8-Day China-to-Russia Border Crossing Overland
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Zamyn-Uud Border β Khamar Monastery
Our driver and guide meet you at the border in Zamyn-Uud, the busy trading town on the frontier with China's Erlian, and drive you about 245 km (3 hours on a paved road) across the open plains of the East Gobi to the area around Khamar Monastery. The monastery was founded in 1820 by Danzanravjaa, the educator, poet, playwright, and noble monk known as the 'Lord of the Gobi.' He chose the site believing that the surrounding land radiated a spiritual energy fostered by the Gobi Desert, and many Mongolians still come here to recharge. The monastery was completely destroyed in the communist purges of 1937, but rebuilding began in 1992 and has been a great success, with colorful new temples rising once again on the plain. Settle in for your first night in Mongolia.
Khamar Monastery β Khusliin Khar Mountain β Ikh Nart Nature Reserve
After breakfast, drive about 35 km (paved road) to Khamar Monastery and explore the area: the 108 caves where monks once withdrew for long meditation retreats, a dinosaur skeleton lying on the ground, and petrified trees from the Jurassic period. Hike around and enjoy the small sand dunes nearby. Then drive about 25 km on a dirt road to Khusliin Khar Mountain, which locals believe makes people's dreams come true. Climb to the top for a spectacular view over the desert. After lunch, drive about 230 km (3 hours on a paved road) to Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, a cluster of rocky hills rising from semi-desert steppe and still rarely visited by tourists. Over millennia, wind and weather have carved its granite into domes, strange shapes, craggy ridges, and a mind-boggling range of textures. It is a favorite with wildlife enthusiasts, mostly for its large population of argali, the world's largest wild sheep. Tonight you camp in a tent beneath the Gobi's star-filled sky.
Ikh Nart β Chinggis Khaan Equestrian Statue β Gorkhi-Terelj
After breakfast, hike around two springs, Khalzan Mountain, and Burgasan Am in search of argali sheep. Early morning is the best time to see them grazing on the slopes, and Siberian ibex and large vultures also live among the rocks. After lunch, drive about 275 km (4 hours on a paved road) to the Chinggis Khaan Equestrian Statue at Tsonjin Boldog. Clad in gleaming stainless steel and 40 m high, it is believed to be the tallest equestrian statue in the world, and it faces east toward the Great Khan's birthplace. An elevator takes you up through the horse to an observation deck on its head for sweeping photos of the steppe. Then drive about 40 km (1 hour on a paved road) to Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, a landscape of granite tors, larch forest, and alpine meadows, and spend the night there.
Gorkhi-Terelj: Turtle Rock, Horse Ride & Aryapala Temple β Ulaanbaatar
After breakfast, see the gigantic Turtle Rock, a granite outcrop weathered into the unmistakable shape of a turtle. Then set off on a 2-hour horse ride that takes you back through the Turtle Rock area and up the mountainside to a viewpoint, a journey of several miles through beautiful scenery with no riding experience required. Next, make a short hike to the picturesque Aryapala meditation temple, which sits in the middle of a ring of rocky, scenic mountains. It is not an old temple, but reaching it is part of the charm: you cross a suspension bridge and climb 108 steps, the same number as the beads on a Buddhist rosary. In the afternoon, take some time to relax and enjoy the natural surroundings, then drive about 60 km (2 hours on a paved road) to Ulaanbaatar for the night.
Ulaanbaatar City Tour & Folk Music Concert
After breakfast, head to Sukhbaatar Square, the main square in the center of the capital, for short visits to the sights around it, including the Government Palace with its great seated statue of Chinggis Khaan. Then spend about 2 hours in the National Museum of Mongolian History, whose exhibits trace the history and culture of the Mongols from the Stone Age to modern times. After lunch, visit Gandan Monastery, home to more than 150 monks and the 26.5 m statue of Migjid Janraisig, the bodhisattva also known as Avalokitesvara. Next comes the Dinosaur Museum: Mongolia ranks among the top five countries in the world for dinosaur finds, and the collection includes skeletons, fossilized skin, eggs, and footprints from across the country. To end the day, enjoy a folk music concert, a rare chance to experience live traditional Mongolian music, with throat singing, the horse-head fiddle, dance, and long song.
Ulaanbaatar β Amarbayasgalant Monastery
After breakfast, drive about 330 km (6 hours on a paved road) north to Amarbayasgalant Monastery, the 'Monastery of Tranquil Felicity,' in the remote Iven Valley. One of the largest and best-preserved monasteries in Mongolia, it was built by order of the Qing emperor and completed in 1736 to honor Zanabazar, the first Bogd of Mongolian Buddhism, whose remains were brought here. Its symmetrical layout and Chinese-style temple halls make it one of the most harmonious buildings in the country. The monastery was sacked in 1937 during the Stalinist purges, but restoration that began in 1988 has gradually returned it to its former glory, and today it is both an active monastery and a museum. Walk around the complex and explore its temples and courtyards, then spend the night nearby.
Amarbayasgalant β Saikhanii Khutul
After breakfast, drive about 235 km (5 hours on a paved road) to Saikhanii Khutul in the border zone between Mongolia and Russia. It isn't one of the country's tallest mountains, but it is famous among travelers for its amazing view over the confluence of the Selenge and Orkhon rivers, Mongolia's two great northern rivers, which meet here before the Selenge flows on into Russia and Lake Baikal. The forested hills and wide river valleys of the north are a striking contrast to the desert where your journey began. The best way to enjoy the scenery is to drive up to the observation deck and take short hikes along the hillside, with plenty of chances to photograph the rivers winding below. Spend your last night in Mongolia nearby.
Altanbulag Border β Kyakhta, Russia
After breakfast, drive about 25 km (paved road) to the border town of Altanbulag, the historic tea-trade crossing point between Mongolia and Russia. We transfer you to the border, where you cross into the Russian town of Kyakhta to continue your journey. The tour ends at around 11:00.