Day 1
Riding: No riding.
You will be transferred from Ulaanbaatar airport to your four star hotel (transfer timed to meet the Turkish Airlines flight). After lunch you take a short walk through the Yurt District to visit the Gandantegchinlin Monastery. Return to your hotel to rest (there's a swimming pool, spa and gym - extra cost, payable locally) before dinner with your group.
Day 2 - Ullaanbaatar - Kharkhorin
Riding: No riding.
After breakfast you're transferred to Kharkhorin (Karakorum), Mongolia's ancient capital, with a picnic lunch en-route. This is a long day on the road (6-7 hours, depending on road conditions) but this evening you will be within the Orkhon Valley World Heritage Site and ready to start your riding adventure.
Visit Erdene Zuu Monastery on arrival and then set up camp in the wilderness near the entrance to Orkhon Valley.
Day 3 - Orkhon Valley
Riding: 4 - 6 hours
Meet your horses and nomadic herdsmen who will accompany you on your trail. Mount up and head towards the northern mountains of the famous Orkhon Valley. Your picnic lunch will be brought by vehicle so you don't need to carry it on horseback and can enjoy many canters.
After your day on horseback set up camp in the wilderness before dinner.
Day 4 - Orkhon Valley
Riding: 4 - 6 hours
Continue you ride in the Khangai Mountains with another picnic lunch provided by the support vehicle and another new wilderness camping location.
Day 5 - Orkhon Valley
Riding: 4 - 6 hours
This morning you ride to Tovkhon Monastery, one of the major Buddhist sites in Mongolia and situated at 2400m. After lunch you ride down the mountains into the Orkhon Valley, with astonishing views across the valley to the wood-studded mountains in the background. This area is known as the cradle of the nomadic way of life in Mongolia.
Set up camp in the wilderness before dinner.
Day 6 - Orkhon Valley
Riding: 4 - 6 hours
This mornings ride takes you to the famous Orkhon Falls. Continue riding through the upstream part of the valley, where the landscape becomes wilder and wilder. This region has black ancient lava flows which contrast with the white running water of the Orkhon river and remind you of Mongolia's volcanic past.
After a picnic lunch you ride to the larch forests with the impressive Naiman Nuur mountains beyond. Set up camp.
Day 7 - Naiman Nuur Park
Riding: 4 - 6 hours
For the next three days you will experience a different pace - after the wide open spaces of Orkhon Valley you now ride in the wild and remote landscapes of Naiman Nuur which means the 8 Lakes Park. Pack yaks will carry your equipment and personal belongings for these three days as this beautiful and isolated area is not accessible to vehicles. Pack your luggage and camping equipment onto the yaks and start your steep ride into the mountains, stopping for a picnic lunch en-route.
You will spend the next two nights in guest yurts (5 people per yurt) with a nomadic family living in this remote park - they are yak breeders.
Day 8 - Naiman Nuur Park
Riding: 4 - 6 hours
Todays ride takes you into beautiful forested mountains, discovering the wonderful scenic lakes of the Naiman Nuur park before returning to your guest yurt.
Day 9 - Naiman Nuur - Orkhon Valley
Riding: 4 - 6 hours
On horseback you depart Naiman Nuur with your pack yaks and head back into the Orkhon Valley. Ride through steep mountains where you'll appreciate the sure-footed horses and ability of your yak herders!
Dinner and overnight in a guest yurt close to a nomadic family.
Day 10 - Orkhon Valley - Bayan Gobi
Riding: 2 hours
After breakfast you depart by 4x4 vehicle to the Bayan Gobi desert ("rich Gobi"). Here you'll meet your nomadic herder who will be your riding guide for the next two days through the dunes and steppes of the Bayan Gobi.
After a first afternoon ride, set up camp in the desert, in a sparsely populated area on the southern edge of the Bayan Gobi.
Day 11 - Bayan Gobi
Riding: 4 - 6 hours
A full day on horseback in the Bayan Gobi, which is the only opportunity to ride a horse in the typical Gobi landscape as the southern Gobi only offers camels. This area is the geographical heart of Mongolia and located at the junction of three major Mongolian ecosystems - two of the main mountain ranges, the Khangai and Khentii, and the northern edge of the Gobi desert.
Mount Batkhan overlooks this area and gives rise to several rivers and springs which mix their waters with the sand dunes of Elsentasarkhai ("sand break") forming a changing and spectacular scenery.
In the afternoon you reach the Khogno Khan cliffs where you visit Ovgon Khiid monastery which is set in dramatic scenery.
Dinner and overnight in a guest yurt close to a nomadic family.
Day 12 - Bayan Gobi - Ullaanbaatar
Riding: No riding.
Breakfast and early departure to Ullaanbaatar where you should arrive in the afternoon, after taking lunch en-route. The rest of the afternoon is dedicated to shopping in stores downtown or at the Narantuul "black market" where you will find traditional clothing and objects of daily life.
In the late afternoon you attend a show with traditional dances, music and songs from Mongolia, especially the amazing Khoomei. Dinner is not included this evening so that you can choose from the many dining opportunities available in the city.
Overnight at the 3 star Nine hotel or similar.
Day 13
Riding: No riding.
Breakfast and transfer to the airport in time for the Turkish Airlines flight.
Note: All programmes and itineraries are weather dependent; in the face of adverse, or unexpected, weather conditions reasonable attempts will be made to provide equivalent riding. All programmes are accurate at the time of writing. However, the team may adapt or modify details, whilst aiming to provide a similar experience.
