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FIRST-HAND · MONGOLIA

Mongolia:
Terelj, the Altai
and Khövsgöl

Timofei and Nikita’s summer journey

Walk through Terelj’s valleys, stay in a yurt in the Altai and end the trip by Khövsgöl. Nikita and I have travelled this route. We’ll arrange a journey for your group, personally accompanied and planned around your dates and interests.

Plan a journey to Mongolia The route on the map
A group of 2–4 guestsWith Timofei
or NikitaYour route,
individually priced
Nikita on horseback in a fur coat and hat, holding a golden eagle on his arm, with the Altai mountains behind.
Nikita with a golden eagleALTAI TAVAN BOGD

THE ROUTE

From the centre —
west, then north.

Our journey took roughly 10–12 days. We began near the capital, then headed west into the mountains and north to the lake. Domestic flights connected the longer stretches.

Route schematic of Mongolia Ulaanbaatar and Terelj lie in the central part of the country, the Mongolian Altai in the far west and Lake Khövsgöl in the north. From Ulaanbaatar, a flight to Ölgii and back, then a flight to Mörön and the road to Khövsgöl. The stops are listed below the map. MONGOLIA RUSSIA CHINA UlaanbaatarÖlgiiAltai Tavan BogdAltai lakesMörön 1TERELJ2ALTAI3KHÖVSGÖL
  • Flight
  • Overland
  • Town
  • Area visited

Flights and drives are shown schematically.

STOPS IN ORDER

  1. 01StartUlaanbaatarArrival and the drive to Terelj.
  2. 02OverlandTereljTwo hotel nights among mountains and green valleys.
  3. 03FlightÖlgiiMeeting our local guide and setting off into the Altai.
  4. 04OverlandAltai Tavan BogdA yurt camp and a trip to the glacier viewpoint.
  5. 05OverlandAltai lakesA night in a yurt by the water, in the forested part of the park.
  6. 06OverlandÖlgiiBack to the airport.
  7. 07FlightUlaanbaatarAn overnight stop between flights.
  8. 08FlightMörönMeeting our driver for the journey to the lake.
  9. 09OverlandKhövsgölThree nights at the “Taiga” lodge.

CHAPTER 1 · GORKHI-TERELJ

Begin
in Terelj’s valleys.

From Ulaanbaatar we went straight to Terelj, where we spent two nights in a hotel and walked among rocks and green valleys.

Near the park we took a gyroplane flight over the steppe by the Genghis Khan monument. From above, the huge statue becomes part of the landscape: yurts, hills and thin lines of roads stretching around it.

Nights
Two nights in a hotel
Getting there
By car from Ulaanbaatar
When we visited
Summer
Steps among the rocks and forested hills of Terelj, overlooking a green valley.
A walk among rocks and green valleysTERELJ AREA
Genghis Khan and yurts from aboveNEAR ULAANBAATAR
Steppe all the way to the horizonNEAR ULAANBAATAR

CHAPTER 2 · THE MONGOLIAN ALTAI

A glacier,
yurts and lakes.

In the west, steppe roads lead towards snowy peaks. We flew to Ölgii, met our local guide and set off for Altai Tavan Bogd, in the mountains on the borders of Mongolia, Russia and China.

We stayed in a yurt camp, cooked our own meals and visited the glacier viewpoint. Here we also tried on fur coats and held a golden eagle.

After the mountains, the scenery changed: we moved to the forested part of the park and spent a night in a yurt by the lakes.

  1. ÖlgiiMeeting our guide
  2. Toyota Land CruiserYurt camp
  3. Same Land Cruiser, about 1.5 hoursViewpointA view of the glacier
Getting there
A local guide and a four-wheel drive
Nights
A yurt camp, then a yurt by the lakes
The glacier
Seen from a viewpoint
From Ölgii towards the mountainsULAANKHUS
Timofei beside the Toyota Land Cruiser we travelled in with our local guide in the Altai.
A stop on the way to the mountainsULAANKHUS
Sharing the road with camelsULAANKHUS
Cooking in the yurtMONGOLIAN ALTAI
Timofei and Nikita with a travelling companion at a viewpoint in Altai Tavan Bogd, with a glacier and snow-capped mountains behind.
Together at the glacier viewpointALTAI TAVAN BOGD
Timofei on horseback holding a golden eagle, with a glacier and the Mongolian Altai mountains behind.
Timofei against the snowy peaksMONGOLIAN ALTAI

BETWEEN THE REGIONS

From the Altai —
to Khövsgöl.

Between west and north, we flew via Ulaanbaatar with an overnight stop in the capital. A driver took us from Mörön to the lake.

  1. Altai lakes
  2. By roadÖlgii
  3. FlightUlaanbaatarOne night in the capital
  4. FlightMörön
  5. With a driverKhövsgöl“Taiga” lodge

CHAPTER 3 · KHÖVSGÖL

Slow down
by Khövsgöl.

In the north, the pace changes. We stayed at the “Taiga” lodge for three nights, walking along Khövsgöl’s shore and taking a boat out in the morning.

We also visited reindeer herders in the lake region. After the Altai’s roads, this is a place to leave a few days for walks, water and rest.

Getting there
A flight to Mörön, then a car with a driver
Nights
Three nights at the “Taiga” lodge
On the lake
Walks and a morning boat ride
Reindeer herders
A meeting in the Khövsgöl area
Starting the morning on the waterKHÖVSGÖL
Visiting the reindeer herdersKHÖVSGÖL AREA
Timofei stands beside a reindeer while Nikita photographs him on his phone at a herders’ camp in the Khövsgöl area.
Timofei meets a reindeerKHÖVSGÖL AREA

HOW WE ARRANGE IT

Mongolia
for your group.

A journey for 2–4 guests. Before booking, we agree the route, accommodation and budget with you.

01

The route and transfers

We’ll find domestic flights, arrange a car with a driver and local guides, and agree the length of the trip and the pace of each stage.

02

Accommodation

We’ll show you where you’ll stay: a hotel, a yurt camp, a lodge. We’ll discuss the facilities at each stop before booking.

03

Travelling with you

Timofei or Nikita travels with you. On the ground, we take care of transfers, check-ins and arrangements with local hosts.

We have travelled this route ourselves.
We’ll plan your journey around your dates, interests and preferences for comfort.

YOUR JOURNEY

Plan
a journey
to Mongolia.

Tell us when you’d like to travel, how many of you there are and what you most want to see. We’ll suggest a route and work out the cost for your group.

We’ll include flight tickets in the proposal if you’d like us to.

Message Timofei on Telegram [email protected]

A FEW WORDS ABOUT YOUR IDEA

We’ll prepare a message you can send us on Telegram or by email.