Mongolia Naadam Festival & Wilderness Tour

Saturday 10^th July – Ulaanbaatar

• Arrive at your convenience into Ulaanbaatar – the capital city of Mongolia which is well connected from many countries within Asia, and the rest of the world.
• Pre-tour meeting will be held at the lobby of our hotel at 6:00pm to discuss tour itinerary and to meet your fellow travellers and YPT guide.
• Dinner where we will get to know our new members of the group and have our first look at the nightlife of Ulaanbaatar
• Overnight in Ulaanbaatar

Sunday 11th July – Ulaanbaatar

Morning

• TRIP HIGHLIGHT: We partake in the first day of the Naadam Festival. Spirits will be high all across town as Mongolians reunite for the event of the year, showcasing their culture through a competition involving the three main sports: wrestling, archery and horse racing.
• We attend the opening festival ceremony. The nine tribes of Mongolia are escorting a horse tail of Genghis Khan to the stadium, accompanied by horsemen, monks and dancers.

Afternoon

• We will attend the first rounds of the horse racing competition. Races can include thousands of horses with child riders and span over more than 20 kilometres.
• Head back to our hotel to try a traditional meal of Khuushuur, a deep-fried meat pie which we will rinse down with fermented mare’s milk, like the true Mongolian warriors we’ll be by then. This is the traditional meal of the Naadam festival, and no trip to Naadam would be complete without tasting this true Mongolian delicacy that dates back to the time of Genghis Khan.
• Overnight in Ulaanbaatar

Monday 12^th July – Ulaanbaatar

Morning

• Wake up nice and early for breakfast In the morning, we’ll start our day with a visit to the stadium to watch the Naadam wrestling competition. Mongolian wrestling is unique in that the wrestlers are not divided by weight and compete all together. This is the most prized sport of Mongolia, and the entire nation watches the competition live. The winner of the wrestling tournament becomes a national hero, and previous champions have even gone on to win high-profile spots in Mongolia’s political arena. 

Afternoon

• Lunch at a nearby restaurant
• We head outside the stadium to see the archery competition. Here, we’ll witness archers shooting arrows over a distance of 75m using the infamous Mongolian Compound Bow which was instrumental in Genghis Khan’s conquest of the world.
• In between, feel free to grab a snack from one of the many local vendors serving Mongolian snacks and festival street foods. As Mongolian wrestling has no time limits, the finals might run fairly late. 
• After an undoubtedly exciting wrestling championship, we’ll head to a Mongolian hotpot restaurant to gorge on delicious lamb meat and then head out to check out Ulaanbaatar’s night life. Other vegetarian friendly dishes are available too!
• Overnight in Ulaanbaatar

Tuesday 13^th July – Mount Khogno Khan Natural Reserve

Morning

• Up early as we have to drive to Mount Khogno Khan Natural Reserve, 250km away from the capital. This park contains a bit of all landscapes iconic of Mongolia, with sand dunes, the steppes and the taiga. Its ecosystem is extremely varied, with birds, gazelles and deer. On the way, we’ll stop at a supermarket to purchase snacks and drinks for the evening, as well as gifts of sweets for the local family.
• We’ll stop for lunch at one of Mongolia’s roadside cafeterias. Reminiscent of the Soviet era, these cafeterias still retain the look and taste of the iconic Soviet cafeteria line. Participants will get a chance to pick from a hearty array of Mongolia delicacies, served up on a canteen tray by the female cafeteria workers and accompanied by another famous drink of Mongolia– raisin juice. 

Afternoon

• After lunch, we’ll stop for a quick hike at the entrance to Mt. Khogno Khan Natural Reserve. Here, you can see the remains of an ancient Buddhist temple. No one knows the founding date of the temple, which was destroyed by the Soviets in their mission to destroy Buddhism within the country. Here, you’ll learn more about the brutal Soviet crackdown on Buddhism and the execution of tens of thousands of Buddhist monks that represented more than 10% of the countries’ male population.
• After arriving at one of the local family’s nomadic camps, we’ll be greeted by the local family in their Ger, used for hosting guests, and we’ll learn more about the life of Mongolia’s nomads. We’ll have the chance to taste the Mongolian delicacy of dried dairy kurd, made by the family from their own dairy cows.
• Before dinner, we’ll enjoy a Bactrian camel ride through nearby sand dunes and we’ll have the opportunity to climb dunes. After, we will settle into our traditional Mongolian family Ger (dormitory style sleeping).
• For dinner, we will sample Mongolia`s legendary nomadic hospitality by enjoying a meal and fresh milk prepared by the nomadic family. After dinner, the group can enjoy drinks and stargazing under the clear Mongolian sky.

Wednesday 14th July – Terelj National Park

Morning

• Up early again. Today, our day is dedicated to driving to the Terelj National Park.

Afternoon

• Lunch at another Soviet-style cafeteria.
• We’ll start exploring the National Park. First, we will visit Mongolia’s famous turtle rock accompanied by our expert guide. The park is famous for Khagiin Khar lake and the Tuul River which flows through it. There may even be the chance to witness Mongolia’s trained Golden Eagles in action. 
• Turtle Rock or Melkhii Khad, a rock formation that bears a striking resemblance to its namesake animal.
• We will also get the opportunity to visit a traditional Mongolian Buddhist temple, where you can see thousands of years of Mongolian history amidst a stunning Mountain backdrop. 
• Dinner and overnight once more in a traditional Mongolian family Ger (dormitory style sleeping)

Thursday 15^th July – Terelj National Park

Morning

• It wouldn’t be a Mongolian adventure without a horse ride so we’ll ride through Terelj National Park like the Khan meant it to be.

Afternoon

• Lunch prepared by our local family.
• We start making our way back to Ulaanbaatar. On the way back, we’ll stop by the museum and enormous statue of Genghis Khan, which we’ll be able to climb to appreciate the view.
• We’ll also stop to visit the enormous Zaisan Memorial which will not only offer the best view of the city but also an enormous fresco commemorating the sacrifices of the Red Army which came to liberate the Mongolians from the Japanese. On our way down, we will see a tank memorial.
• Arrival in Ulaanbaatar for dinner and drinks

Friday 16^th July – Ulaanbaatar

Morning

• After breakfast, we’ll head to the Zaisan Memorial which will not only offer the best view of the city but also an enormous fresco commemorating the sacrifices of the Red Army which came to liberate the Mongolians from the Japanese. On our way down, we will see a tank memorial. We head back into town to visit the National History museum. Here, we will learn more about the history of Mongolia.
• Gandantegchinlen Monastery – one of the most important sites of Mongolian Buddhism. During the communist reign, it was the only monastery allowed to function even though it only did so as a token homage to Mongolian culture while most others religious sites were destroyed and their lamas executed. It is also one of the only remaining sites where the early relics of Tibetan Buddhism continue to be used, including musical instruments made from the bones of followers who served as willing human sacrifices. We will also learn more about the different types of Buddhism practiced in Mongolia, including a type of buddhism that relies on intercessions from monks. If you wish, you can buy prayers from the temple’s monks in exchange for a small donation.

Afternoon

• Lunch at a nearby Mongolian restaurant. 
• We head slightly north to the Sukhbaatar Square, place where the very iconic statue of Genghis Khan, the most famous Mongol of all history and terror of the western world, is located.
• You will then be able to select from a number of optional activities, such as learning about Mongolian cashmere at the nearby Gobi Cashmere factory or visiting the massive Chinggis Khan Museum.
• Optional witness the incredible show of the Mongolian Railways Theatre group. This group has performed for nearly 100 years in one of Mongolia’s iconic Soviet-style theatres. We’ll get the chance to watch the world’s leading artists of Mongolian throat singing, cotorsion, long-singing, and horse-headed fiddle, all of which are labelled as UNESCO intangible heritage. ($15 entry paid at door)
• Dinner in a restaurant nearby our hotel.
• Overnight in Ulaanbaatar

Saturday 17th July 

• Breakfast at hotel
• Tour concludes – but your adventure doesn’t have to end here. If you’re keen to see more of Mongolia, we can help arrange customized extensions such as riding horses across the Gobi Desert, camel trekking with local herders, or spend more time lodging with nomadic families.