Naadam & Karakorum Tour
3 % OFFTour description
Join us for an unforgettable journey to Great Naadam Festival and Karakorum in central Mongolia. This tour gives you rich opportunities to visit the ancient Mongolian capital of Karakorum and its surrounding places, beautiful monasteries, Khustai & Terelj National Parks, the gigantic statue of Chinggis Khaan and most exotic museums and sites of Ulaanbaatar. Moreover, you will experience Mongolia’s nomadic way of the life and many more worthwhile activities. One of the great highlights on this tour is the Mongolian Naadam Festival. While attending this colorful annual festival, you will have the great opportunity to enjoy watching the delightful opening ceremony and “Three Manly Games”, archery, wrestling and horse races. In brief, sights on this tour are endless and you will discover a wealth of Mongolian traditional and cultural heritage treasures!
Naadam is one of the most important public holidays or ceremonies of Mongolia and annually celebrated on the 11-12th of July. In Mongolian Naadam means the Three Manly Games. The Three Manly Games include wrestling, archery and horse racing, which are the sports of wisdom, courage and strength. Every year 512 wrestlers compete in the National Naadam. The Nachin or “Falcon” title is given to a wrestler who wins 5 rounds, Zaan or ‘Elephant” is a winner of 7 rounds. The wrestler who wins all nine rounds becomes the national wrestling champion and bestowed with the title Arslan or “Lion”. A wrestler who has been “Arslan” twice, is honored with the title of Avarga or “Champion”. In horse racing, horses of six different age groups participate, beginning from 2 to 6 year olds. The six horse races are held separately, according to the age of horses. Racetracks vary according to the horses’ age: 6 miles (10 km) for two-year-old colts, 16 miles (25 km) for stallions. In some races, more than 700 horses take part. Young children of ages 5 to 13 participate in the horse races. The first 5 horses to finish a race are called “Airagdakh” which means that the horses are sprinkled with airag. The title “Tumnii Ekh” or “Top Horse of 10,000” is given to the winning horse. Archery is another Naadam game in which many best archers from all over the country compete. The winner is given a title “Erkhiin Mergen Kharvaach” that means “Archer of Greatest Wisdom”.
| Group size | Hotel*** | Hotel**** |
| 2 pax | 1820 | 1981 |
| 3-5 pax | 1485 | 1646 |
| 6-10 pax | 1377 | 1537 |
| 11-15 pax | 1125 | 1386 |
Note: -Price USD/ per person
-Single supplement is available at 340 USD
SERVICES INCLUDED IN THE PRICE - 3-4 star hotel in twin/double occupancy in UB
- Tourist ger camps (twin/triple sharing)
- Airport/ hotel/ airport transfer
- Transportation by 4WD minivan with fuel
- Experienced driver
- Guiding/ interpreting service
- All meals (B, L, D)
- A bottle of water, daily
- Museums and folklore performance
- Entrance fees for national parks & protected areas
- Naadam Festival ticket
- Chinggis Khaan’s Statue
- Camel riding (1 hour) with guide
- Invitation letter if needed
SERVICE NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE - Single supplement fees
- International airfare
- Travel insurance
- Alcoholic drinks
- Excess luggage charges
- Video and photographing fees
- Extra and optional activities’ cost
- Tips for guide and driver
Discounts for: - For children of family tour (depending on age)
- Every 16th member is free for group tours
- Who brings minimum 3 pax
Tour itinerary day by day
Arrive in Ulaanbaatar. We will meet you at the airport with your name sign. Visit the National Museum of Mongolian History, Gandan Monastery and Genghis Square (Sukhbaatar Square), the city’s central square in front of the Mongolian Parliament building. Here we will provide you with some basic information about Mongolia and our capital, Ulaanbaatar.
Stay: Hotel
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Today is the opening day of the Naadam Festival. After having breakfast we will drive to the central stadium of Ulaanbaatar to see the delightful opening ceremony of the Naadam Festival. After the opening ceremony we will enjoy seeing the Mongols’ Three Manly Games, wrestling, archery and horse riding. Watch traditional wrestling, archery and ankle bone shooting competitions.
Stay: Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today is the second day of the Naadam Festival. In the morning we will drive to Khui Doloon Khudag to see the glorious horse races with young jockeys. Visit Bogd Khaan Palace Museum, the last Mongolian king’s winter palace, Buddha Park, featuring 23 meter high tall statue of Buddha and Zaisan Hill War Memorial. The huge monument on the top of the hill was created as a memorial to the soldiers who died in World War II. Zaisan Hill overlooks the city and offers the best panoramic view of Ulaanbaatar and its surrounding sacred mountains. In the evening we will learn who the winners are of the three manly games and enjoy seeing the exciting closing ceremony of the Mongols’ Naadam Festival.
Stay: Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Drive west to beautiful Elsen Tasarkhai Sand Dunes. Elsen Tasarkhai is one of the most picturesque places of Mongolia and is part of the 80 km long Mongol Els Sand Dunes. This place is a wonderful combination of pretty sand dunes, majestic granite mountains, grassy green land, a clear fresh spring and a tiny lake. Indeed, here you can enjoy seeing the combination of Gobi and Khangai Natural Zones. Visit the Elsen Tasarkhai Sand Dunes and Erdene Khamba Temple in picturesque Khugnu Khan Mountain. Enjoy riding a two-humped camel, walking and climbing on the sand dunes. Overnight in a traditional Mongolian ger.
Stay: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today we will drive to Karakorum, the ancient capital of Mongolia. Karakorum (Kharkhorin) was the capital of Great Mongolian Empire of Chinggis Khan in the 13-14th Centuries. Visit one of Mongolia’s two largest monasteries, “Erdenezuu”, Museum of Karakorum and surrounding sites of Karakorum: the Great Khan’s monument, the legendary Turtle of Karakorum and the Phallic Rock statue. Erdenezuu Monastery has a complex of 108 stupas and over 10 temples that contain rich displays of Mongolian Buddhism. The Erdenezuu Monastery and ruins of Karakorum were registered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1996.
Stay: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Drive to Khustai National Park. This park protects wild horse “Takhi”, that is known as Przewalski’s wild horse in the world and bio-diversity of other rare wild animals and plants. Visit to a small museum of wild horse Takhi and watch a short documentary film about Khustai NP. Enjoy seeing the Przewalski’s wild horse and other wild life in the late afternoon.
Stay: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
This morning we will drive to the beautiful Terelj National Park. Terelj National Park is a picturesque place with high granite cliffs eroded by natural forces creating a wonderful landscape of granite tors as if carved by some giant sculptor. Visit the Turtle Rock formation, the symbol of the national park and “Aryabal” meditation temple where you will enjoy the best view of the park.
Stay: Ger camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Drive to and visit the Chinggis Khaan’s statue complex. The 40 meter high stainless steel statue of Chinggis Khaan on the horseback is the largest of its kind in the world. View the surrounding area from the open balcony on Chinggis Khaan’s horse’s head. Enjoy seeing the biggest Mongolia Boot that was registered in the World Genius Record. Visit a small museum of Mongolia in the 13th Century. Continue driving back to Ulaanbaatar. Later we will go shopping at a cashmere factory outlet store, a souvenir shop or whatever else you want to do. In the evening, enjoy a traditional Mongolian folklore performance of song, dance, music and contortionists followed by a farewell dinner at a fine Mongolian restaurant.
Stay: Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Meet at the hotel and transfer to the airport for departure.
Meals: Breakfast
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