JACQUES MARCHAIS MUSEUM OF TIBETAN ART

TRAVEL WITH US TO MONGOLIA

Wild and untamed, Mongolia is a deeply spiritual land of nomadic

cultures and dreamy landscapes of snowcapped mountains,

crystalline lakes, and great swathes of grassy plains and ancient

desert. Even today, Mongolia evokes a time when Genghis Khan

and his warrior horsemen thundered across the steppe to establish

the largest land empire the world has ever known.

DAY 1 Depart U.S.

Since your overnight flight to Beijing, China, departs Los

Angeles very early in the morning, travelers are advised to

arrive at LAX the night before. Or perhaps we will make

arrangements for a direct flight from JFK.

DAY 2

Arrive Beijing • Fly to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Meals included: L D Accommodations: Kempinski Hotel Khan Palace or similar

After our early morning arrival in Beijing, we fly to

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, with those who chose to take the pre-

trip extension to Mystical Yunnan: Kunming, Dali & Lijiang,

arriving in time for lunch at a local restaurant. The afternoon

is free to relax before we gather together this evening for a

Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant, where we can talk

about our upcoming discoveries while enjoying traditional

Mongolian cuisine.

DAY 3

Explore Ulaanbaatar

Meals included: B L Accommodations: Kempinski Hotel Khan Palace or similar

Today we begin a city tour of the Mongolian capital,

situated on the banks of the mighty Tuul River and

surrounded by holy mountains. The first capital of the

modern Mongolian empire was founded in 1639 as a

nomadic encampment. This ancient "city" of gers (traditional

felt tents; also known as yurts in Russian) was moved to the

present site of Ulaanbaatar in 1778. Today, UB (as

Ulaanbaatar is commonly referred to) is a bustling metropolis

of roughly a million people, where modern buildings vie with

Mongolian gers, and cars often share the road with nomads

on horseback. Our exploration of UB begins with a visit to

Gandan Monastery, Mongolia’s largest and most important

center of Buddhism, which was built in 1838. Next, we'll

explore Sukhbaatar Square. A famous statue of Damdin

Sukhbaatar, the “hero of the revolution,” presides over the

square. It was on this spot that Sukhbaatar declared

Mongolia’s independence from China in 1921. Less than 70

years later, in 1989, Sukhbaatar Square was also the site of

the first protests against Soviet oppression, and rallies and

ceremonies are still held here today. Then view exhibits on

Mongolian history and culture at the Museum of Natural

History. After lunch at a local restaurant, we stop at the

Zanabazar Museum of Fine Arts, home to a collection of

Mongolian art from prehistory through the early 20th

century, along with works by Zanabazar, a 17th-century artist

and Mongolia's first spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism.

Zanabazar has been referred to as the "Michelangelo of

Asia." Afterwards, we ascend the 200 steps to the top of

Zaisan Hill to enjoy panoramic views of the city and the four

sacred mountains that surround it—Bayanzurkh, Chingeltei,

Khairkhan, and Bogd Khaan. Dinner is on your own this

evening.

DAY 4

A Day in the Life of modern Mongolia • Home-

FOUNDATION VISIT Hosted Lunch Meals included: B L D

Accommodations: Alungoo Camp or similar After breakfast, we’ll embark on A Day in the Life of

modern Mongolia, first stopping at the Culture and Art

Palace in Nalaikh, a mining city southeast of Ulaanbaatar.

With government support—as well as funds from Grand

Circle Foundation—the Palace fosters creativity among the

area’s youth by offering extracurricular music, dance,

singing, art, drama, and computer classes. Currently, about

100 students take classes at the Palace, and we’ll have a

chance to meet some of them today—perhaps even

witnessing their artistic talent. Later, we’ll bid farewell to

the Mongolian children and delve into Nalaikh’s modern

mining culture. Mining opportunities in this small city

attracted a community of Kazakhs in the 1950s, and today,

Kazakhs still represent a quarter of the population. Although

Nalaikh’s mines were closed decades ago, many of them are

still excavated (often illegally) by Kazakhs. Today, we’ll

enjoy traditional Mongolian cuisine during a Home-Hosted

Lunch with a local Kazakh family, giving us the chance to

glimpse into the daily lives of our gracious hosts. This

afternoon, we’ll return to our ger camp, where we’ll have

some leisure time before a traditional hot-stone barbeque.

DAY 5

Ulaanbaatar • Gorkhi-Terelj National Park

Meals included: B L D Accommodations: Alungoo Camp or similar

This morning we’ll travel east into the Mongolian

countryside. Our destination is Gorkhi-Terelj National Park,

a nature reserve set in a deep valley between forested

hillsides, granite boulders, and mountain streams. Nomads

roam the surrounding hills, which are home to some 250

different bird species, rare brown bears, and a wealth of

scenic hiking trails. After a short drive—in which we’ll pass

by the park’s famous Turtle Rock—we’ll enjoy a hike to

Aryabal, a scenic meditation temple. Then, we’ll return to

our camp for lunch before meeting a local nomadic family.

With the family’s help, we’ll milk their cows and learn how

to turn the milk into cheese. Tonight, we’ll have dinner

together at our ger camp.

DAY 6

Genghis Khan monument • Meet with nomadic horse-

breeding family

Meals included: B L D Accommodations: Alungoo Camp or similar

Today begins with a visit to a rather remarkable

monument. The people of Mongolia decided to honor

Genghis Khan in a big way—by erecting a statue of him

astride his horse that stands 131 feet high atop a 33-foot-high

coliseum. Built at the site where legend has it Genghis Khan

found a golden whip that inspired his future conquests, it is

said to be the world’s largest equestrian statue. After

returning to our camp for lunch, we’ll visit a nomadic horse-

breeding family to better our understanding of the nomadic

lifestyle. This will be a rare opportunity to experience

modern Mongolian life firsthand. Nomads learn to ride

horses as soon as they can walk, and spend much of their

lives in search of stray animals—for there are almost no

fences in the entire country. After a demonstration of horse-

catching techniques, we’ll return to our camp for a lesson on

how to build a traditional Mongolian ger. We’ll have dinner

together at our camp this evening.

DAY 7

Ulaanbaatar • Shaman visit

Meals included: B L Accommodations: Kempinski Hotel Khan Palace or similar

Today we’ll return to the Nalaikh mining town to visit

the Sain Nomun Monastery, where local monks will be

waiting to show us how to practice meditation. After trying a

few meditative techniques, we’ll delve deeper into

Mongolia’s spirituality by visiting a shaman in his home and

participating in a shamanistic ritual. Our visit will reveal how

many modern-day nomadic practices—including the blue

flags and mounds of sacred stones called ovoos—can be

traced to shamanistic beliefs that have been shaping

Mongolian culture since the days of Genghis Khan. Next,

we’ll have lunch together at a local restaurant in Ulaanbaatar

before visiting Naran Tuul, sometimes called the Black

Market. In browsing its labyrinth of stalls, you’ll find

clothing, bags, leather boots, Mongolian antiques, saddles, a

variety of local foods, and much more. The market will also

provide you with a unique opportunity to mingle with locals

and experience life in the bustling capital. After exploring

Naran Tuul, we’ll head to our hotel with enough time for

dinner on your own in Ulaanbaatar.

DAY 8

Fly to Moron • Transfer to Khovsgol Lake

Meals included: B L D Accommodations: Ashihai Lake Camp or similar

After breakfast, we visit a workshop that produces

traditional morin khuur (horse head fiddles), registered on

UNESCO’s World Heritage of Art and Cultural Objects list.

Mimicking the shape of the all-important horse, this bowed

instrument features a long neck with a carved horse head at

its end and two horse-hair strings. At the workshop, we’ll

learn how the ritual of morin khuur playing has become

intertwined with Mongolia’s history and culture. Then we

head to the airport for a flight to Moron, the administrative

center of northern Mongolia’s Khovsgol Province. After our

late afternoon arrival in Moron, we’ll have lunch at a local

restaurant and continue with an overland journey to our ger

camp along Khovsgol Lake. One of Mongolia’s most

picturesque destinations, Khovsgol is an idyllic landscape of

thick evergreen forests, flowering meadows with grazing

yaks, rugged mountains, and crystal-clear streams and lakes.

Khovsgol Lake is a pristine alpine lake some 100 miles long,

situated close to the Siberian border. The surrounding region

is home to camels of the Gobi and reindeer of the taiga

(coniferous forest), as well as several Mongolian ethnic

groups, including Buriat, Khalk, Darhat, and the Tsaatan.

Tonight, we’ll have dinner together at our camp.

DAY 9

Khovsgol Lake • Meet with yak-herding families

Meals included: B L D Accommodations: Ashihai Lake Camp or similar

Today, we meet with members of a yak-herding family

on the Mongolian steppe. Our meeting will reveal the austere

lifestyle of these nomadic families, who depend on the long-

haired bovine for virtually all of their core needs: milk, food,

shelter, and clothing. Next we explore the nearby town of

Khatgal to learn more about the daily lives of the people in

this remote area. On the way back to the camp, you have the

option to walk instead of driving to enjoy the idyllic scenery

around the lake. After lunch together, you’re free to spend

the afternoon as you wish before regrouping for an included

dinner.

DAY 10

Boat ride on Khovsgol Lake • Horseback ride

Meals included: B L D Accommodations: Ashihai Lake Camp or similar

We begin the day with a morning excursion out onto

Khovsgol Lake, whose crystal-clear waters are home to such

species as Siberian grayling, pike, perch, salmon, and

sturgeon. After our boat ride, we enjoy a leisurely horseback

ride along the shores of the scenic lake. The rest of the day is

at leisure, with lunch at the camp’s restaurant. You may wish

to take advantage of this time by embarking on some elective

hiking through this scenic region. This evening we'll gather

together and dine under the Mongolian stars with an outdoor

dinner and bonfire by the shores of the lake.

DAY 11

Overland to Moron • Fly to Ulaanbaatar

Meals included: B L Accommodations: Kempinski Hotel Khan Palace or similar After breakfast and some time at leisure, we drive back

to Moron and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Then we head

to the airport for a flight to Ulaanbaatar, arriving in late

afternoon. Dinner is on our own this evening.

DAY 12

Fly to the Gobi Desert Meals included: B L D Accommodations: Dream Gobi Camp or similar

After a morning at leisure, we leave Ulaanbaatar and fly

to the Gobi Desert. Covering much of southern Mongolia, the

Gobi Desert is a breathtaking region of semi-arid desert

terrain that is dazzling in its variety—from rocky outcrops to

barren stretches of seemingly endless, rolling gravel plains. It

is the world’s coldest and northernmost desert, as well as a

great repository of dinosaur remains. Caravan routes have

been crossing the Gobi since ancient times. When Marco

Polo, seeking the fabled capital of the Kublai Khan,

encountered this vast and unforgiving landscape in the 1270s,

he proclaimed, “It consists entirely of mountains and sands

and valleys. There is nothing at all to eat.” But nomads—and

wildlife—do survive here (and you will certainly be well-fed

as we venture into this mysterious, otherworldly region).

Once we land, we enjoy an included lunch before continuing

our drive through the stunning Gobi landscape that rolls out

to the horizon. You might keep your eyes peeled for the

wildlife that makes its home in the great desert, from golden

eagles and saker falcons to Argali mountain sheep, goitered

gazelle, and a variety of reptiles. This area is also the last

refuge of wild two-humped Bactrian camels and home to the

rare snow leopard and desert-dwelling Gobi bear. We’ll

have dinner in our desert camp.

DAY 13

Explore Yol Valley

Meals included: B L D Accommodations: Dream Gobi Camp or similar

Today we explore Yol Valley (also known as Vulture

Valley). We’ll travel across the Gobi Desert to the Gurvan

Saikhan Mountains and enter this deep gorge in a Mongolian

national park. We’ll hike here amid impressive mountain

scenery and learn about this area’s endemic plants and local

wildlife, including the valley’s namesake, the lammergeier

vulture (yol in Mongolian). One of the valley’s most striking

sights is glacial ice that extends six miles down the gorge in

the winter, some of which often lingers through September or

even year-round. After enjoying a boxed lunch, we return to

our desert camp to enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure.

Dinner is included at our ger lodgings.

DAY 14

Gobi Desert • Flaming Cliffs • Camel ride in the dunes

Meals included: B L D Accommodations: Dream Gobi Camp or similar

We begin the day with a visit to an area of the Gobi

Desert known as Bayanzag, but more commonly referred to

as the Flaming Cliffs. The region is famous as the location of

the first nest of dinosaur eggs and other fossils found here by

the American paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews in the

1920s—and it was he who nicknamed the site "Flaming

Cliffs" for the surreal, glowing orange color of the

surrounding rocks and cliffs. We’ll enjoy a bit of light

trekking among Flaming Cliffs before driving to another

striking feature of the Gobi Desert, Moltsog Els. While only

about 5% of the Gobi Desert is sand, we explore one of the

few regions of the Gobi covered in dunes at Moltsog Els.

Then, after a box lunch in the desert, we visit with a nomadic

family engaged in the breeding of Bactrian camels. After

learning about Gobi nomads and their camels, you will get to

hop aboard one of the twin-humped beasts for a ride into the

sweeping desert sands of the mysterious Gobi Desert. Back

at our camp, you will have time to relax before an included

dinner.

DAY 15

Fly to Ulaanbaatar

Meals included: B D Accommodations: Kempinski Hotel Khan Palace or similar

After breakfast, we drive to Dalanzadgad, where we

make our final flight to Ulaanbaatar. We have some free time

at our hotel in UB before we gather together for a

performance of traditional Mongolian entertainment and to

celebrate our adventure at a Farewell Dinner.

DAY 16

Ulaanbaatar • Fly to Beijing, China

Meals included: B Accommodations: Royal Phoenix Hotel or similar Depart for the airport for a flight to Beijing and your final night.

Passengers taking the Beijing & Xian, China post-trip

extension begin their tour today.

DAY 17

Return to U.S.