The Blue Pearl

<p>As you arrive at the Chinggis Khaan international airport in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia, your guide-interpreter and driver will welcome you at the airport and lead you on to the city tour. The capital has plenty to offer. On the tour you will visit the Gandan Monastery, a historical and spiritual Buddhist temple in the city. Then you can walk around the National History Museum and the Chinggis Khaan Square in front of the Mongolian Parliament house to help you get a general knowledge and information about the Mongolian history and culture.</p><p>FB, Night in a tourist hotel</p>

<p>Early in the morning you depart from the capital with your team to approach the vast landscapes of the Mongolian steppes and visit the “Amarbayasgalant” monastery.</p><p>Amarbayasgalant means “Peaceful bliss” or "The Monastery of Tranquility" and is one of the most beautiful monasteries in Mongolia and a very popular place for pilgrimage.</p><p>Lunch & Dinner in the steppe; Overnight in tent.</p>

<p>After taking a short stop in Erdenet city, the second busiest city in Mongolia revolving around one of the largest copper mines in Mongolia, you will reach the Uran-Togoo Nature Reserve where an extinct volcano sleeps. After a vigorous hiking adventure, you will be able to enjoy the reserve’s beautiful panoramic views. </p><p>Lunch & Dinner at a scenic location; Overnight in tent.</p>

<p>You will start the day by walking through the ruins of an ancient cultural and commercial center of the Silk Road and Uyghurs in the 9th and 10th century. Since then, Mongolians built a monastery inside the walls of Uyghur, so it is now called Bai Bulag. </p><p>Continuing the trip to Khuvsgul lake, you will arrive at Murun, the administrative center of Khuvsgul province, to discover the lifestyle of the inhabitants by visiting local markets and museums. </p><p>Lunch & Dinner in the steppe; Overnight with nomadic family.</p>

<p>Here you are at the Blue Pearl of Mongolia…Khuvsgul Lake, an extraordinary lake that is the deepest (up to 262m) and the second largest lake in Mongolia. It stretches 136km deep into the Siberian taiga! It is the little sister of the Russian Baikal and alone contains 2% of the world’s fresh water reserves. </p><p>You are in the middle of the taiga – Mongolian Siberia, an extension of the primary Russian Siberian forest. We reserved two days for you to experience this wonderful scenery. Why not enjoy your extra time by riding horseback or even taking a dip!</p><p>Lunch & Dinner in the steppe; Overnight in tent.</p>

<p>Returning from the lake, on the way back to Murun, you will visit the Uushigiin uvur, a site of sacrificial mounds (“khereksuur”) and “deer stones”, carved upright stones that date to the mid-Bronze Age between 1500 and 800 BCE. These stones feature images of deer fleeing from their pursuers and hunters are often depicted with bows and arrows chasing them. There are around 700 deer stones that are known to exist worldwide, 500 of them are located in Mongolia; and the best collections of these are on display here in Uushigiin Uvur.</p><p>Lunch & Dinner in the steppe; Overnight in tent.</p>

<p>Today you will go for a little walk to the Gelenhuu’s cliff to get a view of the surrounding hills and enjoy the panorama of the Ider River. The cliff is named after Gelenhuu, who attempted to fly with a set of sheepskin wings from this 170m cliff. Fortunately for him, he had been prudent enough to drive his sheep to the foot of the cliff before jumping off into the abyss. Luckily, he got away unharmed. </p><p>Lunch & Dinner in the steppe; Overnight in tent.</p>

<p>Today's tour will be to the shores of Terkh Tsagaan Nuur (“White Lake”) and go hiking to the Khorgo volcano crater, an extinct volcano surrounded by an area of cooled lava rock. To the east of White Lake, there’s an impressive canyon named Chuluut River (deep up to 200 / 250m). The river flows through a basalt canyon which extends 100 kilometers from the mouth of the Teel River to the Atsat. The basalt is formed of lava from nearby extinct volcanoes, such as the Khorgo volcano and many others. The road is difficult but you will still manage to set up our camp in a magnificent site, at the junction of the Suman and Chuluut rivers, and at a canyon you can go down. Have a lunch and dinner in the steppe, and camp overnight.</p>

<p>Next you will go through the small town of Tsetserleg, the capital of Arkhangai province. It has a lot of volcanic mountains, rocks overlooking Buddhist paintings and petroglyphs, and an Ethnographic Museum, which is housed in the former monastery. It is definitely worth a small detour.</p><p>You'll end your day at Tsenkher in the forested hills, where your yurt camp managers will be preparing a nice surprise for you. This volcanic region produces a complex hydraulic system which allows you to enjoy the hot springs of this site… The camp will have an Indoor or outdoor pool depending on the season; a nice break to relax!</p><p>Lunch & Dinner in the steppe; Overnight in a yurt camp.</p>

<p>Today, you will start your exploration of the Orkhon Valley, one of the few sites in Mongolia listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. For many centuries, this valley was viewed as the seat of the imperial power of the steppes. The evidence for this belief comes from the stone steles, graves, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic statues, ruins of ancient capitals…</p><p>Then you will head to our geolodge which is nestled in the heart of the Orkhon Valley. At nightfall, when the sky is clear, you have an opportunity to observe a star-filled sky with a powerful telescope. </p><p>FB, Overnight in a charming yurt of "URSA MAJOR" geolodge.</p>

<p>Early in the morning, you will depart to Karakorum. Upon arrival start the tour of Karakorum, the ancient capital of the Mongol Empire during the time of Chinggis Khaan (1162-1227). The current city of Karakorum is above all the seat of the best-known monastery in Mongolian territory: Erdene Zuu. It is one of the cultural and spiritual highlights in Mongolia. The complex is fully fenced and every fifteen meters there are stupas, 108 in total, in the walls.</p><p>Continuing, your next destinations is an ancient Buddhist monastery in the mountain and ruins of Ovgon temples, where the scenery is a perfect combination of desert, picturesque mountains, river and green grassland. The Erdene Khamba monastery, located in the sacred Mountain Khogno Khan, was rebuilt in the 1990s after being destroyed during the Soviet purges. The monastery had two sections: the lower one called the Zaluu Khiid and the upper one called the Ovgon Khiid. The Ovgon Khiid (meaning “Old temple”) was destroyed during middle age feuds between western and eastern Mongolians after the collapse of the Mongol Empire.</p><p>In Khogno Khan Natural Reserve, there is an extraordinary sand dune called Elsen Tasarhai, a part of the Great Mongolian Sand dunes, which extends about 80 km. </p><p>From here your tour nears its end, and you’ll be on your way back to the capital. At the end of the day you arrive at “Sweet Gobi” lodge for one last night in a charming yurt.</p><p>FB, Overnight in a charming yurt of "SWEET GOBI" geolodge.</p>

<p>After breakfast you return to the capital Ulaanbaatar and arrive at your hotel. Take this time to have a little rest, then you’ll go shopping in the State Department Store, the largest shopping mall in Mongolia, a leftover of the Soviet occupation. There, you can find cashmere, leather, and whatever you want for souvenirs, presents and gifts.</p><p>In the evening you’ll indulge in Mongolian culture with a folklore show, concert of traditional music and contortion. You’ll hear performances with the Traditional Mongolian instrument Morin Khuur, a two-string fiddle adorned with a carved horse’s head; overtone singing, previously only used by shamans to enter into communication with the spirits.</p><p>At last, a farewell dinner with your team to wrap up an excellent journey full of memories.</p><p>FB, Night in a tourist hotel</p>

<p>After having breakfast in the hotel, your team will drive you to the “Chinggis Khaan” international airport 2 hours before your departure.</p><p>Have a safe journey back!</p>