Self-Launched Mongolia & The Naadam Festival

Fly into Chinggis Khaan International Airport (ULN). Take a taxi or shared shuttle into the city centre — agree a fare before getting in, or use the official taxi rank (~£8–12). Check into a central hostel or guesthouse in the Sukhbaatar district. Head out for an orientation walk around Sukhbaatar Square, browse the State Department Store, and grab dinner at a local guanz (canteen) — try tsuivan (fried noodles) or buuz (steamed dumplings) for a few pounds.

🚌Airport taxi to city centre (~£8–12). Walk to most central sights.

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in central Ulaanbaatar — e.g. Oasis Guesthouse or Sunpath Mongolia Hostel (~£12–18/night)

• →Arrive at Chinggis Khaan International Airport
• →Orientation walk around Sukhbaatar Square
• →Explore the State Department Store area
• →Dinner at a local guanz canteen

The main event: Naadam Festival opening ceremony at the National Sports Stadium. Tickets for foreigners are available at the stadium box office or via local guesthouses — budget around £10–20. Watch the incredible opening pageant, traditional costumes, and the start of the Three Games: wrestling, archery, and horse racing. Afternoon: wander the festival grounds independently — watch archery bouts and wrestling rounds close up. Street food stalls surround the stadium; try khuushuur (fried mutton pastries) for pennies.

🚌Walk or short taxi ride to National Sports Stadium (~£2–4)

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in central Ulaanbaatar (~£12–18/night)

• →Watch Naadam Festival opening ceremony at National Sports Stadium
• →Observe wrestling, archery, and horse racing competitions
• →Explore festival grounds and stalls independently
• →Try khuushuur and other Mongolian street food

Today head out to Khui Doloon Khudag (known locally as Q7), the legendary Naadam horse racing field about 30km outside Ulaanbaatar. Shared minibuses and taxis run from the city on race days — ask your guesthouse to help arrange a shared taxi (~£5–8 return). Watch the Soyolon Race (5-year-old horses) in the morning and the Daaga Race (2-year-olds) in the afternoon. The atmosphere on the steppe is electric. Grab lunch from khuushuur stands at the racecourse — budget £3–5.

🚌Shared taxi or minibus from Ulaanbaatar to Khui Doloon Khudag and back (~£5–8 per person)

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in central Ulaanbaatar (~£12–18/night)

• →Travel to Khui Doloon Khudag horse racing ground
• →Watch the Soyolon Race (5-year-old horses)
• →Watch the Daaga Race (2-year-old horses)
• →Lunch from local khuushuur stands at the racecourse

Morning: visit the National Museum of Mongolia near Sukhbaatar Square — entrance ~£3–5, and well worth a self-guided couple of hours exploring Mongolian nomadic history and archaeological artefacts. Then depart for the Gobi. The most cost-effective way to travel independently across Mongolia is to hire a shared 4x4 with driver — arrange through your guesthouse or a local operator like Goyo Travel or Nomadic Expeditions (expect £40–60/day per vehicle, split between passengers). Stop for a picnic lunch near Zorgol Khairkhan Mountain. Arrive at a community-run ger camp near Baga Gazriin Chuluu by late afternoon. Evenings at ger camps often include traditional games — ask your hosts.

🚌Shared hired 4x4 with driver from Ulaanbaatar (~£40–60/day per vehicle, split between group)

🛏Community ger camp near Baga Gazriin Chuluu (~£20–35/night, often includes meals)

• →Visit the National Museum of Mongolia
• →Drive south towards the Gobi Desert
• →Picnic lunch near Zorgol Khairkhan Mountain
• →Check into ger camp at Baga Gazriin Chuluu
• →Try traditional Mongolian games (knuckle bones, Khorol) with hosts

Spend the morning exploring the dramatic granite rock formations of Baga Gazriin Chuluu National Park on foot — no entrance fee for the wider area, small local park fee may apply (~£1–2). Hike through the massif and seek out the ruins of the 17th-century temple hidden among the boulders. This is a genuine off-the-beaten-track experience. Packed lunch from your ger camp hosts before driving south towards South Gobi (Ömnögovi Aimag). Arrive at a ger lodge near Bulgan by evening.

🚌Shared hired 4x4 continues south (~included in daily vehicle hire)

🛏Ger camp or simple guesthouse near Bulgan, South Gobi (~£20–30/night)

• →Morning hike through Baga Gazriin Chuluu granite formations
• →Visit ruins of 17th-century hidden temple
• →Drive south towards South Gobi (Ömnögovi Aimag)
• →Check into ger lodge near Bulgan

A full hands-on day learning nomadic skills with local families near your camp. Many community ger camps in the Gobi offer ger-building demonstrations as part of a stay — negotiate directly with hosts (~£5–10 for the activity). Learn to assemble and dismantle the lattice walls, roof poles, and felt coverings of a traditional ger. This is an authentic cultural exchange rather than a staged performance. Spend the afternoon with your hosts, helping with daily tasks — milking mares, making airag (fermented mare's milk), or cooking over a wood stove.

🚌Local travel by 4x4 within South Gobi area

🛏Ger camp, South Gobi (~£20–30/night including meals)

• →Hands-on ger building demonstration with nomadic hosts
• →Learn to assemble ger lattice walls and roof structure
• →Afternoon nomadic life activities: milking mares, making airag, cooking
• →Communal dinner with host family

Drive to the spectacular Khongoryn Els — the 'Singing Dunes' — some of the largest sand dunes in Mongolia, rising up to 300 metres. The drive itself (~3–4 hours from South Gobi camps) is a highlight across open steppe. Hike to the top of the main dune ridge for panoramic desert views — no guide needed, the route is clear and the views are extraordinary. Camel riding with local families is available at the base of the dunes (~£5–8 for 30 minutes). Camp at a ger camp at the foot of the dunes.

🚌4x4 drive to Khongoryn Els (~3–4 hours, included in vehicle hire)

🛏Ger camp at base of Khongoryn Els dunes (~£20–35/night)

• →Drive to Khongoryn Els (Singing Dunes)
• →Hike to the summit of the main dune ridge
• →Optional camel riding with local families (~£5–8)
• →Sunset views over the Gobi Desert from the dunes

Drive to Yolyn Am — the 'Eagle Valley' — a dramatic ice gorge hidden inside the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park. Pay the national park entrance fee at the gate (~£3–5). Hike through the narrow canyon, which often holds ice well into summer, and keep an eye out for ibex, argali sheep, and lammergeier vultures overhead. Picnic lunch in the valley. Afternoon: explore the small Gobi Museum near the park entrance (included in park fee). Return to ger camp for dinner under a vast Gobi sky.

🚌4x4 drive within Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park area

🛏Ger camp near Yolyn Am or Dalanzadgad (~£20–35/night)

• →Pay national park entrance fee at Gobi Gurvan Saikhan gate
• →Hike through Yolyn Am ice gorge
• →Wildlife spotting: ibex, argali sheep, lammergeiers
• →Visit small Gobi Nature Museum near park entrance
• →Picnic lunch in the valley

Drive to Bayanzag — the 'Flaming Cliffs' — the famous red sandstone cliffs where American explorer Roy Chapman Andrews discovered dinosaur eggs and fossils in the 1920s. The cliffs glow an extraordinary orange and red at sunrise and sunset. Walk along the cliff edge independently — no official guide needed, no entrance fee. Bring your own water and snacks. Look for fossil fragments in the eroded earth (do not remove any). Overnight at a nearby ger camp.

🚌4x4 drive across South Gobi to Bayanzag

🛏Ger camp near Bayanzag (~£20–30/night)

• →Drive to Bayanzag Flaming Cliffs
• →Walk along the cliff edge at sunrise or sunset
• →Look for fossil fragments in eroded sandstone
• →Photography of the extraordinary red rock landscape

Begin the journey northward, stopping at the evocative ruins of Ongi Monastery — once one of Mongolia's largest monasteries with over 1,000 monks, destroyed by Stalin's purges in 1939. A small rebuilt temple still operates. Entrance to the site is free or by small donation; a resident monk may offer a blessing. Walk among the ruins on the banks of the Ongi River, one of the rare rivers in the Gobi region. Continue driving north towards Central Mongolia. Overnight at a ger camp on the steppe.

🚌4x4 drive north through central Mongolia

🛏Ger camp on Central Mongolian steppe (~£18–28/night)

• →Visit ruins of Ongi Monastery
• →Walk rebuilt temple and receive a monk's blessing
• →Explore monastery ruins on the Ongi Riverbank
• →Drive north across the steppe towards Central Mongolia

Drive to Hustai National Park, one of the world's most important rewilding reserves and home to the Przewalski's horse (takhi) — the last truly wild horse species on Earth, reintroduced here after extinction in the wild. Pay the park entrance fee (~£5–8) and hire a local park ranger guide for a horse-spotting walk (~£10–15 for 2–3 hours — worth every penny for the knowledge). Spotting the takhi in their natural habitat on the rolling steppe is an unforgettable wildlife encounter. Also watch for red deer and gazelle.

🚌4x4 drive to Hustai National Park (~2–3 hours from central steppe camps)

🛏Ger camp inside or near Hustai National Park (~£20–35/night)

• →Drive to Hustai National Park
• →Pay park entrance fee
• →Join a local ranger-led Przewalski horse spotting walk (~£10–15)
• →Wildlife spotting: takhi wild horses, red deer, gazelle
• →Learn about the rewilding programme from park rangers

Drive to Karakorum (Kharkhorin) — the ancient capital of the Mongol Empire under Genghis and Ögedei Khan. Visit Erdene Zuu Monastery, one of Mongolia's earliest surviving Buddhist monasteries, enclosed within its distinctive white-walled compound. Entrance ~£3–5. The small museum inside displays extraordinary Mongol Empire artefacts. Explore the surrounding open-air Karakorum Museum with its stone tortoise statues (~£2). Overnight in a ger camp near Kharkhorin town.

🚌4x4 drive to Karakorum (~3–4 hours from Hustai area)

🛏Ger camp near Kharkhorin (~£18–28/night)

• →Visit Erdene Zuu Monastery and its three main temples
• →Explore the Karakorum Museum and stone tortoise statues
• →Walk the ancient Mongol Empire capital grounds
• →Optional visit to the Karakorum Market in Kharkhorin town

Explore the stunning UNESCO-listed Orkhon Valley — a broad, green river valley that has been the heartland of Mongolian nomadic culture for thousands of years. Drive or hike to the Orkhon Waterfall (Ulaan Tsutgalan), especially dramatic in summer. The valley is dotted with nomadic family camps — you're welcome to approach politely and may be invited in for airag and suutei tsai (salty milk tea). Spend a slow afternoon in the valley, swimming in the river if warm enough, before heading to your ger camp for the last night on the steppe.

🚌4x4 drive within Orkhon Valley area

🛏Ger camp in the Orkhon Valley (~£18–28/night)

• →Drive through the UNESCO Orkhon Valley
• →Hike to or view Orkhon Waterfall (Ulaan Tsutgalan)
• →Visit nomadic families in the valley
• →Afternoon at leisure: swimming, photography, horse riding with locals

The return drive to Ulaanbaatar takes approximately 5–7 hours depending on road conditions — enjoy the steppe scenery on the way back. Drop off your 4x4 hire vehicle and check back into your Ulaanbaatar guesthouse or hostel. Evening: celebrate with a proper sit-down dinner at one of Ulaanbaatar's excellent restaurants — Modern Nomads restaurant is a local favourite for traditional Mongolian cuisine with a modern twist (budget ~£8–15 for a full meal with drinks).

🚌Return 4x4 drive to Ulaanbaatar (~5–7 hours)

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Ulaanbaatar (~£12–18/night)

• →Long drive back across the steppe to Ulaanbaatar
• →Stop at viewpoints and photo opportunities on the return route
• →Celebratory dinner at a Ulaanbaatar restaurant (e.g. Modern Nomads)

A full free day to explore Ulaanbaatar independently. Morning: visit Gandan Monastery — the largest and most important monastery in Mongolia, free to enter the grounds (small fee for inner temples ~£1–2). Watch the morning prayer ceremony if you arrive early. Afternoon: choose from the Zanabazar Museum of Fine Arts (~£3–5, extraordinary Buddhist sculpture collection) or the Bogd Khan Winter Palace Museum (~£3–5). Evening: browse the Black Market (Narantuul) — Central Asia's largest open-air market — for souvenirs, cashmere, and local goods. Bargain hard.

🚌Walking and short taxi rides within Ulaanbaatar (~£2–5)

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Ulaanbaatar (~£12–18/night)

• →Morning prayer ceremony at Gandan Monastery
• →Visit Zanabazar Museum of Fine Arts or Bogd Khan Winter Palace
• →Browse Narantuul Black Market for cashmere and souvenirs
• →Farewell dinner in Ulaanbaatar

Check out and head to Chinggis Khaan International Airport. Take an official taxi or arrange a pickup through your guesthouse (~£8–12). Mongolia will have changed your sense of space, silence, and scale. Safe travels.

🚌Taxi from guesthouse to airport (~£8–12)

• →Final morning: last coffee and pastry at a Ulaanbaatar café
• →Transfer to Chinggis Khaan International Airport
• →Depart Mongolia