Comfort Tour To Reindeer Herders - 17 Days
About this tour
From this tour, you will see about reindeer herder's lifestyle. Reindeer herders are also called the Tsaatan in Mongolian it means someone who has reindeer.
Tsaatans are living at the border of Mongolia and Russia. Now they are around 100 families and they are divided into two main groups. It is called Western and Eastern Taiga. Also, they are herding over 2000 reindeer in the mountain area. From the village of Tsagaannuur, we go to East and West Taiga to meet the reindeer family. The Tsaatan people mainly live from hunting, and gathering plants and use a very large part of their reindeer milk, which is incredibly rich with fat and vitamins. The reindeer herders and their traditional teepee is the heart of Tsaatan culture. On this tour, we are going to EAST Taiga to meet reindeer herders.
For the whole tour, we will provide all the camping pieces of equipment, including camping showers, tents, sleeping bags, matrasses, etc...
DURATION: 17 days
GROUP SIZE: 2-10
HIGHLIGHTS: Central Mongolia, Monasteries, Hovsgol lake, Horidol Saridag Mountains, Darkhad Valley, Tsaatan-Reindeer herders
COVERED DISTANCE: Apx:2100km
TRANSPORTATION: Japanese 4WD jeep or Russian mini Van 4x4 UAZ
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Arrive in Ulaanbaatar. Arriving in Ulaanbaatar You will land in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. At the airport, you will meet your translator who will take you to the city center, and on the way there you will be shown where to change currency if you wish to. If your flight arrives early, you will be taken on a city tour on this first day. Your luggage will be dropped off at your hotel before you enjoy the city tour. During the city tour, you will see the central square of Ulaanbaatar city, called Chinggis Khaan square. Then you will visit the Mongolian national historical museum and the Gandantegchinlen Monastery, the center of Mongolian Buddhism. At 6 pm there is a concert played by the Mongolian Tumen Ekh Ensemble. It takes 1 hour. After that, you will be taken back to your hotel where you can relax before the trip, and then see you tomorrow!
Day 2: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to Amarbayasgalant Khiid, Mongolia
Ulaanbaatar – Amarbayasgalant monastery 350km After an early breakfast, you will be collected by your interpreter, chef, and driver, and start the long journey to Amarbayasgalant Monastery. This is one of the largest Buddhist monasteries in Mongolia. The road is long, but there will be a break for lunch, prepared by your chef, where you will be able to enjoy the unique scenery, Our first camping will take place close to the mountains and where you can enjoy dinner in the quiet outdoors. • Breakfast - hotel • Lunch – local restaurant • Dinner - by your team • Accommodation – tent
Day 3: Amarbayasgalant Khiid, Mongolia to Murun, Mongolia
Amarbayasgalant – Murun city 500km This morning we will have breakfast in the wild first time in Mongolia then our team will drive to Murun city which is the capital of Northern Mongolia. We will stay at a local hotel. • Breakfast – by your team • Lunch – by your team • Dinner – local restaurant • Accommodation – hotel
Day 4: Murun, Mongolia to Khuvsgul Lake, Mongolia
Murun – Khovsgol Lake 120km Driving to Lake Khovsgol is a short driving day only 120km until the lake and we will stay at a local tourist camp for one night. First, we will reach village Khatgal, from here we will see the lake and we will drive to the local tourist camp. Our lunch will be at the tourist camp we can have time for rest and for photos. Maybe if you want we can rent a boat for one hour. • Breakfast – hotel • Lunch – local tourist camp • Dinner – local tourist camp • Accommodation – tourist camp
Day 5: Khuvsgul Lake, Mongolia to Gurvansaikhan, Mongolia
Khovsgol lake – Tsagaannuur 280km Early this morning we will start our driving to Tsagaannuur which is the tribe of reindeer herders. It is 280 km from Khatgal village. The road will be dirty and bumpy but no worries about that it is not too bad. We will stop at some places for lunch and for some photos. We will have our lunch from a local small food place it is called Toom. If we reach early at Toom we can drive to drive next place which is called village Ulaan-Uul maybe we can have our lunch here. Now we have only 90km until Tsagaannuur, but the road will be still bumpy and a bit muddy. When we reach Tsagaannuur we will visit the guest house or my home. I have more wooden houses too. You can take a rest there. • Breakfast – tourist camp • Lunch – local food place or by your team • Dinner – guest house or by your team • Accommodation – guest house
Day 6: Gurvansaikhan, Mongolia to Targan Lake, Mongolia
Tsagaannuur – Nomad family 30km On this day we can take a rest bit for the half day because we have very short driving on this day. Today we will visit the Mongolian nomad family who lives close to Tsagaannuur. It is only 30km of driving. We will visit our nomad after lunchtime and discover the nomadic lifestyle. Prepare your luggage for the next day's ride. Because of this family, we will ride a horse with the reindeer family. But we will stay with this family for two nights for two days you will learn and discover about Mongolian nomadic family's lifestyle. • Breakfast – by your team or guest house • Lunch – guest house or by your team • Dinner – nomad family • Accommodation – nomad family
Day 7: Targan Lake, Mongolia
Stay with nomad This is your resting and learning day about the nomadic lifestyle. You can join for a nomadic day’s work and help them. If you want you can have horse riding around the mountain and on the steppe. Your guide will arrange it. Tomorrow you will have horse riding to the reindeer herder's place. Before the reindeer herders, you will have camping for one night. • Breakfast – by your team or nomadic family • Lunch – nomadic family • Dinner – nomadic family • Accommodation – nomad family
Day 8: Targan Lake, Mongolia
Nomad – camping spot 20km Early this morning, you will have to gather anything you might need for the next days, as you will continue your trip on horseback riding without the car. All your equipment and your personal belongings will be carried by horses. You will be traveling through the Taiga zone and camping next to Mount Moorog. It takes two full days of riding to reach their summer camping spot. All your guides will organize your riding distance. This night you will be sleeping in the tent camping • Breakfast – by your team or nomadic family • Lunch – by your team • Dinner – by your team • Accommodation – tent camping
Day 9: Targan Lake, Mongolia
Camping spot – Reindeer herders 20km We ride along the river and through the mountains heading to your next destination: The Tsaatan families are getting closer. You will spend the night in their traditional teepees. It will be already prepared for us. The Tsaatans are very interesting people, their lifestyle culture, and ways to herd reindeer are fascinating as their shaman culture. They pray to the power of nature. Here you will get to know lots about their culture and about their life. We will have lunch between the high mountain and next to the river. After lunch, we can see in the distance the first tepees. Reindeer eat lichens and mosses. High mountains surround us and lead us in the magic of a journey to the ends of the earth. Sit in the teepee, have tea with reindeer milk… Here is the beginning of our encounter with this ancestral people. • Breakfast - by your team • Lunch - by your team • Dinner - by your team or reindeer herding family • Accommodation - teepee
Day 10: Targan Lake, Mongolia
Day 10-13 Staying with reindeer herder family. On these days you will stay with the reindeer herding family for a few days. You will discover all their life adventures. You will do lots of activities such as helping the family, herding reindeer, if you want you can have horse riding around the mountain, also, if you want you can have reindeer riding with kids and you can watch a shaman ceremony. If you want to see the shaman your guide will organize it. Of course, you will have your own independent teepee-like hotel. All the time you will have food from your team and from the Tsaatan family.
Day 11: Targan Lake, Mongolia
Day 10-13 Staying with reindeer herder family. On these days you will stay with the reindeer herding family for a few days. You will discover all their life adventures. You will do lots of activities such as helping the family, herding reindeer, if you want you can have horse riding around the mountain, also, if you want you can have reindeer riding with kids and you can watch a shaman ceremony. If you want to see the shaman your guide will organize it. Of course, you will have your own independent teepee-like hotel. All the time you will have food from your team and from the Tsaatan family.
Day 12: Targan Lake, Mongolia
Day 10-13 Staying with reindeer herder family. On these days you will stay with the reindeer herding family for a few days. You will discover all their life adventures. You will do lots of activities such as helping the family, herding reindeer, if you want you can have horse riding around the mountain, also, if you want you can have reindeer riding with kids and you can watch a shaman ceremony. If you want to see the shaman your guide will organize it. Of course, you will have your own independent teepee-like hotel. All the time you will have food from your team and from the Tsaatan family.
Day 13: Targan Lake, Mongolia
Day 10-13 Staying with reindeer herder family. On these days you will stay with the reindeer herding family for a few days. You will discover all their life adventures. You will do lots of activities such as helping the family, herding reindeer, if you want you can have horse riding around the mountain, also, if you want you can have reindeer riding with kids and you can watch a shaman ceremony. If you want to see the shaman your guide will organize it. Of course, you will have your own independent teepee-like hotel. All the time you will have food from your team and from the Tsaatan family.
Day 14: Targan Lake, Mongolia
Reindeer herders – Camping spot 20km We will leave the reindeer families today, and travel by the mountains and river toward your next camping spot. After a wonderful adventure among the Tsaatans, it's time to find back the horses. We resume our horseback ride. We continue our ride through the taiga and at the end of the day, we reach the banks of the river where we set up our camp. This will be your last day of camping, we can enjoy dinner around the campfire. We will go on the same way back to the camping spot. • Breakfast - by your team • Lunch - by your team • Dinner – by your team • Accommodation - tent
Day 15: Targan Lake, Mongolia
Camping spot – Nomad family 20km This is the last day of your horseback riding trip and it's time to leave the Taiga zone and come to our hosting nomad family. Also, meet with our car! Today we have a special dinner, it is called Mongolian traditional barbeque. Your guide will tell you all the detailed information about the food. Enjoy the last authentic Mongolian meal prepared by a nomadic family! Last day staying in the nomad’s yurt. • Breakfast - by your team • Lunch - by your team • Dinner – Nomad family • Accommodation – Nomad family
Day 16: Targan Lake, Mongolia to Murun, Mongolia
Nomad family – Murun city 310 km This morning, we need to get up early in the morning and drive to Murun city. Today we have 280 km of a dirty and muddy roads. Today is a full day of driving and when we arrive in Murun city we will directly go to the hotel and then to the restaurant for dinner. Around lunch, we will cross Ulaan-uul soum /red mountain village/ it is just 90 km away from Tsagaannuur but the road is bumpy, and takes a long time between these places. We will pass big mountains today and after you passed Ulaan-uul sum we are leaving out of Darkhad valley. When you are passing Olyin davaa we will stop at the top. It is a very nice place to take a photo or send the drone to the valley. At the top of the Olyin Davaa, you will see 13 Ovoos and pray to nature for a good trip. Ovoos are piles of stones and wood generally located in the passes and in sacred places. Mongolians walk three times around the ovoo making offerings: stones, tugrugs, milk, vodka, etc... Your guide will explain to you all about this place. Olyin Davaa is like a gate of Darkhad valley. • Breakfast - by your team • Lunch - by your team • Dinner – local restaurant • Accommodation – Nomad family
Day 17: Murun, Mongolia to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Flight to Ulaanbaatar 1;30h This is the last day of our trip with your team. From here, you will fly to Ulaanbaatar and you might have to get up early in the morning depending on your flight schedule. The local airport is 10 km from Murun city and here you will leave your team where you can say your thank you and goodbyes to your team. When you arrive in Ulaanbaatar you can go shopping for souvenirs with your guide. You can visit the cashmere factory store and state department store to buy some souvenirs if you want. After that, you will be taken to your hotel where you can say goodbye and thank you for your guide.
What's included
Day 18 is could be included in this itinerary if you are leaving Mongolia if not it could be not included
travel insurance, phone calls, extra drinks, etc...
What to know
This tour can be customized. Please get in touch with me.
Route & locations
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia