from $3,120* per person | 9 Days | July |
Comfort accommodations
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Exertion level: 4
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Operator: Off The Map Tours |
24 people max
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This exciting 1400km trail through the Central Mongolian provinces passes through beautiful and unusual scenery as well as offering the opportunity to observe Mongolia’s fascinating nomadic lifestyle and ancient culture. Riding through the small town of Kharkhorin, once the centre of Genghis Khan’s great Mongol Empire, you will visit Erdene Zuu monastery, the former centre of Buddhism in Mongolia.
Dramatic geographical formations such as the volcanic area in Khorgo National Park, the sandy shores of the White Lake, the deep gorge at Chuluut and the massive granite mountain a Khogno Khan are quite spectacular. The ancient sculptures dotted around the countryside are also noteworthy, as is the great Taikhir rock at Ikh Tamir, located in the middle of a flat river plain.
Travelling on our KTM 450EXC off-road trail bikes, sometimes on asphalt roads but usually on rough rocky tracks, you can enjoy the vast open space, big sky and wild landscapes, unspoiled by modern developments. We ride from one ger camp to the next, each camp being located in a place of particular beauty or importance and stay in the wonderfully authentic traditional round felt tents, having facilities on site for your comfort and convenience.
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Locations visited/nearby
Mongolia, Asia
Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive Ulaanbaatar and transfer to hotel. Evening meet crew and allocate motorbikes..
Day 2
Set out early morning and ride south eastwards to Khogno Khan, mostly on a good black topped road. Outside the city most people live the traditional nomadic lifestyle, moving several times a year with their herds of animals and we pass through only a couple of villages along the way. Overnight ger camp at the foot of the dramatic granite Khogno Khan mountain.
Day 3
Ride to Kharkhorin and spend an hour or two at Erdene Zuu. This is an active monastery and we will probably see the resident monks performing their morning rituals. After lunch ride through Tsetserleg town and over Bulgan mountain to Ikh Tamir. Overnight ger camp beside the Tamir river and the sacred Taikhir rock.
Day 4
Riding mainly on rough jeep tracks, we travel northwards across the fertile rolling hills of Arkhangi province, stopping for lunch beside the Chuluut river gorge. Ride on to Tariat village and over the bridge into the Khorgo and White Lake National Park. Go around the extinct volcano and over a small pass to the ger camp on the shores of the White Lake.
Day 5
Follow the rocky trail that runs along the northern shore of the White Lake and a little further to the salt water Country Lake. There are usually a number of nomadic families here and we will probably be invited in for a cup of tea or airag (fermented mare’s milk), so you can observe the ancient lifestyle. Return to the ger camp and afternoon relax by the lake.
Day 6
Start the day by climbing to the top of the volcano and walking around the rim of the crater for fantastic views of the whole area including the lake and surrounding black lava field. Then ride back to Ikh Tamir, stopping briefly to visit the sacred “Tree With Hundred Branches”.
Day 7
From Ikh Tamir ride along the valley following the Tamir river eastwards to Ugii Nuur lake. This is an area of some historical significance since the princes of Mongolia’s Turkic era (7th century) were based here and even now there are a number of ancient monuments including “man stones” to be seen.
Day 8
Return to Ulaanbaatar, stopping for a picnic lunch along the way. The first 100 km are across open steppe on the rough tracks we have become used to. After Dashinchilen the road has been surfaced, so the final stretch to the city should be a bit quicker.
Day 9
Transfer to airport for departure.
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