Mongolia Nomad Homestay – Horseback Trek, Live Like a Local Nomad – Terelj Park’s Black Mountain Lake
This Mongolia Nomad Homestay grants you Live Like a Local access to nomadic families in Terelj National Park’s Black Lake for some amazing horseback trekking!
Community fee: $604 for 12 days / 11 nights;
UB to Terelj Park Bus Fee (approx.): $2 USD;
Booking, briefing, handbook, healthy/safety coordination: $25 USD
This is a definitive horseback riding/trekking expedition with a nomadic guide that will accompany you by horseback for the duration of the entire journey. Along this challenging yet rewarding horseback riding route, you will ride between 20 to 26 kilometers a day making your way up into the mountains where you will spend most of your time traveling remotely from family’s as you make your way to the Black Lake that is only accessible by trekking, horseback riding and/or helicopters. As you journey into remote and unspoiled scenic landscapes, you will experience the broad diversity of mountain geographies as well as learn the basics of managing your pack-horse for the duration of the expeditions. Upon arrival and before departure from the location, you will have opportunities to experience the warm side of nomadic culture as well as their day-to-day lifestyle in this region of Mongolia.
(Notes: 1. Distance may indeed vary, shorter on some days and longer on others 2. Travelers will pay directly on bus 3. Travelers will pay for local park fees when required)
Mongolia Nomad Homestay Day One
Bus to Terelj National Park followed by horseback riding to nomadic family (L, D – Overnight in a Genuine Nomadic Ger): You will depart Ulaanbaatar by local bus to the picturesque Terelj National Park, we known for its scenic mountainous landscapes, stunning river valleys and lush green forest that is habitat to local wildlife and an array of wild flowers too. Upon arrival at the Terelj Village bus stop our nomadic guide and will greet you and you will begin your three kilometer journey across rivers heading northwards into a pristine mountain valley home to nomadic families. Upon arrival, at our family’s nomadic dwelling they will prepare and serve you with a welcoming hot nomadic lunch and tea. In the afternoon, you can spend the rest of the day with the family learning the techniques of how to herd nomadic livestock, tether sheep and goats for milking as well as trying out your Mongolian language skills in preparation for your long horseback expedition before the evening dinner and retiring to your ger for the night.
Mongolia Nomad Homestay Day Two
Horseback riding through scenic mountain valleys (B, L, D – Overnight in a Genuine Nomadic Ger): After breakfast, you will pack your horse with your guide and travel for 23 kilometers to Mrs. Amarjargal’s Ger where many years ago, CBS’s The Amazing Race was film in this very region (EMMY/DGA Awarded), this is a great chance to explore the film production’s stomping grounds and absorb the truly wonderful environment. Here she will show you how to fill up and carrying water jugs, much like in the competition, as simple as it sounds, this is back breaking work – but fun. When you are finished, you have plenty of time to relax, cool down and Mrs. Amarjargal will start to prepare the evening dinner before you retire for the evening.
Mongolia Nomad Homestay Day Three
Horseback riding into Daichingin Adag’s scenic mountain valleys (B, L, D – Camping in Tent): After a warm and hearty breakfast, its time to saddle up the horses and prepare for a ride that will extend for 20 kilometers into scenic mountain range valleys. You will soon realize that you are slowly leaving civilization behind and entering the wilderness surrounded by birds, marmots, squirrels and other small wildlife. In the evening we will reach our overnight destination and will setup the campsite and have some dinner.
Mongolia Nomad Homestay Day Four
Horseback riding through Khuleriin Davaa’s rich Pine forest to Tuul and Hagiin Rivers (B, L, D – Camping in Tent): Today we follow the Tuul River after your morning meal and enter the dense pine forest at the southern tip of Siberian Taiga. Throughout the 3 1/2 hour ride there may be opportunities that you will come across Golden eagles, woodpeckers, and other birds – so make sure that you have a handy pair of binoculars with you. Our destination for today is at the merging of the Tuul and Hagiin rivers where you will setup camp, have a hot meal and overnight.
Mongolia Nomad Homestay Day Five
“Khagiin Khar” The Black Mountain Lake (B, L, D – Camping in Tent): As you leaving the Tuul Valley camp site behind with a full stomach, you will enter the tundra forests. Historically, this environment is typically a moose habitat and by the end of the day you may have developed a keep sense and eye to detect their presence or even find marks of this magnificent animal around the region. After an hour of riding, you will start to ascend the mountain through lush forests noted for its abundance of wolves, bears, deer and moose. Upon reaching the summit, you will have a great panoramic view and this is a great chance to pull out the camera and wide-angle lens and take shots of the breathtaking Black Lake before setting up camp. This is a picturesque camp site, a great idea to keep the camera out and take those memorable base-camp photos i.e. making dinner, goofing off or just relaxing, etc.
Mongolia Nomad Homestay Day Six
Horseback riding, explore The Three Pearls; small lakes (B, L, D – Camping in Tent): After breakfast, it’s time to saddle-up the horses and continue the horseback journey to three smaller lakes further on in the valley known locally as the ‘three pearls’. The most adventurous of you can climb the surrounding mountains and admire the superb panoramic vintage points, as the camp-site will be setup in a nearby valley.
Mongolia Nomad Homestay Day Seven
Horseback riding to Zuun Mod forest (B, L, D – Camping in Tent): After breakfast today, you will have an excellent 25 kilometer horse trek to Zuun Mod Forest where along the way you have an opportunity to have scenic picnic lunch. Upon arrival and after setting up the camp site, dinner will be prepared and served before retiring for the night.
Mongolia Nomad Homestay Day Eight
Horseback riding down to the Khongorin river valley (B, L, D – Camping in Tent): Today after you morning meal, you will begin a four hour ride downstream through the Khongoryn River valley to reach the river crossing. Upon arrival you will continue the journey for a couple more hours before arriving at a mountainous forest that is primarily made up birch, pine and age-old cedar where the camp site will be setup near a flowing stream.
Mongolia Nomad Homestay Day Nine
The Golden Cradle’s Khavirgin Pass (B, L, D – Camping in Tent): Today you will transverse the Khavirgin Pass which involves both a steep ascent and descent, it located at the eastern shoulder of Altan Olgii Peak that translates as the ‘Golden Cradle’. The Golden Cradle is measured at 2646 meters above sealevel and is one of the highest peaks of the Khentii Mountain Range. Today’s horseback trek will continue towards Terelj National Park through the Dund Bayan Gol Valley where you will setup the next camp site late in the day, just in time for a hot meal, hot tea and good night’s rest.
Mongolia Nomad Homestay Day Ten
Horseback riding to the legendary Gunj “Princess” Temple (B, L, D – Camping in Tent): In the early morning you will start your next leg of travel by horseback for 22 kilometers to the Buddhist temple ruins where you will overnight known as “Gunj Soum”. History states that when Tusheet Khan of the Khalkha was living nearby, his grandson Dondovdorj won the title of “Ephu” and as a result, Enkhamgalan Khan of Manchu honorifically bestowed his 6th princess to Dondovdorj to which she later became queen. Enkhamgalan khan also awarded the title of ‘Diligence and Kindness’ to his princess and presented her with a ‘Golden Leaf Award’ made of five kilograms of gold. When the princess passed away in 1740, Ephu Dondovdorj erected a marble monument and burial temple in her honor. Historically, the Manchu Khan intended his princess to become a spy for the Manchu Empire and when she changed her loyalties to the Mongol Empire, the Manchu Khan sent assassins to successfully end her life.
Mongolia Nomad Homestay Day Eleven
Horseback riding to nomadic family (B, L, D – Overnight in a Genuine Nomadic Ger): This morning you will continue your 24 kilometer horseback journey towards Mr. Zorigt’s nomadic family where you will have lunch and evening dinner with the family and retiring for the night.
Mongolia Nomad Homestay Day Twelve
Some free tim for trekking and departure (B, L): After your breakfast, you will have plenty of free time to trek around the surrounding mountain river valley filled with lush forests and wild flowers before your farewell lunch. In the late afternoon your local guide will take you for 13 kilometers scenic ox cart or horseback ride to Terelj Village where you will depart back to Ulaanbaatar.
Important Notes for Mongolian Homestay Travel and Mongolia Homestay: These are “non-touristic” cultural adventures with nomadic families – please do refer to the ‘terms and conditions’ for further clarifications. Winter itineraries are provided for “reference” there will always be changes in activities, methods of travel, etc., to maintain the ‘health/safety’ of travelers and nomadic families. Please double confirm itineraries via email and/or upon arrival at our office during the “training workshop”. ONLINE Itineraries are ONLY meant to provide you a “general” comprehension of day to day experiences and prices (subject to changes), terrain, lifestyles, etc., distances will change in accordance with Nomadic pastures, weather, culture, lifestyles and other factors.