Packages and Options

Brief Outline Itinerary
On this journey we use low impact traditional modes of transport. Our equipment will be carried on carts, the same way the locals use to transport their belongings, moving from one pasture to another. For this purpose we will use yaks and horses. We will also carry a ger, which is the traditional felt tent, which most Mongols live in to this day. Essentially, this means we can utilize the services of the local people in the area where we are to travel. They are the experts, and we will be able to get a first hand experience of how to move a camp in the Mongolian traditional way.
DAY 0 : Arrive Ulaanbaatar
Arrive to the Mongolian capital by air (from Moscow or Beijing), or from our Gobi Camel Trek. Meet for dinner with our guide to talk about the upcoming trip. (Dinner and overnight are not included)
DAY 1 : To Jalman Meadows
After breakfast we leave Ulaanbaatar for the Upper Tuul River Valley in the Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area some 110 km away. A three-hour drive by bus or car. We drive one hour on tarmac road, one hour through a beautiful steppe valley with many herdsmen with their livestock. The last hour crosses the ridge at Zamtiin Davaa, and through forests we reach the Upper Tuul River Valley. It is the winter grazing lands of the local herdsmen, which is why most of them are not in the area at the time. It allows for a profusion of wildflowers, such as edelweiss. Our yak carts and the local herdsmen who will be our hosts in the area meet us. Pitch camp next to the Tuul River.
DAY 2 : Khan Khentii
We load our luggage on to the carts. Your private horse guide maybe not be fluent in English, but has a fast knowledge of horses and the riding country. The riding pace is according to your riding level. Some participants will be hiking along the ways - so this trip is very suitable for rider and non riders at the same time. Our first campsite is in a steppe valley, surrounded by the Hentii hills, covered with larch and birch forests. The protected area was established in December 1993, covering most of the Hentii wilderness areas stretching all the way up to the Russian-Siberian frontier. Herdsmen keep their livestock in the southern areas, and they follow a lifestyle that essentially has been the same since the time of Gengis Khan. Overnight in tents.
During the trek we will see and make contact with herdsmen, thus coming close to the fascinating and hospitable nomads of the Mongolian steppe who have maintained a similar lifestyle since the time of the Huns: that is, at least 200 BC - a living archaeology indeed! In fact, this was the period the Chinese began joining the different walls into the Great Wall of China under the Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi. The Mongol lifestyle has survived up to this date, and the Chinese have rebuilt the Great Wall at least two times since. Overnight in tents.
DAY 3 : Khan Khentii
We trek for three full days toward the Hentii wilderness areas, and soon we touch the limits of human habitation. Although rarely seen, wolves are numerous in the area. There are also wild boars, moose, red deer (Cervus elaphus), marmots and gazelle.
We will use yaks to pull the wooden traditional carts on which all our equipment will be loaded and transported. Our Mongol staff will accompany us on horseback. No support vehicles will be required, let alone practical in the area where we are to trek. The yaks will set the pace of the nomadic journey over easy terrain (max. 20 km per day). A cook who knows western and Mongolian cooking will be with us in the field. Members will be able to learn how to build a ger: this can be very quick if several people join in. Overnight in tents.
DAY 4 : Khan Khentii
We are now in a scenic area, where rivers flow down broad steppe valleys. Around are forested hills and mountains. Along the rivers there are wooded and alluvial meadows with broad leaf forests. Today we will reach back to the road
DAY 5 : To Ulaanbaatar
After breakfast transfer back to Ulaanbaatar (3-3,5 hrs). Arrival in the afternoon and end off services.
On this day you may also transfer to nearby Jalman Meadows Ger Camp, 8km further up the Tuul River Valley, and extend your stay in the zone.

All overnights in hotel (2n.), tents (4n.)

Meals: Our cook will prepare the meals. We pride ourselves in having cooks adapt with both western and Mongolian cooking on our trips. There are always vegetables available, and we have no problem accommodating vegetarians on our trips. For breakfast we can usually buy fresh yogurt from the herdsmen in the local area.

Riding horses:
Horses are included on 3 or 4 days (unless you prefer to hike). You will be riding with a local guide (he most likely does not speak English). Mongolian horses are peculiar and horsemanship is somewhat different among the Mongols as compared to home. We suggest you bring your own riding hat with you, since none are available in Mongolia. 

We have introduced a concept of practical and desirable ways of travel in Mongolia, which is the synergy of Western and Mongolian ideas brought about after many years experience of travel all across Mongolia:
Transport: Mongolian families frequently move from one pasture to another using wooden traditional carts. These are tied to the animals available in the region. Here we will use yaks and horses: the services of some herdsmen will be hired by the expedition, and they will provide us with their animals.

Staff: A Mongolian leader will accompany the group at all times. For these groups the service will be in English. There will also be an assistant to the cook. In addition, the services of the local herdsmen will be hired along with their animals.

Tack:		MongolianBuryat Soldier Saddles
Horses:		Mongolian
Pace:		according to riding level | Walk | Trot | Canter |
Level:		(2 out of 5)    Novice+
Age:		Min 12	Max 75
Weight:		Max 200
Riders:		Min 2	Max 10

Riding horses:
Horses are included on 3 or 4 days (unless you prefer to hike). You will be riding with a local guide (he most likely does not speak English). Mongolian horses are peculiar and horsemanship is somewhat different among the Mongols as compared to home. We suggest you bring your own riding hat with you, since none are available in Mongolia. 

We have introduced a concept of practical and desirable ways of travel in Mongolia, which is the synergy of Western and Mongolian ideas brought about after many years experience of travel all across Mongolia:
Transport: Mongolian families frequently move from one pasture to another using wooden traditional carts. These are tied to the animals available in the region. Here we will use yaks and horses: the services of some herdsmen will be hired by the expedition, and they will provide us with their animals.

Staff: A Mongolian leader will accompany the group at all times. For these groups the service will be in English. There will also be an assistant to the cook. In addition, the services of the local herdsmen will be hired along with their animals.

Passports
Passport valid for at least six months required by all nationals referred to in the chart.
Visas
Required by all nationals referred to in the chart above except:
1. nationals of the USA, if entering the country as a tourist, for stays of up to 90 days.
Visa Note
(a) All foreign nationals staying in Mongolia for longer than 30 days are required to register with the police within 10 days of arrival. (b) Nationals entering Mongolia for stays up to 30 days should apply for an Entry and Exit visa; for stays over 90 days nationals should apply for an Entry visa. (c) Nationals transiting via trains can apply for a single-, double- or multiple-entry Transit visa.
Types of Visa and Cost
Entry and Exit visa: £40 (single-entry, 30 days); £55 (double-entry, 30 days per visit). Entry visa: £35 (single-entry, 90 days). Transit visa: £35 (single-entry); £40 (double-entry); £45 (multiple-entry).
Validity
Visas are valid for three months from date of issue.
Applications to:
Consulate (or consular section at embassy); see Contact Addresses. If travelling on an organised tour, visas can be obtained through tourism companies or travel agencies. A group visa in the name of the tour leader is valid for all tourists on the list attached, provided relevant details (nationality, sex, date of birth, passport numbers, and dates of issue and expiry) are given at the time of application.
Working Days Required
Two to five. An express service is available which costs an additional £20.