MONGOLIA : WINTER RIDE

WINTER RIDE IN MONGOLIA
INDICATIVE ITINERARY *

Day 1: Ulaanbaatar
Arrival in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, in the early morning.
Welcome by your French-speaking or English-speaking interpreter upon arrival of Turkish Airlines flight TK236 (usually landing around 7:20 a.m.), and group transfer to your 3-star hotel located in downtown Ulaanbaatar. Lunch in the city. Visit the famous Gandantegchinlin Monastery and its impressive giant golden Buddha statue. In the late afternoon, enjoy a show of traditional Mongolian dance, music, and singing, particularly the astonishing Khuumii. Check into a hotel ideally located near Sukhbaatar Square. Dinner in a downtown restaurant. Overnight stay in a 3-star hotel near the central Sukhbaatar Square (in a double or triple room).

Day 2: Ulaanbaatar - Khustai National Park
Breakfast, then drive to Khustai National Park. We cross spectacular landscapes of rolling steppe, with forested peaks and immense valleys... This is our first encounter with the icy expanses of Mongolia in winter: dusted with a thin layer of snow, the steppe seems even more immense. Only a few golden grasses protrude from the ice, catching the sun's rays under an invariably blue sky. We leave the main road to take a dirt and ice track for about fifteen kilometers before reaching Khustai National Park. Lunch at the yurt camp. In the afternoon, we set off by vehicle into the park in search of the famous Przewalski's wild horses. The Khustai yurt camp has fairly modern bathrooms compared to the rest of the country, and even in the depths of winter, you can normally take a hot shower—you should take advantage of it!
Dinner and overnight stay at the yurt camp (2 to 4 people per yurt).

Day 3: Khustai - Karakorum
Breakfast at the yurt camp, then drive to Karakorum (Kharkhorin). Lunch, followed by a visit to the Erdene Zuu Monastery. Dinner and overnight stay in a yurt camp (2 to 4 people per yurt), or with a nomadic family, or in a simple hotel or guesthouse in Kharkhorin (most hotels and yurt camps are closed in winter, so we will adapt this night's accommodation to availability on the date of your trip).

Day 4: Karakorum - Nomadic Family of the Orkhon Valley
Breakfast at the yurt camp, then we hit the trail towards the Orkhon Valley. We progress more slowly along trails amidst the Valley's famous landscapes. In winter, nomads move their yurts and herds to their wintering sites, a location sheltered from the wind, deep in a valley or on the edge of a forest. An enclosure is often set up there to gather the herds and allow the animals to stay warm. Around noon, we arrive at the home of the nomadic herders who will host us for three nights. Lunch and our first horseback ride in the Orkhon Valley. Dinner with the family and overnight stay in a yurt installed next to our host family's (up to 5 people per yurt).

Days 5 & 6: Horseback Riding in the Orkhon Valley
These two days are dedicated to exploring the Orkhon Valley on horseback. Each day, we ride to one of the Valley's major attractions: the famous Orkhon Falls, frozen by the cold, a pass offering a spectacular view of the entire valley. The precise itinerary will be decided each day based on weather conditions, which can be extreme during this season. Your safety will always be our priority. As it is impossible to stop for a picnic due to the cold, the day of riding will be continuous, with a hot lunch eaten in the yurt upon returning to our nomadic friends' home. These days are also a wonderful opportunity to discover the traditional life of Mongolian nomads in the heart of winter: how they manage the constraints imposed by the extreme cold, how they protect babies and children, the care given to the herds of yaks, horses, sheep and goats... Our family will take great care of your comfort, because they are very proud that you make the effort to come and see them in winter. They will especially ensure that the fire is kept burning all night in the stove of your yurt. Dinner with the family and overnight stay in a yurt installed next to that of our host family (up to 5 people per yurt).

Day 7: Horseback Riding in the Orkhon Valley - Khogno Khan National Park / Bayan Gobi
Breakfast. In the morning, a final horseback ride through the sublime landscapes of the Orkhon Valley. Lunch with our hosts, and we must regretfully leave this endearing family to resume the trail through the Orkhon Valley towards Khogno Khan National Park, nicknamed the Mini-Gobi, or the Bayan Gobi (the "rich" Gobi). Dinner and overnight stay with a new nomadic family with whom we will spend two days.

Day 8: Horseback riding in Khogno Khan National Park / Bayan Gobi
Breakfast. In the morning, horseback riding along the cliffs of Bayan Gobi. The contrast between the cliffs and the vast plain surrounding them, completely frozen in ice, is spectacular! It's hard to imagine that in summer, this expanse of ice is a Garden of Eden, as nomads often gather their herds in this vast, humid plain. Visit the Ovgon Khiid Monastery, in the magnificent setting of a valley with geological relief tortured by erosion. Meals and overnight stay with our nomadic family.

Day 9: Transfer to Ulaanbaatar. Breakfast, then drive to Ulaanbaatar. Lunch in the city. Afternoon dedicated to shopping in the downtown stores. Check into a hotel ideally located near Sukhbaatar Square, which allows you to have a wide choice of restaurants, and to be able to do your shopping at the Department Store which is open late in the evening. Dinner at your leisure to allow you to enjoy the many possibilities offered by the capital. Overnight in a 3* hotel near the central Sukhbaatar Square (in a double or triple room).

Day 10: Early morning transfer to the airport in time for check-in for Turkish Airlines flight TK237 (usually scheduled for departure around 8:40 a.m.).
The hotel will provide you with a packed breakfast (remember to request it the day before). Breakfast is not included as most flights depart in the morning. Arrival may be late in the afternoon or early the following day, depending on the airline and your destination airport.

* Indicative program subject to change if necessary.