| CENTRAL MONGOLIA + WESTERN MONGOLIA |
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| Written by Administrator | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Saturday, 16 April 2011 21:58 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Itinerary name: CENTRAL MONGOLIA + WESTERN MONGOLIA Area: Western Mongolia - National park Altai Tavan Bogd, Central Mongolia - Khorgo-Terkh and Karakorum Potential dates: From June to September, each year Duration: 18 days Difficulty: moderate (need some experience necessary. The trip suitable for 20-50) Total distance: driving: 3600 km Sights: Karakorum, Khasagt Khairkhan uul, Khoid Tsenkheriin agui, Tolbo nuur, Mountain Shiveet Khairkhan, National Park Altai Tavan Bogd, Potanin's Glacier, Khyargas nuur, Bayan nuur, Telmen nuur, Terkhiin Tsagaan nuur, Khorgo, Chuluutyn khavtsal, Taikhar chuluu, Tsagaan davaa, Bulgan uul, Ugii nuur, Khustai nuruu and more... Activities: horseback riding, visit to Kazakh nomadic family, hiking, mountain climbing, bird watching, visit to nomadic families, off road, camel riding, flower watching, wild life viewing and more... Price: from 970 USD p.p  Day1. Karakorum breakfast time - drive to Karakorum /350 km/ - see Great Imperial Map & phallic rock - lunch time - visit to Erdene Zuu monastery complex and its turtle rocks - dinner - free time - overnight around Kharkhorin Karakorum, the ancient capital of Mongolia where today there is a small local township. On arrival you will notice the first and most obvious landmark which is the massive wall of monastery Erdenezuu. The monastery was built in 1586 by a well-known Mongolian king called Abtai Sain Khaan, and is surrounded by a vast 400m wall. Not a single nail was used in the construction of the ornate temples, only a few of which remain standing after the communist purges. In previous times the grounds held over 60 temples with 10,000 monks using them for their daily worship. Day2. Arvaikheer & Bayankhongor breakfast time - free time - drive to Arvaikheer town /135 km/ - lunch time - Bayankhongor town /210 km/ - visit to local museum - dinner time - free time - overnight in Bayankhongor town Arvaikheer town is provincial center of Övörkhangai (Inner Mountains) province. Bayankhongor town is provincial center of Bayankhongor province. Day3. Khasagt Khairkhan breakfast time - drive to Altai town /130 km/ - lunch time - drive to Khasagt Khairkhan /80 km/ - hiking time - dinner time - overnight around Khasagt Khairkhan /tent/ Khasagt Khairkhan is very picturesque Mountain range. It is proclaimed as Strictly Protected Area since 1965. Its highest peak is 3578 m above sea level. This park has an area of 274 square kilometers is located about 80 km northwest of Altai. The mountains therein, is protected to allow argali, ibex and snow leopards frolic freely. A perfect place to find the beaten track. Day4. Khoid Tsenkheriin agui breakfast time → drive to Khoid Tsenkheriin agui /310 km/ → lunch time → climb up to and explore Khoid Tsenkheriin agui→ dinner time → overnight around there /tent/ Khoid Tsenkher (Mongolia for 'North Light-Blue') is a cave in Mongolia famous for its Paleolithic cave paintings featuring drawings and polychrome rock paintings of wild mammals and human hands. The Cave is located about 30 km from center of Mankhan sum (sub-province), about 80 km from center of Khovd aimag (province), Mongolia. This site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on August 1, 1996 in the Cultural category. The cave at Khoid Tsenkher, contains many figures and most of the major images have been painted onto the walls using mineral pigments (red and yellow ochre, hematite, manganese oxide and charcoal), although some designs have also been incised into the stone. The most famous section of the cave is Second hall where mammoths, ostriches, kannada antelopes are depicted. Additionally, the animals appear to be in motion. Scientists believe age of drawings of the Cave is approximately 40000 years old. Day5. Tolbo nuur breakfast time - drive to Tolbo nuur /220 km/ - lunch time - hike around the Tolbo nuur - dinner time - drive to Ölgii town /60 km/ - overnight in Ölgii town Lake Tolbo (Stain) Nuur is located en route between 2 western Mongolian bigger towns, Ölgii and Khovd, and very picturesque. Ölgii town is provincial center of Bayan-Ölgii province. Day6. Altai Tavan Bogd and horseback riding breakfast time → drive to Mountain Shiveet Khairkhan /170 km/ → lunch time → prepare our luggage for the next 3 day-trekking trip to Altai peaks → dinner time → visit to Khazakh nomadic family → overnight around Mountain Shiveet Khairkhan /tent/ Shiveet Khairkhan mountain is the most near place to the high peaks of Mountain Range Mongol Altai reachable by the car. National Park Altai Tavan Bogd. The name Altai comes from the Turkish word Ala-Tau, which means red mountain. Altai is a braid that intertwines high mountain ranges of incomparable beauty alternating moorlands, gorges, rivers and valleys sprinkled with small towns rich with culture and old traditions. The Altai Mountains is recognized as the one of the huge long range that forms a chain of unbroken highlands in Central Asia. In Mongolia, Altai extends up to 2000 km and is one of the most popular natural wonder in the country, attracting thousands of visitors every year, from all around the world. There are pristine lakes and rivers, glacier parks, snow-capped peaks, and green mountain forests. The Mongol Altai mountain range is a paradise for nature as well as adventure sports lovers. It offers many opportunities for all types of outdoor activities such as trekking, rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking and cave exploration. The mountain range boasts of unimaginable natural beauty that you will cherish for the rest of your life. The indigenous Kazakhs still farm the rural highlands like their ancestors did and wear colorful traditional clothing. The Kazakhs live in surrounded with ornaments. They richly decorate their yurts with wall carpets and multicolored embroideries. Kazakhs are also very proud of their mountains, rare animals such as snow leopards, eagles, and falcons (a large eagle appears on the Kazakh flag under a rising sun), and their national instrument, the dombra, a two-stringed instrument with a thin neck and potbelly base, resembling a guitar. more... breakfast time → horseback riding to Potanin's Glacier → lunch time → horseback riding to the Glacier, enjoy natural beauty of mountainous Altai → dinner time → overnight around Potanin's Glacier /tent/ The Potanin's Glacier in the Altai Tavan Bogd, Mongol Altai, Western Mongolia. At 19 kilometers in length, it is longest glaciers on Mongolian territory. Mongols are historically a nomadic people, and thus many of their cultural symbols reflect nomadic life. The horse is probably the most central part of Mongolian culture. Mongols love horses, riding them for transportation in the villages, using them for farming, racing them for fun, and eating them for celebrations. Many Mongols own horses and keep pictures of them in their houses or offices. Our excellent horseback-riding program is tailored to your experience level from the beginner to the intermediate and advanced. Day8. Potanin's Glacier and hiking Breakfast time → free time → lunch time → free time → dinner time → overnight around the Glacier /tent/ Day9. Back to Shiveet Khairkhan Breakfast time → horseback riding to Shiveet Khairkhan Mountain → lunch time → continue horseback riding to Shiveet Khairkhan → dinner time → overnight around Shiveet Khairkhan /tent/ Day10. Back to Ölgii & Achit nuur Breakfast time → drive to Ölgii /170 km/→ lunch time → drive to Lake Achit nuur /80 km/ → dinner time → hike and explore Develiin aral - overnight around shore of Lake Achit nuur /tent/ Achit Nuur (Mongolian: Ачит Нуур) is the largest freshwater lake in the Uvs Aimag (province) of Mongolia, in the west of the country. At an elevation of 1,435 m above sea level it covers an area of 290 km². It is 28 km long, 16 km wide, and 10 m deep. The coast is covered with steppes, mostly hilly but swampy on the northwest and northeast. Several rivers also flow into the lake. Day11. Khyargas nuur and bird watching breakfast time → drive to National Park Lake Khyargas nuur /130 km/ → lunch time around Lake Har-Us nuur→ continue driving to Khyargas nuur /180 km/→ dinner time → hike around Khetsuu Khad natural wonder → watching birds → overnight around Khetsuu Khad Lake Khyargas, the one of the largest lake in Mongolia, is one of the top attraction in Western Mongolia. Another smaller Lake Khyargas, which contains saltwater, covers an area over 146.8 sq km, has a length of some 75 km, width is about 31 km and reaches a depth of about 40-50 m. The Lake fed by River Zavkhan gol and other smaller Rivers via Airag, nearly located smaller fresh-watered lake. The Lake and its surrounding area was proclaimed as National Park and established in 2000 and covers about 3,328 sq km. It also includes a freshwater lake Airag nuur. The basic attraction of the Lake is Khetsuu Khad (Hard Rock), an enormous rock sticking out of the water that attracts migratory cormorant birds. The birds arrive in April and hatch their young in large nests built on the rock. When the chicks hatch, their squawking is constant and deafening. The aura created by the white cliffs and shrill birds makes you feel as if you’ve arrived at the ocean. By October the cormorants are off again, migrating back to their breeding grounds in southern China. Day12. Bayan nuur and its surroundings sand dunes breakfast time → drive to Santmargats sum /170 km/ → drive to Lake Bayan nuur /30 km/→ lunch time → hike around sand dunes and enjoy natural beauty → dinner time → free time → overnight around Bayan nuur /tent/ Day13. Telmen nuur breakfast time - drive to Lake Telmen nuur /230 km/ - lunch time - hike and explore the Lake - dinner time - free time - overnight around the Lake /tent/ Day14. Khorgo-Terkh breakfast time → drive to National Park Khorgo-Terkh /250 km/ → see picturesque Mountain pass Orookh → lunch time → horseback riding → climb up to Extinct Volcano Khorgo → dinner time → overnight in the National Park. This large placid lake is ringed by sandy beaches. There are a number of ger camps and hotels around the like, but camping is also very easy because of the sheer quantity of ideal sites to pitch up. The lake lends itself to swimming and is reputedly good for fishing, but the fish here are harder to catch than in other areas. The lake has volcanic origins, something that is easy to figure out by the trail of solidified lava formations leading from the lake to nearby Khorgo Uul volcano. The volcano is worth climbing if only to walk around the crater it is easy to hire a horse and ride it up the volcano, which also gives you chance to visit of the more interesting lava formations on your way, or cars can be driven almost to the visit almost to the to the summit. Khorgo volcano is a dead volcano covered with basalt lying to the east of the lake Terkhiin Tsagaan in Arkhangai aimag. There are interesting bubbles of solidified lava, named “basalt ger” and it is possible to visit yak herders in this area. Day15. Tsetserleg breakfast time → drive to Tsetserleg town /180 km/ → see picturesque River Canyon Chuluutyn Khavtsal (Canyon of Rocks) → contunue drive to Null Rock Taikhar chuluu → lunch time → continue drive to Tsetserleg town → visit to local food market → visit to Zaya Bandid museum - take rest & charge batteries and supply time → dinner time → overnight in Tsetserleg town Travel due west from Ulaanbaatar and you are very likely to find yourself in the small town of Tsetserleg. The town comes alive every Tsagaan Sar (Lunar New Year) when the whole town takes part in a candlelit climb up the holy mountain of Bulgan Uul that towers over the town. The town is refreshingly pollution free and picturesquely situated among several peaks making it a good place to overnight on your way. Day16. Kultegen and Bilge Khaan's Legendary Monuments & Lake Ugii breakfast time - drive to Kultegen and Bilge Khaan's Legendary Monuments /125 km/ - visit to the site - drive to Lake Ugii /25 km/ - lunch time - boating on the Lake /a hour/ - dinner - boat fishing (optional) - overnight around Lake Ugii Kultegen and Bilge Khaan's Legendary Monuments which is belong to Turkish culture of VIII century. Lake Ugii is nearest lake to Ulaanbaatar capital city. It is also called a paradise for fishers and located in the territory of Arkhangai province, the central part Mongolia. Tough this small lake covers area of only 61 km.sq, it is the main destination for fishers and boating adventurers. If you want we can do some boating experience and fishing there! Day17. National Park Khustai Nuruu breakfast time - drive to National Park Khustai /270 km/ - lunch time - horseback riding for searching wild horses Takhi /3 hours/ - dinner - free time - overnight in the National Park National Park Khustai where re-introduction of the wild takhi horses (Przhevalsky's horses) has taken place since 1992. Takhi is last wild horse subspecies surviving in the 21st century. It was discovered in western Mongolia in the late 1870s by the Russian explorer N.M. Przhevalsky. Several expeditions since 1969 have failed to find this horse, which probably crossed with half-wild domesticated horses and lost its distinct features. Specimens have been kept and bred in zoos, and Mongolia in the late 20th century attempted to reintroduce them into the wild. The afternoon will be spent at leisure hiking in the surrounding mountains with an evening visit to the wild horses while they come to drink in the evening. Mongols are historically a nomadic people, and thus many of their cultural symbols reflect nomadic life. The horse is probably the most central part of Mongolian culture. Mongols love horses, riding them for transportation in the villages, using them for farming, racing them for fun, and eating them for celebrations. Many Mongols own horses and keep pictures of them in their houses or offices. Our excellent horseback-riding program is tailored to your experience level from the beginner to the intermediate and advanced.Day18. Drive to Ulaanbaatar Price range: Our company offer 2 kind of prices based on customers' specific request and budget for the travel itinerary. Leave All Matters With Us! First one is standard arrangement and you will stay in 3 or 4 star tourist hotels in urban area and tourist camp in rural area and will be served 3 meals in a day and use Japanese Jeep etc. Save Your Money In Easy and Happy Way! About budget arrangement, it is good way to save your money. You will stay in local guest house or hostels and you will arrange your food yourself and will use Japanese minivan for driving. But you will see same things just like standard arrangement. Please carefully check what is include and what is not include in these prices!
- Above prices are changeable by changing components (kind of services) of the itinerary! - TGM able to book accommodation of Ulaanbaatar city and could do Ulaanbaatar city's City tour, if you interest in. - If you want to book this travel itinerary, please send us your email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call to our hot line (+976) 88601918. Gallery of the itinerary:  Turtle rock at Karakarum  Another turtle rock at Karakorum  Erdene Zuu monastery complex  Kharkhorin village  Erdene Zuu monastery complex and its surrounding walls  Phallic rock  Buying something from locals  Steppe nomadic family  Steppe football  Khoid Tsenkheriin agui's rock drawings  Khalbagan khushuut in Tolbo lake  Tolbo nuur  Khuiten peak  Trained golden eagle  Golden eagle and his host  Western Mongolia, River valley of Tsagaan gol  Camping around Develiin aral  Yak oxes at Khorgo-Terkh National Park  Extinct Volcano Khorgo  Terkhiin Tsagaan nuur  River Canyon Chuluutyn khavtsal  Null rock Taikhar chuluu  Zaya Bandid museum  Lake Ögii nuur  Lake Ögii nuur  Our guide Jagaa with wild horses  USA traveler Jak with wild horses  wild horses takhi  wild horses takhi |
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 19 April 2011 01:48 ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
