2-Day Naadam in Ulaanbaatar: Horse Races & Opening Ceremony
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Naadam Festival: Horse Racing at Khui Doloon Khudag (10 July)
We pick you up from your accommodation (the exact time will be confirmed before the tour) and drive about 35 km on a paved road to Khui Doloon Khudag, the broad open valley west of Ulaanbaatar where the national Naadam horse races are held. Horse racing is the Mongols' most beloved part of Naadam, one of the 'Three Manly Games' alongside wrestling and archery that date back to the time of Chinggis Khaan. The jockeys are children, often only five to twelve years old, who ride bareback or on light saddles across the steppe over distances of up to about 30 km, depending on the age of the horses. Watch the riders thunder toward the finish line in a cloud of dust, as families cheer and spectators crowd around the winning horses, whose sweat is said to bring good luck. Before lunch, we drive back to Ulaanbaatar (35 km on a paved road) and drop you at your accommodation, leaving the afternoon free.
Naadam Festival: Opening Ceremony, Wrestling & Archery (11 July)
We pick you up from your accommodation and take you to the National Stadium (Central Stadium) in Ulaanbaatar, where the grand opening ceremony is held every year. Expect a spectacle of music, dance, and parades of riders and athletes in traditional costume, as the nine white banners of the Mongol state are carried into the arena. The national wrestling tournament follows in the same stadium: there are no weight classes or time limits, a bout ends when a wrestler touches the ground with any part of the body other than the feet or hands, and winners perform the graceful eagle dance. After lunch at the food stalls, we visit the archery ground next to the main stadium, where archers in traditional dress aim at small leather targets on the ground while judges sing out each hit. Then you have some free time to stroll around the festival grounds before we take you back to your accommodation before dinner, at around 17:00.