6days/5nights
Tour grade: Easy
Style: Private Tour
Explore Mongolia's rich history and culture on this journey through 13th-century sites and the UNESCO-listed Orkhon River Valley. Visit the ruins of ancient capitals, the Erdene Zuu Monastery, and the Elsen Tasarkhai sand dunes, following the paths of the Great Mongol Empire.
Along the way, meet Mongolia’s nomadic people and experience their timeless traditions. The tour ends with a visit to Khustai National Park, home to the rare Przewalski horse, offering a peaceful retreat before returning to Ulaanbaatar.
Arrival in Ulaanbaatar, private transfer to the hotel
Upon your arrival in Ulaanbaatar, our team will warmly welcome you at the airport after you complete the customs formalities. You’ll then be transferred to your hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is yours to relax, recover from any jet lag, and prepare for the exciting journey ahead. In the evening, at 7 pm, we’ll gather downtown for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant, where your guide will provide a detailed briefing about the tour, ensuring you’re well-prepared for the adventures to come.
Accommodation: 3-star Hotel
Meals:
Dinner
Ulaanbaatar – Karakorum via Elsen Tasarkhai
Today, we will journey to Karakorum, the ancient capital of the Great Mongol Empire. The drive will take approximately 4–5 hours, with a stop at Elsen Tasarkhai for lunch and a visit to a local nomadic family to experience their unique lifestyle. Here, we’ll also enjoy a one-hour camel ride across the picturesque dunes. We will arrive in Karakorum in the late afternoon, check into our hostel, and settle in. Dinner and overnight at the hostel.
Accommodation: Local Hostel or similar
Meals:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Sightseeing in Karakorum
After breakfast, we will visit the iconic Erdenezuu Monastery, the first Buddhist monastery established in central Mongolia in 1586. In the afternoon, we’ll explore the Karakorum Museum, learn about its historical significance, and visit the Tortoise Statue at Melkhii Tolgoi. A short hike to Khaadiin Khushuu Hill will reward us with stunning panoramic views of the Orkhon Valley. Before returning to the hostel, we’ll stop by a local bazaar to browse and experience the vibrant market atmosphere. Dinner and overnight at the hostel.
Accommodation: Local Hostel or similar
Meals:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Karakorum – Hustai National Park
Today, we will travel to Hustai National Park, home to the majestic Takhi, or Przewalski horses, the last remaining wild horse species. Upon arrival, we’ll check in at our ger camp and enjoy a relaxing lunch. In the afternoon, we’ll visit the natural history museum at the park entrance, showcasing the unique flora and fauna of the area. Later, we’ll venture into the park to observe the Takhi horses peacefully grazing in their natural habitat. Return to the ger camp for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation: Ger Camp
Meals:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Hustai National Park – Ulaanbaatar
After breakfast, check out from the camp and embark on a 2–3-hour drive back to Ulaanbaatar. Upon arrival, visit the iconic Gandan Monastery to witness the morning chanting rituals and marvel at the impressive 26-meter-tall statue of the Buddhist deity Megjid Janraisag. Continue to Sukhbaatar Square, the heart of the city. After lunch, transfer to the hotel for check-in. The afternoon is yours to enjoy optional shopping or explore the city at your leisure. Dinner is on your own, and you can enjoy free time to relax or discover local dining options.
Accommodation: 3-star Hotel
Meals:
Breakfast
Lunch
Departure From Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Pick up in the morning from hotel and transfer to the airport.
Meals:
Breakfast
Tour Dates: available all year around
Tour Status: Active
*Active: This tour is currently open for new bookings and will be guaranteed to proceed once it reaches the minimum number of participants.
*Guaranteed: This departure is open for new bookings, and it is confirmed to proceed without needing to reach the minimum number of passengers required.
If you prefer a private tour experience, simply click the "Customize this tour" button located at the bottom of the page to personalize the itinerary according to your preferences. Upon submitting your request, our team of travel advisors will promptly provide you with a tailored proposal and quote.
Tour Price:
PS:**1 pax price includes single accommodation in all locations
*The tour price is not applicable between July 5-15 due to Naadam Festival
Included in the service:
Not Included in the Service:
Accommodation info on your Mongolia tours
Ulaanbaatar: Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia, offers a variety of hotels ranging from basic guesthouses to high-end 5* hotel.
Some of our Mongolia tours do not include the hotel stays in Ulaanbaatar in the tour package, where clients can choose a hotel that suits their needs and budget. Please make sure to check your tour program`s Inclusions and Exclusions section to confirm if your hotel stay is included in the package.
If you wish us to book your hotel for you, your travel consultant will be happy to recommend and book an ideal hotel for you.
Here are hotels that are recommended by us:
Outside Ulaanbaatar: Outside of Ulaanbaatar where there are no hotels, tourist Ger (yurt) camps are the best accommodation for travelers. A Ger is Mongolian traditional dwelling made of felt layers and wooden construction, and the Mongolians have lived in Gers for thousands of years. Tourist Ger camps offer comfortable Gers with 1-3 beds with good bedding (1 Ger equals 1 hotel room), and also offer well-maintained public western style showers and WCs on their grounds. Some Ger camps offer en-suite bathroom facilities at additional charge, please ask your Selena Travel advisor for further details when booking your Mongolia tour.
Food on Selena Travel tours
In the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, a great variety of restaurants can be found and you will be eating at some of the best restaurants of Ulaanbaatar on your Mongolia tour while in the capital. Once you are outside the capital, Ger restaurants in Ger camps, local cafes in the small towns and sometimes nomadic families will be the places where you will be eating most of your meal. Ger restaurants often offer set continental breakfasts, set menu lunches and dinners consisting of salad or soup, main course and dessert.
While on the tour, during your longer driving days you will take packed lunch from Ger camps, often vegetable salad, main course such as fried chicken/noodles/dumplings and a small dessert, while hitting the road. Most of the food restrictions and allergies such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and many others, can be accommodated with easy on your Mongolia adventure.
Luggage allowance on Selena Travel tours
If you are on an overland only tour across Mongolia, the recommended weight of your luggage is 20kg per person (max). However, kindly note that domestic flight luggage allowance per person is 15 kg (10 kg for the check in luggage and 5 kg for the carry on luggage). It is possible to purchase extra luggage space which costs US$2 - 5 per 1kg.
DESTINATION & ATTRACTIONS BRIEF INFO
The Karakorum was flourished in the IV-IX century by the Kirgis tribe and in 1220 the great Emperor Chinghis Khaan declared it as the capital city of his vast Empire. Many other Mongolian Khaans used Karakorum as the capital of Great Mongolian Empire, however, the Chinese Ming soldiers burnt the city several times in 15-17th century. Today there are many interesting sites left to visit; the legendary turtle rock sculptures, Buddhist stupas and the ruins of this once great city to name a few. This is one of the best place for Mongolian cultural tours.
Aug 10, 2012. Gobi & Karakorum Explorer tour
Our recent "The Gobi & Karakorum Explorer" tour with you was excellent, everything exceeded our expectations! It was a super trip in our lives and we loved our Mongolia holiday so much. Our guide Joe was kind, well organised, accurate and informative, polite and caring and always provided us with timely information. And our driver Jack is super, very friendly, professional and always on time.
We are wild travelers, having been to many places in the world - but Mongolia is still truly unspoiled and uncontaminated. Selena Travel's services were perfect right from the very first email. We would like to thank Selena Travel, our guide and our driver for having made this Mongolia experience a truly beautiful one with so many wonderful memories.
by Rafaella, Benedetta, Lidia
Sending you some of our nicer pictures. Some are chosen for their beautiful scenery while the rest are just us happily playing and goofing around. There are a couple of shots of us doing some Mongolian wrestling, as suggested by Oyuna since we missed out on the mini-Naadam festival. She said since we missed it, we might as well organise our own festival by playing some Mongolian games. Haha... We had so much fun playing those games!!! :)OK, I hope you like the pictures we send you. Best regards to everyone at Selena Travel and thank you once again for all your assistance.
by Margaret Suganda
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