Boundless Mongolia
- Historic Ulaanbaatar
- Orkhon Valley and the Orkhon Waterfall
- Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue
- Folk song and dance performance
- Lake Khövsgöl
Overview
Ulaanbaatar, Gobi Desert, the Steppe, the Lakes
Mongolia … an amazing experience awaits you. It is a unique and relatively unexplored travel destination that offers vast emptiness that links land and sky. Mongolia is one of the last few places on the planet where nomadic life is still a living tradition. It is a land of contrasts with scenes of desert, the wide-open steppe, and beautiful freshwater lakes. The country has the lowest population density in the world.
The majestic and vast emptiness has an appeal that lures travellers to explore and discover this destination, which is also referred to as the “Land of Blue Skies”. It is set to have 250 sunny days each year. The winters are very cold with temperatures dropping to -40ºC.
One of the world’s greatest deserts is the Gobi. It covers large parts of southern Mongolia. Compared to the Sahara and Namib the Gobi has lesser sand dunes, rather large, desolated areas with gravel plains and rocky ridges.
Mongolia is also a country with an old and rich history. During the 1200’s their most famous leader Genghis Khan had a great influence on world history and the Mongol Empire. His grandson was the founder of modern China.
This adventure will be a self-drive 4 x 4 tour. We will follow off-the-beaten tracks and visit the most beautiful places the country has to offer. Don’t miss out as this will be a WOW experience that will stay with your forever. There is also limited space available in our tour leader vehicle for clients that do not want to drive.
There is also limited space available in our tour leader vehicle for clients that do not want to drive.
Itinerary
DAY 0: DEPART
The group departs from Johannesburg to Ulaanbaatar, via a connecting airport.
O/N on board flight.
DAY 1: ARRIVAL ULAANBAATAR
Welcome to Mongolia!
Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Check-in, and evening at leisure.
Relax after the long flights, catch up on sleep and find your Mongolian feet.
O/N Novotel Hotel or similar
En suite rooms.
DAY 2: ULAANBAATAR
Breakfast at the hotel.
One of the most famous sites in Mongolia is the huge statue of Chinggis Khaan on horseback. This stainless-steel statue that stands 10-meter-high from its base (50 meters in total) will be our first visit. The statue is outside of Ulaanbaatar – the return journey will be about 5-hours.
If time and traffic allow, we will visit one of the city museums in the afternoon.
Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.
This evening, we will attend a performance of the Tumen-Ekh Folk Song and Dance Ensemble. For the past 29 years they have been sharing their love of different elements of Mongolian art with tourists. A mesmerising evening awaits.
After the performance we will enjoy our official welcome dinner
O/N Novotel Hotel (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
En suite rooms.
DAY 3: ULAANBAATAR - AMARBAYASGALANT MONASTERY
Breakfast and check-out. This morning there will be time to stock up on supplies. You will receive your vehicles, load your luggage and attend a briefing on the day’s driving and road conditions.
We will leave Ulaanbaatar in convoy heading north towards the Amarbayasgalant Monastery. En route we will stop near the Orkhon River to enjoy a picnic lunch. Our destination for the day is the Monastery that is located near the Selenge River at the foot of Mount Burenkhan.
Amarbayasgalant means Monastery of the Quiet Felicity. It was built during 1727 – 1736, in honour of Undur Gegeen Zanabazar, the first Bodg, Buddhist leader of Mongolia. 3 730 kg of silver from the state coffers were used to pay for the construction. This monastery is the most authentic of the Buddhist monasteries that have been preserved in Mongolia after the 1930’s political upheavals. Although it has been damaged, 28 temples survived and are protected.
Since 1998, the lamas have started restoring the monastery with new statues. The buildings reflect archaeological unity including styles of Chinese, Mongol and Tibetan. The main buildings follow a north-south axis, with the other building on a parallel lateral axis. The two-storied temple covers an area of 32 square metres.
Late afternoon, arrive at your overnight stop, a mobile camp set-up nearby the monastery.
O/N Mobile Ger Camp – safari style ger tents (breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner).
Communal camp shower and toilet.
Approximate driving distance: 240 km.
DAY 4: AMARBAYASGALANT MONASTERY - DELGERMURUN RIVER
Breakfast and check-out.
During the morning, we visit the Amarbayasgalant Monastery and witness their morning ceremony.
Later in the morning we head north to Lake Khuvsgul. Most of the driving today will be on asphalt roads.
We will stop in Erdenet for lunch. It is the second-largest city in Mongolia that lies in a valley between the Selenge and Orkhon Rivers and is about 240 kms northwest from Ulaanbaatar. It was founded mainly to exploit the areas huge deposits of copper and molybdenum ore.
After lunch we continue with our drive heading for a valley near the Delgermurun River. Here
we will check in at our ger camp for overnight.
O/N Kharganat Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
Communal ablution block.
Approximate driving distance: 450 km.
DAY 5: LAKE KHUVSGUL
Enjoy breakfast on the terrace and then check-out. Today we will head for Lake Khuysgul.
En route we will stop at the 5000-year-old Deer Stone Monument. Deer stones are ancient megaliths carved with symbols and are found mainly in Mongolia. The name comes from their carved depictions of flying deer. The deer stones are part of a pastoral tradition of stone burial mounds and monument construction that appeared in Mongolia and neighbouring regions during the Bronze Age (ca. 3000 – 700 BCE). Archaeologists have found more than 1 500 deer stones in Eurasia. Over 1 300 of them were recorded in the territory of modern Mongolia.
Today road conditions will vary between asphalt and gravel roads. We will drive through open green valleys, towards our overnight stop.
O/N Alag Tsar Ger Camp (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
En suite rooms.
Approximate driving distance: 140 km.
DAY 6: LAKE KHUVSGUL
Breakfast and day at leisure.
Enjoy a relaxing day along the lake shore after all the driving the last couple of days. Lake Khuvsgul lies at an altitude of 1 645 m above sea level. It is the largest freshwater lake in Mongolia by volume and second largest by area with a coastline of 414 km. This volcanic lake is 262 m at its deepest, 136 km long and 36 km wide. Over 90 rivers feed the lake while only one flows out.
Along the shores activities take place during the year. You might be able to witness a horse
race or wrestling competition depending on the cultural calendar.
There will also be an opportunity to take a boat ride on the lake to visit the Reindeer people, also known as Dukha people. They are semi-nomadic reindeer herders and are considered one of the earliest domesticators of any animal. They live in yurts that resemble Native-American tepees. They move from one place to another without establishing any permanent settlements during the year.
O/N Alag Tsar Ger Camp (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
En suite rooms.
DAY 7: LAKE KHUVSGUL TO LAKE ZUUN NUUR
Breakfast and check-out.
Back on the road again today. 40% of our route will be on asphalt and the remaining on gravel roads. We will drive south to Lake Zuun Nuur.
After 3.5 hours we will reach Murun also spelled Mörön where we will enjoy lunch. The town has a hospital, museum, a theatre, post office, nine schools and fifteen kindergartens. It was connected to the country’s central power in 2004 and since 2014 there is a paved road to Ulaanbaatar.
After lunch we proceed to Lake Zuun Nuur via gravel roads and 2000-meter-high mountain passes surrounded by granite rock boulders and Siberian Larch trees. The area is known for herds of horses.
O/N Zuun Nuur Ger Camp (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
Communal ablution block.
Approximate driving distance: 280 km.
DAY 8: LAKE ZUUN NUUR – CHULUUT RIVER CANYON
After breakfast we drive south towards the village of Shine Ider to refuel and will then proceed to Lake Terkhiin Tsagaan via the 2000-meter-high Tariat pass. Lake Terkhiin Tsagaan is also known as “White Lake” and is nestled in the mountains of Khangai. It is 16 km wide and 20 km long.
Most of today’s driving will be on gravel roads. Arrive late afternoon at our mobile ger camp set-up which will be located next to the canyon of the Chuluut River. The Chuluut River canyon is one of the largest and deepest canyons in the country measured 80 – 120 meters in some places.
O/N Mobile Ger Camp – safari style ger tents (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
Communal camp shower and toilet.
Approximate driving distance: 280 km.
DAY 9: CHULUUT RIVER CANYON – ORKHON VALLEY
Breakfast will be with canyon views.
Today we will drive through Central Mongolian plains on paved roads. We will reach Tsetsereleg where we will refuel and have a quick lunch stop. From Tsetserleg we will have another 180 km enjoyable drive ahead to reach the Orkhon Valley via Tsenkher Hot Spring and the green meadows of the Khangai Range.
We will overnight in a basic family run ger camp that overlooks the Orkhon Valley and its waterfall. Our 2024 group really enjoyed the interaction with the family.
O/N Eco-Blue Sky Ger Camp (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
Communal ablution.
Approximate driving distance: 250 km.
DAY 10: ORKHON RIVER
Enjoy a day at leisure.
Activities to consider is a short drive to a nearby nomad family for a cultural experience or an optional hike in the nearby hills or to the waterfall or a horseback ride.
O/N Eco-Blue Sky Ger Camp (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
Communal ablution.
DAY 12: ELSEN TASARKHAI
Breakfast and check-out.
Today our journey back to Ulaanbaatar starts. En route we will stop in Arvaikheer again to refuel. By mid-afternoon we reach Elsen Tasarkhai known for its Gobi sand dunes. It continues for 80 km and is 5 km wide. This unique geographical area is where the Gobi Desert and the central Mongolian plains meet.
O/N Khugnu Khan Ger camp (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
Communal ablution block.
Approximate driving distance: 300 km.
DAY 11: UUSH SHAKHLAG
Breakfast and check-out and then depart on a long drive to get a glimpse of the Gobi Desert.
Our drive starts with a river crossing and via some volcanic boulders to reach the town of Arvaikheer. We will arrive in time for lunch. After lunch we drive south over the flat plains of the Gobi Desert to reach our camp.
Our mobile camp will be located next to Uush Shakhlag cliffs. The high multi-coloured cliffs and surrounding emptiness will be a breathtaking site.
O/N Mobile Ger Camp – safari style ger tents (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
Communal camp shower and toilet.
Approximate driving distance: 320 km.
DAY 13: ULAANBAATAR
This will be our final day of driving. We will join the paved road and stop about 100 km before reaching Ulaanbaatar at the Hustain Nuruu National Park. The park is known for its population of takhi, a Mongolian wild horse (Przewalsky horse) once thought extinct. The 50 000-hectare park is also the habitat of steppe gazelle, deer, boar, Pallas’s cats, wolves, lynx, marmot and 223 bird species.
Arrive late afternoon in Ulaanbaatar. Check-in at the hotel with dinner later.
O/N Novotel Hotel, or similar (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
En Suite Rooms.
DAY 14: ULAANBAATAR
Breakfast at the hotel.
Day at leisure for shopping, to visit museums in Ulaanbaatar or just to reflect on a wonderful expedition.
Enjoy a farewell dinner
O/N Novotel Hotel, or similar (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
En Suite Rooms.
DAY 15: DEPARTURE
Early check-out and departure to the airport for return flight via Hong Kong.
Details on a possible day tour in Hong Kong will be shared closer to the time depending on the interest of the group. Alternatively, group members will be at leisure to relax at an airport hotel (we can assist with a booking) or to explore Hong Kong on their own.
DAY 16: ARRIVAL
Arrive South Africa.
END OF SERVICE
Dates
2025 Tour Dates:
- 31 July 2025– 16 August 2025
Rates
LAND PACKAGE COST:
Minimum 10 guests are required.
Driver of vehicle: USD 8 750 per driver (approximate: R 161 875)
Non-drivers: USD 7 650 per passenger (approximate: R 141 525)
Single supplement fee: USD 580 (approximate: R 10 730)
The Rand value is an indication of an exchange rate of ZAR 18.50 / USD 1.00. At the time of booking the rate of exchange on the day will be used to convert the USD to Rand.
Included
- Vehicle rental: a mix of manual and automatic transmission - Toyota Land Cruiser 100
- and 200 series and Nissan Patrols
- Fuel per vehicle for the duration of the tour
- 2 Support vehicle for the operational team
- 4 x nights in Novotel hotel or similar
- 7 x nights in ger camps on full board basis (some ger camps have en suite gers and other camps have communal shared ablution)
- 3 x nights in mobile ger camp with communal ablution
- Meals as per the programme
- Horse demonstration
- A mechanic
- A field chef and team of 3-4 people
- English speaking guide for entire trip
- Toll fees
- Entrance fees for national parks, show in Ulaanbaatar and museums as per itinerary
- Camping equipment: folding chair
- Daily 2 litres drinking water per person per day
- Car insurance in case of an accident
- Car refrigerator, sand plates, and 2 spare tires
- Car radios (Motorola)
- Return airport transfers in Ulaanbaatar
Excluded
- Alcoholic and soft drinks during trip,
- Personal service fee at the hotels and ger camps,
- Gratuities for crew (about USD 100 per person),
- International and domestic flights,
- Medical, luggage and travel insurance that covers emergency airlift evacuation
- Items of a personal nature
- Any inoculations
- Visa fee
- International driver’s licence
- Anything not specified under inclusions.
FLIGHTS:
As a guideline, we would suggest you work on an estimate amount of R35 000 per person for return flights Johannesburg to Ulaanbaatar. Hong Kong has a long lay-over on the return journey. We will offer an optional day tour.
DAMAGE DEPOSIT:
The vehicle rental company will require a refundable deposit of USD 1 000 per vehicle upon collection of your car in Ulaanbaatar. The deposit will be returned at the end of the trip after the vehicle is inspected.
TRIP NOTES:
What is a Ger Camp?
In ancient times people in Mongolia made shelters from dry branches and animal skin. These are round structures. The first gers to resemble the modern-day design dates to 2500 – 3000 BC. The structure consists of two main elements: a wooden frame and the felt that covers it.
A Ger Camp is a type of resort where tourists stay in a ger instead of a hotel room. These camps are in beautiful locations. The gers (rooms) can sleep between 2 and 4 people. Ablution facilities are shared in separate buildings (like we have in our caravan parks). Separate facilities for males and females. These are about 50 – 100 m from the main sleeping area. They have restaurants that serve Mongolian traditional cuisine as well as European dishes. There is a selected number of nights where the group will stay in en suite gers, but most of the time it will be in camps with shared ablution.
What is mobile ger camp?
Our ground handler will put up his special camp in areas where no other accommodation options are available. This allows us to travel off the grid. The rooms will be mobile gers with proper beds. A shared dining area will be erected as well as communal ablution facility.
General:
- A minimum number of 10 guests are required for the tour to proceed.
- No compulsory inoculations are required.
- South African passport holders need a visa. This is obtained with an online application.
- Drivers must all have an international driver’s license – obtainable from the AA.
- The itinerary serves as an indication of the route and can be changed by the ground handler or guide depending on local conditions.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
It is a condition of booking that all travellers, including any accompanying dependents or companions, are covered by fully comprehensive travel and medical insurance for the duration of their trip. It is the responsibility of all travellers to purchase such travel insurance within 48 hours from making any payment towards a trip to ensure they are covered for personal effects, personal accident, medical and emergency travel expenses, cancellation, and curtailment. Live the Journey will not be held responsible should a guest need to cancel a tour and did not take out timely and adequate travel insurance
Reservations
Fill out the form below to request a full itinerary.