Great Bogd & Eight Lakes Tour

Yol valley is situated in east north part of Zuun Saikhan Mountain. This area has been main attraction of tourists for many decades. Very wide at the entrance, it narrows gradually into a remarkable gorge. In spring two or three kilometers long winds its way through the defile and in July, freezing into a thick corridor of ice that stretches along a considerable distance. Also you will see the “Mukhar shivert” canyon where you will see the frozen waterfall. That stands there for whole year around.

Flaming cliffs are located in the province of Umnugobi (“South Gobi”). Its name means “rich in saxaul”, an endangered Central Asian tree 2 to 9 m high, whose roots are precious to protect soil from erosion.Significant paleontological discoveries have been made there, especially by American paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews in 1920: fossilized dinosaur eggs and specimens of Velociraptor. Its nickname of “Flaming Cliffs” is due to the orange-red rock the mountain is made of.

Khongor Sand Dunes are the largest and most spectacular sand dunes situated in Sevrei soum. Also known as the “singing dunes”, they are up to 800 m high, 20 km wide and about 100 km long. The spectacular dunes are bordered by lush green vegetation supported by a small river Khongor, which is fed by underground sources from surrounding mountains.

Around the world, you can see the petroglyph only in Mongolia. In Europe there is almost no rock carved paintings. It is one of the unique Mongolian cultures. In Asia, you are able to see the petroglyph among the area only where Mongolians were. Those petroglyphs usually belong to the bronze and new stone ages. It is a message from the ancient people. They usually carved their casual life and wild animals they used to hunt such as ibexes, horses, wolves, deers, camels and wild mountain sheep.

The longest mountain range in Mongolia is Altai mountain range which has two sections Gobi Altai and Altai mountains. The Great Bogd Mountain is the highest peak of Gobi Altai mountain range that is 3950 meters above the sea level. In 1957 there was one of the largest and powerful earthquakes in Mongolia. That was about 8.4 magnitudes. Caused by the earthquake, one of the tops was collapsed and blocked two rivers and formed two lakes which are Khukh and Nogoon Lakes. It is one the most beautiful hiking and trekking areas in Mongolia.

It’s situated at the end of the Tuin river and is nestled amongst Great Bogd mountains. Orog Lake is a saltwater lake. Water levels vary, depending on inflow from the Tuin River, which rises in the Khangai mountain range. The lake is frozen from November until May. The Tuin River creates a large wetland on north side of the lake. To the south, the lake is bordered by the slopes of Ikh Bogd Mountain, which support desert steppe, and give rise to several streams with associated wetlands. On the northern side of the lake, there is a wide sand dune which stretches along the shore. Orog Lake is located within the Valley of Lakes.

The Shargaljuut Hot Spring is popular since ancient times. In today’s date there are thermal manifestations here and this comprise a huge area of steaming ground and various low flowing springs that give nearly boiling waters. This hot spring is based on the Shargaljuut Valley which is in between the Khangai Mountain Range. The sulphur-rich Shargaljuut, with its 108 springs, is known for its curative powers. Its healing waters stream out of granite and crystal rocks at temperatures from +45C to +96C. Its waters agitate blood vessels and help blood circulation and internal secretions. Many people visit this hot spring yearly and enjoy the exhilarating features of this hot spring. This hot spring is said to be effective for skin diseases, blood pressure problems, stomach ailments, rheumatic fever and diseases affecting the nervous system.

There is a big tomb in front of the Maanit Mountain. The tomb is 68 meters long, 48 meters wide and rectangular shaped. There are four stone monuments (Kurgan stelae). Scientists say that the tomb belongs to the Turkish period VII-VIII century by its appearance. Those Kurgan stelaes are eroded a bit by natural erosion. Afterwards we will drive to Shireet Mountain where we will start our horse trekking.

We start our horse trekking from the Shireet mountain and we will explore Shireet, Khaliut, Bugat, Haya and Khuis lakes.

Today we will ride horses among the Duruu, Bayan, Shanaa lakes.

Orkhon Valley is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Central Mongolia. It is formed by the unique combination of volcanic eruption and earthquake. The height of waterfall is 22m. The waterfall is located in beautiful Orkhon river valley with volcanic rocks which listed in the UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES for its historical value related to Great Mongolian Empire. There is opportunity to experience nomadic way of life, their culture and traditions. We will start horse riding around Orkhon valley. On the way we will see the deer stone monuments.

The 86℃ hot spring water is supposed to have curative properties for arthritic joints and other ailments. Also spring is kept in high pressure under the ground flow rate is high, 10 litres per second. The water has mineral content and containing everything from simple calcium, sodium to sulphuric. The hot spring helps you to keep your skin softly and naturally. During the daytime you can have sunbath and when it gets dark you can enjoy the starts while you are sitting in the hot spring.

Karakorum was one of the most important cities in the history of the Silk Road. Although founded by Genghis Khan in 1220, Karakorum’s development as capital of the Mongol Empire occurred in the 1230s under his son Ugudei. The Mongols had a profound impact on the history of trade across Central Asia, as their vast empire connected east and west. We will explore the highlights of the city. Afterwards we head to Khugnu Tarna Natural Reserve.

Hustai National Park is one of the well known and prestigious special protected areas in Mongolia. Hustai Center is operating to conserve ecosystems, biodiversity of the park and historical stone monuments, build up takhi population in the wildlife, organize national and international workshop and meetings, in other part, to develop eco tourism and support the local sustainable livelihoods in the buffer zone of the park since it was established in 2003. As the successful implementation of the project today there are over 363 takhi in the park and we will see them. Then we will head to Ulaanbaatar.