The Trail of Genghis Khan

After breakfast we board 4WD vehicles. The journey takes about 5 hours, and on the way we stop for lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon we arrive in Karakorum, the capital of the Mongol Empire, founded as a military camp by Genghis Khan in 1220. The entire site is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We also visit Erdene Zuu Khiid, the largest and one of the oldest Buddhist monasteries in Mongolia, built in the 16th century. The monastery complex is surrounded by 108 sacred stupas, symbolizing enlightenment. Overnight near Karakorum in tourist gers.

In the morning we say goodbye to Karakorum and set off in 4WD vehicles toward the beautiful Orkhon Valley, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. We have about 150 km to go, which will take around 4–5 hours. We travel along the river, admiring the endless green pastures and the summer camps of nomadic herders. In the second half of the day we arrive at a local family’s camp, where we join in their daily activities. Our main task is to build a ger using traditional methods, where we will later spend the night.

That day we mount our horses and head out into the steppe. A light ride awaits us, about 15 km, with our destination being the breathtaking Ulaan Tsutgalaan Waterfall. It is believed to have formed over 20,000 years ago as a result of a volcanic eruption and an earthquake. Here the water crashes down from nearly 20 meters onto black volcanic rocks. When the sun is shining, small rainbows often appear at the base of the waterfall. In the afternoon we return to the Mongolian family and spend another night in gers. For dinner we enjoy Khorkhog, a traditional Mongolian barbecue.

We say goodbye to our hosting family and continue our journey. Today we ride about 35 km in the saddle. The trail leads along a mountain ridge to the 17th-century Buddhist monastery of Tövkhön. It was here that Öndör Gegeen Zanabazar, one of the most important spiritual leaders in Mongolia’s history and the first Jebtsundamba Khutuktu (the head of Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia), created the Soyombo script, used to write the Mongolian language. According to legend, Zanabazar saw luminous symbols in the sky, wrote them down, and later transformed them into an alphabet. The monastery buildings stand at an altitude of 2312 m above sea level and offer a magnificent panorama of the Khangai Mountains. In the evening we set up camp in the nature and spend the night in tents.

In the morning we visit Tövkhön Monastery, then cross the Tsagaan Sum River and gradually move into less populated areas. The trail leads across the endless steppe, with mountains visible on the horizon. There will be plenty of opportunities for long gallops. In the afternoon we reach our destination, the Dutut Hills, where we set up our camp at their foot.

After breakfast we continue our journey. The trail leads us further north and soon we will enter the Tsenkher district. The lay of the land is flat, so we will gallops across the steppe. In the late afternoon we will reach a river bend, where we will cool down our horses. Here we set up camp and spend the night in tents.

We ride toward the town of Tsetserleg, the capital of the aimag (province). The origins of the settlement date back to the 17th century and are connected with the construction of the Zayain Khüree Lamaist monastery. The monastery hasn’t survived, it was destroyed by the communists in the 20th century. In the second half of the day we cross a mountain pass to reach our next camping spot at the foot of Mount Khalzan Davaa.

After breakfast we continue north, heading toward the area of the town of Ikh Tamir. Along the way we pass Taikhar Chuluu, or Taikhar Rock. This 20-meter rock formation stands on the bank of the Choid Tamir River in Ikhtamir Soum. It is covered with around 150 inscriptions in many different scripts and languages from various historical periods, including runic, Sogdian, Uyghur, Mongolian, Tangut and Tibetan. The oldest inscriptions are runic and date back to the Turkic period in the 6th and 7th centuries. At the top of the rock stands an ovoo, a traditional sacred cairn used as a place of worship. The rock has been under protection since 1994. We set camp and spend the night in tents.

That day we can expect plenty of trotting and galloping. The terrain is flat – a typical steppe landscape that we already had time to get used to. Along the way we may encounter herds of horses and nomadic families. In the evening we reach a river bend where we can take a swim. Then we’ll set camp and spend another night tenting.

We gradually enter more populated areas. This region is known for having the largest number of yak herds in Mongolia. At a cheerful gallop we reach the town of Öndör Ulaan, where we will be able to resupply for the rest of our journey. Here we’ll also cross a road, which – in these circumstances – is a bit of an unusual experience. Soon after we’ll set camp and stay in tents for the night.

After breakfast we head toward the Chuluut Gol River, which flows along the bottom of the famous basalt canyon. We stop here for a short break and then gallop across the endless steppe again. In the evening we will set our camp near picturesque cliffs and stay there for the night.

This is the last day of horseback riding. We start the day with some faster riding and soon reach the foot of Mount Khorgo, an extinct volcano. The landscape changes completely as the trail leads across vast fields of lava that solidified about eight thousand years ago. Here we leave the horses in a safe place and set off on foot to explore the slopes of the volcano. Our goal is the summit (2210 m above sea level), which offers a truly unique view. On the horizon we will see one of Mongolia’s natural treasures: Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur, also known as the White Lake, one of the most beautiful lakes in the country. We reach its shore in the afternoon and – for the last time – spend the night in tents.

In the morning we say goodbye toour horses and leave by car heading south-east. We cover about 370 km, which takes around 6 hours. Along the way we pass Karakorum and reach Elsen Tasarkhai, also known as the Little Gobi. This is a chain of sand dunes stretching for about 80 km. Here we will enjoy a one-hour ride on Bactrian camels. Well spend the night nearby, in gers.

After an early breakfast we set off by vehicle toward Ulaanbaatar. We have 250 km ahead of us. On the way we stop at Khustai National Park, where we go for a hike. Our goal is to find and observe a herd of the last truly wild horses in the world, the Takhi – Przewalski’s horses, as we call them. In the afternoon we arrive at a charming campsite near the capital. There will be time to freshen up and warm up, followed by our final group dinner. Overnight in gers.

It’s time to leave amazing Mongolia. The whole group will be transferred to the airport.