A 7-day private cultural journey through the Elsen Tasarkhai dunes, Karakorum and Terelj National Park, centred on the Naadam Festival in Ulaanbaatar.
Mongolia is a destination that rewards you for slowing down. Across seven days, this journey takes you from the capital into the open landscapes of the Mongolian steppe, where ancient history, nomadic traditions and one of the country’s most important cultural celebrations come together.
You’ll travel beyond Ulaanbaatar to the Elsen Tasarkhai sand dunes, meet a local camel-herding family and spend time in the historic surroundings of Karakorum, once the capital of the Great Mongol Empire. Along the way, there is space to experience Mongolia at a more human pace, from a sunset over the dunes to traditional food and encounters with nomadic communities.
The journey culminates in the annual Naadam Festival, Mongolia’s great celebration of wrestling, archery and knuckle bone shooting. You’ll then head into Terelj National Park, combining its wide-open landscapes with the Great Chinggis Khaan Statue, a meditation temple and a traditional Khorkhog lamb dinner.
Designed as a private journey for travellers who want cultural depth without having to manage the logistics themselves, this itinerary combines Mongolia’s defining experiences with comfortable accommodation and an English-speaking local guide.
A journey through Mongolia shaped by culture, history, open landscapes and time spent with local communities. It is an opportunity to experience the country beyond its capital, while travelling with the comfort and support of a privately arranged itinerary.
From USD 2,070 per person
Travel dates: 7 July 2027 to 13 July 2027
Private land tour.
From 2 travellers: USD 2,520 per person
From 4 travellers: USD 2,070 per person
Single supplement: USD 700 per person for 6 nights
Prices are based on twin occupancy. A single supplement applies for travellers staying in a single room.
Private departures can be arranged subject to availability.
Your Mongolian journey begins in Ulaanbaatar, where your professional local guide will meet you at the airport and accompany you into the city.
After settling in, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant before transferring to your hotel for a relaxed evening. With the adventure ahead, tonight is intentionally simple. Rest well and prepare for your first journey beyond the capital tomorrow.
Meals: Dinner
Overnight in Ulaanbaatar.
Accommodation: Novotel Hotel
After breakfast, leave Ulaanbaatar behind and travel towards Elsen Tasarkhai, a striking landscape of sand dunes often known as Mongolia's Mini Gobi Desert.
The journey itself is part of the experience, as the urban landscape gradually gives way to the wide horizons of the steppe. Once you arrive, you'll have time to explore the dunes and experience one of Mongolia's most distinctive landscapes from the back of a Bactrian camel.
You'll also visit a local camel-herding family, offering a glimpse into a way of life shaped by the land and Mongolia's long nomadic traditions.
As the day comes to an end, slow down and watch the sunset across the dunes before returning to your resort.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Overnight near Elsen Tasarkhai.
Accommodation: Burd Star Resort
After breakfast at the camp, continue towards Karakorum, the ancient capital of the Great Mongol Empire.
This is a day for stepping into Mongolia's deeper history. Visit Erdenezuu, one of the country's oldest Buddhist monasteries, and explore the Karakorum Museum to learn more about the region's past.
You'll also visit the Khaadyn Khad Monument before taking in views across the Orkhon Valley. Between the historic sites, allow yourself time to appreciate the scale of the landscape. Mongolia's history here is inseparable from the open country surrounding it.
Return to the resort in the evening for a quieter end to the day.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Overnight near Elsen Tasarkhai.
Accommodation: Burd Star Resort
After breakfast, begin the journey back towards Ulaanbaatar.
Rather than making the return journey simply a transfer, you'll stop at the Mongol Nomadic camp for a live cultural show. The experience offers an opportunity to encounter traditional Mongolian culture through performance, food and hospitality.
Enjoy traditional food before continuing to Ulaanbaatar, where dinner will be served at a local restaurant.
After several days among Mongolia's open landscapes, tonight brings you back to the capital and the comfort of your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Overnight in Ulaanbaatar.
Accommodation: Novotel Hotel
Today is the centrepiece of the journey.
After breakfast, transfer to the Central Stadium for the opening ceremony of the annual Naadam Festival. Naadam is one of Mongolia's defining cultural celebrations, bringing together the country's traditional three manly games: wrestling, archery and knuckle bone shooting.
Spend the day taking in the atmosphere of the festival and watching these traditional competitions unfold. It is a chance to experience Mongolia during one of its most important annual celebrations, surrounded by local traditions and a strong sense of national identity.
Lunch will be at a local restaurant, followed by dinner at Café Park restaurant.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Overnight in Ulaanbaatar.
Accommodation: Novotel Hotel
Today, the journey moves back into Mongolia's wide-open landscapes as you travel towards Terelj National Park, one of the country's most visited national parks.
Along the way, stop at the Great Chinggis Khaan Statue, before continuing into the park to see Giant Turtle Rock. You'll then take a hike to Ariyabal Meditation Temple, with time to enjoy the surrounding scenery at a more relaxed pace.
The day also includes a visit to a nomadic family, bringing you back to the people and traditions that have shaped much of your journey through Mongolia.
In the evening, enjoy a traditional Khorkhog lamb dinner, a fitting final evening in the Mongolian countryside.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Overnight in Terelj National Park.
Accommodation: Terelj Star Resort
After breakfast, check out and transfer to the international airport for your onward flight.
Your journey through Mongolia comes to an end, leaving you with memories of vast steppe landscapes, ancient history, nomadic hospitality and the extraordinary atmosphere of Naadam.
Meals: Breakfast
Departure from Mongolia.
