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Yak festival Mongolia

12 days

Discover the beauties of the Orkhon Valley in 10 days. Practice camel back and horse riding, rafting and enjoy festivals.

From €1460*

Overview

Following the felt and yak festivals we’ll ride further out into the countryside to explore the beautiful and seldom-visited National Park.
Felt is a dense material of lamb wool, which for centuries played a major role in the everyday life of the Mongol people. The secrets of felt making art and decoration with ornaments were handed down from generation to generation.
The yak has a great value for nomadic breeders, as the animal has many uses and plays a necessary role in the development of a farm, and the festival highlights this kind of domesticated animal.
The Yaks Festival is one of the most important festivals in Mongolia. It's held each year on the 23rd of July, in Orkhon Valley, in Bat Ulzii sum, province of Uvurkhangai.The program of the entire day focuses on the animal : rodeos, milking trials, beauty contest, polo on yak back, and races!

Tour Brief: Duration: 10 nights / 11 days 
Distance: 1330kms 
Group: Min 2 - Max 12
Season: July

Itinerary

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Day 1 Visit in Ulaanbaatar (20 July)

Arrival at the airport, meeting with our driver and guide. Transfer to your hotel, settling in and rest. We will take you in the restaurant. Let's immerse ourselves in the heart of the Mongolian history, in the wonderful National History Museum. Three floors of a rich, glorious, violent and noble past, from prehistory to Soviet period, including the creation of the great Mongolian Empire by Genghis Khan. Walk in the centre of Ulan-Bator. Discovery of Gengis Khan Square and the House of Parliament. Then Mongolian traditional show: folkloric dances, contortion, and of course khoomi, the overtone singing. Welcome dinner in Mongolian style restaurant. Overnight in the hotel. B/L/D

Day 2 Travel to Mini-Gobi (21 July)

After breakfast drive to Khogno Khan National park (280km for 4-5 hours ). Discovery of the park: semi desert steppes, taiga, stunning rocky formations, 80km long sand dunes, are characteristic of this arid area nicknamed "Mini-Gobi". Visit a local nomad family conversing about their unique lifestyle of the local area. They’re very hospitable friendly hosts which they will offer a traditional delicacy made of camel’s milk. Camel-back trek along the sand dunes of Elsen Tasarkhai. Overnight in the ger with a local family. B/L/D

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Day 3 Travel to Khujirt (22 July)

Early morning, we will drive to Orkhon Valley and arrived in Khujirt for the felt festival (120km for 3 hours). This is your chance to witness the making of traditional mongolian felt from scratch. At the festival you’ll see how felt is made in the traditional way. Traditional techniques including combing and laying-out will be demonstrated; followed by “dragging” which involves a horse-drawn roller compressing the felt. This is how the material for gers is created. Overnight stay in the ger camp near river "Orkhon". B/L/D

Day 4 Enjoy Yak festival (23 July)

Today we’ll drive to Öndör Hyasaa for the Yak Festival. During the festival, yak-related activities include yak parade, the best decorated yak, the best yak bull, yak milking contest, yak wool clothing fashion show and local cultural performances as well as the main and last event, a yak race across and the polo in  yak back. Overnight stay in ger camp near river. B/L/D

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Day 5 Visit the Orkhon waterfall (24 July)

After breakfast we will hike or horse riding to Ulaan Tsutgalan, white flood flowing on the black stone, transformed in rainbow by a short sunray and the largest waterfall of Mongolia, 7 km away from the camp. Once at the waterfall, you will have a lunch and embark on your rafting to descend the river, which is very impetuous on some spots and very calm on others. If you are not comfortable with rafting, you can come back to the camp with our driver. Once at the camp, you can do some fishing, play archery, pétanque, or just relax. Overnigth in the ger camp. B/L/D

Day 6 Visit of nomad family (25 July)

We will be visiting a local nomad family conversing about their unique lifestyle of the local area. They’re very hospitable friendly hosts which they will offer a traditional delicacy made of horse's milk. We will spend time  with the nomads and discovery of the activities bound to yaks breeding and horse riding. We'll participate in making dairy products, we'll attend the making of a Mongolian barbecue and we'll enjoy it for dinner. It is real authentic, prepared in the traditional style with hot stones. We’ll be staying overnight in a extra ger with a local family. B/L/D

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Day 7 Travel to Tuvkhun  monastery (26 July)

Today we will drive to the Tuvkhun Monastery (45km for 2 hours). Vehicles can't go until the top of Öndör Ulaan Hill and we will walk until there to discover Tovkhon Ermitage, where Zanabazar, the first religious leader of Mongolia, created the Soyombo alphabet. The monastery is located 2312 meters above the sea level and from that place we'll have a wonderful view of the whole Khangai range. We'll picnic in exceptional surroundings, facing Orkhon Valley. Overnight in ger camp.


Day 8 Travel to Tsenkher hot spring (27 July)

We will drive to Tsenkher hot springs, where you can lounge in the hot springs of the camp. The water is at 85,5°C. In a pleasant verdant wooded area, some yurts camps with equipment and baths with a less hot temperature have been set up for the travelers. Tsenkher hot springs have healing properties notably on articular diseases and nervous system’s diseases. Composition: sodium carbonate, hydrocarbonate, sulfate, fluorite, hydrogen sulfide. We’ll be staying overnight in ger camp

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Day 9 Travel to Karakorum (28 July)

Today we will drive to Kharkhorin, the former capital of Mongolia (100km for 2 hours). The legendary city of Genghis Khan was founded in 1220 and was one of the stages of the silk road. Visit of Erdene Zuu Monastery built in 1586 by a nomad prince. The Chinese and Tibetan-inspired buildings are surrounded with 108 sacred stupas. Visit of the Museum of Kharkhorin. Overnight in another nomad family and explore more about the nomadic life.

Day 10 Travel to Ulaanbaatar (29 July)

Back to Ulaanbaatar. Today we drive to long distance to Ulaanbaatar. Last herds of wild horses crossing the road outside our dumbfounded eyes, last yurts smoking far away, the steppe will be with us until the last moment. Arrival in town and settling in at your hotel, where you can rest a few moments. Rest of the day free. With our guide, you can go and shop in the center of the city. /B/L/D   Optional: Ulaanbaatar by night (night club or pub)

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Day 11 Departure (30 July)

Breakfast at the hotel. We go with you to the international airport of Ulaanbaatar. The transfer can be organized at the time you want, according to the schedule of your flight.

Activities

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Rate

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Price

* prices vary according to group size

2-  pax              1890 p/p

3-4 pax             1750 p/p

5-8 pax             1590 p/p

9-12 pax           1460 p/p

INCLUDED

Transfers airport / hotel / airport 
2 nights in 3* or 4* hotel in UlanBator, breakfast included
Full pension during the tour+Water
5 nights in comfortable yurts camps with warm shower
3 nights with a host family, in a guest yurt
4WD jeep or minibus
Driver+Petrol
English or French speaking guide
Horse and Camel trek
Local guides for the treks
Entrance for fees parks and museum

NOT INCLUDED

International transport 
Passport and visa fees
Repatriation insurance
Travel insurance 
Drinks / alcohols extras
Any excursion that is not indicated in the program
Single room supplement:
Single supplement is available at 50 euros in the hotel (for 1 nights)
Single ger supplement:
Single supplement is available at 20 euros per night at ger camps.

For your journey in Mongolia, it is possible joining a fixed departure tour with a group, which has the advantage of providing a friendly atmosphere and to let you benefit from the best price. Our groups are composed of an average of 3 to 12 participants.

We offering camel riding, horse trekking and hiking tour based on local community. Nomadic families live in the area are main parts of the tours. They will supply camels, horses, meals, and accommodation for tourists.

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