DAY 1ULAAN BAATAR - KHARKHORINArrival at Ulaan Baatar Airport. Transfer to the centre of the Capital- Change money- Rest time at a coffee shop. Then, departure to Kharkhorin, the ancient capital of Chinghis Khaan. After few minutes, you’ll leave the chaotic town plunging in the green steppe. Lunch at a local restaurant on the road. In the late afternoon arrival at the ger camp. Dinner and overnight stay. (FB)

DAY 2KHARKHORIN - TSENKHER HOT SPABreakfast. The morning is dedicated to Kharkhorin. The ancient capital, known in the past as Kharakhorum, was entirely destroyed by the Chinese in the 14th century, but upon its ashes, in 1586, was built one of the most important monastery of the country: Erdene Zuu with its white walls, its 108 stupas, its temples. Lunch at a local restaurant in Kharkhorin.In the afternoon you’ll go towards Tsenkher Hot Spa, passing through green pasturelands where you can meet local families. In the late afternoon arrival at the ger camp. Time for relax, massage or go to the baths. Dinner and overnight stay. (FB)

DAY 3 TSENKHER HOT SPA - TSETSERLEG - KHORGO UUL/TERKHIIN TSAAGAN NUURBreakfast. In the morning departure passing through Tsertserleg, the “Garden city”. Lunch at local restaurant on the road.Prosecution to the Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur National Park, a volcanic area with gorgeous landscapes, lakes and ancient flows of lava eroded by winds and rivers. Arrival to the ger camp on the windy shores of Tsagaan Nuur Lake. Dinner and overnight stay. (FB)

DAY 4KHORGO UUL/TERKHIIN TSAAGAN NUUR - JARGALANTBreakfast. The morning will be dedicated to explore this interesting area, hiking Khorgoo volcano summit (30 minutes) from where you can grasp all the surrounding panorama. Here the ancient caldera hosts a small rain lake and on the slopes wild and colourful flowers grow. Deaparture to Jargalant. Lunch picnic on the road. The distance from the lake to Jargalant is short and this will give us the opportunity to stop at the local family gers to see how they manage their lives. In the late afternoon arrival at Jargalant ger camp, where is possible to relax in the hot springs pools (38°C). Dinner & Overnight stay. (FB)

DAY 5JARGALANT- TELMEN NUURBreakfast. We move to north and passed the small village of Tosonengel, we’ll have picnic lunch. In the afternoon arrival on the Telmen lake shores. Here we’ll set up our first tent camp. Dinner and overnight stay. (FB)

DAY 6TELMEN NUUR - HYARGAS NUURBreakfast. The road runs to west along the same dusty track that today as in the past the local nomads used to move their camps and herds, loading and carrying all the property on yaks’ and camels’ back. A short rest at a “guanz”, a local inn, will give you the chance to taste several typical dishes as “buuz”. In the afternoon arrival on the Hyargas lake shores. Lodge at the ger camp. Dinner and overnight stay. (FB9

DAY 7HYARGAS NUUR - ULAANGOMBreakfast. Driving on undiscovered tracks, we’ll go forwards in a severe region where temperature can be beyond 40°C in summertime while in winter can arrive to -50°C. It’s a geologic depression and characterises this area: an ancient cratonic zone that includes also the Uuvs Lake considered the largest Mongolian lake. In this place we’ll reach the lowest height of the tour: 750 m above s.l., very low if one takes into account that the Mongolian average level is 1.600 m s.l. Picnic lunch. Passed Ulaangom, famous for the camels’ market, we’ll climb to Ulaan Davaa Pass (2.500 m) where we’ll set up our tent camp. Dinner and overnight stay. (FB)

WESTERN MONGOLIA TOUR 14 days / 13 nights

Expedition in the Altai Region

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DAY 7HYARGAS NUUR - ULAANGOMBreakfast. Driving on undiscovered tracks, we’ll go forwards in a severe region where temperature can be beyond 40°C in summertime while in winter can arrive to -50°C. It’s a geologic depression and characterises this area: an ancient cratonic zone that includes also the Uuvs Lake considered the largest Mongolian lake. In this place we’ll reach the lowest height of the tour: 750 m above s.l., very low if one takes into account that the Mongolian average level is 1.600 m s.l. Picnic lunch. Passed Ulaangom, famous for the camels’ market, we’ll climb to Ulaan Davaa Pass (2.500 m) where we’ll set up our tent camp. Dinner and overnight stay. (FB)

DAY 8ULAANGOM - ULGIIBreakfast. This morning we’ll travel before to the salted Uureg Lake and then to the Achit Lake. Picnic lunch. In the afternoon we'll continue along the Hovd Gol, a lush vegetation valley set between two mountain ranges and in whose bottom runs a rapid rivers that draws stressed meanders among larches and birches. Arrival to Ulgii, the “Kazakh Capital”. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight stay in ger camp. (FB

DAY 9ULGII - HOTON NUURBreakfast. Today the route will lead us to the outermost north-western bounds of Mongolia. We are in the “Eagle Hunters” territory and we’ll visit a local family with the purpose to witness their hard life. The hunting, the milk offering to the deities, the horses’ marking, the flocks’ milking... are only some of the activities that these nomads repeat every day for thousands years. Picnic lunch. In the afternoon, close to Hoton Lake, we can admire an ”open-air” prehistoric art exposition. Hundreds of rock engravings stand here since 12.000 years: horses, deer, hunters, bow and chariots curved on the black basalt of the local rocks. Tent camp set up. Dinner and overnight stay. (FB)

DAY 10HOTON NUUR- ULGIIBreakfast. Driving on another track we’ll return to Ulgii.Among the mountains, standing as guardians, we’ll encounter the “Balbal”, ancient rock statues that give testimony, with their Asiatic eyes and Anatolian moustache, of past Turkish inhabitants even if nobody knows their function. Lunch picnic. In the afternoon arrival to Ulgii where is possible to buy local handmade articles as the colourful carpets that Kazakh women weave during the long and freezing wintertime. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight stay in ger camp. (FB)

DAY 11ULGII - HOVDAfter breakfast we’ll drive to south direction. We’ll pass near the Tolbo lake where, in 1920, the Bolshevik army defeated Menshevik and obtained the political control of Mongolia. Among the green hills that seems velvet towers the Tsambagarav Uul (4200 m above s.l.) and its glaciers. Picnic lunch. Then we’ll arrive in Hovd, ancient Manchurian outpost and military garrison. Dinner at restaurant. Overnight stay in the best local hotel. (FB)

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DAY 12HOVD - ULAANBAATARIn the morning, after breakfast, we can spend some time walking in the crowded and noisy Kazakh market and giving a look to the local Mosque. Lunch at restaurant. In the afternoon transfer to the airport and flight to Ulaan Baatar. Arrival in the Capital, transfer to downtown. Dinner at restaurant. Overnight stay in hotel. (FB)

DAY 13ULAANBAATARThese two days will be dedicated to visit the Mongolian capital. The Natural Sciences Museum, with its remarkable Dinosaurs’ fossils collection; the Zanabazaar Museum that hosts the best of Mongolian fine arts (sculptures, tangkas, mandalas, paintings....); the Choijin Lama Museum and its wonderful collection of ancient Tsam Masks; the Winter Palace where lived the last Bogd Khaan, the political and religious chief of Mongolia until 1921; the “Black Market”, the largest Mongolian market where is possible to find everything you need. And among all interesting places you will have some time free for shopping. Lunches and dinners at restaurant. Overnight stays in hotel. (FB)

DAY 14ULAAN BAATAR - FLIGHT BACKBreakfast and transfer to the airport.

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