Ultimate Mongolia with Naadam Festival

Upon arrival in Mongolia’s capital of Ulaanbaatar, you will be welcomed by your private guide and driver and transferred to your hotel in the heart of the city. The rest of your day is at your leisure to explore the city’s shops and museums on your doorstep, or to unwind and enjoy the spoils of your hotel. The following day, enjoy a private guided tour of the city’s highlights. Starting with a private blessing ceremony at Gandan Monastery, before continuing to the National History and Fine Arts museums for a deeper understanding of Mongolia’s history and culture. End the day with a stroll through Sukhbaatar Square before enjoying dinner in a local fine-dining restaurant accompanied by a traditional Mongolian dancing and throat singing performance.

Leave the bustle of Ulaanbaatar behind and drive to Kharakhorum, the 13th Century of the Mongol Empire, stopping on the way to spot wild Takhi horses in Hustain Nuruu National Park. Spend the next two nights at a mountain-top Ger Camp, offering breathtaking views and traditional furnishings alongside home-comforts and additional luxuries. Enjoy a walk to explore your surroundings that afternoon before exploring the wider Mongolian countryside the next day, including a visit to the Erdene Zuu Monastery, the Kharakhorum Museum and hiking or horse riding or hiking through the beautiful grasslands of the Orkhon Valley.

After breakfast, you will be driven back to Ulaanbaatar, making a stop at the 8th Century Kultegin Monument on the way. Upon arrival in Ulaanbaatar, you will have the rest of the day at leisure to explore the city as you wish, perhaps visiting some shops or markets or sampling one of the local fine-dining restaurants.

This morning, you will be transferred to the airport in time to catch a 1.5 hour flight to the Gobi Desert, Mongolia’s southernmost province. Spend the next two nights at Three Camel Lodge, a spectacular lodge in the heart of the Gobi Desert and one of the most luxurious properties in the country. Over the next three days, enjoy a number of excursions to discover your surroundings, including exploring sand dunes by camel, meeting with a local nomadic family, inspecting ancient rock carvings, hiking through valleys, and visiting the iconic ‘Flaming Cliffs’. In between excursions, unwind in the camp’s massage tent or bar, try some classic Mongolian games and learn more about local traditions with a documentary screening.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport to catch a flight to Ulaanbaatar. Upon arrival in the city, make a stop at the Chinggis khan Equestrian statue, a 250 tonne stainless steel statue of Genghis Khan that dominates the surrounding landscape. The following day marks the beginning of Ulaanbaatar’s Nadaam festival, one of Mongolia’s most famous cultural festivals where men, women, boys, and girls come together to compete in the ‘three manly games’ of archery, wrestling and horse-racing. Attend the festival’s opening ceremony, a colourful event of performances related to history and heritage marking the start of the festival. The next day, you will be collected from your hotel and transferred to the airport in time to catch your flight home.