Great Steppe Naadam & Culture Odyssey
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Ulaanbaatar β Karakorum (via Elsen Tasarkhai Sand Dunes)
Depart Ulaanbaatar towards Karakorum. Stop midway at the "Mini-Gobi" sand dunes of Elsen Tasarkhai. Walk through unique intersecting landscapes of sand, green grasslands, and rocky hills.
Karakorum Ruins & Erdene Zuu Monastery
Explore the Karakorum Museum and walk the archaeological grounds of Genghis Khan's 13th-century capital. Visit Erdene Zuu Monastery, built in 1586 using stones from the ancient capital ruins.
Karakorum β Naadam Festival Grounds (Opening Ceremony & Wrestling)
Dress in your traditional Deel garment and head to the festival plains. Witness the grand opening parade, traditional horse-head fiddle orchestras, and the start of the heavy-weight wrestling matches where giants duel with honor.
Horse Racing & Archery Competitions
Spend the day at the racing steppes watching hundreds of semi-wild horses thunder across 24 kilometers. Interact with the young jockeys and cheer on national archers firing bone-tipped arrows.
Naadam Festival Grounds β Ulaanbaatar
Enjoy a legendary farewell breakfast, followed by a slow scenic drive back to Ulaanbaatar, stopping for nomadic cheese and butter tasting.
From the Blog
Best Time to Visit Mongolia: A Season-by-Season Guide
The best time to visit Mongolia is June to September, but which month inside that window depends on what you actually want from the trip. Here's what each month looks like on the ground.
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