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Photography · PhWN1

Mongolia Photo Trip - Nomads, Nature and Wildlife

Stunning Landscapes, Age-old Nomadic Culture and Fascinating Wildlife Photography TripFrom

Mongolia Photo Trip - Nomads, Nature and Wildlife
Duration
13 Days
Duration
Group size
Max 14
Group size
From, per person
$3,436
From, per person

Overview

Stunning Landscapes, Age-old Nomadic Culture and Fascinating Wildlife Photography Trip

From Siberian Taiga through Vast Mongolian Grasslands to the Central Asian Gobi DesertThis epic journey will give you the best opportunities to photograph the unique nomadic culture and stunning natural landscapes along with diverse wildlife in Mongolia. Starting from the modern capital Ulaanbaatar, travel through the vast rolling steppes and visit one of the oldest functioning monastery Erdenezuu in the old capital Kharkhorin. Enjoy the famous Naadam festival photographing local people in their traditional costumes, horse-racing, wrestling and archery. In the end, the journey will take you to the sublime landscapes of the Gobi. Take a light walk in the Lammergeier Gorge enjoying the stunning scenery of the Gobi Altai Mountains. Catch the sunset/sunrise on the 200-m-high Khongor Sand Dune. Visiting a nomadic family will be one of the highlights of the trip.

At a glance

  • Duration: 13 Days
  • Group size: 14 Pers.
  • Price: from $3,436 per person
  • Departures: 5 - 18 July 2020
  • Trip code: PhWN1

Itinerary

Day 1. Arrive in Ulaanbaatar
Our crew picks you up at the Chinggis Khaan international airport after your arrival in Ulaanbaatar which is the capital of Mongolia and transfer to the hotel. You will have a bit rest at the hotel. After lunch (in case you arrive before lunch), visit National Museum of Mongolia which gives you all Mongolian history from human dawn until modern age. Have WELCOME DINNER at one of the most famous restaurants in Ulaanbaatar and return to the hotel. Food: Welcome dinner at a restaurant. Road: Total coverage 30 km paved road (30 minutes’ drive).
Day 2. Khustai NP
After breakfast, we drive to Khustai National Park which is a home for re-introduced Przewalski’s Wild Horse (Equus przewalskii). Following highlighting photographic opportunities:Nomadic culture: Local family with horses, sheep and goats near Tuul river valley and mountain steppe. Habitats: Rolling steppe extending beyond horizon, rocky outcrops, patched forest.Wildlife: This is the best place to watch and photograph Przewalski’s Wild Horse, Mongolian Marmot, Red Deer, and Long-tailed ground squirrel. Not only mammals, but also Mongolia bird specialties including Golden Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Cinereous Vulture, Amur Falcon, and Mongolian Lark. Overnight in a tourist ger camp. Food: Tourist Ger Camp – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Road: Total coverage 80 km on paved road and 15 km on dust road (2-3 hours’ drive).
Day 3. Ugii Lake
After breakfast, we head west to get Ugii lake which is one of the freshwater steppe lakes in Central Mongolia. Following highlighting photographic opportunities: Nomadic culture: Local family with horses, sheep and goats near the lake. Habitats: Freshwater lake Ugii, caragana steppe, Orkhon river valley and vast rolling steppe extending beyond the horizon.Wildlife: On the way to the Ugii Lake, we will see Brandt’s Vole and Mongolian Gerbil which are the main prey species of many steppe carnivores and raptors. We see thousands of Swan Geese at south-western end of the lake. Also we will see Bar-headed Goose, most possibly Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Common Goldeneye, Pochard, and Small Snowfinch etc… Food: Tourist ger camp – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Road: Total coverage 240 km on paved road (2-3 hours’ drive).
Day 4. Kharkhorin (Karakorum)
After breakfast, we will head to Kharkhorin town driving along beautiful valley of Orkhon River. This was a capital city of Mongolia from Chinggis khan. We will visit Erdenezuu monastery. Following highlighting photographic opportunities:Nomadic culture: Local family with horses, sheep and goats along the beautiful Orkhon river valley. Local family daily work. Kharkhorin tourist attraction site and old temples. Naadam festival at one of the sum centers en route.Habitats: Rolling steppe, famous Orkhon river valley and Khangai Mountains. Overnight in a tourist ger camp. Food: Tourist ger camp – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Road: Total coverage 30 km on paved road and 40 km on dust road (2-3 hours’ drive).
Day 5. Khugnu-Tarna NP
After breakfast, we head to the east and will get Khugnu Khan mountain, which has large cliffs and granite rocks pillars. Following highlighting photographic opportunities:Local family: Local family with horses, sheep, camels and goats.Habitats: Contrasting scenery between sand dune and high rocky mountain.Wildlife: We will see Bearded Vulture, Saker Falcon, Himalayan Vulture, Lesser Kestrel, and Golden and Steppe Eagles. Then we will visit to marshlands and see Black-throated Diver, White-naped Crane and Spot-billed Duck. Overnight in a tourist ger camp. Food: Tourist ger camp – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Road: Total coverage 90 km on paved road (2-3 hours’ drive).

Day 6. Ulaanbaatar City
After breakfast, we will drive to the east of the ger camp to get Ulaanbaatar city. On the way, we will see typical steppe birds. If you wish photograph them, we will drive around the site according to your wish. After arrival, we will have a dinner together in classic Mongolian restaurant with Mongolian ornithological society members having a nice presentation on birds of Mongolia. You will stay in the booked hotel. Sorry it will be a bit long drive today. Food: Local restaurant – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Road: Total coverage 270 km on paved road (4-5 hours’ drive).
Day 7. Yolyn Am (Gobi Altai Mountains)
Upon arrival in Dalanzadgad town, we will drive straight to the high mountain and check in a tourist ger camp. Following highlighting photographic opportunities: Local family: Tourist camps, local family with sheep and goats. Habitats: High mountain range with juniper bushes, alpine meadow, and steep hills sides of high mountain slopes, typical desert steppe habitats and mountain valley with dried river bed and livestock. Wildlife: We will check in domestic ger camp as close to photographing and mammal/bird watching site as possible. Also we will try to see Siberian Ibex in the area. Photograph Mongolian or Kozlov’s Accentor, Brown Accentor, Mongolian Finch, Crag Martin, White-winged Snow Finch, Black Redstart, Saker Falcon, Godlewski’s Bunting, Bearded Vulture, Himalayan Vulture and Beautiful Rosefinch. Overnight in a tourist ger camp. Food: Tourist Ger Camp – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Road: Total coverage 50 km on paved road (1 hour’ drive and 1 hour’ flight).
Day 8-9. Khongoryn Els
After breakfast, we will drive to the west of the ger camp to get Khongoryn Els which is a huge sand dune located between a high mountain and vast deset steppe. Following highlighting photographic opportunities: Local family: On the way, we will visit local family with camels. Wonderful views of local family with sheep and goats in middle of open landscape, largest sand dunes, Gobi Saxual forest, and gravel/homad desert. Habitats: Habitat photographs of high mountains, Desert steppe and Gobi desert with scattered bushes, dry and arid desert steppe, and wide mountain valley framed by high mountain cliffs. You will find different habitats in one location, including saxaul forest, small river, wetland, meadow, large sand dune, and Altai high mountain range behind them.Wildlife: We will search for Toad-headed Agama and Gobi Lizards. Then we will reach Saxaul forest area. Saxual forest area we will see Great Gerbil, Midday Gerbil (in the steppe), and search for Goitered Gazelles near the camp. We will see Saxaul Sparrow, Pallas’s Sandgrouse, Mongolian Groundjay, Desert Wheatear, Asian Desert Warbler, Great Grey Shrike, Isabelline Shrike and Long-legged Buzzard. We will visit to a local family with camels. Overnight in a tourist ger camp. Food: Tourist Ger Camp – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Road: Total coverage 160 km on dust road (4-5 hours’ drive). road (1 hour’ drive and 1 hour’ flight).
Day 10. Dalanzadgad
After breakfast, we will start driving back to the Dalanzadgad town. En route we can see Upland Buzzard, Pallas’s Sandgrouse, Isabelline Shrike and Great Grey Shrike, Desert Wheatear and possibly the magnificent mammal Goitered Gazelle. Overnight in a tourist ger camp. Food: Tourist Ger Camp – Breakfast, Dinner. Packed Lunch. Road: Total coverage 200 km on dust road (5-6 hours’ drive and 1 hour’ flight).
Day 11-12. Gorkhi-Terelj NP
Upon arrival in Chinggis Khaan airport, we will straight drive to the Terelj NP which is the southern end of Siberian boreal forest. Local family: Visit Kazakh eagle hunter family and also a family who owns yaks.Habitats: This is the best site to photograph Siberian Boreal Forest, Forest steppe, Riparian forest, river valley and mountain range of Siberian Boreal forest in top of mountain.Wildlife: We will watch forest and forest steppe mammals: Long-tailed Squirrel, Red Squirrel, Chipmunk, Daurian Pika, Mongolian Vole, Asian Field Mouse and birds: Oriental Cuckoo, Hoopoe, Black Woodpecker, Great Tit, Pine Bunting, Red-throated Thrush, Siberian Rubythroat, Siberian Stonechat, Red-flanked Bluetail, Dusky Warbler, Greenish Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Taiga Flycatcher, Asian Brown Flycatcher and Eastern Buzzard. Overnight in a tourist ger camp. Crew will prepare a Mongolian traditional meal using mutton, vegetable, simple cooking pot and red-hot stones. Food: Restaurant – Breakfast; Tourist Ger Camp – Lunch, Dinner. Road: Total coverage 70 km on paved road (2-3 hours’ drive and 1 hour’ flight).
Day 13. Departure
A transfer to Chinggis Khaan International Airport will be the end of our services in Mongolia.

Trip details

Date & Duration This tour will run in mid-July. And it continues for 14 days including arrival and departure date in Mongolia.

Group Limit 4-14 participants, plus guides

Accommodation Please note that the hotels you are staying at are below the average of international hotels, but those are clean, comfortable, and has en-suite rooms. You will stay overnights in permanent tourist ger camps, which have gers (yurts) for accommodation, and separate blocks with European style toilets and shower rooms, as well as the restaurant. Each ger is equipped with small wood or coal-burning stove, which fired by a worker of the camp. Deluxe en-suite gers are also possible in some sites, but it charges a little bit higher than the standard ones.

Meals All main meals are included in the price. The breakfasts will be very simple. We will have bread/toast, cheese, butter, jam, eggs, sausage and cereals for breakfast. Depending on the time possibilities, we will have picnic lunches packaged from the tourist ger camps or restaurants. Sometimes we will have lunches in local restaurants. Evening meals will be well prepared Mongolian and European-style dishes served in the hotel restaurants and at the ger camps. Food is generally good, it may lack a variety (e.g. meat, vegetables, rice, French fries).

Payment The deposit 30% of all cost per person should be paid by wire transfer before 3 months. Be sure that you have read our terms & condition on our website before you make payment. If you pay it through our website, our collaboration with the Trade and Development Bank of Mongolia has been taken care of the transfer security.

Includes  Accommodation (2 nights’ hotel in Ulaanbaatar city; 1-night hotel in Dalanzadgad town; 10 nights’ tourist ger camps)  Transport (Ground transportations by 4WD vehicles, including petrol)  Meals -13 breakfast, 13 lunch; 13 dinner  Entrance fees to all national parks and road tolls  English speaking expert guide  Drinking water will be provided. It will be appreciated if you could bring your refillable bottle.

Excludes International transportation  All types of insurance  Visas  Departure tax  Alcoholic drinks and items of personal nature  Binoculars, telescopes, and tripods  Extra luggage  Optional tours  We cannot warranty:  Occasional flight delays or cancellations  Poor road conditions  Items of personal nature  Adverse weather conditions

Physical Rating The tour is suitable for every birder with different levels of skills and ages. Our experienced guide will do his/her best to find all the lifers in the region. We will mostly do easy to moderate walks during this trip. There will be optional hard walks in the mountains. Road and Transport We will drive on the paved and dust roads during this trip. The longest drive on dust road will cover 150 – 200 km a day, which will take about 4-5 hours with shortstops. Mitsubishi Delica or Russian Furgon or County Bus will be employed depending on the number of participants and their interests. 3-4 clients will occupy a car in case we do not hire a county bus. Our experienced and skilful drivers will drive safely on the occasion of the off-road journey.

Weather Temperature is generally warm or hot during days in mid-July, mostly being 20-30 degrees Celsius. In the boreal forest, it is likely to rain and be foggy during this period. You can check the weather forecast on http://www.tsag-agaar.gov.mn/eng while you are packing or staying at the hotels in Mongolia where it is possible.

Money You can change your US Dollar or Euro and other foreign currency into Mongolian tugriks (MNT) at the Chinggis Khaan International Airport just after your arrival. Alternatively, you can ask your guide and drivers to stop for changing money at any bank or official currency exchange offices in Ulaanbaatar. Remember it might be a problem if you try to change them outside of Ulaanbaatar as the banks there could have a limited amount of foreign currency. You can change the money only for your need for beers or any other alcoholic drinks, snacks, and personal items. A fine bottle of beer costs about 4000 -6000 MNT at the restaurants of tourist ger camps, but in the supermarkets, it will be cheaper. The official currency rate can be found at https://www.mongolbank.mn/. For more information, please visit our website www.mongolica.org.

Dates & prices

Group sizePrice per person (USD)
8-14 persons$3,436

Departure dates: 5 - 18 July 2020

Trip map

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