China, Mongolia & Naadam Festival The Greatest Local Event of the Year

Day 4: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

After delicious breakfast at the hotel, get ready for the exclusive adventure in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park for a full day. Take a ride on the world highest and fastest elevator in the Bailong Elevator to the Yuanjiajie Scenic Area. Here we shall visit the famous Avatar filming location, Natural Bridge under Heaven. Then take a Public shuttle bus to marvel the natural treasures of the Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve, Helong Park, Xihai Stone Forest, Imperial Brush Peak, Tianzi Mountain Cable Car, Ten-mile Gallery in the Suoxigu Valley. Transfer to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 5: Zhangjiajie — Xian

After breakfast at the hotel, start the guided half-day sightseeing tour to Tianmen Mountain. You will take a ride on the World’s longest cable car to the mountaintop and try Sky Walk 1430 meters above the ground. Take an escalator through the mountain to Tianmen Cave and enjoy splendid views. Free time in Zhangjiajie. Transfer to the airport for the flight to Xian (1h40m). Transfer to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 6: Xian

After breakfast at the hotel, meet the guide for a sightseeing walking tour. Get to know the secrets of world-famous Terracotta Army, see City Wall, Great Mosque. Take a stroll along 1110-meter long Muslim street where architectures in the style of Ming and Qing are well preserved. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 7: Xian — Beijing

After breakfast at the hotel, continue the tour around Xian. Today we will visit the Shaanxi History Museum, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Bell Tower and Drum Tower Square. At 16.00 take a bullet train to Beijing. Arrival at Beijing at 21:31. Transfer to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 8: Beijing

After breakfast at the hotel, start with a half-day guided sightseeing tour: Square Tiananmen, Museum Gugong, Temple of Heaven. Lunch. The evening is free at leisure. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 9: Beijing — Ulaanbaatar

After breakfast at the hotel, meet the guide to take the Great Wall tour for a full day. After the tour, transfer to the airport to take a direct flight to Ulaanbaatar at 21.10 (21.10- 23.40). Transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Ulaanbaatar.

Day 10: Karakorum

After breakfast at the hotel, meet the guide and drive towards to Kharkhorin, formerly known as Karakorum. Embrace the wilderness of Mongolia when visiting Khogno Khan Nature Reserve with mountains, steppes, Gobi-type desert and mineral water sources all in one location, Uvgun monastery or Erdene Khamba khiid. After lunch, continue to travel to Kharkhorin, the legendary city founded by Genghis Khan in 1220 in Orkhon Valley, on the Silk Road. Those days it was a political, economic, administrative and religious centre. But after Khublai Khaan moved the Mongolian capital to Beijing, Karakorum was abandoned and then completely destroyed by Chinese soldiers in 1388. There we shall visit Kharkhorin museum, and the Mongolian oldest and largest monastery Erdene Zuu. Overnight at the Ger camp.

Day 11: Ongi Monastery ruins

After traditional breakfast at the camp, we will continue our journey to discover Ongi Monastery ruins through the great Ongi steppe. Ongi monastery was one of the 7 biggest Mongolian monasteries. There are 2 temple ruins which were built up in the 1780s. During repression in 1930s’, these two temples were destroyed and over 200 monks were killed, and many surviving monks were imprisoned. In the 1990s, it was decided to rebuild the monastery. The first temple was inaugurated in 2004. There is a small museum in a ger in front of it. One of the stupas has just been reconstructed as well. We travel like real nomads from one Ger to another just like Mongolians do for a thousand years. Overnight at the Ger camp.

Day 12: Bayanzag

After breakfast at the camp, you will go further to Bayanzag, known as Flaming Cliffs. We shall hike through the cliffs (east trail, suitable for any fitness level) to see the Gobi tree grove named “Bayanzag”.The American paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews arrived here in 1922, on an expedition for the American Museum of Natural History. His team found hundreds of fossilised remains, and Bayanzag became known as a dinosaur graveyard. After lunch, we will watch the short documentary about these excavations. After dinner, return to the Bayanzag to see the sunset, find out why the area is called Flaming Cliffs. Overnight at the Ger camp.

Day 13: Gobi Desert

After breakfast at the camp, we travel through the stunning Gobi Desert to see amazing Khongor sand dune at sunset. There is no landscape equal to it in Mongolia, Khongor sand Dunes last for impressive 180 km. The Gobi desert is one of the world's greatest, it is a no-sand desert of gravel plains and rocky outcrops. Great Gobi National Park is one of the largest World Biospheres, with an area larger than Switzerland. It contains the last remaining wild Bactrian (two-humped) camels and a small population of Gobi bears, the only desert-inhabiting bear. The Khongor Sand Dunes are some of the largest and most impressive white sand dunes in Mongolia with the largest dunes up to 800 metres high. The dunes make a sound like a plane engine on a windy day so it has been named as "Singing Dunes". Visit the local camel herding nomad family and experience the nomadic life in the Gobi, have a camel ride through the sand dunes of Khongori. Overnight at the Ger camp.

Day 14: Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park

After breakfast at the camp, continue the journey to Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park. Yol Valley is a deep and narrow gorge in the Gurvan Saikhan Mountains. Gobi Gurvan Saikhan Mountains (Three Beauties of Gobi) are three Rocky Mountains, the highest of which is 2815 meters above the sea level. After lunch, take a ride to Yolyn Am, a picturesque place with ice fields even in summer, and surrounded by sheer rocky walls, forming incredible canyons. You will visit a Gobi museum and if you wish to get some hiking to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Late afternoon, we return to the camp for dinner and time at leisure. Overnight at the Ger camp.

Day 15: Terelj National Park

After breakfast, transfer to the airport and flight to Ulaanbaatar (1h 30 m). Transfer to Terelj National Park. We shall see Turtle Rock, have lunch with a nomadic family, visit Temple of Aryavalokiteshvara and Aryabal Monastery. Dinner & overnight at the Ger camp at Terelj National Park.

Day 16: Ulaanbaatar

After breakfast, we will take the transfer to Ulaanbaatar, en route stop at Genghis Khan’s Statue Complex in Tsonjin boldog, visit some souvenir shops, a small museum, after we will drive to the city and start the guided tour visiting Zaisan Memorial and Buddha Garden. In the evening, enjoy 6 pm-Tumen Ekh-traditional folklore concert. Dinner at the hotel restaurant. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 17: Naadam Festival

Full-day guided touring the festival, watching competitions, performances, the national culture of wonderful Mongolia: archery, horse riding, nomad culture at its best. We book special seats to allow maximum comfort today, however, please mind we will need to walk to and from the stadium. Please note that while we’re doing everything possible, the schedule of the day might change at late notice due to logistics complications and restrictions implied by the local authorities.

Day 18: Departure

After breakfast, an optional half-day Naadam festival visit. Transfer to the airport/railway station.