Mongolian Nomad's Winter Festival(7 days)
What to expect
Lake Khuvsgul- Blue Pearl Ice Festival
Ulaanbaatar - Eagle festival
South Gobi-Camel festival
Winter in Mongolia
- Take part in the Lake Khuvsgul Ice Festival, where the locals create majestic ice sculptures. You can make your own too.
- Experience several different festivals which are held during the winter season, including the Mongolian Eagle festival, Two-humped Bactrian Camel Festival & Ice Festival.
- Visit four different majestic venues where the festivals are held, including the Great Gobi desert in Southern Mongolia, Reindeer Nomads’ Homeland in Northern Mongolia.
- Experience the wonderful nomadic cultures during this week-long tour.
- Visit the top Mongolian natural attractions.
- Shared accommodation at Ger camp
- Private transfers
- Internal air tickets - free luggage allowance is 15 kg
- English speaking guide
- All meals as listed
- All entrance fee
- Horse, camel ride
- Personal expenses
- Optional activities
- Camera fee for museum & monastery
- Travel Insurance www.WorldNomads.com
Overview
Do you want to take part in all Mongolian winter festivals in one tour?
We offer you to join our 7 days “Nomads’ winter - 2019” tour and it is between Mar 02 - 07. Because most Mongolian traditional winter festivals and holidays including Mongolian Eagle festival, Two-humped Bactrian Camel Festival & Ice Festival will be held in four different places: Great Gobi desert in Southern Mongolia, Reindeer Nomads’ Homeland in Northern Mongolia. This is an only opportunity to interest and experience on your own all kinds of Mongolian traditional Cultural heritages just in a week and half while you are visiting to the Mongolian top natural destinations. Please hurry up and do not miss this rare chance!
The price per person will depend on the size of the group as shown below.
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Discover Mongolia looked after us perfectly from our arrival right through to our departure, guides spoke brilliant english, drivers were fantastic and meals beautiful.
I joined Discover Mongolia to fulfill a lifelong wish to see and experience the Gobi desert. I made the absolutely right decision!
Mir was our tour guide, she was organized, informative, and personable. Tamba, Ambra and Dalai were skilled mechanics and drivers. Very quickly during the trip, we all became friends. In fact, I'll be visiting a few friends I've just made in the Philippines!
Thank you Mir and team for an unforgettable experience in beautiful Mongolia!
We Discovered Mongolia - fantastic 14 day trip!! Four of us (all female) experienced the Discover Mongolia 14 day tour with 'Discover Mongolia'. We arrived home last week exhilarated, exhausted and smiling from ear to ear!
The trip was a journey of a lifetime and our fantastic guide, Oyuna and driver, Nandia, made sure it exceeded all expectations. We spent a day in Ulaanbaatar with Hishi, who made sense of the complicated history of Mongolia and its independence for us as well as taking us to a super restaurant before our trip. We flew south, near the border with China, to the Gobi desert where we met our guide and driver and then drove, mostly off road, through the desert and then north through the beautiful steppes and mountains and on to Lake Huvsgul in the north near the Russian border.
It was a huge journey, worth every second Wow - what a way to discover the landscapes, people, religion, culture and even learn some of the language (very slowly, day by day from our patient driver!). We explored Bhuddist monasteries, rode camels and horses, trekked through Eagle Valley, soaked in hot springs, climbed to the edge of a volcano, climbed the highest sand dune (tough but worth every moment sitting on the edge at the top), and the highlight was meeting several nomadic families in their own gers. We felt truly priviledged to meet Nandia's Uncle and be treated as guests, to understand their way of life through the seasons and share in a truly delicious Mongolian BBQ.
Itinerary
In the morning, meet at your hotel lobby. Drive to the airport and we will have a flight to Murun, (Approx. on air 560 km, 1.5 hours & dirt road 120 km, 2 hours) Arrival in Murun, a local driver will take you and will drive to Khuvsgul National Park. Optional dog sledding.
Stay overnight in Ger camp. (L+D)
After breakfast, attend Ice festival opening ceremony, Ice carving competition, Ice Sumo wrestling, Ankle bone shooting, and Shaman Ceremony and National Folklore concert. You will watch the bonfire and sacrificing a shamanic ceremony. Free hiking by the lakeshore and horse sledding.
Overnight in Ger camp. (B+L+D)
After breakfast, watch a marathon of skaters and a horse sled racing on the lake. After lunch, you will be driven back to Murun for your return flight to Ulaanbaatar. (Approx. on air 560 km, 1.5 hours & dirt road 120 km, 2 hours) Take souvenirs and cashmere shopping.
Check in your selected hotel. (B+L+D)
Meet in your hotel. Today is Hunter Eagle Festival day. Drive to Chinggis Khuree tourist camp. The festival opening ceremony will start at 10.00am the opening ceremony commences, as the participants join the parade on a horse ride with their eagles.
Then the festival begins with each Kazakh displaying his hunting outfit and accessories. The Golden eagles will be released from a cliff and their owner will stand below and signal for them to land upon their arm, as they do during hunting.
Then the Eagles will be released from a cliff to attack fox skins that will be dragged by their owner on horseback. After lunch, drive to Mandalgobi province.
Overnight in tourist camp (Approx. paved road 270 km, 4-5 hours) (B+L+D)
Early morning, drive to Dalanzadgad province. The Camel festival begins in Bulgan soum with a “parade” of camel riders. Competitions of the day include “Best-looking couple on camelback”, most adorable male and female camels as well as a camel polo which takes place in the central square.
There’s also an exhibition of paintings by local children who participate in the drawing contest called “Camel - My Friend”.
Overnight in local ger. (Approx. paved road 280 km, 5 hours & dirt road 65 km, 1 hour) (B+L+D)
The competition begins with the race of mature camels followed by the two-year-old camel race. For your own enjoyment, you may make a bid for the camel you like. The first three camels in each group are awarded gold, silver and bronze medals.
In the afternoon, one of the most awaited competitions begins. This is called “Camel Relay”, a competition consisted of catching, taming, training and finally loading a camel with an actual ger. There are several groups with 5 members, each of whom executes different roles. The closing ceremony takes place late in the afternoon when the winners will be presented with their trophies.
Drive back to Dalanzadgad and overnight in a local hotel. (Approx. dirt road 65 km, 1 hour) (B+L+D)
After breakfast, full day drive back to Ulaanbaatar. Lunch at Mandalgobi. End of tour. (Approx. paved road 596 km, 8-9 hours) (B+L)
Good to know
- Guide:
An English speaking Mongolian guide will accompany the group at all times. The guide will be a native Mongolian person with great local knowledge who can deal with any requests and ensure that your holiday to become one of the most unforgettable experiences of your life.
- The best time to make this trip
May to September is the best season, with the peak season in July for the Naadam Festival. July and August are also the wettest months of the year, but be assured, our climate is such that you will still have many sunny days at this time. The best time to visit the Gobi is June or September.
- Accommodation:
We believe that comfortable, welcoming accommodation is vital to the enjoyment of your trip. You will be stay in a standard 3-4 star hotel in Ulaanbaatar and a tourist ger camp (traditional dwelling) with currency (220V), shower and other useful services (2 to 4 people per ger) in the countryside. All accommodation offered by Discover Mongolia is personally checked by our staff to ensure high standards.
- Meals:
In Ulaanbaatar, you will be dining at fine European and Asian cuisine restaurants. Mutton, beef, rice and noodles form the basis of the Mongolian diet, so your meals will be based around this. However, the trail rations may include vegetables, eggs, peanut butter, cheese and sometimes yak! On some days there will be lunchboxes from tourist camps. It is good food and our experience has been that guests are happy with this arrangement. Please let us know in advance if you are a vegetarian. Alcohol is not provided on the trip but tourists are free to bring their own.
- Transport:
Discover Mongolia use the highest level, latest model, air-conditioned private vans or 4WD vehicles for the maximum comfort on your touring days. A day's drive in the countryside will be approx 200-250km.
- Personal things to bring with you:
Warm thin layers of clothing are the best such as bring a waterproof jacket, and a hat and headscarf to protect you from the sun and winds. Don't forgot insect repellent, sun cream, lip-gloss, water purifying tablets and first aid kit (medicine for headache, cold, diarrhea, runny nose; bandages; any medicine prescribed for you ). All your camera equipment.
