Meeting the Shamans of Khuvsgul
Quick Reference Itinerary
Day 1Today you will arrive in the capital of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar. On arrival you will be transferred to the Bayan Gol Hotel to check-in and freshen up. In the afternoon we will have a leisurely program of sightseeing including the National History Museum and the Fine Arts Museum. Both museums have impressive displays of Mongolian historical artefacts. Dinner and overnight will be at the Bayan Gol Hotel. Day 2After breakfast we will visit the Gandan Monastery, the centre of for the Buddhist Religion in Mongolia and the largest functioning Monastery in Ulaanbaatar. After a light lunch we will go to the airport for the local, internal flight to Moron, the capital of Khuvsgul Aimag. The flight time is approximately one and half-hours. On arrival at the local airport, our local drivers and vehicles will meet us, and we will drive to the Beltes River to make camp for overnight. The Beltes River is fast flowing river with white water, surrounded by mountainous valleys. We will have tented camp overnight by the river's edge.
Day 3Today we drive over the mountainous range of Khoridol Saridag and descend into Darkhad Valley. While driving over the mountains we will be passing through the taiga forest of the north. Our camp for tonight will be by the riverside of Khogiin Gol, which has an abundance of fish such as taimen, lenok and graylings. Here we meet our horsemen and horses for our riding trek. Day 4Today is the first day of our linear horse riding. As the terrain doesn't allow the vehicles to drive we will have the support of packhorses to transport all the trekking equipment and food. Today we will ride for about 30kms in the mountainous valley and reach the foothills of Mount Tsagaan Chuluut for overnight-tented camp. Day 5As we ride deep into the Taiga the terrain will get wet and muddy. The riding becomes more difficult and at some stages we will be riding in single file through the thick forest. We will be making camp on dry ground in the mountains for the next two nights. Day 6Today is a very special occasion when we will ride a short distance to reach the camp of the Tsaatan people. The Tsaatan people are very unique to Mongolia and are a special group of people to be treasured by all. They are a minority group of Mongolia and live by herding Reindeer in the high mountains. They live in tepee style tents and have very few possessions. Visiting these people, sharing in their hospitality and learning about their unique way of life is a treasured, once-in-a-lifetime memory and a real blessing. The Tsaatan people also practice the ancient traditions of Shamanism and believe in the worshipping of the nature. We will spend the day with these wonderful people and return to our overnight camp of the previous evening. Day 7Today we will continue the ride into the Darkhad Valley. The Darkhad Valley is a lowland (or depression) between Khoridol Saridag Mountain Range and Ulaan Taiga Forest. In the valley there are many small lakes such as Deed White Lake, Dood White Lake, Targa and Harmai. In the rivers and lakes of the area there are different species of fish such as Taimen, Lenok, Siberian White Fish, Grayling, Freshwater Cod and others. When we make our evening camp our luggage vehicle will meet us again and we will have the comforts of vehicle support on our ride for a couple of days.
Day 8-9The next two day's rides are through open valleys and plains. The steppe area is surrounded on both sides by the forests of the Taiga, however, the open spaces allow us to ride freely at a faster pace than was possible through the forest. We will cross the Khogiin River on horseback and come to the Shishegt River for our overnight camp. Our vehicle carrying equipment and food will go on ahead of us during the day to make camp for overnight. On the evening of the second day we will make camp by the Arsain River for overnight. Day 10Today will be a well-earned day of rest. We will visit another minority group of Mongolia today, the Darkhad people. These people live a lifestyle more similar to the Mongolian nomadic herdsmen and live in the traditional Mongolian dwelling, the ger. They herd sheep, yaks and horses. Our overnight camp will be again be besides the Arsain River. Day 11-12Over the next two days we will slowly ascend the Khoridol Saridag Mountains, having overnights in the mountains. The terrain will be a mixture of mountainous valleys, meadows and forests. The luggage vehicle would leave us again and drive around the Mountain to meet us at the other side, by the shore of the lake. We will have a support of packhorses meanwhile.
Day 13Today we will ride over the highest point of the Khoridol Saridag Mountains at Jiglegiin pass. Here there is an Ovoo on top of the hill where people gather together to worship the nature. From here we see a glorious view of Khuvsgul Lake. This is a fresh water lake at an altitude of 1624m. The lake stretches for 134km from the north to the south, and 39km at widest. There are 46 rivers and streams flowing into the lake. Egiin River is the only river that flows out of the lake. Khuvsgul Lake is 262m deep and is considered the deepest lake in the Central Asia. The lake contains 1% of the fresh water reserve on the earth. High mountains with sharp, snow-capped peaks and taiga forest surround the lake making a picturesque setting. After a break at the peak we will descend the Mountain, along a small path and reach the Lake's edge for our evening camp. Day 14Today will be our last day of riding by the edge of the lake. We will reach a tourist ger camp at Toilogt in the afternoon. Here we will reunite with our drivers and have a farewell dinner for our horsemen. Overnight at the ger camp by the edge of the lake. Day 15Today will be a day of rest from vehicles and horses where we can explore the Lake and soak up the tranquil scenery and beautiful nature. Overnight at the same ger camp as the previous night. Day 16Today we will drive a short way to Khatgal village, at the southern edge of the lake and take the local flight back to Ulaanbaatar. On arrival you will be transferred to the Bayangol Hotel for dinner and overnight. Day 17We will enjoy a full day of guided sightseeing within the city of Ulaanbaatar. In the morning, we will visit Gandan Monastery which is the largest in the country. Additionally, it was the only monastery functioning during Socialist times and is now the religious center of the country. Afterwards, we will visit the National history museum and Fine art museum. Both museums house impressive displays of Mongolian National and Religious history. Time will be provided in the afternoon to shop for Mongolian cashmere products and souvenirs. Our evening program will be a local concert featuring national music and dancing followed by dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight accommodations will be at the Bayangol Hotel. Day 18This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your international departure. |
Departure date: Available from 15 June to 15 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 |
