Welcome to Mongolia! Upon arrival into Ulaanbaatar, you will be met at the airport or train station and be transferred to your hotel. The remainder of the day is yours at leisure.
Ulaanbaatar is a thriving cosmopolitan city on the verge of massive growth, it is a city filled with contrasts and contradictions, wild traffic, sinful nightlife and bohemian counter-culture. Stay: Best Western Premier Tuushin or similar
Following breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your 3.5hr flight to Bayan-Ulgii province. Upon arrival, you will be met by your guide before driving to the Deluun county of Bayan-Ulgii province. The journey is approx 180kms. On arrival, you will visit a Kazak family and enjoy witnessing and learning about their unique culture and traditions of training Golden Eagles for hunting. Stay: with a local Kazakh family. (B/L/D)
This morning, you will travel to the southwest part of Mountain Munkhkhairkhan National Park located in West Altai. This is home to the second highest summit of Mongolia at 4362m above sea level. Standing at the foot of the sky touching high peaks, you can see several small lakes in different colours. The ‘Uriankhai' ethnic groups mainly live in this region. The park is also famed for growing various medicinal plants and its mountain wildlife such as argali, ibex and of course the snow leopard.
On the way to the national park, you will cross over a mountain pass Ulaagchin, the highest pass of the Mongol Altai Mounts. You will then visit Uriankhai ethnic Mongol family, the nomads who live in this region, and stay in their Guurt area which is the homeland of the snow leopard. Stay: in the Ger of a local nomad family. (B/L/D)
The next four days are dedicated for exploring the area and searching for Snow Leopards. You will go to Khar Uzuur, head of the Guurt area and Ikh Baga Khadaan Gijigt by horse with your local mountain guides. Search and observe snow leopards in their ‘nests'. You will search snow leopard habitat sites in the hope of catching a glimpse of this rare Himalayan cat. Listed in the Mongolian Red Book as ‘Very Rare', the snow leopards in Mongolia, are generally at altitudes of 2000-3500m. The snow leopard habitat includes steep broken mountainous regions in the alpine and sub-alpine zones, where vegetation is sparse, but the scenery spectacular. Stay: in the Ger of a local nomad family. (B/L/D)
Today is a long drive day of approx 6 hours as you return to Ulgii. Upon arrival, you will check into your hotel and overnight. Stay: in a local hotel. (B/L/D)
Following breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your domestic flight back to Ulaanbaatar. The day is yours at leisure. For those interested, there are some fascinating museums about the history of Mongolia. This evening, enjoy a farewell dinner. Stay: Best Western Premier Tuushin or similar (B/L/D)
Today is yours at leisure until it is time to transfer to the airport or train station for your onward flight/train. (B)
Crooked Compass
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