Bird Watching Tour
Quick Reference Itinerary
Day 1Upon arrival in Mongolia's capital city, Ulaanbaatar, you will be met by your tour guide and driver and then transferred to the Bayangol Hotel. In the afternoon, we will begin our exploration with a short tour of the city including the National History Museum of Ulaanbaatar. Dinner will be at a local restaurant. Day 2After breakfast in the hotel, we will transfer to the airport in Ulaanbaatar for our flight to Khovd province. Khovd city is the center of one of western Mongolia's provinces and remains the home to many of the ethnic groups living in the country. Upon arrival, we will be met by our local driver and head out of the town towards Khar Us Lake. Our drive will take us through the Khongil Valley where we will make a short stop to watch birds in the area. We will make our overnight tented camp on the western shore of Khar Us Lake. 
Day 3Today, we will watch birds from the western shore of Khar Us Lake. Khar Us Lake is one of the largest lakes in Mongolia at 72 kilometers wide and covering an area of 1,153 square kilometers. We will have our meals and once again overnight on the western shore of Khar Us Lake. Day 4Today we will continue our journey along the south and east shores of Khar Us Lake and engage in bird watching along the way. Our drive will take us over the pass of Nam. We will make our overnight camp in the eastern valley of Jargalant Khairkhan Mountain. Day 5We will spend the day watching birds in the high mountain range. We will be at an altitude of over 2,000 meters. We will have our meals and once again overnight in the eastern valley of Jargalant Khairkhan Mountain. Day 6Today we will drive about two hours until we reach the location of where the Chono Kharaih River flows from Khar Us Lake. The afternoon will be spent watching birds in this area. Overnight will be in tented camp. Day 7In the morning, we will continue our drive and cross a bridge at Chono Khariah River and then make our camp by the Airag Lake which the Zavkhan River flows into. The Zavkhan River rises on the southern slope of the Khangai Mountain Range and flows 808 kilometers west into the Airag Lake. Our drive will take us through semi-desert land. 
Day 8Today, we will spend time watching birds along Airag Lake and the channel that connects the lake with Khyargas Lake. Khyargas Lake is one of Mongolia's largest lakes covering 1,406 square kilometers. The brackish waters of the lake are home to rare fish including Mongolian Grayling. Day 9We will continue our journey west and drive along the Khovd River and the northern edge of Khar Us Lake. Our overnight camp will be at the basin of the Khovd River. Khovd River rises due to the permanent snow at Tavan Bogd Uul (mountain) and flows 516 kilometers into the lake of Khar Us. There will be additional opportunities to observe birds in their natural habitat. Day 10Our drive today will take us to Tsambagarav Mountain and we will make our camp in the nearby Namarjin Valley. Along the way, we will visit with a Kazakh family and learn about this ethnic group's way of hunting with eagle. In the far western regions of Mongolia, the Kazakh minority group still practices this ancient tradition which is a part of everyday life and culture. Kazakh men hunt with these massive birds of prey which are caught and taken from their nest at a young age. The birds are then trained during the summer months and as winter draws near, the birds are starved to make them hungry for the hunt. In the summer, the eagles are usually kept tied up outside of the gers of Kazakh people. These eagles are kept and used for hunting until the reach the age of about 15 at which point they are released back into the wild. 
Day 11We will spend time exploring birds at Tsambagarav Mountain. This mountain rises to an elevation of 4,195 meters above sea level. It is always covered with snow and located on the border of Mongolia's Khovd and Bayan Olgii provinces. Day 12Today we will begin our drive back to Khovd city and make our camp near the Buyant River where we will do some birdwatching. Day 13We will arrive back in Khovd city for our return flight to Ulaanbaatar. Upon arrival back in the capital city, you will be transported to the Bayangol Hotel. Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at the hotel. Day 14We will have a day trip to Bogd Khan Mountain which adorns the southern side of Ulaanbaatar. This mountain has enjoyed state protection since 1778 making it one of the first protected places in the world. Its peak is Tsetsee Gun located at 2,257 meters above sea lever. We will enjoy packed lunch on the mountain. Dinner will be at a local restaurant and overnight accommodations at the hotel. Day 15Transfer to airport for departure flight. |
Departure date: Available from 15 May to 1 SeptemberPrices per person: Tour prices include:
Tour prices do not include: Alcohol drinks, all items of personal nature, airport taxes and international transportation to and from Mongolia |