paces, but you'll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in this wild landscape and share in the life of the yak herders who are hosting us (let your guide know if you'd like to help round up the yaks and horses for milking, for example). Dinner and overnight stay in a guest yurt with our nomadic family in Naiman Nuur National Park.

Day 7: Horseback riding in Naiman Nuur National Park (with pack yaks).
After breakfast, a complete change of scenery awaits: you'll venture into the wild mountains of Naiman Nuur National Park. The trek is now self-supported. This region is only accessible by vehicle via a track that would require a long detour, so pack yaks will carry your luggage and all the cooking equipment. Prepare a small bag with what you'll need for these three days (we suggest using a small bag that you can also use as carry-on luggage on the plane). The rest of your luggage will remain in the vehicles with the drivers who will be waiting for us in the valley for three days. You'll load the yaks and begin your ascent towards the lakes nestled in lush greenery... The climb is challenging, through larch forests, along narrow and rugged tracks. After a few hours of climbing, you'll be rewarded with the sight of the yurts of nomadic families who live high up, near the lakes. You'll be staying with them for the next two nights. This region is ideal for yaks; the herding family hosting us has over 300! Lunch will be followed by the continuation of your horseback trek, exploring the famous "Eight Lakes."

Day 8: Horseback riding in Naiman Nuur National Park.
After breakfast, you'll reload the yaks and ride back down to the Orkhon Valley. The terrain is quite challenging and rugged, giving you the opportunity to appreciate the sure-footedness of your horses and the skill of the yak drivers. Lunch will be served at the foot of Naiman Nuur National Park. You'll then say goodbye to your yak drivers and continue your ride, descending into the more open spaces of the Orkhon Valley, better suited to galloping and spirited riding. The campsite is set up near the Orkhon's "small waterfalls." Dinner and overnight in tents.

Day 9: Horseback riding in the Orkhon Valley.
Breakfast and departure for a very invigorating day following the Orkhon River. Lunch near the river, which you cross via one of the very few bridges, allowing you to begin climbing into the Khangai Mountains that border the valley, up to the edge of the forest. Dinner and overnight stay in tents.

Day 10: Horseback Riding in the Orkhon Valley (Tovkhon Monastery) - Hot Springs.
Enjoy a hearty breakfast to fuel up for the long day ahead. Ride through the forest to Tovkhon Monastery, which you will explore on foot. Continue your ride downhill into the valley. The views are spectacular, overlooking this wide valley and its forested peaks. Lunch will be delivered by 4x4 vehicle to the foot of the Khangai Mountains, on the valley slope. Continue your ride, once again on terrain ideal for long gallops. Return to the 4x4 vehicle in the late afternoon to set up camp. A short drive takes you to natural hot springs – a fantastic experience, especially after all those days in the saddle! Don't forget your swimsuit. Dinner and overnight in tents.

Day 11: Horseback riding in the Orkhon Valley - Karakorum.
After breakfast, depart for your final day in the saddle, traversing wide-open terrain perfect for cantering and trotting. Lunch will be served en route. This long day takes you to the vicinity of Karakorum, the ancient capital of Mongolia. You'll set up your final camp in an area just outside of Karakorum. For this last evening with the nomadic herders, you'll share the gifts brought to support their families in this isolated life: the drivers are often nomadic herders themselves, and all will be happy to find something to help their families or elderly relatives. Moisturizing creams, lip balms, sunscreens, sunglasses, Opinel or Swiss Army knives, horse wound creams, hoof picks, currycombs, medications (paracetamol, ibuprofen), eye drops, disinfectant, creams for arthritis or burns... all these things, difficult to find on the steppe, will be distributed according to everyone's needs. Farewell dinner with the whole team. Overnight in tents.

Day 12: Breakfast and visit to Erdene Zuu Monastery.
Then you travel to Ulaanbaatar. Lunch at a restaurant en route (6 to 7 hours drive depending on traffic conditions). Transfer to a hotel or yurt camp on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar, en route to the airport. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel/yurt camp in a double or triple room.

Day 13 - Airport transfer.
Early morning (5:30 AM), transfer to the airport in time for Turkish Airlines flight TK237, which usually departs at 8:40 AM. Breakfast is not included as the transfer departs so early, but you will find a café at the airport, in the right-hand section of the transit area. Arrival is either late afternoon or early the following day, depending on the airline and your final destination airport.

*The program is indicative and may be subject to change if necessary.