Wild North Through My Eyes: Khuvsgul & Taiga
About this tour
I have a deep connection to the land of Khuvsgul and its people. This deep into Khuvsgul tour has always been such a unique, eye-opening, and an enriching experience for me. I want to offer this such off-road, remote, and culturally distinct tour to wild North to my travellers too. While the travel on road is exhausting, the experience is deeply fullfilling.
This tour includes visit to Khuvsgul lake, connection to Darkhad & Dukha community in North, cultural activities, and sightseeing to the most picturisque destinations of Northern Mongolia including Ar Bosgot Canyon, Jargant River, Tsagaannuur (White Lake), Boshloi Rock in Bayanzurkh soum and Erkhel Lake.
Darkhad: A Mongolian ethnic group traditionally living in the Darkhad Valley. They are known for livestock herding, hunting, and strong shamanic traditions.
Dukha (Tsaatan): A small Turkic-speaking reindeer-herding community living in the forests near the Mongolian–Russian border. Reindeer are central to their transportation, livelihood, and cultural identity.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to Amarbayasgalant Monastery, Дархан, Mongolia
We’ll leave Ulaanbaatar after breakfast and begin our journey north toward Amarbayasgalant Monastery, built between 1727 and 1736 and considered one of Mongolia’s best-preserved Buddhist monasteries and an important part of the country’s Buddhist heritage. The drive will be approximately 350 km and take around 5–6 hours, depending on the route and road conditions. We’ll stop for lunch along the way before continuing to the monastery. We expect to arrive at the monastery around 3:00 PM and spend the afternoon exploring the monastery complex and learning about its history and spiritual significance. Afterwards, we’ll check in to our guest stay, settle in, have dinner, and enjoy some time to relax and take in the peaceful surroundings.
Day 2: Amarbayasgalant Monastery, Дархан, Mongolia to Murun, Mongolia
We’ll have breakfast at our guest stay before setting off toward Mörön, the provincial capital of Khövsgöl Province. The journey is approximately 510 km and will take around 8–9 hours of driving, depending on road conditions, with a lunch stop and short breaks along the way. We expect to arrive in 7-8PM. After checking in at 50 100 Hotel, we’ll relax and freshen up and have dinner together. Mörön is the administrative and cultural center of Khövsgöl Provinc and serves as an important gateway to the northern regions of Mongolia.
Day 3: Murun, Mongolia to Khatgal, Mongolia
We’ll have breakfast at the hotel before departing Mörön for Khatgal, the gateway to Lake Khövsgöl. The drive is approximately 100 km and takes around 1.5 hours. After lunch, we’ll explore the southern shore of Lake Khövsgöl and enjoy activities depending on interest and weather, such as horse riding, a boat trip, kayaking, ziplining, or a leisurely lakeside walk. After dinner in Khatgal, we’ll drive back to Mörön for dinner and an overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 4: Murun, Mongolia to Ulaan Uul sum, Tugul, Mongolia
We’ll have breakfast at the hotel and then head west to **Ulaan-Uul**, a remote soum in northern Mongolia. It’s about 217 km and takes around 7–8 hours by unpaved road, depending on the road conditions. We’ll arrive in Ulaan-Uul around 6:30 PM, check in to our accommodation, have dinner, and get some rest after the long drive.
Day 5: Ulaan Uul sum, Tugul, Mongolia
We’ll have breakfast at 8:30 AM and then head out to explore Ar Bosgot Canyon, where we’ll spend the morning until around 11:30 AM. From there, we’ll continue to Jargant River and enjoy the surrounding landscapes until around 3:00 PM. We’ll have lunch along the way, either prepared fresh or packed for the day. Afterwards, we’ll return to Ulaan-Uul soum center for dinner and a relaxing evening at our accommodation.
Day 6: Tugul, Mongolia to Taiga, Murun, Mongolia
After breakfast, we’ll leave Ulaan-Uul and continue north toward Tsagaannuur. It will be a long but beautiful drive, passing through the dramatic Sayan Mountains and the Horidol Saridag mountain range, with forests, rivers, and wide open valleys along the way. We’ll have a packed lunch along the way, with a few stops for photgraphs and relaxing. By late afternoon, we’ll reach Tsagaannuur, a small and remote community of darkhad community, surrounded by the wild landscapes of northern Mongolia. We’ll check in to our accommodation, have dinner together, and relax after the day’s journey.
Day 7: Tsagaannuur, Mongolia
We’ll have breakfast in Tsagaannuur and drive by 4WD as far as the road allows. We’ll have lunch on the way and then continue by horseback into the East Taiga. In the afternoon, we’ll arrive at the camp, meet a Dukha family, have dinner, and rest.
Day 8: Taiga, Murun, Mongolia
After breakfast, we’ll spend the day horse trekking through the East Taiga, exploring the forest, valleys, and surrounding mountains. We’ll visit a Dukha family, meet their reindeer, and learn about their traditional way of life. We’ll have lunch along the way before returning to the camp in the afternoon. In the evening, we’ll have dinner and rest.
Day 9: Taiga, Murun, Mongolia to Tsagaannuur, Mongolia
After breakfast, we’ll say goodbye to our hosts and horse-trek back through the East Taiga to the point where our 4WD vehicles are waiting. We’ll have lunch along the way before continuing by vehicle toward Tsagaannuur. We’ll arrive in Tsagaannuur in the afternoon, check in to our accommodation, have dinner, and rest after the journey.
Day 10: Tsagaannuur, Mongolia to Altraga, Mongolia
We’ll have breakfast and then head toward **Bayanzürkh soum**, with lunch along the way. We expect to arrive in **Bayanzürkh around 3:00–4:00 PM**. After checking in, we’ll have dinner and spend the evening exploring the town and relaxing.
Day 11: Bayanzurkh, Tugul, Mongolia to Murun, Mongolia
We’ll have breakfast in Bayanzürkh and then start our drive back to Mörön. We’ll have lunch along the way and enjoy the scenery as we travel through the open landscapes of Khövsgöl Province. We expect to arrive in Mörön in the afternoon, check in to our hotel, and have some time to relax. In the evening, we’ll have dinner and enjoy a quiet evening in town.
Day 12: Murun, Mongolia to Erdenet, Mongolia
We’ll have breakfast in Mörön and then start our drive south toward Erdenet, one of Mongolia’s major cities and an important mining center. The journey is approximately 380 km and takes around 6–7 hours, depending on road conditions. We’ll have lunch along the way and enjoy the changing scenery as we travel through the open steppe and rolling hills. We expect to arrive in Erdenet in the afternoon, check in to our hotel, have dinner, and relax.
Day 13: Erdenet, Mongolia to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
We’ll have breakfast in Erdenet before starting our drive back to Ulaanbaatar. The journey is approximately 370 km and takes around 5–6 hours, depending on road and traffic conditions. We’ll have lunch along the way and enjoy the changing scenery as we travel through the Mongolian countryside. We expect to arrive in Ulaanbaatar in the afternoon, check in to our hotel, and have some time to relax and enjoy the rest of the day.
What's included
Languages spoken
Route & locations
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to Amarbayasgalant Monastery, Дархан, Mongolia