Gobi Desert – A Family Adventure

Welcome to the capital city of Mongolia. The contrast between ancient traditions and a 21st-century democracy is most visible in Ulaanbaatar, where traditional gers and Buddhist monasteries sit side by side with modern high-rises.

Upon arrival, enjoy a hassle-free VIP airport arrival service where you will be fast tracked through customs and immigration service. You will be met on the jet way as you disembark the plane and escorted to the VIP lounge. While waiting for our staff to process your immigration formalities and collect your luggage, relax and have a glass of wine or a snack. Once completed, a half-hour drive brings you to the Shangri-La Hotel, located in the heart of the town.

(Shangri-La Hotel - Interconnecting Deluxe Rooms)

Begin the day with a visit to Gandan Monastery. As you stroll through the monastery grounds, listen to the low tones of the horns used to call the lamas to the temple and observe their daily rituals, including the reading of sutras, or the teachings of the Buddha. Kids of all ages enjoy spinning the prayer wheels here, but do not miss the recently renovated Chenrezi and Kalachakra Temples, as well as the magnificent 82-foot high statue of Migjid Janraisig, gilded in pure gold and clothed with silk and precious stones.

Next, drive through downtown Ulaanbaatar to the National History Museum. The museum provides an excellent overview of Mongolia’s history and culture, but the best way to experience it with children is by having a local historian join you. Younger children will appreciate the scavenger hunt-style exploration as they uncover some of the museum’s fascinating objects. They won’t even realize they’re learning because they’ll be having so much fun. Displays include traditional implements of daily nomadic life, including Stone and Bronze Age artifacts, historical costumes of Mongolia’s minority tribes, sacred religious relics, and agricultural, fishing, and hunting equipment. Of course, younger visitors always enjoy the dinosaur skeletons.

After lunch, choose up to two of the suggested optional activities:

Option 1: Private Throat Singing Performance – Introduce your family to one of the world’s oldest forms of singing - traditional throat singing. It is also a physical feat, as performers create multiple notes simultaneously, and something you will not soon forget. We will arrange a private throat singing performance at the University of Art and Culture of Mongolia.

Option 2: Custom-Made Deel – A deel is a piece of traditional Mongolian clothing worn for centuries. Similar to a caftan or a tunic, the Mongolian deel is often made of colorful brocade but can be made of cotton, silk or wool. On this activity, you will visit a local tailor to get a custom-made deel for you and your family.

Option 3: Zaisan Memorial – Need to burn off some energy? The Zaisan Memorial is a perfect choice. Climb its 300 steps to the Zaisan Hill Memorial and your family will be rewarded with a panoramic view of the city and the nearby Tuul river.

Option 4: Calligraphy Class – You’ll raise your arts and crafts game when you learn the elite art of Mongolian calligraphy. Practice your strokes, and learn a variety of techniques as you create your own artwork that makes a perfect memento of your trip to Mongolia.

Option 5: Intellectual Museum – Does your family like brainteasers? Then, pay a visit to the only intellectual museum of Mongolia for an impressive selection of puzzles and games that will exercise, and entertain, your crew.In the evening, enjoy a taste of local cuisine with a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

(Shangri-La Hotel - Interconnecting Deluxe Rooms; B, L, D)

Your guide will meet you in your hotel lobby for an early morning transfer to the airport for a flight to the Gobi (1.5 hours), the southernmost point of Mongolia. The Gobi is the ultimate playground, with endless swaths of wide open spaces and stunning landscapes, but it is also home to some of the Northern Hemisphere’s most rare and elusive mammals, such as the dhole, snow leopard, Gobi bear, and the wild Bactrian camel. It is the sort of place where you can let the kids, and their imaginations, run wild.Upon arrival, drive to the award-winning Three Camel Lodge located at Bulagtai Mountain on the edge of Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park (1 hour) and check in to your ger.

Choose from the following optional morning activities:

Option 1: Guided Bike Ride – Observing the vast Gobi by bicycle is a treat for travelers and allows you to experience nature you might otherwise miss. Enjoy an easy to moderate, guided bike ride through the countryside. Helmets are provided.

Option 2: Horseback Riding – After a safety briefing and helmet fitting, riders are led around the area by our wrangler. More experienced riders should speak to their guide to arrange more challenging rides. In the late afternoon, drive to Moltsog Els, one of the few regions of the Gobi covered by sand dunes. Imagine a giant sandbox, and you will begin to understand what kind of fun your family can have here. Explore the dunes on foot, but do not miss riding a Bactrian camel. It is not everyday that you will get the chance to get up close and personal with a two-humped camel. In fact, these wooly creatures are native to this region and are only found in Central Asia. After the bumpy ride filled with plenty of laughs (and photos), enjoy dinner by the dunes as your guide shares Mongolian folk stories.

Optional Excursion: Tented night at Hongoryn Els Sand Dune
For those looking for a more active excursion, visit the iconic sand dunes of Hongoryn Els.

After arriving at Dalanzadgad airport, you will drive directly to Hongoryn Els Sand Dunes (4-5 hours), where you will enjoy a picnic lunch by the dunes as your guide shares popular Mongolian folk stories.

“Els” is the Mongolian word for sand dunes and “Hongoryn” describes the exquisite pale tawny color of one of the world’s most beautiful dunes fields, yet another remarkable landscape of the world’s northernmost desert. Hongoryn Els extend for 60 miles alongside the Gobi Altai Mountain range and reach 600 feet in height.

Explore the sand dunes on foot or mount your Bactrian camels for a camel trek. You may also test your fitness level and attempt to climb these astounding sand dunes.

You will also have the opportunity to visit a local camel herding family and experience their hospitality and way of life.

You will camp in the Ayaldai Valley, adjacent to Hongoryn Els. This particular area is well known for its unique features of both sand and mountainous topography. Just as the sun rises and sets, the golden yellow shades start to emerge on the silky sand dune, which makes it an ideal location for stargazing and overnighting in tents.

Note: Those opting for the excursion to Hongoryn Els will not travel to Moltsog Els. Instead, they will travel directly from the airport to the campsite near Hongoryn Els.

(Three Camel Lodge - Family Ger; B, L, D)

Mongolia is a home to one of the last remaining nomadic cultures in the world and often travelers compare Mongolia with traveling back in time to witness an old way of life that has not changed for centuries. About 30% of Mongolia’s population still lead a nomadic way of life and move from pasture to pasture, living in harmony with nature and off the land.After breakfast at the Lodge, you will visit with a local nomadic family to learn more about their way of life. Help them with their chores, including herding and milking their animals, and learn how to prepare milk tea. You may also get the chance to learn the traditional games of the steppe, utilizing the ankle bones of sheep and goats.Spend the afternoon at leisure at the Lodge or choose one of these optional activities:

Option 1: Cooking Class – You are always shooing them out of the kitchen at home, but this time, you will bring the whole family into the kitchen to participate in a hands-on cooking class. Learn how to make traditional Mongolian dishes, including buuz (steamed dumplings) and khuushuur (deep fried meat pockets) from our Three Camel Lodge chef.

Option 2: Ger Building – Experience ger building firsthand. Join our Lodge staff to learn the process of raising a traditional Mongolian ger. Building and setting up a ger is a fun and immersive way to soak up the local culture.In the evening, drive to Havsgait Valley, the site of ancient rock drawings left by early Gobi settlers more than 5,000-7,000 years ago. Hundreds of petroglyphs adorn rocks scattered on the top of the mountain. After your exploration, drive back to the Lodge or burn off a little energy with a mountain bike ride back (duration 1-2 hours).

Notes:
• The walk up to the Havsgait petroglyphs is quite steep and over loose gravel covered ground. This activity is not advisable for those with walking difficulties.
• Those opting for an excursion to Hongoryn Els will spend the morning exploring the sand dunes and then drive to the Three Camel Lodge (3 hours). En route you will visit a local nomadic family and, in the evening, proceed to Havsgait Valley (as described above). Dinner and overnight at the Lodge.

(Three Camel Lodge - Family Ger; B, L, D)

Enjoy a hearty breakfast at the Lodge, since today’s adventure will include plenty of hiking and exploration of Yol Valley National Park (1.5 hours) in the foothills of the Gobi Altai Mountains. Located in the northern part of the Gobi, the streams at the base of this surprisingly green valley remain covered in ice until as late as July. Hiking through this prehistoric canyon leads to the habitat of indigenous lammergeiers, vulture-like birds that feed mostly on carcasses. However, unlike other such birds whose diets consist mainly of meat, lammergeiers feed primarily on bone marrow, and drop large bones from the sky to break them into smaller pieces. Return to the Lodge in the late afternoon. Choose from the following optional evening activities:

Option 1: Archery Lesson – Learn to fire an arrow like a Mongol warrior. Children and teenagers will have the opportunity to compete after mastering their new skills. This interactive experience provides fun for the whole family.

Option 2: Bulagtai Hill Walk – Enjoy a relaxing walk around the hillside located behind the Lodge. Here, you will be able to see 8,000-year-old petroglyphs and learn more about our National Geographic Unique Lodge.

Option 3: Needle Felting – Learn this art form that utitlizes needles and felt to create a variety of shapes, including small animals.

Dinner and overnight at the Lodge. After sunset, enjoy a session of stargazing under the vast Gobi skies.

(Three Camel Lodge - Family Ger; B, L, D)

Drive to Tugregiin Shiree (1.5 hours), first explored by Polish expeditions in the late-1960s and early-1970s. Tugregiin Shiree is best known for the famous “Fighting Dinosaurs,” a fossil of a Protoceratops and Velociraptor locked in combat. It is an impressive sight and is something most families would only dream of seeing in a museum.

Return to the Lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, enjoy a documentary featuring Roy Chapman Andrews, the real-life Indiana Jones, whose expedition discovered the world’s first dinosaur eggs at the Gobi’s Flaming Cliffs.

Next, you will pack all the necessary equipment for your own fossil hunt before heading to the legendary Flaming Cliffs (1 hour). Nicknamed the Flaming Cliffs because of the red-orange sandstone which glows brilliantly at sunrise and sunset, it was here, in 1922, that Dr. Roy Chapman Andrews and his exploration team from the American Museum of Natural History found the first nest of dinosaur eggs the world had ever seen. You will be joined by a local paleontologist as you scan the area searching for fossilized remains of dinosaurs. The region remains rich with fossils and new discoveries are made each year, though it is important to note that no finds may be taken from the site.Dinner and overnight at the Lodge.

(Three Camel Lodge - Family Ger; B, L, D)

After breakfast, transfer to the local airport for your early morning flight to Ulaanbaatar. On arrival, choose from one of the optional activities or spend the day sightseeing or shopping. Ulaanbaatar offers an array of treasures made by local artisans ranging from cashmere shawls and sweaters to handicrafts; you will certainly find a beautiful souvenir here.

Optional afternoon activities:

Option 1: Dinosaur Museum & Paleontology Laboratory – Visit a Dinosaur Museum and discover Mongolia’s paleontology treasures. You will also get a behind-the-scenes tour led by a local paleontologist and examine the latest batch of dinosaur fossils excavated from the field.

Option 2: Chinggis Khan Equestrian Statue – Drive to Tsonjin Boldog (1.5 hours). The massive statue of Chinggis Khan made of 250 tons of gleaming stainless steel will take your breath away. Once inside the two-story base of the statue, visitors can see a replica of Chinggis Khan’s legendary golden whip and also take an elevator to a deck on the horse’s head and marvel at the surrounding area overlooking the beautiful Mongolian steppe.

In the evening, enjoy a performance featuring traditional Mongolian dancers and khoomi throat singers, followed by a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

(Shangri-La Hotel - Interconnecting Deluxe Rooms; B, L, D)

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your departing flight.

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