Naadam Games

14 days / 13 nights

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The Naadam games, celebrated every July across Mongolia, is one of the most important festivals of the country. The festival mainly features three games - horse racing, wrestling and archery. Spend 14 days in Mongolia experiencing the Naadam games, the culture of Kazhak nomads and eagle hunters, and the Buryat Mongols and Buddhist lamas of Khentii province, the breathtaking beauty of the Altai Mountains and the steppe valleys of Khentii, and finally, the imposing monuments of Ulaanbaatar.

Key sights to see

Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar

Founded in 1639 as a nomadic Buddhist monastic centre, Ulaanbaatar is Mongolia’s capital, and cultural, industrial and financial heart. Key sights include Sukhbaatar square, the National Museum of Mongolia, the Gandantegchinlen Monastery, the Zaisan memorial, which offers panoramic views of the city, and the Ger districts, full of nomadic tents that lack plumbing or electricity.

Ölgii, Altai Mountains
Ölgii, Altai Mountains

Nestled in the Altai mountains, this small city was established in the 1840s by Kazakhs fleeing the expanding Russian Empire. Nowhere else has Kazakh art, music, and the tradition of hunting with Eagles been preserved better. Ölgii is also the starting point for expeditions to the snow capped Altai mountains, and its many glaciers.

Chigertei, Altai Mountains
Chigertei, Altai Mountains

Chigertei National Park lies near the main ridge of the Altai Mountains, and the border with China’s Xinjiang province. It serves as the summer highland pastures of Kazakh nomads, who herd their sheep and goats, and hunt with eagles here. Wildlife in the region includes snow leopards, wolverine, grey wolves, pallas cats, and golden eagles.

Khovd, Khovd Province
Khovd, Khovd Province

Khovd province is a region in north-western Mongolia where the majority of inhabitants are not Kazakhs but Mongols. Khovd town itself is an appealing, multi-ethnic town of Halkh Mongols, Myangad Mongols, Kazakhs and other peoples. It boasts both Buddhist temples and a mosque, and the only university in West Mongolia.

Khentii Province
Khentii Province

Khentii province, located in the East of Mongolia, is named after the Khentii Mountains. While it is best known as the birthplace and likely final resting place of Temüjin, otherwise known as Genghis Khan, it also has spectacular natural landscapes, ancient monasteries, and a range of ethnic communities.

Exciting and memorable things to do

Sukhbaatar Square
Sukhbaatar Square
Stroll around Sukhbaatar Square in the center of Ulaanbaatar. See the many state buildings from the mid Soviet Era, and the statues of Genghis Khan (seated) and Damdin Sukhbaatar (on horseback).
Drive to the Chigertei Valley
Drive to the Chigertei Valley
Drive in Toyota Land Cruisers from the airport to Deluun, on the west side of Hökh Serkhiin Nuruu National Park, past the beautiful Dööröö Lake, with the snowcapped Sair and Tsambagarav mountains serving as backdrop.
Trek to the Ikh Yamat (Big Goat) Valley
Trek to the Ikh Yamat (Big Goat) Valley
Set off on foot up the Ikh Yamaat (Big Goat) Valley, where with luck you might encounter hundreds of Siberian ibex. The Argali sheep, the world’s largest wild sheep, are also sometimes seen. These are prey animals to snow leopards, which are tracked and studied here by the Altai Research Institute. You will also meet one of the area’s many famous Kazakh eagle hunters and learn about this traditional winter pastime.
Eagle Hunters, Altai Mountains
Eagle Hunters, Altai Mountains
Meet with traditional Kazakh nomads, many of whom are eagle hunters, specially trained to hunt with golden eagles. Learn about the lifestyle of these hardy nomads and their work as pastoralists.
Drive to Khovd province
Drive to Khovd province
Drive for 4-5 hours to Khovd province, departing Altai proper and entering a region where the majority of inhabitants are not Kazakhs but Mongols. Khovd town itself is an appealing, multi-ethnic town of Halkh Mongols, Myangad Mongols, Kazakhs and other peoples, which boasts both Buddhist temples and a mosque.
Rural Naadam Games
Rural Naadam Games
Drive to one of the nearby communities of Buyant, Duut, Mankhan, Chandman or Dörgön, in order to experience a traditional rural Naadam Games, mostly featuring Mongolian wrestling and horse-racing. The horse-racing takes place over distances of up to 32km, with children, aged between four and 12 years old, as jockeys. People will dress in the best attire for these festival-style celebrations which draw entire steppe communities together.
Khovd Naadam Games
Khovd Naadam Games
Khovd being the provincial capital, the Naadam Games here will gather together elite competitors from across the entire province, including as far as the border with China’s Xinjiang province. In addition to horse racing and wrestling, the games will probably also feature archery and the festivities will likely feature local throat singers and horsehead fiddle players.
Drive to Jargaland Steppe Valley
Drive to Jargaland Steppe Valley
Depart Ulaanbaatar and head eastwards. Stop briefly at the Genghis Khan Monument, the world’s largest equestrian statue, then cross into Khentii province and continue on to the Jargaland Steppe Valley. Upon arrival, visit the Deer Stones dating back to the Turkic period from the 7th to 9th century AD, before Genghis Khan and the Mongol empire.
Monastery Visit, Khan Khentii
Monastery Visit, Khan Khentii
Explore the remains of the secluded Baldan Bereeven Monastery  which was founded in 1654, and rose to become one of the most important monasteries of eastern Mongolia with up to 8000 resident lamas, but was destroyed during the Stalinist purges of the late 1930s. Chat with some of the lamas and learn about their traditions.
Drive to the Onon River
Drive to the Onon River
Explore various points of interest on the route to the Onon River, beginning with Binder Ovoo, a sacred cairn believed to have been here since the time of Genghis Khan. Then visit the famous Rashaant Had (Spring Rock), so named because spring waters bubble forth directly from it, and continue to the Öglögch Wall, a stone wall believed to date back to before the birth of Christ. Stop for a picnic lunch after hiking along the wall, then proceed to the camp.
Buryat Mongol Community Visit
Buryat Mongol Community Visit
Explore the area of Binder and meet its Buryat Mongol inhabitants, a Mongol-speaking people who immigrated from east of Lake Baikal in nearby Siberia. Buryat Mongols favor cows over goats and sheep, and keep neither yaks nor camels.
(Alternate) Daurian Steppe Lakes
(Alternate) Daurian Steppe Lakes
Head to the Daurian Steppe Lakes, habitat to several crane species and kept in place by underlying permafrost. Visit the research centre engaged in studying the cranes, and keep an eye out for five of the world’s crane species, including the rare Siberian crane, Hooded crane, and White-naped crane. Great bustards, the heaviest flying bird in the world, are also commonly seen in the meadows.
Day tour of Ulaanbaatar
Day tour of Ulaanbaatar
Visit the Gandan Monastery and the Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan, the theocratic leader of Mongolia. After lunch in a local restaurant, visit the National Museum of Mongolia to admire its ethnographic collections and examine the history of Genghis Khan. In the evening, enjoy the Tumen Ekh Folk concert, followed by dinner.

Great places to stay

Shangri-La Hotel, Ulaanbaatar
Shangri-La Hotel, Ulaanbaatar

The Shangri-La Hotel is Ulaanbaatar’s only international-standard five-star property.  Located in the heart of the city, the hotel is within strolling distance of Sukhbaatar Square and Government Palace, a modern shopping mall with an IMAX cinema, and several enticing restaurants.

360 Wilderness Ger Camps
360 Wilderness Ger Camps

360° Wilderness Ger Camps are five-star pop-up accommodations that are flexible and lightweight enough to be loaded onto a truck, yak caravan or camel cart, and deployed anywhere in the country. The gers are stylishly decorated with colorful Mongolian crafts, and furnished with proper beds and full bedding. Meals are served in a separate ger.

Steppe Hotel, Khovd
Steppe Hotel, Khovd

Steppe Hotel in Khovd is the first small hotel to offer something approaching international comfort in West Mongolia. It sports a two-star lobby, a three-star restaurant, spacious, four-star rooms, and a roof top terrace with a bar.

What’s Included
  • English-Mongol speaking guide
  • Accommodations specified (double-occupancy) in the itinerary
  • Cook and all meals specified in the itinerary
  • All transport outside of Ulaanbaatar (Toyota Land Cruisers), max 3 guests per vehicle
  • Entrance fees to national parks and monuments
What’s Not Included
  • Lunches and dinners in Ulaanbaatar
  • Laundry
  • Gratuities
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