Upon arrival in Ulaanbaatar city, our driver and English-speaking guide will pick you up from the airport and be transferred to your hotel in downtown. After you settled in, we will start a sightseeing tour including a visit to Sukhbaatar’s square. The Square is in the centre of Ulaanbaatar, in front of the Mongolian Parliament House. Across from the central square, we will visit the National Museum of Mongolia, the biggest museum with over 54000 exhibitions from the prehistoric period till the 21st century. Our next stop will be the Gandan Monastery. The monastery is the largest and most significant Buddhist monastery in Ulaanbaatar city with over 200 years old. If time permits, we will visit the Zaisan Hill memorial, the hill provides a panoramic view of Ulaanbaatar. In the evening, at 8:20 pm, we will take an overnight train to Erdenet city.

• Transfer to Hotel from Ulaanbaatar New International Airport, about 35 km, and Ulaanbaatar City tour
• Meal(s): Lunch + Dinner 
• Accommodation: We will spend the night on the overnight train. 2 guests will stay in 1 cabin on the rail.

Our Trans-Mongolia Railway journey will end at 07:40 in the morning. Once we arrive in Erdenet, our driver will pick us up from the railway station and will eat a light breakfast in Erdenet city. The city is 2nd biggest in Mongolia and a huge part of the Mongolian economy. After breakfast, we will do a short exploration through the city, then we continue our journey into our main road to the north. En route to the north, we will visit a beautiful extinct volcano named Uran Togoo, and we will take photo breaks in other spots if travellers want. In the evening, we will reach Murun, a provincial town of Khuvsgul Aimag. 

• Travel time: 200 km paved road. Approximately 5-6 hours. But in winter, the road becomes slippery which means the average pace will be 50-70 km/hour, depending on the road and weather conditions due to safety reasons. 
• Meal(s): Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner 
• Accommodation: 50/100 hotel in Murun town. Hotel room is twin-based.

After having breakfast, we drive to a nomadic family near Tsagaan Nuur soum, the northernmost soum of Mongolia. En route to the nomadic family, you will enjoy the stunning backdrop as drive around 4-5 hours north, towards the breathtaking alpine-like scene. Once we reach the home of the nomadic family, you have an opportunity to learn about their lifestyle including how they milk cows, how they take care of their herds in the vast pasture land, and also you will get a chance to try what nomadic people do in their daily life. Overnight in a ger with a nomadic family.

• Travel time: From the valley to the nomadic family, approximately 5-6 hours on a dirt road. In a rural area, the road condition is not good and bumpy. The average pace will be 40-60 km/hour, depending on the road and weather conditions due to safety reasons.
• Meal(s): Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner
• Accommodation: Mongolian traditional “ger” – a round-shaped felt dwelling with no separate rooms, no shower, no water from the wall, and no western toilet. We will spend the night in the same ger with the nomadic family.

Today we will have breakfast with a nomadic family, then load our luggage on a horseback, and head to the Taiga forest by horseback riding, which is the only way to reach Taiga. After approximately 6 hours of horseback riding, we will reach the Taiga forest, and meet the Reindeer herders’ family. En route to the Taiga, we will cross rivers, muddy mountains, and dense forest covered steep mountains. Once we reach there, we will meet one of the reindeer herders’ families and shamans and learn about their life in the Taiga region. Overnight in a teepee in the Northern Mongolian Taiga.

• Travel time: From the nomadic family to the Taiga forest, approximately 5-6 hours by a horseback ride through beautiful Boreal forests and mountain steppe.
• Meal(s): Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner
• Accommodation: Reindeer herders’ teepee – we call it “ortz” or “urts”. We will spend 2 nights being hosted by the Reindeer herder(Tsaatan people) family. Our accommodation will be basic as the life of the Tsaatan is basic. We do not try to change the Tsaatan or their way of life for our own benefit or comfort.  The Tsaatan people live in canvas teepees. We will sleep in a separate “ortz” provided by the family. The number of people in 1 teepee will depend on the Tsaatan Family’s possibility. In our previous tours, an averagely of 3 guests stayed in 1 teepee. Even you may sleep in the Tsaatan family’s home with the family. In either circumstance, you will more than likely have to sleep on the floor on your Thermarest.

Today is a free day in the Taiga Forest with the Tsaatan Family. Today we will be a part of the Tsaatan family by having breakfast with the Tsaatan family, talking with the family members, helping them to do their daily routine, helping them to herd their reindeer, wandering through the boreal forest and photographing, experiencing the real wilderness and experiencing the Tsaatan people’s everyday way of life. The Tsaatan people do ride their reindeer but this is not for tourism entertainment and we do not promote it to our guests. As our animal welfare policy, reindeer should not carry more than half their body weight, and we should consider our body weight. However, at times our guests are invited to ride on a reindeer at the invitation of the owner of the reindeer. It is not something we pre-arrange as we do not arrange any artificial experiences as they damage the culture, the way of life and the animals.  Often the Tsaatan people sell items made from the reindeer antlers but they are careful to harvest only from healthy animals. We support the purchasing of these items as they do not endanger the survival of the reindeer and also help to contribute directly to the local economy.

• Meal(s): Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner
• Accommodation will be the same teepee you sleep in the last night.

It is time to say goodbye to the reindeer and reindeer herders’ family and load our luggage on the horseback and head back to our vehicle in the Tsagaan Nuur soum for our next destination. At the end of the day, we will meet again the nomadic family and stay with the family once again. Overnight in a ger with a nomadic family in Northern Mongolia.

• Travel time: From Taiga Forest to the nomadic family, approximately 5-6 hours by horseback ride through beautiful Boreal forests and mountain steppe.
• Meal(s): Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner
• Accommodation: Mongolian traditional “ger” – a round-shaped felt dwelling with no separate rooms, no shower, no water from the wall, and no western toilet. We will spend the night in the same ger with the nomadic family.

After breakfast, we will pack up and head for an off-road journey to Darkhad Valley in Khuvsgul province. At the end of approximately 5 hours of driving, we will reach Darkhad depression,  we will set up a tent camp on a picturesque riverside.

• Travel time: From nomadic family to Darkhad valley, approximately 5  hours of drive on a dirt road. An average pace of 40-60 km/hour, depending on weather and road conditions. 
• Meal(s): Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner
• Accommodation: Today we will sleep in a nomadic family’s ger. 

Today we will have  breakfast at riverside. After breakfast, we will pack up and head to Khuvsgul Lake. The Lake is the deepest and the 2nd most voluminous freshwater lake in Asia. The lake is surrounded by snow-topped mountain ranges from its west side, and by flat-topped mountains with slopping mountainsides, covered by forest from the east side. Once we reach Khuvsgul Lake, we will check-in to our ger camp on the west shore of Khuvsgul Lake which means you will see the view of the lake just outside of your ger’s door. Overnight in a ger camp on the lakeshore.

• Travel time: From the Darkhad valley to Khuvsgul Lake, approx 4 hours drive on a dirt road.
• Meal(s): Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner
• Accommodation: We will stay in an environment-friendly ger camp on Khuvsgul Lake’s shore. One ger will be shared with 2 or 3 guests.

We will have breakfast at the camp, and today you have options for the excursion including a boat cruise of approximately 1 hour in the lake, horse trekking on the lakeshore averagely of 1 hour or kayaking in the lake. In the afternoon, you have time to relax on the lakeshore. Overnight in a ger camp on the lakeshore.

• Travel time: We will ride a horse around the lakeshore
• Meal(s): Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner
• Accommodation: We will stay in an environment-friendly ger camp on Khuvsgul Lake’s shore. One ger will be shared with 2 or 3  guests.

Today we will drive back to Murun town to be prepared for our journey back to Ulaanbaatar. Once we arrive in the town, you have some time to explore this remote town of the Mongol Nomads.

• Travel time: Approximately 3-4 hours on a dirt road. An average pace of 40-60 km/hour, depending on weather and road conditions. 
• Meal(s): Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner
• Accommodation: 50/100 hotel in Murun town, Accommodation is twin-based.

With an easy morning, we head back from Murun town to Erdenet city through a winter wonderland – Khuvsul and Bulgan province. En route to Erdenet city, we will stop over Selenge River, a beautiful river and one of the biggest rivers run through Mongolia. In the evening, we will reach Erdenet city. Once we arrive in Erdenet, we will have dinner, and head to Railway Station to catch a train back to Ulaanbaatar. The train will depart from Erdenet at 8:40 pm.

• Travel time: From Murun town to Erdenet city, it takes approximately 5-6 hours of drive on a paved road. But in winter, the road becomes slippery which means the average pace will be 50-70 km/hour, depending on the road and weather conditions due to safety reasons.
• Meal(s): Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner
• Accommodation: We will spend the night on the overnight train. 2 guests will stay in 1 cabin on the rail.

Today is a free day. Our team would be always happy to help you explore the Ulaanbaatar city. In the evening, our farewell dinner will take place near your hotel.

• Meal(s): Breakfast + Dinner
• Accommodation: You will stay in a centrally located 4-star hotel – Khuvsgul Lake hotel or similar. The accommodation is twin-based. Also, if you prefer a different type of accommodation, we have more options from a 5-star hotel to homestays.

Today is the end of the “Mystical Tsaatan Trail Winter Version” tour. Our team will transfer you to the airport in time for your international flight. Have a nice trip back to your home and thank you for choosing Way To Nomads Mongolia.

• Meal(s): Breakfast
• Transport: Transfer to the airport from the hotel by vehicle.