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Naadam Festival & Gobi Desert Tour

Naadam festival tour and Gobi desert,travel to Mongolia

Scheduled Tours

Naadam Festival tour and Gobi desert : On this tour you will go to Gobi Desert and have the chance to experience Naadam festival, local family life style, hiking, camel and horseback riding climbing sand dunes, visiting temples and musuems, capture a glimpse of a wild horse and visit the ancient Mongolian capital and its museum.

Naadam festival :

The Naadam festival is the biggest and most joyful holiday celebration for Mongolians. The festival comprises the “Three Manly Sports”: wrestling; horse racing; archery. 1024 wrestlers compete on the green wrestling field-there is no weight division. Mongolian wrestlers wear traditional Mongolian boots and special clothes for wrestling, Zodog-small open-fronted vest and Shuudag-shorts. There are 6 different categories of horse racing depending on the age of horses.

accommodation:yes duration:11 Days, 10 nights tour distance:2100km group size:2-20 tour operator:Idre tour

Itinerary

Tour price

Included

Not included

route

Ulaanbaatar - Khugnu Khan & Elsen Tasarkhai (Mini Gobi) - Kharkhorin City & Erdenezuu Monastery - Ongi Monastery - Bayanzag Flaming Cliffs - Khongor Sand Dune - Yoliin Am Ice Valley - Tsagaan Suvarga (White Stupa) - Baga Gazaryn Chuluu - Ulaanbaatar - Naadam Festival

activities

On this tour, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy camel and horseback riding, visit Erdene Zuu Monastery and the museums in Kharkhorin, climb sand dunes, experience the daily life of local families, and enjoy the three main games of the Naadam Festival.

Day 1 Khugnu Khan Mountain & Elsen Tasarkhai (July 01)
We’ll drive to Mount Khogno Khan Nature Reserve in the afternoon. After a couple of hours, we’ll arrive at a nomadic family’s ger, located in front of this beautifully forested and rocky mountain. The area is home to hundreds of birds, deer, and gazelles. You’ll have the opportunity to hike around the area or visit the nearby small sand dunes called Elsen Tasarkhai.
Day 2 Kharkhorin & Erdenezuu Monastery (Jul 02)
We’ll drive to Kharkhorin, the ancient capital of Mongolia. Erdene Zuu Monastery was the first Buddhist monastery in Mongolia. Its construction began in 1586, but the monastery was not fully completed until about 300 years later. The monastery was built using stones from the ancient capital of Kharkhorin. Around 60 temples once stood within its walls, but many were destroyed during the Stalinist purges, leaving only 18 intact. Today, the monastery is open to both Buddhist monks and visitors.
Day 3 Ongi Monastery (Jul 03)
We will drive to Ongiin Khiid (Ongi Monastery), located along the Ongiin River. This large monastery once housed around 1,000 lamas and was destroyed during the Stalinist purges in the 1930s. It was one of the largest monasteries in the Gobi region.
Day 4 Bayanzag Flaming Cliffs (Jul 04)
We will drive to Bayanzag, also known as the Flaming Cliffs, famous for dinosaur fossil discoveries. The name Bayanzag means “rich in saxaul shrubs.”
Day 5 Khongor Sand Dune (Jul 05)
We will drive to the Khongoryn Els Sand Dunes, some of the largest and most spectacular dunes in Mongolia. The dunes are known as the “Singing Dunes” because, on windy days, the moving sand can produce a deep sound similar to the noise of a plane engine.
Day 6 Khongor Sand Dune (Jul 06)
We’ll climb and hike to the top of the largest sand dunes. There is an oasis near the Khongor Creek at the northern edge of the dunes. If you wish, you can also walk alongside the creek for about 10 km. We’ll arrange a camel-riding experience on the sand dunes.
Day 7 Yoliin Am Ice Valley (Jul 07)
After breakfast, we will drive to Yolyn Am, located in the heart of the Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park. This strictly protected area covers approximately 70 square kilometers and is home to some of the highest mountains in the Gobi Desert. The area is famous for its dramatic rocky scenery and the narrow gorge, where ice can sometimes remain until mid-July. We will hike approximately 3 km through the valley and 3 km back to our vehicle.
Day 8 Tsagaan Suvarga - White Stupa (Jul 08)
We will drive to Tsagaan Suvraga (White Stupa), one of Mongolia’s most unique natural formations. This massive limestone escarpment rises about 30 meters high and stretches 100 meters wide. Over thousands of years, wind and water have shaped it into dramatic, multi-colored layers.
Day 9 Baga Gazaryn Chuluu (Jul 09)
After breakfast, we will drive to Baga Gazaryn Chuluu, a granite mountain rising to 1,768 meters. The area contains the remains of ancient temples and is rich in minerals and crystals. It also features natural springs and stone monastery ruins dating back to the 17th century.
Day 10 Ulaanbaatar & Horse Racing (Jul 10)
Today, we’ll head back to Ulaanbaatar. On the way, we’ll watch one of the three main Naadam games, horse racing. We’ll arrive back in Ulaanbaatar in the evening.
Day 11 Naadam Festival (Jul 11)
The Naadam Festival is the biggest and most joyful national celebration for Mongolians. The festival features the “Three Manly Games”: wrestling, horse racing, and archery. In the wrestling competition, 1,024 wrestlers compete on the green wrestling field, with no weight divisions. Mongolian wrestlers wear traditional Mongolian wrestling boots and special clothing, including the zodog, a small open-fronted vest, and shuudag, traditional wrestling shorts. There are six different categories of horse racing depending on the age of the horses. The opening ceremony starts at 11:00 AM, followed by wrestling at the stadium at 01:00 PM. We’ll also watch the archery competition outside the stadium and experience traditional Mongolian games.

Tour Price

The difference between comfortable tour and budget tour relates primarily to the accommodation type. Within a budget tour all accommodation will be with a nomadic family in their Ger. While a comfortable tour includes accommodation at Ger camps which are similar to a 3-4 star hotel standard. Finally the Mid-Range tour mixes Comfortable and Budget, where you will stay some nights in the traditional Ger with a nomadic family and others in a Ger camp.

Budget

Per person pricing

From $138
Join Group / Private 4+ guests $138
Private 1-2 guests (1 billed as 2) $190
Private 3 guests $139
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Most Popular

Mid-Range

Per person pricing

From $158
Join Group / Private 4+ guests $158
Private 1-2 guests (1 billed as 2) $206
Private 3 guests $196
Select package

Comfortable

Per person pricing

From $206
Join Group / Private 4+ guests $206
Private 1-2 guests (1 billed as 2) $249
Private 3 guests $220
Select package
  • Driver + 4WD vehicle + Gas
  • English speaking tour guide/cook
  • National park entrance fee
  • Camel riding for an hour or longer regarding on guest’s request
  • horse riding for an hour or longer regarding on guest’s request
  • Accommodation as mentioned in the itinerary
  • Drinking water
  • All meal ( breakfast, lunch, dinner)
  • Accommodation in UB
  • Travel and Medical insurance
  • Personal items
  • Tips for the driver and the guide
  • Travel insurance
  • Alcohol drinks
  • Naadam ticket
  • DURATION 11 days, 10 nights
  • From $1510 USD
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