Mongolia: Nomads & Gers

Welcome to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s boomtown capital. Settle into your hotel and get your bearings in this intriguing city.

Shangri-La Hotel

Today's private city tour begins with the Gandan Monastery, one of the few monasteries in the city that survived Stalin’s religious purges of the 1930s. Explore intricately decorated temples in this Buddhist sanctuary and greet red-robed monks as they perform their daily rituals.

Get an overview of Mongolia’s past at the National Museum of Mongolia, where galleries display Stone and Bronze Age artefacts, sacred relics, and tribal costumes. Join a specialist in 13^th century Mongolian history for a more insightful experience (additional cost).

After lunch, discover the world of Mongolian art with a choice of tour. For traditional Mongolian Buddhist art, explore the Zanabazar Museum of Fine Arts, home to one of the world’s greatest collections of Buddhist art and artefacts. For a glimpse into the modern Mongolian art scene, visit one of the city’s contemporary art galleries such as Mongol Art Gallery or the National Art Gallery.

Shangri-La Hotel | Meals: BL

Transfer to the airport for your flight south to Dalanzadgad. Journey overland to Yol Valley National Park in the foothills of the craggy Altai Mountains. Hike the valley for a chance to spot indigenous vulture-like Lammergeiers, Altai snowcocks, ibex, yaks and Argali mountain sheep.

Continue to your eco-lodge, a National Geographic Unique Lodge of the World, set amid the Gobi's vast desert landscapes. Here, you’ll stay in a ger, a traditional Mongolian tent with all the added sophistication and attentive service of a luxury lodge. Settle in before exploring the incredible surroundings of the Gurvansaikhan National Park.

Opt to ride on horseback around the Bulagtai mountains, or simply relax in a swing seat on the terrace looking out over the desert. After twilight fades, marvel as the vast starlit desert sky comes alive.

Three Camel Lodge | Meals: BLD

Journey overland to Tugrugyn Shiree, renowned for its famous fossil discovery of the ‘Fighting Dinosaurs’ in the 1970s. In the afternoon, head to Havsagit Valley for an exploration by foot to seek out ancient petroglyths.

Three Camel Lodge | Meals: BLD

Set off on the back of a Bactrian (two-humped) camel through the dunes of Moltsog Els for a glimpse into a way of life that has endured for centuries (option to hike, if you prefer). Step inside the home of a local camel-herding family and enjoy true Mongolian hospitality. Then, head to the Flaming Cliffs to see where the adventurer Roy Chapman Andrews – the model for Indiana Jones – discovered a dinosaur embryo in 1921. As dusk falls, marvel at the orange glow that gives the cliffs their name.

Three Camel Lodge | Meals: BLD

Return to the capital by air and visit the largest equestrian statue in the world, the imposing Genghis Khan Statue Complex. Gaze upon the 40-metre-tall statue of the infamous former ruler of the Mongol Empire, before spending the afternoon exploring at your own pace. This evening, take your seat as traditional dancers and khoomei throat singers conjure up the magic of Mongolia.

Shangri-La Hotel | Meals: BL

Transfer to the airport where your journey ends.

Meals: B