Best Tour
MONGOLIA - Gobi desert and Altai mounts

Duration: 17 giorni
Best time: June-August
Number of people: min. 4 - max. 10

Characteristic of the tour:
Surely a tour rich of different landscape and ethnic group of people. The traveller will notice that Mongolia is not a flat country only, as most of people believe. With the eagle on your arm you’ll get a feeling that you never had before.

PROGRAM
Day 1 - Arrive in Ulaan Baatar (UB) and take place in a nice new hotel. Eventually visit temples, museum or others.
Day 2 - We’ll leave UB in the morning for Kharakorum, (KK) the ancient capitol (km370). It will take the whole day because the road is not in best condition. We stop on the way for lunch, we also take a break for tea in some nomad’s ger (traditional Mongolian tent). We spend the night in ger-lodge in the old capital.
Day 3-4-5-6-7 - In the morning we visit Erdenezu Monastery, the only one in the world surrounded by a wall carrying 108 stupas. The same day we start going toward the Gobi desert where we’ll spend the next 4 days touching the best spots as the ruins of Ongii monastery; Bayanzag, the dinosaur arena; Khongor Else, the highest and longest dune of Gobi; we’ll end our first part of the trip in the Volture’s Valley, 2500m above sea level where it seems to be in the Italian Alps, instead we’re still in the middle of the desert.
During the desert-crossing we’ll always overnight with nomads (those real ones) and we’ll see their life-stile in these hostile part of the country. We have the opportunity to be surrounded by thousands of animals like goat, sheep, horses and camels. We’ll be amazed by the majesty of Battrian camels that we also have the chance to ride in Bayanzag or in front of Khongor Else.
Once we left the Volture’s Valley we spend the last night with a nomadic family not far from it; the mountains behind our camp highlight the border with Inner Mongolia.
Day 8 - Flight Gobi – UB and stay at the same hotel for an infinite shower to get the Gobi’s sand off; rest of the day free.
Day 9 - Flight UB – Bayan Olgyi (3,5 hours). We are now at in the far west of the country, a region mostly inhabited by Kazak nomads (90%) also Kirghis, Tuvinian and Mongols. The tiny city of Olgyi is just a huge village where the dust is everywhere. So, we do not waste time here and as soon as we get off the plane we board a jeep and drive into the countryside toward the Altai mountains. Spend the night in kazak ger.
Day 10 - After breakfast we’ll proceed along the huge Siylhemiyn Nuruu valley (Natural Historic Monument “A”) where we have the opportunity to meet several nomads. They are always very hospitable and they welcome us in their tents for a cup of tea, yogurt and cheese. Late afternoon we’ll arrive at the cross of the white and black river (Tsagansalaa/Xarsalaa), separated from a high pyramidal rock. In this area we can admire thousand of petrogliphs: an ancient evidence left by nomads living in this area millions of year ago. We are in Altay Tavan Bogd National Park.
Night in kazak ger.
Day 11 - Our ger is set exactly in front of Tavan Bogd Mt. (4353m) highest mountain in Mongolia bordering Russia and China. We are hiking toward the base camp of it, reachable in about 5 hours; we are supported by an excellent staff of people (guide, cook, translator) and camels. Overnight in ger/tent.
Day 12 - Just close to the base camp start the Tavan Bogd’s and other surrounding mountain’s glacier where we’ll spend the whole day. Overnight at the base camp.
Day 13 - Today we start going back to our jeep, relax for a while than take off for Hotan-Hurgan Lake where we’ll spend the night. Here we are guest of some nomad’s families related with our kazak leader. The location viewing the lake couldn’t be better and fresh fish is always available. The women will show us the traditional kazak carpet available also for sale.
Day 14 - Today we go back to Bayan Olgyi where we’ll stay in a comfortable ger belonging to our guide. After a cold beer and possibly a shower we’ll drive out of town to visit an eagle-hunter.
We’ll have the pleasure to take as many pictures as we like with the eagle on our arm: I do confess you that we’ll have a special feeling. Eagle-hunting start in mid Oktober through March and during the others months the hunters keep the eagle as we do with pets.
Day 15 - Flight Bayan Olgyi-UB.
Day 16 - Free day in the Mongolian capital.
Day 17 - Return to your country.

Changes in the tour:
If a the group would be interested on ski-alpinism on the Tavan’s Bogd glacier, Lupo is able to organized it for you on a best way.

The cost includes
The tour includes everything. Full board everywhere. For prices and further information contact the author.

The ambient:
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