Pick at your hotel and transfer to station. Naadam! Naadam! Mongolian national day is celebrated throughout the country. Naadam festival is opened officially by the President of Mongolia. Soldiers on horseback, sometimes dressed in Chinggis Khan warriors regalia, will get the nine white horsetail banners at the Parliament house where they are normally displayed and will then ride in procession through the city, later to be placed in the center of the National Stadium, from where we will be viewing the Opening Ceremony. At the stadium, a huge procession is held including hundreds of adults and children dressed in costumes representing Mongolia’s numerous ethnic groups. The opening ceremony features a colorful show with folk music and dance, parachute show and more. The first round of wrestling will start immediately thereafter. Usually 512 wrestlers from all across Mongolia will compete in the first round! But sometimes more than 1000! After that you will see the archery competitions where contestants can only rely on his keen eye, firm hand and experience, take aim at a target of fist-sized baskets; and ankle bone shooting competition. Late afternoon we will visit the Bogd Khaan Palace museum. B Read more

Morning we will travel to Khui Doloon Khudag, the horse racing field. The horse races continue over the two main Naadam days. Mongol horseracing is part of a living cultural heritage, similar to the equestrian tradition that brought the Mongol armies to faraway places during medieval times. There are seven categories of races depending on the age of a horse. Two or three hundred riders ages 5-12 compete in every age category in a distance of 15 to 35km. We will see the “four year old” horse racing around 11 am. The horse race is actually a bit far from the barriers set up for visitors, so bring binoculars! However, the fun of attending is really seeing the locals. We can visit nomadic tented camps that have sprung up behind the race track and experience a concentration of nomadic Mongolia at one site! Herdsmen have come with their horses and all provisions for the festivities, which include airag (koumiss; fermented mares milk) for the merrymaking. Transfer back to Ulaanbaatar. B Read more

Travel for 280km to Gurvanbulag community of nomad herders. Upon arrival in the area you will be greeted according to Mongolian tradition and warmly welcomed to nomadic meals and tea. Cultural immersion for nomadic life. BLD

Ger camp

Travel to KharaKhorum for 100km. Visit famous Erdene Zuu (Hundred Treasures) monastery, built on the remains of Kharakhorum city in 1586 by the order of Abtai Sain Khan, descendant of Chinggis Khan. It was the first Buddhist center in Mongolia. Surrounding the monastery there is a wall with 108 stupas, of which 25 are on each side and 2 at every corner of the wall. Each stupa was erected in commemoration of a particular event, related in the inscription on each one. The three temples inside the wall represent the three stages of the Buddha’s life: childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. BLD Read more

Ger camp

Travel to Khognokhaan Natural Reserve, the area is protected since 1997, covers 46900ha of beautiful granite mountain of Paleozoic age and its surroundings. Camelriding trek for 2hours. Optional visit to Erdenekhamba, local Buddhist temple is available. BLD

Ger camp

Travel back to Ulaanbaatar for 280km. Arrive in Ulaanbaatar and transfer to your hotel. End of the service. B