Trekking in 8 lakes

<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>You leave the capital and move to the “Khogno Khan”, called the Central Gobi, one of the 33 “Gobi” (a local word for “Desert”) in Mongolia. Visit and set up with your host nomadic family, settled in the middle of the pastures. Upon the visit, you can have a taste of “White food” and notably Airag, a traditional drink made from fermented mare’s milk. </p><p>Continuing your trip, you will visit one of the country’s ancient Buddhist monasteries - The Erdene Khamba monastery, which is located in the sacred Mountain Khogno Khan. </p><p>Return to the family and discover the nomadic way of life by participating in their daily life: cooking traditional dishes, looking after the herd, milking the animals, etc.</p><p>FB, Overnight with a nomadic family</p>

<p>Departure to the steppe of Uvurkhangai, a typical landscape of Mongolia, of hilly steppe as far as the eye can see. As you arrive in Arvaikheer, the capital of the region, you can look around the typical small town. You will be visiting the museum of ethnography and history of the region, as well as the memorial hall of His High Holiness Zanabazar, the first Buddhist spiritual leader of Mongolia. Leaving the town, you continue with your team, on a 4 × 4, to the 8 lakes. Upon arrival, set up in the small guest yurts, then meet the nomads and their yaks, which will accompany you through your trekking journey. From here starts your trekking tour for the next days.</p><p>FB, Overnight in “Eight lakes” guest yurt</p>

<p>Accompanied by yaks, the first day of your hiking will be in the Khangai mountains towards the Shireet, Bugat and Khaliut lakes. You will take a break and stop at the banks of the Shireet Lake for lunch in the wilderness. Then after admiring the Duruu Lake, continue on to Khaliut Lake. This is where you’ll set up your tents and spend the night near the lake in nature.</p><p>FB, Overnight in tent</p>

<p>After breakfast, you will leave the Khaliut lake area and hike towards the Khuis Lake. On the way, take a break for lunch at Bayan Lake. After arriving at Khuis Lake, a beautiful lake attracting many migratory birds, set up the tents near the bay. Dinner with team around the campfire.</p><p>FB, Overnight in tent</p>

<p>You prepare for the day by loading the yaks to continue the hike towards the Khurdet valley. After crossing the Bodongiin Khamar pass, a picturesque view, you will arrive in the valley of Buurug for a picnic lunch. After the break you will be hiking across the valley and reach the tourist camp, where you will be spending the night.</p><p>FB, Overnight in “Buurug” yurt camp</p>

<p>On this day, you continue hiking to the Orkhon Valley. The area is a cultural landscape along the banks of the Orkhon River in Central Mongolia which was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage (one of a few in Mongolia) and represents the evolution of nomadic pastoral traditions and includes numerous archaeological remains dating back to the 6th century. </p><p>At lunch your driver will be waiting for you with the vehicle in the Khyatruun valley. As you prepare for your next journey, you must say goodbye to the yaks and load the vehicles to continue on foot towards the Orkhon falls. Upon arrival at the Orkhon Falls, you will set up the tents for the night. </p><p>FB, Overnight in tent</p>

<p>Today you can calmly hike around the Orkhon Valley, the land of yaks and horses. The beauty of the natural site consists not only of green plains and hills bursting with basalt lines extending on both sides of the Orkhon River, but also of deer steles, hirgesuur (tombs in cairn), tombs with slabs, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic statues, ruins of ancient capitals.</p><p>On the road, you will have the opportunity to visit another nomadic family and take a break, while getting to know more about the traditional Mongolian family lifestyle. At the end of the day, you’ll set up your tents and have a peaceful night near the Orkhon river.</p><p>FB, Overnight in tent</p>

<p>Waking up to the sound of flowing river, your last day in the valley will be spent hiking a bit more. Late afternoon, riding in the vehicle, you will arrive at the “URSA MAJOR” geolodge camp (Out of NowHere Camps), a unique nomadic structure of authenticity, with natural and comfortable yurts. At night, when the sky is clear you can stargaze by MEADE LX-200, the most powerful telescope in Mongolia. You can observe the stars, planets and galaxies from the steppes of the Orkhon Valley...</p><p>FB, Overnight in yurt at “URSA MAJOR” geolodge</p>

<p>Early in the morning, you will depart and 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. Erdene Zuu means’ hundred treasures. The building dates from 1586 and once consisted of more than a hundred temples. Sadly, the complex has been subjected to many political ups and downs, at last being actively restored since 1990 around twenty remain today. The complex is fully fenced and every fifteen meters there are stupas, 108 in total, in the walls.</p><p>Continuing after the city, you will arrive in Ogii freshwater lake, which attracts anglers and bird watchers from everywhere. The Lake Ogii is part of the RAMSAR conventions (spaces that include wetlands of great importance for their richness in avifauna). Along your route in the middle of endless steppes, you will be able to meet families of nomads who greet you. When you arrive, you can walk around the lake and observe the birds that migrated to the area around late April and habit there – cranes and ducks, to name just a few species. Swan Goose, White Spoonbill and Dalmatian Pelican have been recorded before!</p><p>At the end of the day, you’ll set up your tents one last time and have a peaceful night near the lake.</p><p>FB, Overnight in tent</p>

<p>After breakfast, the drive to the Khustai Mountains on the west of the capital starts. You will be heading to the natural reserve of Khustai National Park, known for its famous Przewalski horses, called Takhi in Mongolian. These small “prehistoric” horses have been featured in cave paintings that go back more than 15 000 years and can be found in the Lascaux caves! These horses disappeared naturally in the 1960s, but were reintroduced to Mongolia through zoos from different countries. Since the arrival of twenty wild horses in 1992, the population has increased to about 300!</p><p>Upon your arrival at the natural reserve you can visit the National Park information center and get more history about the area. </p><p>In the afternoon, you will be able to observe the wild horses as they descend from the mountains. There are many other species of protected animals in the park: the red deer, Siberian roe deer, wild boars, Mongolian gazelle, gray wolf, Pallas's cat, Eurasian lynx and many more.</p><p>FB, Overnight in yurt</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>