Day 1|Welcome to Ulaanbaatar — Arrival
Airport transfer, 1 hr
Airport greeting, the National Museum's sweep of history, and an evening of Tumen Ekh's music, dance and contortion.
Hotel
Lunch, Dinner
Wonders of Western Mongolia
Price
From US$4,200
per person
Duration
12 days
Season
Enquire for dates
Single supplement
US$500
Overview
The northwest is Mongolia's best-kept secret: the UNESCO-listed Uvs Lake basin with its birds and snow mountains, the golden dunes and oases of Altan Els, cliff-and-beach shores at Khyargas Lake, and two days trekking beneath the glaciers of the Turgen mountains — argali, ibex and wolf country. Terelj rafting and Hustai's wild horses close the loop.
- Uvs Lake — Mongolia's largest lake, UNESCO World Heritage
- Sunset dunes and starlit oasis nights at Altan Els
- Khetsuu Khad: cliffs, beaches and a swim in Khyargas Lake
- Two days trekking the Turgen Strictly Protected Area
- Rafting the Tuul River through Terelj
- Wild horse safari in Hustai National Park
Day by day
Itinerary
Uvs Lake to the Turgen ice peaks: the wild, little-known wonders of the far northwest — then Terelj and Hustai to finish.
Ulaanbaatar
Uvs Lake
Day 2|Ulaangom & Uvs Lake — The Inland Sea
Fly 3 hrs, then drive 1–2 hrs
Fly west to Ulaangom and settle at a ger camp on the shore of Uvs Lake — river delta, open water and snow-capped mountains in a single panorama.
Ger camp
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3|Uvs Lake — Birding the Basin
A full day of birding treks around the lakeside: gulls, spoonbills, waterfowl rafts and steppe raptors in the UNESCO-listed basin.
Ger camp
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Altan Els
Day 4|Altan Els — The Golden Sands
Drive 3–4 hrs
A scenic drive to the great dunes of Altan Els and their improbable oases. Hike the crests for sunset as the sands sing underfoot.
Ger camp
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5|Altan Els — Oasis Under the Stars
Camel caravan along the dune front, caragana thickets alive with desert birds, an evening with a local family — and a night sky worth the whole journey.
Ger camp
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Khetsuu Khad
Day 6|Khetsuu Khad — The Cliff Shoreline
Drive 3–4 hrs
South to Khyargas Lake's dramatic shore, where cliffs drop to beaches. Walk the shoreline, watch the cormorant colonies on the rocks, and swim into the sunset if you dare.
Ger camp
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Turgen
Day 7|Turgen Mountains — Into the Ice Range
Drive 4–5 hrs
West into the Turgen Strictly Protected Area for the first of two hiking days — up the white-water valleys beneath glaciered summits.
Ger camp
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8|Turgen Mountains — High Wildlife
A full day's trek in argali and ibex country, with wolves and foxes possible and high-altitude birds found only above 3,000 metres.
Ger camp
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Terelj
Day 9|Terelj National Park — East Again
Fly 3 hrs, then drive 2 hrs
Fly back and continue to Terelj for a half-day, fifteen-kilometre raft down the Tuul River — Turtle Rock and the forty-metre steel Chinggis Khaan statue en route.
Ger camp
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Hustai
Day 10|Hustai National Park — Wild Horse Safari
Drive 4 hrs
A safari drive among Hustai's takhi and the rolling steppes they were returned to — over 220 wild horses and counting.
Ger camp
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ulaanbaatar
Day 11|Ulaanbaatar — Last Day in the Capital
Drive 2–3 hrs
Back to the city for cashmere, souvenirs and a farewell dinner.
3-star hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 12|Fly Home — Departure
Airport transfer, 1 hr
Transfer to the airport for your onward flight.
Breakfast
Season / Departure Dates
- 2027: Jul 20-31 (FULL)
- 2028: Jul 20-31 (FEW SEATS)
From the field
Gallery
Make this journey yours
Every Soaring expedition is private and tailored — dates, pace and comfort shaped around you.
We confirm availability within one business day — secure online payment coming soon.
