Discover Mongolia and the Trans-Mongolian Railway

Flight or train to Ulaanbaatar available upon request.

Individual arrival in Ulaanbaatar (time difference: 6 hours).
You will arrive in Ulaanbaatar the day after your departure.

Overnight at a 2* hotel

After breakfast, you will meet your French-speaking guide at the hotel reception. Departure for Terelj-Gorki National Park (70 km). The fascinating nature is a mix of steppe and rock formations just outside the capital’s doors. Stop at the Turtle Rock, where you’ll get a view of rolling steppes, pine-covered mountains, and edelweiss fields.

Lunch will be a picnic (prepared by the team) in the park.

Arrival in the afternoon at a herder family’s camp by the Tuul River. The scenery around the camp is amazing; you can use this time for a walk or to share in the family’s daily activities, such as milking the animals or lighting the stove in the yurt. Dinner prepared by the family.
Overnight in a yurt. (B, L, D)

After breakfast in the fresh air, horseback ride along the Tuul River to venture deeper into the park and admire the contrasting landscapes of steppe, mountains, and rivers.

Lunch will be a picnic (prepared by the team) in the park. Return to the yurt camp.

Afternoon spent with the nomadic family during which you’ll learn to make traditional dairy products. You can also taste cheese as well as traditional Mongolian tea or airag (mare’s milk). Preparation of a Mongolian barbecue with the family. Dinner with the family. During the meal, you may take the opportunity—when the family is not busy with their usual tasks—to offer them small gifts.

Dinner prepared by the family.
Overnight in a yurt. (B, L, D)

After breakfast, you say “goodbye” to your host family. Departure accompanied by a traditional ceremony.

On the way back, stop at the Gengis Khan Equestrian Statue, 40m high. The tallest equestrian statue in the world, inside which is a museum (visit included). Lunch in a local restaurant.

Upon arrival in Ulaanbaatar, you have free time to shop for the next leg of your trip. Dinner in the city. In the early evening, depart by train towards the city of Sainshand in the Gobi Desert. The regular train is mostly used by Mongolians, making for a truly local atmosphere on board.
Overnight on the train in a 4-berth compartment. (B, L, D)

Early in the morning, you wake up to desert landscapes. Breakfast is provided on board the train by the team before arrival.

From Sainshand you set out to explore the Khamar Monastery. Founded in 1820 by the famous educator and writer Danzanravjaa, this monastery was an important center of the Buddhist “Red Sect.” A bit further on, you will visit one of the holiest places of the Buddhist religion, Shambala. This energetic center is now a popular pilgrimage site in Mongolia.

In the afternoon, continue your exploration by climbing Bayanzurkh Mountain (1031m), a prominent worship site where the 3rd largest lama of the Gobi is buried. Stops at stupas and ovoos are planned along the way. Once at the top, enjoy a magnificent view over the Sainshand region.
Dinner and overnight in a yurt camp (B, L, D)

Breakfast at the yurt camp. Visit to a camel herder family. Here, discover the daily life of nomads living in much harsher conditions than those in the north of the country. Your guide will explain the differences in ways of life, camp set-up, and traditions between the nomadic families of the steppes and those of the desert. Camel ride.

Lunch with the family. Return to Sainshand. Visit to the Danzanravjaa Museum.

After dinner at a local restaurant, board the train for the return journey to Ulaanbaatar.
Overnight on the train. (B, L, D)

Breakfast on board the train as a snack.

Arrival in Ulaanbaatar, then departure for a visit to the Gandantegchinlen Monastery. You may attend a prayer by the monks in this important Buddhist center. Continue to Khoustai Reserve, home to the Przewalski wild horses, reintroduced in 1992. You can observe them from a distance (bring binoculars) as they come down to drink.
If time allows, visit the museum about the reintroduction of these symbolic horses to the area.

Setup with a nomad family living near the reserve. Dinner prepared by the family.
Overnight in a yurt. (B, L, D)

Last day in the Mongolian steppe.
You can choose between various activities offered by your guide: horseback riding, hiking, or even going off-road by 4×4 further into the steppe to enjoy breathtaking panoramas.

Picnic lunch outdoors.
Dinner and overnight in the yurt camp. (B, L, D)

After breakfast, you hit the road for the return journey. The last herds of horses pass before you as the steppe recedes in the distance.

Free time at the hotel for a shower. After this short rest, a brief city center tour of Ulaanbaatar with Genghis Khan central square and the Parliament. In the early evening, you will attend a traditional performance with throat singing and traditional dances.

Dinner at a city restaurant.
Overnight at the hotel. (B, L, D)

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport for the return flight.
(B)

Extra night, return flight or train from Ulaanbaatar on request.