July 30 to August 10, 2020

SHORT HISTORY: Welcome to Mongolia; a country of a unique beauty that you can’t find anywhere else in the world! With spectacular country sides, large remote areas, vast steppes, rugged mountains, clear lakes, abundant wildlife, and an active nomadic culture, you’ll have an experience like no other during this 12 -day journey

Thursday, July 30

Start your journey off right by landing in the country’s capital city: Ulaanbaatar. While the majority of the country is calm, serene landscapes, Ulaanbaatar is the antipole. Vibrant and pulsating, the city is the epicenter of the country’s urban lifestyle.

Check into your 4-star accommodations at the Grand Hill Hotel and enjoy some leisure time and your overnight.

After breakfast this morning, meet your tour guide and head to Mongol Nomadic Ger camp; a lovely area roughly 55km from the city where you will witness, first -hand, the Mongolian nomadic way of living and their traditional custom and culture. The camp is built to reflect the nomad way of life in the 20th century including clothing, cooking methods, and furniture. While there, watch a Mongolian Nomad Show in which they demonstrate traditional nomad breeding and travel

while introducing the different kinds of livestock that are customary to this lifestyle; ox, yak, camel, and horse. The remainder of the day is free to explore the camp. Dinner and overnight at the camp.

Following breakfast at the camp, you will drive to Bayan Gobi. Situated at the edge of the Mongol Els Dune Formations, this beautiful camp is an oasis of landscapes. Though the land is covered mostly in sand, large weeping willows billow out from the ground, along with hearty bushes and saksaul plants all surrounded by gorgeous mountains.

Check-in at the Ensuite GER camp and enjoy lunch near the sand dunes.

Afterwards, visit a camel herding family in their yurt to gain insight into their daily way of life and then investigate the dunes by traveling by camel.

(traveling by foot through the dunes is also an option). Return to the camp for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast at the camp, you will travel to the beautiful Tsenkher. One of the most lush countryside areas in Mongolia, Tsenkher is shrouded in forested mountains and meandering rivers. It is also home to the famous Tsenkher Hot Springs. Reaching temperatures of 86.5°C, it has also been known to have curative properties.

Check-in at the Wooden House for lunch followed by the remainder of the afternoon free. Dinner and overnight at the camp.

After breakfast this morning, travel to Kharkhorin; a small village which was once the capital of the Mongol Empire (which was the largest continuous empire in world history from 1235 to 1260), it is also one of the oldest farming areas dating all the way back to 1220. Though many battles have been fought in this area and the town ruined over many years, it has recently become one of the largest tourist destinations. Following some sightseeing of the area, check into the Ikh Khorum Hotel. Dinner will be on your own this evening with your overnight at the hotel.

This morning following breakfast, depart the hotel for the Buddhist Monastery Complex of Erdene Zuu—a still-active monastery that was built in 1585 using bricks from the Kharkhorin village ruins. Although the Monastery ceased to be operational during WWII when Communist leader Khorloogin Choibalsan ordered for it to be destroyed, Joseph Stalin intervened and ordered the monastery remain in order to show the world that the communist regime allowed freedom of religion, upon which time the temples that still remained were converted into museums. However, following the fall of communism in the 1990’s, the monastery was turned over to the lamas and Erdene Zuu again became a place of worship. Today Erdene Zuu remains an active Buddhist monastery. One of the most interesting things you’ll witness here is the sound of the monks chanting Buddhist sutras.

Lunch will be served during your time of exploration and you will have the remainder of the day to yourself.

Dinner will be on your own and your overnight will be at Ikh Khorum Hotel.

Today’s adventure will be at the Hustai National Park where you will have the opportunity to observe the endangered Perzevalski horses (Mongolia’s wild horses), as well as distant mountains, beautiful steepe and over 450 vascular plant species; 200 of which are medicinal.

Check-in at the local Ger camp followed by lunch.

In the afternoon, you will visit a small museum about the park including information on the wild endangered horses and how they were reintroduced into the wild some years ago with the help of numerous European Zoologists.

The best time to spot these beautiful creatures is just before sunset when they descend the mountains to stream for water. You will take a short drive and a small hike to see them in their natural habitat. You may also witness other wildlife such as fox, deer, marmot and eagles. Return to the camp for dinner and your overnight.

This morning following breakfast, you will depart for Ulaanbaatar city where you will first visit the Gandan Monastery, Mongolia’s largest functioning Buddhist monastery which also includes the Mongolian Buddhist University.

Translated to “Great Place of Complete Joy,” the Ganan Monastery is one of the only monasteries that survived the religious purge of 1937. The most significant structure on the property is the 26.5-meter-high statue of Avalokiteśvara—a representation of any person on their path to Buddhism who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas.

Enjoy lunch at Modern Nomads restaurant in Sukhbaatar Square. Situated in the heart of the city, the square is surrounding by the city’s most significant buildings: the government palace, banks, theatres, post offices and more.

Afterwards, you will visit the Museum of Mongolian National History where you will learn all about the history and culture from prehistoric times to the present day.

Then, you will visit the Zaisan Memorial Hill which is located beside the Bogd Khan Mountains and delivers the best view of the city and the surrounding hills.

This evening, attend the Wonders of Mongolia Folklore Show by the famous Tumen-Ekh ensemble, one of the most celebrated traditional folk music groups in the world!

Check-in to your 4-star hotel for dinner and your overnight.

After breakfast, depart your hotel and travel towards Terelj National Park, which is the most visited and interesting rock formations on the alpine mountains. Upon arrival, lunch will be served by a local nomad family giving you the unique opportunity to visit their yurt for a first-hand experience of how people in the country-side live. Afterwards, you will check into Resort World Terelj Hotel for dinner and your overnight.

Begin your day by exploring Terelj National Park, stopping first at Turtle Rock, and then moving on to visit the Temple of Ariyabal, a Buddhist meditation temple. The temple is surrounded by beautiful views of the mountains with massive rock formations. From the top, you will experience breathtaking views of Terelj National Park, though to get to the top there are 108 steps to climb. If you would prefer, you may walk around the serene grounds filled with exquisite wild flowers.

Dinner and your overnight will be Resort World Terelj Hotel.

Following breakfast at your hotel, check out and return to Ulaanbaatar with a stop enroute at Genghis Khan Statue Complex. Emperor of the Moguls, Genghis Khan is revered as a hero to the Mongolian people. In his honor, a statue of the dignitary on horse-back was erected with the use of 250 tons of stainless steel. He stands atop a circular European gothic-style building and reaches 40 meters high— the largest statue in the world by double! Within the building, you can peruse an archaeological museum, tour the numerous portraits of the Khan lineage, dine at a restaurant and/or take an elevator to the top of the horse’s head where you are greeted with a panoramic view over the surrounding landscape.

Afterwards, continue on to the city and check in at the Grand Hill Hotel. This evening our farewell dinner will take place at Café Park Restaurant of Shangrila. Transfer back to hotel for overnight.

Check out of our hotel and depart for Chinggis Khaan International Airport for your departure flight back home marking the end of this soul-enriching adventure!

Mongolia—General Conditions

RESPONSIBILITY

Executive Cultural Tours and/or their agents, affiliates, or subsidiaries act only as agents for the hotel, airlines, bus companies and operators providing accommodation, transportation, meals, tours or other services and all coupons, exchange orders, receipts, contracts and tickets issued by the Company are issued subject to all tariffs, terms and conditions under which the forgoing or any other services whatsoever are provided by such hotels, airlines, bus companies. By the acceptance of such coupons, exchange orders, receipts, contracts and tickets, the tour member agrees that the Company shall not become liable or responsible for any loss, injury or damage to the person, firm or corporation. Further, the Company shall not become liable or responsible for any loss, injury or damage due to an Act of God or Act of War. The tour operator reserves the right to withdraw a tour, to refuse to accept or retain any person as a member of the tour at any time or to make changes in the itinerary whenever in their sole judgment conditions warrant or if such changes result from circumstances beyond the control of the tour operator. Executive Cultural Tours and/or their agents shall not be responsible for the injury, damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity which may be occasioned either by reason of defect in any vehicle or other, or through the acts or default of any company or person engaged in conveying or providing transportation to the passenger or in carrying out the arrangements of the tour or otherwise in connection therewith, or of any other hotel proprietor or employee. The aforesaid and their agents can accept no responsibility for losses or accidental expenses due to delay or changes in schedules or hotel overbookings or other causes. All such losses or expenses will have to be borne by the passenger.

CONDITIONS

BOOKING

Airfare is non-refundable once issued.

A deposit of CAD $1,000 per person is required at time of reservation as well as purchase of tour insurance package (optional). Post-dated cheques for the 2nd deposit of $1,000 dated February 4th, 2020 as well a post-dated cheque for the remaining balance dated April 27, 2020 are also required at the time of booking. Cheques should be made payable to Uniglobe The Premiere Travel Group. Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Diners/EnRoute credit cards are accepted.

CANCELLATION

• Full refund up to 120 days prior to departure less $700/person
• Between 120 and 90 days prior, full refund less $1000/person
• Between 90 and 60 days prior, full refund less $2000/person
• Less than 60 days prior, total cost of tour is non-refundable

After departure, no refund will be made for any unused hotel accommodation, meals, transfers, sightseeing, etc. Notice of cancellation must be made in writing.

INSURANCE

The following insurance packages are optional but highly recommended.