Nadaam Festival Mongolia – Naadam Festival Tour 2024

Witness the spectacular scenery of the Gobi of Mongolia. Visit the ancient capital of Mongols Kharkhorin, with the chance to discover Mongolian nomadic culture first-hand by visiting our Naadam Festival Tour Mongolia 2024.

The Naadam Festival is indeed the highlight of our trip. In ancient times, kings created it for military purposes when they needed their warriors trained all the time. Said kings came across the idea of having a regional and state competition for Horse racing, Archery, and Wrestling. Since then the Naadam Festival is celebrated with these three traditional tournaments.

Moreover, our journey takes us through the Genghis Khan statue. After experiencing Naadam we will start our journey to the Mongolian Gobi. There we will visit highly sought-after destinations such as the Flaming Cliffs. Further, we will visit the ancient capital of Mongols- Karakorum, Orkhon River Valley -one of the UNESCO heritage-protected places, and more.

Join us for our 13-days 12-night Naadam Festival tour in 2024 with a fantastic festival in a small local town that allows you to experience the authentic culture of Mongolia.

View Naadam Festival Tour Mongolia close up here. Create your Trails with Nomadic Trails!

Naadam Festival Tour Mongolia 2022 map

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Visit the dramatic stainless steel statue of Chinggis Khaan

Enjoy a more local Naadam festival with few to no tourists

Witness the three traditional Naadam games: Mongolia wrestling, horse race, and archery

Epic scenery of the Gobi

Ancient Fossils of dinosaurs dating back to 90 million years

Camel riding with the stunning view of Khongor Sand Dunes

Explore the ancient Gobi rock carving site

Observe local old temples to get an idea of nomadic types of architecture in Mongolia

Visit places protected by UNESCO such as Orkhon Valley

See the ancient capital of the 13th century Mongols, Kharkhorin

Tour the Erdene Zuu Monastery built on the remains of the ancient capital

Visit Hustai National Park, with the only species of wild horses the ‘Takhi’ or Przewalski horses.

BRIEF ITINERARY

Day-1 Ulaanbaatar City – Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex

Day-2 Baganuur Naadam Festival Day – 1

Day-3 Baganuur Naadam Festival Day – 2

Day-4 White Stupa, Tsagaan Suvarga Cliffs

Day-5 Yol Canyon

Day-6 Khongor Sand Dunes

Day-7 Khongor Sand Dunes

Day-8 Bayanzag Flaming Cliffs

Day-9 Ongi Ruined Monastery

Day-10 Kharkhorin

Day-11 Hustai National Park

Day-12 Ulaanbaatar City

Day-13 Departure

TOUR ITINERARY

Day-1 ULAANBAATAR CITY – CHINGGIS KHAAN STATUE COMPLEX

We meet you upon arrival and drive straight to the Chinggis Khan Statue complex with a dramatic 40-meter tall stainless steel statue. After lunch, we drive to our ger camp at Gun Galuut National Reserve, where globally threatened species of animals reside. Welcome dinner. Ger camp /L,D/

Day-2 BAGANUUR NAADAM FESTIVAL DAY – 1

This day will begin with an early breakfast and a visit to the start of horse racing, one of the three main games of the Naadam Festival. The opening ceremony starts with a parade in the stadium. We enjoy the Archery and ankle bone shooting as well as visit the horse racing field to enjoy it with crowds of locals. Ger camp /B,L,D/

Day-3 BAGANUUR NAADAM FESTIVAL DAY – 2

This day is the second day we will participate in the Naadam Festival. We can enjoy different archery tournaments, horse racing of different horse age categories as well as wrestling. Ger camp /B,L,D/

Day-4 WHITE STUPA, TSAGAAN SUVARGA CLIFFS

After breakfast, we drive down to Tsagaan Suvarga cliffs, the ancient bottom of the Asiatic sea created this picturesque cliff more than 90 million years ago. The area is perfect for you to do some walking around, taking some photographs once you are down at the bottom of the cliffs. Ger camp /B,L,D/

Day-5 YOL CANYON

On this beautiful day we continue our drive to the Gobi. We transfer to a local ger camp. After lunch, we drive to the mountain and visit Yoliin am Canyon. This beautiful valley is named after the Lammergeyer vulture.

We take a good walk inside the canyon for an hour and return to our vehicle. Then we head back to our ger camp. Ger camp /B,L,D/

Day-6 KHONGOR SAND DUNES

After breakfast, we drive through the mountains and arrive at 200 m tall Khongor Sand Dunes, the most important sand mass of Gobi Gurvan Saïkhan National Park. Ger camp /B,L,D/

Day-7 KHONGOR SAND DUNES

Full relaxed day at sand dunes. We visit the Sand Dunes and ride a camel, walk and explore around the area. Ger camp /B,L,D/

Day-8 BAYANZAG FLAMING CLIFFS

Today we leave sand dunes behind and drive to the Flaming cliffs, where dinosaur skeletons and eggs were found. Watching the sunset here and observing the cliffs when they are changing color look as if they are on fire. Stunning view. Ger camp /B,L,D/

Day-9 ONGI RUINED MONASTERY

On this beautiful day, we drive north to head to Ongi Ruined monastery, which was home to more than 5 000 people once. We drive through a big open space with no obstacles. We transfer to the ger camp. Ger camp /B,L,D/

Day-10 KHARKHORIN

On this beautiful day, we drive to the ancient capital of Mongols in the 13th century, Kharkhorin. Now there is a simple small town that exists in its place today. We will visit a good museum with remains found from the old capital and also visit the Erdene Zuu monastery, built with remains of the ancient capital. Ger camp /B,L,D/

Day-11 HUSTAI NATIONAL PARK

After breakfast, we will drive to Hustai National Park, where the only species of wild horses the ‘Takhi’ or Przewalski horses reside. It is a perfect location to do some wildlife spotting in the evening as the Park is full of various species of animals. Ger camp /B,L,D/

Day-12 ULAANBAATAR CITY

On this day we return to the capital of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar city. An overall relaxed day with some souvenir shopping. In the evening will enjoy a Mongolian traditional folk concert with talented throat singers enchanting dancers and a beautiful contortionist. Hotel /B,L,D/

Day-13 DEPARTURE

We will transfer you to your international departure.

NAADAM FESTIVAL TOUR GALLERY

what's included

inclusions

Ger camp lunch by Nomadic Trails

exclusions

Ger camp lunch by Nomadic Trails

Tour reviews and testimonials

Fiona
5/5
Custom Horse Trekking Tour
I love the ethos of nomadic trails and how they support local families. It really adds to the experience. Especially as the horses and horseman were locally sourced. My advice to you? Keep a journal!!

We spent 10 days camping with the horses in western Mongolia with a couple of days in Bayan-Ulgii and Ulanbataar. I have so many amazing memories of this trip.

Tulga, our guide, and our support crew were outstanding and we always felt very safe and well looked after. Our cook was very good. I became especially fond of Tulga and Bolat (our horseman) Tulga is friendly and funny, and Bolat was shy, but oh so cheeky once I got to know him!

We had two novice riders, with myself and another being experienced riders. Our horses were supplied by the first family we met in the Bayan-Ulgii countryside. They were exceptionally well cared for and very well behaved. These mongol horses are incredible and temperaments outstanding. They were very well picked in nature for our traveling members.

I nicknamed my horse Constable Care (Aussie joke) and he definitely lived up to his name. He was very careful and did a great job looking after me. He was so tolerant of me plaiting him up like a show pony, and not a bite or kick in him. The support crew played a joke and did his mane up in the traditional manner the next day we rode out!

My favourite memory of Constable Care was on our last day with the horses. Our novice riders walked behind with Bolat, while Tulga, myself and our other experienced rider galloped back to our first family. After riding to our slowest members, it was great to stretch our legs. Constable Care was amazingly fast.

What a way for a character building adventure! We went after peak tourist season, so the weather was a little more unpredictable, but still quite tolerable. So many fond memories, from 17 sleeping in a family Ger, tasting mares milk in the street of Bayan-ulgii, admiring Bronze Age rock art, watching a late season small town nadaam festival, our horseman singing for us, ice cream and beer on a dry day, museums, haggling for art in chiggis khan square and shopping in UB. All in the increiable landscape of Mongolia and the Altai mountains.

My wind horse was definitely reinvigorated and Mongolia is calling to me. When the time is right I will be contacting Tulga and Nomadic Trails again.

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS TOUR?

Yolyn am gorge mongolia
Yolyn Am
Ongi ruined Monastery
Ongi ruined Monastery
Ulaanbaatar winter Snowing scenery
Ulaanbaatar
short tour mongolia to khustai national park - takhi horses with winter scenery
Hustai National Park
Gobi sand dunes of southern Mongolia
Khongor Sand Dunes
Gun Galuut rivers of Central Mongolia
Gun Galuut National Reserve
Karakorum Erdene zuu monastery from the inside
Erdene Zuu Monastery
Genghis khan statue complex at Tsonjin Boldog
Genghis khan statue
Monument of Mongol state maps at Kharkhorin
Karakorum
Dalanzadgad town southern Mongolia
Dalanzadgad Town

Accommodation:

For this specific trip, you will be staying in a hotel for one day in Ulaanbaatar city, for days in the rural areas you will stay in ger camps. Most ger camps consist of several traditional Mongolian dwelling – gers.

At the ger camps with generators, electricity will be available for a certain amount of time and turn them off during the night. Some ger camps can be connected to the local town’s electricity, so they can also have electricity all night.

Packing tips:

Please make sure to bring your travel toiletries. For your own comfort and usage, it is good to also bring towels. A travel towel that is compact, very absorbent, and fast-drying is the best.

In Mongolia, electrical plug types vary. Most are Type C and Type E with 2 round holes.

For your own comfort and usage, you can bring sleeping bags, but every accommodation of our trip offers fresh sterilized linen and cover.

Internet:

Internet routers can be quite slow, so a data sim card is the best option to have internet during the trip, It can be purchased after your arrival at the Mongolian International Airport.

Food and drinks:

Water will always be provided, but personal water bottles that keep their temperature are highly recommended and requested.
Hot water can be requested from the Ger camps. Your tour guide can request them for you should you require hot water. For the duration of the trip outside Ulaanbaatar city, you will be dining at the ger camp and on a few occasions picnic lunch during stops from driving between destinations.

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