The contrast between ancient traditions and the dawning of a 21st century democracy is most visible in Ulaanbaatar where traditional gers and Buddhist monasteries coexist with modern high-rises.

Upon arrival at the airport, you will be welcomed by your guide and transferred to Ulaan Baatar Kempinski.

In the evening, sample traditional Mongolian dishes while dining at Abtai-Sain Khan Palace Restaurant, a large ger like one once owned by Chinggis Khan. Overnight at your hotel.

Day 2 Ulgii

Transfer to the airport for a morning flight to Ulgii (3 hours), capital of Bayan-Ulgii, Mongolia’s most western province. Ninety percent of the population of Bayan-Ulgii is Kazakh and you will have ample opportunity to meet local families and experience the unique Kazakh culture. Our journey will also take us past ancient Turkish “stone men” statues, reminders of Mongolia’s rich history.

Based at the Kazakh’s camp, we will sleep in traditional Kazakh-style gers, which are unique in their design and construction, heated with a large wood-burning stove. Kazakh women are renowned for their skills in embroidery and appliqué, and their gers are decorated in a dazzling mosaic of colors. Hand-crafted felt carpets line the floor, and delicately embroidered tapestries adorn the walls of their gers, with every design unique to a family. In the evenings, we’ll learn traditional Kazakh songs as we gather around the place of honor – the Kazakh “table” – and enjoy tea and bortdsig (fried cakes). Overnight
in a Kazakh ger.

Day 3-4 Altai Mountains / Riding with Kazakh Hunters

Discover the unique culture of the Kazakhs, Mongolia's largest ethnic minority (estimated as 4.5% of Mongolia’s population). Though their pastoral nomadic lifestyle is similar to that of the Khalka Mongolian majority, these Kazakh-speaking nomads are predominantly Moslem.

Meet your wranglers and horses, and join Kazakhs on horseback as they hunt with their eagles. Riding out to the mountain tops each day, you will be introduced to the Kazakh customs and lifestyle.

Kazakhs ride dressed in their traditional dark coats and scarlet hats with eagles perched on their arms. Weighing as much as fifteen pounds, these magnificent birds are trained from a young age to respond to hand signals and return to their owners after capturing small game. You will also have the opportunity to meet Urianhai families, a minority tribe of Mongolians (estimated as 1% of the population) renowned for their skill in archery. Overnight in gers next to Kazakh family.

Day 5 Ulgii

Drive back to Ulgii and visit a local mosque. After lunch, fly to
Ulaanbaatar and transfer to your hotel. In the evening, enjoy dinner at Silk Road restaurant. Overnight at your hotel.

Day 6 Gorkhi-Terelj National Park

After breakfast, drive to nearby Gorkhi-Terelj National Park (1
hour) which includes the southern Khentii mountain range and the
confluence of the Terelj and Tuul Rivers. Explore the park on
horseback or on foot. In the afternoon, visit a nomadic horsebreeder
family and experience the warm hospitality offered to passing
travelers in the form of food, shelter and friendship. Relatively
unchanged for chorse-based cultures in the world. You will learn how typical nomadic families live including a demonstration of their horsebreaking skills and riding abilities. Return to Ulaanbaatar for dinner at a fine local restaurant. Overnight at your hotel.enturies, Mongolia has one of the last remaining horse-based cultures in the world. You will learn how typical nomadic
families live including a demonstration of their horsebreaking
skills and riding abilities. Return to Ulaanbaatar for dinner at a fine local restaurant. Overnight at your hotel.

Day 7 Ulaanbaatar

Begin the day with a visit to Gandan Monastery, the seat of Buddhism in Mongolia. Woven through Mongolia’s nomadic culture is a rich Tibetan-Buddhist tradition with ancient Shamanist practices still evident. Also, visit the reconstruction and renovation projects of the Chenrezi and Kalachakra Temples, as well as the magnificent statue of Migjid Janraisig (“the lord who looks in every direction”).

This 82-foot high statue, gilded in pure gold and clothed with silk
and precious stones, completely fills one of Gandan’s temples.
Next, drive through downtown Ulaanbaatar to the National History
Museum for an excellent overview of Mongolia’s history and culture.

The newly remodeled museum displays traditional implements
of daily nomadic life including stone and Bronze Age artifacts,
historical costumes of Mongolia’s minority tribes, sacred religious relics, and agricultural, fishing and hunting equipment.
After lunch, travel back in time with a visit to the dinosaur halls of the Natural History Museum, showcasing the spectacular fossils found in the Gobi desert. On display are fierce Tarbosaurous fossils (closely related to Tyrannosaurus Rex), dinosaur eggs, large Hadrosaur fossils (duck-billed dinosaurs), and many others, all of which illustrate the richness and importance of the paleontological sites in the Gobi desert.