. Arrive and Mini Gobi Day 1 Airport transfer to your hotel, and relax. Our UB Guest House is a 2-minute walk from the Gandan Monastery, 15 minutes to the state department store, and 30 minutes to the city centre and Government Buildings, which you can explore at your own leisure. That evening, once everyone has arrived, we will go over some information you will need for the trip and prepare for your adventure. We offer airport transfers 24 hours before and after the trip if you prefer to arrive earlier. Day 2 Today we drive to the Orkon Valley where we will start our horse trekking adventure. To avoid morning traffic in UB we aim to leave at 7:00. The drive is 7/8hrs, 6hrs on paved roads, 1/2hrs on dirt tracks/offroad. The view of the vast landscapes on the way is mesmerising and we will break up the journey with stops to take photos and ride camels in the Mini Gobi en route. An offshoot of the Larger Gobi Desert 100km to our South the Mini Gobi is home to many of the flora and fauna of the larger Gobi desert, including the unique two-humped Bactrian camel we will be riding. These camels are unique to Mongolia and only a few other countries. With our guide, we will spend an hour exploring the dunes and taking pictures before enjoying lunch and continuing to the Orkon Valley and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Horse Trekking Day 3. Mongolia is the land of the horse and there is no better way to explore this country than in the saddle. Today we will meet with local herders and their horses to start our adventure. Either at the start of the ride or during the first day we will visit the herder’s Ger camp, where they will welcome us in and show us their home. Depending on the family we may also be fed and there is a good chance you will get your first taste of a traditional Mongolia BBQ. After meeting the nomadic family we will start riding deeper into the Khangai mountain park. This area is known for its lush forest-steppe landscapes and is the source of many large rivers like the Orkon. At this time of year, many of the trees will be turning a vibrant goldy yellow which makes the woodland sections all the more beautiful. Over the next few days, we will be exploring this area, Wild Camping as we go and enjoying the beauty and freedoms this landscape offers. Day 4. Experience Mongolia like a true nomad as you saddle up and ride across the vast steppe. We will be joined by our nomadic host who will take care of the horses and teach us how to ride like a true nomad on our journey. The Mongolian steppe is the land of horses and this landscape is absolute heaven to ride. Day 5. Each night we will choose a suitable camp, prepare a fire and take in the beauty of this remote landscape. On our final day of riding, we will have our last meal with our nomadic hosts who will leave us in the morning to head back home. Mongolia has almost no light pollution so remember to do some stargazing as it is one of the best places in the Northern Hemisphere to see the night sky. Hot Springs and Ancient Cities Day 6. After a few days of riding, we start our journey to the Tsenkher natural hot springs. We are back in the vehicles for this and depending on where our riding adventure has taken us and local conditions the journey time may vary. The springs are part of the Khangai mountain park and once we arrive we will be able to rest our weary limbs in the healing waters and time permitting explore the surrounding valleys and woodland. We will stay at one of the local Ger camps here with fire attendants to keep our Ger nice and cosy. Day 7. After perhaps another dip in the healing waters we drive to Kharakorum (the site of Mongolia’s Ancient Capital). It is a 2hr/3hr drive on a mix of dirt and paved roads. Once we arrive we will visit the museum on local history. It is a fantastic museum with artefacts dating as far back as the Stone Age and a model of what the Ancient capital used to look like in its heyday. Unfortunately, most of the city was destroyed, partially rebuilt as a monastery and destroyed again but today a few buildings do remain and it is still an active monastery with roughly 100 monks at the Erdene Zuu Monastery complex inside. Day 8. Return drive to Ulaanbaatar5/6hrs on paved roads. Rest and relax for the rest of the day. Enjoy having wifi again and maybe a hot shower before continuing our adventure in Western Mongolia for the Kazak Golden Eagle Festival. Eagle Festival The Kazak Eagle Hunters Festival is an annual event held at the end of September and beginning of October every year. The festival celebrates Kazak culture and heritage by holding competitions in retrieval and mock hunt eagle-handling events. With specially trained Golden Eagles, showing off their natural hunting ability with their trainers. Prizes are awarded for speed, agility and technique, as well as for the best traditional dress. Day 9. Fly to Western Mongolia and spend the night in Ulgii city. Depending on flight availability we will either fly to Ulgii or Khovd (3hrs drive). The landscape here is very different as we are in the foothills of the Altai mountains and if we have to take the 3hr drive from Khovd it is no bad thing as the landscapes are spectacular. Day 10. Ulgii will be filled with Eagle Hunters making their way to the spectacular lone rock, 7km from the province capital Ulgii. The first event is the opening ceremony and parade, in which the competing Eagle hunters will show off their best traditional clothing to the judges. The rest of the day will be filled with eagle calling where the eagle is released by another hunter from the lone rock and must return to its owner in the valley below. Other traditional horse games such as the Central Asian sport of buzkashi, a kind of tug-of-war on horseback will be played during the festival. Stalls will also be set up for you to explore between competitions. In the evening we will stay with a local Eagle hunter whose family will look after us during our stay and may give us a private Eagle showing. Day 11. Day two of the festival starts with mock hunts. A hunter will releases their eagle while another drags a fox or hair carcass behind their horse. The hope is the eagle will spot the carcass and swoop down to attack it. The hunters get more points for the speed, agility and unique technique their bird displays. It is an impressive display of what these huge birds can do and you can capture some epic photos. Day 12. Depending on flight availability we return to Ulaanbaatar. The famous “Black Market” is open today so if you can brave the traffic and want to pick up some souvenirs from here then this is your best chance during the trip. It will likely be closed tomorrow as it closes every Tuesday but will reopen on Wednesday. In the evening we will all come back together to meet for a final meal. Say goodbye to most of our support staff, recount stories with your fellow travellers and prepare for your onward journey. Domestic Flights and Onward Travel Domestic flight schedules are usually published in midsummer and seats can fill up quickly. To avoid any last‑minute scrambling, please allow at least an extra day or two at the end of your adventure before booking onward travel. That way, if flights need to shift, you’ll have the flexibility to adjust without stress. Domestic flights aren’t included in the tour price, but we’re happy to reserve seats on your behalf. Return fares typically run around €245. The extra day is a good opportunity to pick up souvenirs such as cashmere at the various factory shops around the city. Mongolia is the second biggest exporter of cashmere globally and it is much cheaper than many other places to buy. Your guide can advise you on where to go to buy souvenirs and gifts. We can also offer a day trip to the Giant Chingish Khan statue and Terelj National Park a couple of hours from the capital if you would prefer something more active. This can be decided at the end of the trip.