Day 1 Ulaanbaatar
Arrival in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia's capital city with about 800,000 inhabitants. Transfer to hotel. Information on the ride and a welcome dinner.
Day 2: To Suman
Pick up the guests from hotel and visit the Gandan lamasery, possibly in time for the prayers, center for the Buddhist revival in Mongolia. The Mongols follow the Tibetan version of Lamaism, Dalai Lama being the
supreme theocratical leader. You will drive south and enjoy a picnic en route. Our crew here are your hosts, the steppe nomads of the area. They have brought their horses for your use and will accompany you throughout this ride. In the late afternoon you will make a short trial ride.
Day 3: Suman
You will stay one more night here. You will undertake a full day ride on the Gobi grasslands with a 360° degrees indisturbed landscape view until the horizon.
Day 4: To Ikh Zorgol Hairkhan Mountains
Today you break the camp and the yurt/ger you brough along as your restaurant and social area. Provisions and luggage will be loaded on to the support vehicle. While the support will move straight on to your next
destination at the sacred mountains of Zorgol Hairkhan, you will ride a detour easterly across the fantastic grasslands to Bayan Mountain, home to Gobi high altitude fauna like Siberian Ibex (Capra sibirica) and
Argali Sheep (Ovis ammon). They take shelter in the hills and rocks, and quite possibly, may be seen during this day. Moreover, small herds of gazelle might be seen on the steppe, perhaps some foxes. There are also wolves, but they are almost never spotted. You will pitch camp at Zorgol Hairkhan and remain here for two nights.
Day 5: Ikh Zorgol Hairkhan Mountains
The landscape is quite diverse here since we are in the transition zone of the Gobi, there is true steppe, semi-arid steppe, and giant rock formations. For the full day you will explore the Zorgol Hairkhan massif
with its vertical rock walls, on horseback and ride around and through rock formations, several hundred meters high, a striking feature the middle of the flat steppe. Zorgol Hairkhan is mentioned in the Secret
History of the Mongols, the oldest surviving Mongolian-language literary work, which chronicles the life and genealogy of Genghis Khan. The Khan himself is said to have wintered here while in conflict with a competing leader. There is a breeding population of Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus), the
largest of the Eurasian vultures, it’s size on par with the Condor of the Americas. Their nests are quite low, on rocks and in small trees, and very visible. You can also visit Hökh Sudliin Am, the valley of Great Burnet
(Sanguisorba officinalis). Mongolians use this circumpolar medicinal plant in traditional medicine for stomach problems, by making a tea from its red pod-like flower.
Day :6 To Saikhan
Again, you break camp and the support starts moving in a straight line to your next destination at Saikhan, skirting Baga Zorgol Hairkhan Uul. Baga means “small”, it is the smaller version of Ikh “big” Zorgol. Here you will probably encounter quite a few nomadic families, as you head for Hariin Nuur (Remote
Lake), a steppe lake useful for the steppe nomads. Usually, the lake attracts different species of birds. Your private camp has been set up already at Saikhan.
Day 7: To Bumbat
A full-day ride takes us across the steppe to Bumbat, which again is an uninhabited area, featuring some spectacular rock formations. Here it is even more likely to spot Argali Sheep, Cinereous Vultures, Saker Falcons (Falco cherrug) and other wildlife. You will also be able to see some of the petroglyphs, for which Mongolia is so famous.
Day 8: Bumbat
You will stay one more night here. Full day riding.
Day 9: To Arburd Sands
Today your camp is broken for the last time and you ride for half a day, across the Gobi grasslands to Arburd Sands. These are the unknown Gobi sand dunes within proximity of Ulaanbaatar. Here you will find a seasonal and fully collapsible low-impact ger camp. Instead of picnic lunch you will enjoy a hot lunch at camp. In the afternoon you will ride a short way to some seasonal steppe lakes, which are kept in place by the underlying permafrost. You can visit nomads with large herds of cattle, especially cashmere goats. You
return to Arburd Sands Ger Camp for the night.
Day 10: Arburd Sands
On your last day on the grasslands, you will make a loop with the horses, riding across the 20km long Arburd Sands, which are a hideout for wolves. You may also relax back at camp. Today you bid farewell to your steppe nomad’s horsemen.
Day 11: To Ulaanbaatar
You return to Ulaanbaatar and check into the hotel. See the capital city on your own. Distances are short and nearly all points of interest can be reached on foot. Your guide is standing by to assist you in your shopping or sightseeing activities.
Day 12: Departure
Driver will pick up the guests from Bayangol hotel (or similar) and transfer to Chinghis Khaan International
Airport for fly out.
(Subject to change due to local circumstances.)
Minimum number of riders is 2 people, maximum 10 people.
