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11 Day Winter Horse Riding Tour with Nomads in Mongolia
Ulaanbaatar, Tuul River Valley, Mongolia
Mongolia Horse Riding Tour
This listing has one of the 10 most popular offers available in in Asia & Oceania
Winter time! This winter tour in Mongolia will be a unique travel and lifetime experience full of adventures. Nomad Rider Mongolia offers you to experience this exciting journey in Mongolia and enjoy your holiday.
Key Information
- Rider weight limit: 100 kilograms / 220 pounds
- Horse height range: 14 hands
- Tack type: Mongolian tack
- Horse breed: Mongolian horses
Highlights
- 5 days of horseback riding
- Approximate daily riding time: 4 to 5 hours
- Daily tours and visits as described in the program
- English or French-speaking translator and a Nomadic equestrian guide
- 10 nights accommodation
- Daily meals
- Transfers at a Russian 4x4 with a driver
Skill level
- Beginner
Styles
8 days with instruction in English
The organizer also speaks: French
Group size: 3-10 participants
Airport transfer included:
Buyant-Ukhaa International Airport
Airport transfer included:
Chinggis Khaan International Airport
Accommodation
For this tour, you will be sleeping two nights in the hotel (whenever you are in Ulaanbaatar) and other nights in yurts, nomad families, guesthouses, or hostels which will help you to explore more about the winter climate in Mongolia. You will have to be charged with good personal equipment, especially a warm down sleeping bag and warm clothes, which will help you to enjoy your winter trip. A single-room supplement applies if you want a single room in Ulaanbaatar.
- Night 1: Two-star hotel in a twin or triple room
- Night 2: Yurt with single beds
- Night 3: Nomad family, guesthouse, or a hostel
- Night 4 to 6: Separate yurts beside the family
- Night 7: Separate yurts
- Night 8: Nomad family
- Night 9: Two-star hotel in a twin or triple room
Top-quality equipment
All of Nomad Rider Mongolia's tours will lead you to the most remote and wild lands with less culture, therefore, you will need the best quality gear and equipment for the adventure. Nomad Rider Mongolia uses French and Korean tents and equipment for every trip.
Hotels
Nomad Rider Mongolia cooperates with hotels located at the center of Ulaanbaatar. Hotels, which are very cozy, vary from two to three stars. Hotels will provide free high-speed Wi-Fi, television, and 24-hour security.
Touristic yurt camps - the most comfortable
Touristic yurt camps (called ger camps) are the most comfortable accommodation in the Mongolian countryside. You will sleep in traditional yurts (called gers in Mongolia) furnished with single beds (two to five beds per yurt), small tables, and a stove. It is very difficult, or impossible, to have single yurts in most of the camps so be ready to share your yurt with other travelers from the group. You can find showers, washbasins, and toilets in a separate building. A restaurant provides breakfast and meals.
Guest yurts by Nomadic families - the most authentic
Most of Nomad Rider Mongolia's tours include one night or more in a guest yurt close to a Nomadic family. This accommodation is a unique opportunity to share and discover the traditional way of life of the Nomadic herders in Mongolia. Two or three guest yurts are set close to the family’s yurt, surrounded by free-roaming horses, yaks, sheep, and goats.
You will sleep in guest yurts with four to five single beds, heated with a traditional stove. Meals are served either in the family’s yurt or outside, weather permitting. Your host and the chef will prepare dishes and it can be interesting to see how women cook only with the central stove of the yurt. For your comfort, a shower tent is provided close to the yurts, water can be heated on the stove.
What are the traditions in Mongolian Ger and Family?
The yurt is a symbolic representation of the world as Mongolian people see it. In reference to the sacredness of nature and the spirits that inhabit it, many rules must be respected when entering the yurt of a traditional Mongolian family. The yurt, oriented with the door facing south, is crossed by the cardinal axes and the central pillars represent the connection between the earth and the sky; it is, therefore, important to respect this very strong and universal symbolism.
Nomad Rider Mongolia gathered the most important rules to follow if you are invited to enter the yurt of a Mongolian Nomad family. These rules are simple, study them well so you can apply them as naturally as possible, to allow free rein to the pleasure of meeting once you are there remember, a smile and a friendly attitude always arouse understanding and indulgence if you "commit a faux pas!"
- If the door is closed, do not knock before entering.
- Always enter the yurt right foot first, without stepping on the threshold or even touching it with your foot, step over it carefully with the right foot and head to the left side of the yurt.
- One of the major interdictions is to never pass between the two central pillars.
- Do not stand and sit on the bed that is left of the entrance door. It is possible that your host then asks you to come and sit beside him at the place of honor opposite the door, of course, accept his invitation with pleasure.
- When you are inside the yurt, keep your hat on and do not enter with something that could be considered a weapon in hand (horse riders, please leave your whip out).
- When you sit, especially on small stools or on the floor, do not stretch your feet to someone or to the fire. The easiest way is to sit cross-legged or keep your legs folded under you.
- If you are invited to sit on the right side bed, be careful not to pass between the two central pillars, although they are often the clearest way; go behind them without stepping over someone who would be sitting on the floor.
Program
Day 1: Ulaanbaatar
- Arrival in Mongolia. Your guide will pick you up at Chinggis Khan Airport (UBN) and take you to your hotel. Your guide will be waiting for you at the hotel front desk and will have lunch.
- You will visit Gandantegchinlin Monastery and the National Museum.
- Dinner (not included) and overnight at the hotel (2-star, twin or triple room).
Day 2: Ulaanbaatar - Khustai National Park
- After having breakfast, head to Khustai National Park.
- Your journey begins as we start to see the snowy field.
- Lunch at the Khustai yurt camp.
- You will be driven in the park with the vehicle to find and observe the Takhi (the wild Przewalski’s horses).
- Stay overnight at the yurt camp (single beds, 2 to 4 persons per yurt, showers in a separate building)
Day 3: Khustai - Karakorum
- Breakfast and drive to Kharkhorin (picnic lunch en route).
- Visit Erdene Zuu Monastery. Erdene Zuu (Hundred Treasures) is the first Buddhist monastery in Mongolia.
- Dinner and stay overnight. The accommodation may be chosen from a nomad family, guesthouse, or a hostel (depending on the availability of the places).
Day 4: Karakorum - Nomadic Family of Orkhon Valley
- Breakfast
- You will drive offroad tracks of the Orkhon Valley.
- Picnic lunch
- Reach the nomadic family to stay there for 3 days.
- Your first horse ride will begin.
- Dinners with the family
- After a long day, you will stay in separate yurts beside the family (4-5 single beds per yurt).
Days 5 and 6: Horseback riding in the Orkhon Valley and family experience
- Breakfast
- You will travel through Orkhon Valley on horseback and admire the great scenery of the valley in winter. The destinations in the valley are so spectacular as we see the frozen Orkhon Falls, pre-historic stone carvings, magical forests, and much more.
- For safety reasons, we will pick the destinations depending on the weather conditions.
- You won’t be able to have the lunch en route as it is not a good idea in cold weather.
- The lunch with the nomad family.
- For these 2 days, you can be a part of the nomadic family's daily life and help with the regular activities.
- It is always nice to experience how the nomad families cope with the freezing cold winter and their way of life in this part of the year.
- Dinner and stay overnight at the family in a separate yurt (4 to 5 persons per yurt).
Day 7: Khogno Khan Mountain / Mini Gobi
- Breakfast
- Departure from the Orkhon Valley after the amazing experience with the family.
- Drive through Khogno Khan Mountain. We will arrive at another nomadic family where we will spend 2 more days.
- Dinner and stay overnight in a separate yurt.
Day 8: Horseback riding in Khogno Khan Mountain / Mini Gobi
- Breakfast
- You will ride through the Mini Gobi sandy cliffs
- Even in winter, the sandy part of Mongolia is astonishing as you can see the different contrasts of the beautiful landscape.
- While riding a horse we will visit Ovgon Khiid Monastery.
- Dinner and stay overnight at the nomad family.
Day 9: Drive to Ulaanbaatar
- Departure to Ulaanbaatar after breakfast
- Picnic lunch en route
- You'll be offered to go shopping with a guide for the rest of the afternoon
- We don't include dinner to leave you a wide range of choices of Ulaanbaatar cuisine
- Night at a hotel (2-star, twin or triple room)
Day 10: Ulaanbaatar
- Transfer to the airport.
About the tour
The winter months in Mongolia are an exceptionally beautiful time to see mountains covered in frost and snow. Discover Gorkhi Terelj National Park, the magical unblemished landscapes of the Orkhon Valley with the frozen Orkhon Falls, the unforgettable memory of horse riding, the dunes of Mini Gobi sandy cliffs, and Khustai National Park, home of the famous Przewalski horses. Let Nomad Rider Mongolia take you to the world’s true ecotourism site.
How to ride a Mongolian horse?
Check the requested equestrian ability for the horse riding tours and the saddles Nomad Rider Mongolia uses for these tours. Before riding a horse in Mongolia, it is important to know the basics of equestrian Mongolian tradition because that is how the horses you will ride have been trained. Of course, you will not use the traditional Mongolian saddles as Nomad Rider Mongolia provides specifically tailor-made saddles adapted to foreign riders but you have to adapt the way you ride to your Mongolian horse.
The traditional Mongolian tack is adapted to the specific equestrian technique of Mongolian riders, this horse riding technique itself being adapted to the particular morphology of the Mongolian horse. High over the back of the horse, the rider stands on his short stirrups when trotting or cantering. The front of the saddle, which is very high, holds him and prevents it from putting too much weight on the forehand, which would be disastrous for the Mongolian horse which is naturally balanced on the forehand.
The back of the saddle, which is steeply inclined, allows the rider to sit and even lie back to slow or stop his horse, after a vocal warning, carrying the weight on the hind legs. The reins in one hand, the rider gives an indication of the change in direction by applying the bit ring on the cheek of the horse but it is the movement of the body weight of the rider which is crucial, given its huge relative importance with a 350-kilogram horse. In addition, the Mongolian bridle is not designed as a brake, the stop is performed mainly by using the seat.
In summary, by releasing the back of the horse from the large mass of the rider, this really unique horse riding technique has brought back the small northern steppe horse to natural locomotion. By placing the rider's weight at the end of an "arms leverage" (i.e. the seat height), this specific equestrian technique uses the weight of the rider to drive the horse, thus, the weight becomes the main tool of the rider. This also explains the absolute stillness in the saddle required when the rider wants to go straight.
When you are riding a horse in Mongolia, always keep in mind the specificities of Mongol training described above and the fact that your horse lives free in the steppe about 10 months out of 12. You will need to adapt to a different riding technique and to a horse that can "overreact" to behaviors that seem trivial for Western horses. Conversely, you may find that some things that frighten western horses are perfectly tolerated by the Mongolian horses, especially the fact of using the lunge of the bridle to tie them to their own front leg! In summary, here are some guidelines to keep in mind:
- Always approach your horse very carefully, do not surprise it. This recommendation applies to all horses but even more to the Mongolian horse which relies only on itself to survive for most of the year.
- Do not make sudden movements when you're riding, ask the group to stop and get down dressing or undressing
- Do not lean forward because the horses often do large head movements up to get rid of small flies that bite the inside of their nostrils and ears
- Do not gallop or stand on your stirrups as much as possible
- Keep your reins in one hand, use only neck reins
- Do not use your legs to ask your horse to walk, trot, or canter, just say "Tchou" with an air of conviction
- Get off keeping your foot in the stirrup, this is what your horse is used to and you could scare him as you drift, as you do along the saddle
- Avoid loose clothing that might be flapping in the wind; instead of a poncho, choose a raincoat
Professional team
Nomad Rider Mongolia has been giving customers an authentic Mongolian experience not just something staged for tourists. They are a strong team consisting of experienced members who work in wild nature, giving the best adventures to hundreds of people.
Totally reliable and safe travel
It is Nomad Rider Mongolia's first priority to care for your safe trip and they do it professionally. All you have to do is to listen to your guide team carefully about important safety advice. They will provide you with relevant information on safety before and during the trip.
Flexible travel designs
Nomad Rider Mongolia guarantees that you will get every expectation you have about your exciting trip! You will experience amazing moments you can never expect unless you see them yourself. Nomad Rider Mongolia can proudly tell you that the secret to every perfect trip is their skilled guides.
Included excursions
During the tour, you will visit Gandantegchinlin Monastery, Erdene Zuu Monastery, and Ovgon Khiid Monastery.
Location
Mongolia is a unique destination of mixed cultures of a modern lifestyle and a nomad lifestyle. Nomad Rider Mongolia can assure you that you cannot name any other country that has kept the traditional nomad lifestyle and untouched steppes. Mongolia is a land of blue skies and fast horses that are marked as the national symbol of the country. You can ride them anywhere in Mongolia without the hassle and feel the joy of its true pleasure. Nomad Rider Mongolia is delighted to invite you to experience the once-in-a-lifetime adventure of riding fast horses under the blue sky with untouched steppes.
Food
You will be served daily breakfast and all lunches and dinners along the routes included in the price. Nomad Rider Mongolia is ready to provide tourists with delicious Asian, European, and traditional Mongolian dishes. If you have any special requirements for your food, please let them know so that they can inform the restaurants and chefs beforehand to meet your needs.
Mongolian food
There must be a whole different way for the Nomadic food culture right? Simple yet great methods you are about to discover mainly using meat and milk which are the products of the livestock. Plus, they grow their own veggies and make their own handmade noodles for their daily food. Basically, big amounts of meat are used for Mongolian dishes and Nomad Rider Mongolia is sure that you will love Mongolian tea (milk tea) and this is just a small display of the variety of Mongolian food.
Boodog is the whole carcass of a goat or marmot roasted from the inside, the entrails and bones are taken out through the throat, the carcass is filled with burning hot stones and the neck is tied tightly, thus, the goat is cooked from the inside to the outside. Khorkhog is popular in the Mongolian countryside. This meal consists of chopped-up goat, potatoes, and onions slowly steamed inside a metal container.
Scalding hot rocks are placed inside the container to create steam and once extracted, it is customary to pass the stones from hand to hand. Buuz is the national food; a steamed dumpling filled with mutton. These are eaten in great quantities during the Tsagaan Sar (Lunar New Year) festival. You can find buuz in restaurants throughout Ulaanbaatar. Khuushuur is another popular food; this deep-fried mutton pancake is particularly popular during the summer Naadam festivities.
Traditions in food and beverages
- Get what you are offered with both hands or with the right hand and your left hand supporting the right elbow
- Eat or drink foods that you are offered or at least taste them
- If it is alcohol and you do not drink it, dip the lips politely
- When you receive something for the first time, especially vodka, you can make an offering to the spirits by dipping your right ring finger and sending a drop three times in the air in three different directions. There is no need to dip your finger three times, once is enough.
- Generally speaking, accept what you are offered, it is a sign of politeness
- You may cut a piece of boiled meat, often presented in a large metal bowl. In this case, it is helpful to have your knife with you.
- The fire, being particularly respected, never throws waste in it
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Other dietary requirements on request
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
Things to do (optional)
Excursions not indicated in the program
- National Museum of Mongolian History
- Gandan Monastery
- Tumen Ekh National Song and Dance Ensemble
- Yoliin Am
- Khuvsgul Lake
- Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur Lake
- Khustai National Park
- Khongor Sand Dunes
- Orkhon Valle and Orkhon Fall
- Khugnu Khaan
- Kharkhorin
- Tsenkher Hot Spring
- Ugii Nuur
- Naiman Nuur
- Bayanzag Flaming Cliffs
What's included
- Transfers airport / hotel / airport
- English or French speaking guide
- 9 nights accommodation (including 2 nights in a 3-star hotel in Ulan Bator with breakfast)
- Journeys in Japanese 4WD jeep or Russian 4x4 UAZ + driver
- Petrol
- All breakfast, lunch, and dinner during the tour
- Tour and visits
- Horse riding
- Nomadic equestrian guides
- Entrance fees for parks and museums indicated in the program
What's not included
- International flights
- Visa (if necessary)
- Travel insurance
- Repatriation insurance
- Drinks (alcohol, water, etc.)
- Meals in Ulaanbaatar
- Phone calls
- Any excursion that is not indicated in the program
How to get there
Recommended Airports
ULN
Buyant-Ukhaa International Airport
4 km
Transfer included
UBN
Chinggis Khaan International Airport
25 km
Transfer included
Arrival by airplane
Please book your flight to arrive at Buyant-Ukhaa International Airport (ULN) and Chinggis Khaan International Airport (UBN). Transfer from and to the airport is included. Nomad Rider Mongolia will pick you up from the airport. The main airlines flying from and to Mongolia are Aeroflot via Moscow, Korean Air via Seoul, Air China via Beijing, and Turkish Airlines via Istanbul and Bishkek. Book your flight as long as possible in advance (ideally six months) because the tourist season is short, mainly between July and August, and the best rates for travel in this period are full months in advance.
Please be aware that very few airlines go to Mongolia, flights are therefore quickly fully booked, especially between June and September. Book at least six months in advance to have the best airfares. If your luggage has been delayed, the airlines do not deliver it in Mongolia, they keep it available in Ulaanbaatar.
However, Nomad Rider Mongolia can deliver it for you wherever you are if you have already started your trip at an extra cost: 40 EUR for delivery inside Ulaanbaatar, 80 EUR for delivery in Khustai, 150 EUR for delivery in Khugnu Khan, 250 EUR for delivery in Kharkhorin, the Orkhon Valley or Arkhangai, and 350 EUR for delivery at Lake Khuvsgul or in the Gobi Desert. This cost includes the driver and the vehicle for one or two days depending on the distance and fuel for the vehicle for the roundtrip and meals and accommodation for the driver if the roundtrip is more than one day.
For tours including a domestic flight, please remember that the baggage allowance on domestic flights is sometimes only 10 to 15 kilograms including hand luggage (depending on the companies). You will quickly discover that your driver is one of the most important persons for the success of your tour in Mongolia. Outside Ulaanbaatar, a four-by-four vehicle is essential for paved roads are rare. The tracks are often made of clay and sand, forcing a slow progression.
Distance is measured in hours but the beauty of the landscapes is an integral part of the trip. You will always feel alone in the world surrounded by nature. Going through a dozen passes in the mountains without seeing a soul is a dizzying experience. Feel free to stop regularly to stretch your legs and enjoy a spectacular view. The four-by-four you will find in Mongolia is essentially a kind of Russian mini-van, quite rustic but "effective" in this harsh environment for machines. For small groups (two or three people), Japanese four-by-fours are also available.
Airport: Buyant-Ukhaa International Airport
Airport transfer included: Buyant-Ukhaa International Airport
No additional charges. You can request this in the next step.
Airport: Chinggis Khaan International Airport
Airport transfer included: Chinggis Khaan International Airport
No additional charges. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 20% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 15 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookHorseRidingHolidays.com. All major credit cards supported.
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