Cycling in Mongolia - Naadam Festival

Name: Cycling in Mongolia - Naadam Festival
Brand: Exodus
Rating: 5 (1 reviews)

1 reviews

Activity

Cycling

Overview

Cycle off-road across the vast expanse of the Mongolian steppeland and experience traditional games

Mongolia remains a mysterious presence in the heart of Central Asia, a traditional country where visitors are still an unusual sight. Nomads wander the grasslands, setting up their white gers (tents) where the pasture is lush for their horses. On our bikes, we follow good trails across open steppe, into expansive mountain scenery and through larch and pine forests. Camping wild under the wide skies adds an adventurous edge to what is one of our most intrepid cycle tours. Adding to the experience, this special departure spends two days taking in traditional wrestling, archery, horse-riding, bone flicking and Mongolians dressed in their best clothes at the Naadam Festival in Ulaanbaatar.

Key Information

Trip Code: MCMN
Ways to Travel: Guided Group
Countries: Mongolia
Carbon Footprint: 20kg CO2e per person per day

What's Included

All breakfasts, lunches and dinners included
All accommodation
All transport and listed activities
Tour leader throughout
Arrival transfer for any flight, group departure transfer available
Local bike hire

11 days of Cycling

Terrain:

Low altitude; 100 percent good-quality dirt tracks

Day 3: 43 km / 26.7 miles
Day 4: 85 km / 52.8 miles
Day 5: 65 km / 40.4 miles
Day 6: 51 km / 31.7 miles
Day 7: 64 km / 39.8 miles
Day 8: 42 km / 26.1 miles
Day 9: 28 km / 17.4 miles
Day 10: 52 km / 32.3 miles
Day 11: 53 km / 32.9 miles
Day 12: 32 km / 19.9 miles
Day 13: 22 km / 13.7 miles

Highlights

Discover a variety of landscapes as we cycle through open steppe and forests
Visit Erdene Zuu Monastery and Genghis Khan's ancient capital
Camp wild and stay overnight at hot springs
Attend Naadam Festival and witness traditional games

Itinerary

First Destination: Ulaanbaatar
Next Destination: Ulaanbaatar

Meals included:Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast

First Destination: Ulaanbaatar
Next Destination: Ulaanbaatar

Our cycling adventure starts in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital city. There are no activities planned for today to allow for different arrival times. If you have time to explore some of the sites we recommend visiting Sukhbaatar Square, the National Museum and the landmark State Department Store.

Around 6pm, say hello to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead. Your tour leader then ensures a big welcome by arranging a group dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Want more time in Ulaanbaatar? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.

Accommodation: Bayangol Hotel (or similar)

Meals included:Dinner

We start the day after breakfast with the trip briefing and then strike out on an introductory tour of Ulaanbaatar, which takes in Sukhbaatar Square (the main square in the city), National Museum and Gandan Monastery. In the afternoon, you have free time before boarding the overnight train to Erdenet in the early evening. Erdenet is the third-largest city in Mongolia and home to one of the largest copper mines in the world. We stay in sleeping compartments on the train.

Accommodation: Sleeper train

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Our train arrives early in the morning. Upon arrival, we are joined by our crew and support vehicles. After breakfast, we set up the bikes and head out towards the wilderness. The small township of Bugat makes a convenient lunch stop. After lunch, our route takes us over Chuluutiin Davaa, a long pass on which care must be taken as the surface is loose in parts. With a steep descent, we arrive at a long plain leading to tonight’s camp near Tal Tolgoi Well.

Accommodation: Wild camping

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After our first night near local herding families, we cycle through rolling country before descending to a bridge over the Altaan (Golden) River. Rock formations in the area hint towards a volcanic past. The riverbanks make an idyllic spot for a picnic lunch. It is a long, steady climb to Tuluugiin Pass, where the scenery changes dramatically as the forests give way to open steppe, at least for a while. Today is our longest cycling day on the trip.

Accommodation: Wild camping

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we pass through rolling hills, past small lakes and herds of horses. Steppe eagles can be seen in this area. We stop for lunch with views across the steppe. After lunch, we continue on tracks around the southern side of Khairkhan Mountain (6,108ft/1,862m) and make camp in an open, green valley beneath the Kholbooriin Pass (5,410ft/1,649m).

Accommodation: Wild camping

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We begin with a bit of exertion as we make the short climb in the morning up to the pass, giving us far-reaching views across the countryside. Down the other side, we wind along gentle river valleys before emerging at the township of Khairkhan. After lunch on the outskirts of town, we pass a series of small lakes before choosing a camp for the night.

Accommodation: Wild camping

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we follow the Khunjiin River as it rises gently towards its headwaters. River valleys like this provide fertile pasture for grazing livestock and are popular campsites with local herders. Wetlands near the river attract birdlife, including demoiselle cranes. We stay overnight in the upper reaches of the river valley, beneath Chingeltei Mountain.

Accommodation: Wild camping

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After a short climb to the headwaters of the Khunjiin River at the Uran Khutul pass, it is downhill to the Tamir River where we have lunch on the banks. Near the river, we pass burial grounds dating to the eighth century. We camp tonight on the banks of the Tamir, not far from Ikh Tamir or Great Rock. Locals say that if you can throw a rock over the rock, it will bring you good luck for the rest of the journey.

Accommodation: Wild camping

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today is a half day of cycling and we make a good start to make the most of the afternoon for a chance to rest. The Gurviin Dava Pass is a long but steady ascent through forest for the most part, with a short, steep climb at the end. Arriving at the provincial capital of Tsetserleg makes the effort well worthwhile. Tsetserleg means garden and this township has one of the most attractive settings of any in Mongolia. We pitch camp by the Tsetserleg River. The afternoon is free to relax, enjoy a hot shower and experience staying in a traditional Mongolian ger.

Accommodation: Ger camp

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We are now close to the Khangai Mountains and a short ride takes us to the foothills. The rolling country of Arhangai has been replaced by forested hills of larch and pine with dramatic alpine peaks in the distance. There are three short passes today, with lunch on the third before descending to tonight’s camp.

Accommodation: Wild camping

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Our route now takes us into the heart of the Khangai Mountains, following well-marked 4×4 trails. Herders still inhabit the valleys, yet yaks have replaced cows as the milk-producing animals. We follow picturesque valleys and camp beneath Ondor Khairkhan Mountain (7,585ft/2,312m). This a relatively long day that can be challenging if conditions are windy.

Accommodation: Wild camping

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we cross the Khangai mountain range on good jeep tracks and drop down to the Orkhon River on the longest, smoothest descent of the journey. The Orkhon River flows to the ancient capital, Karakorum, then to Lake Baikal in Russia and further northwards to the Arctic Ocean. After lunch, we continue downstream to our overnight camp on the banks of the Orkhon River.

Accommodation: Wild camping

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We ride from camp following rolling terrain, crossing and recrossing the Orkhon River as we head for the fertile plain chosen by Genghis Khan as the location for the capital city of his empire. Arriving in the early afternoon, we check into the ger camp for hot showers and a well-earned rest. This afternoon, we explore Erdene Zuu Monastery, the largest and most famous monastery in Mongolia. Built in 1586 under the direction of Abtai Khan on the ruins of the ancient capital, much of the monastery was destroyed during Stalinist purges of the 1930s, but an impressive wall with 108 stupas and several temples remains.

Accommodation: Ger camp

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We make a good start this morning for the 250mi (400km) drive back to Ulaanbaatar. Travelling at an easy pace, we stop at Mongol Els to view the dunes with a picnic lunch en route. We check into our hotel on arrival in Ulaanbaatar – hot showers and cold beers! This afternoon, we enjoy a performance of traditional Mongolian song and dance by the renowned Tumen Ekh troupe.

Accommodation: Bayangol Hotel (or similar)

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The Naadam Festival celebrates the ‘three games of men’ (or Erin Gurvan Naadam): wrestling, horse racing and archery. More recently, a fourth game, knuckle-bone flicking, was added to the competitions. The festival is celebrated throughout the country but the biggest is in Ulaanbaatar.

Over the next two days, we attend the Naadam Festival horse racing, Deeltei Mongol Naadam (Mongolia National Costume Festival) and the Grand Opening Ceremony before we watch Mongolians compete in all four sports. We also get to mingle with hordes of Mongolian spectators as the grounds around the stadium (where wrestling, archery and bone-flicking takes place) and the horse races are filled with stands selling food, games, flags and various other things.

The atmosphere is a big part of the experience and many Mongolians dress in their best traditional clothes for the occasion. In 2010, the festival was entered into the Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage list and is a great celebration of the Central Asian nation’s culture.

Accommodation: Bayangol Hotel (or similar)

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The tour ends after breakfast and we begin our return journeys home, full of tales and magnificent photos to share. If you aren’t ready for the adventure to end, speak to your sales representative about our range of extension options.

Meals included:Breakfast

Dates & Prices

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Accommodation

Camping, hotels, Mongolian gers and sleeper train

Most of the trip is spent wild participatory camping and you will be asked to put up and take down your own tents. A toilet tent is put up at lunch and in the evening and a shower tent is put up when not camping near a stream (you should bring bio-soap for washing in streams and wet wipes). On the sleeper train, you may be sharing a compartment of four mixed-sex beds with members of the public depending on how the seats are allocated.

There may be occasions when we replace a night camping with a ger stay should local circumstances, such as the weather, dictate it.

Single supplement

If you prefer to have your own room, please request a single supplement at the time of booking. Availability is limited and these cannot be guaranteed; however, when available a single supplement covers all nights of the tour with the exception of the sleeper train, which is shared with four berths per cabin.

Essential Information

This is an Activity Level 4 (Moderate & Challenging) cycling trip and classified as off-road. For more information on our trip gradings please visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to contact us.

We advise that you have reasonably good fitness and are a confident cyclist, with some off-road cycling experience. Please also take the number of nights camping into consideration; hotels are only used in Ulaanbaatar. We believe that camping allows you to experience the wonderful remoteness of Mongolia.

Average daily distance: 31mi (50km)
Number of cycling days: 11 (including two half days)
Vehicle support: 100 percent

Terrain and route: We take good quality, vehicle-width, hardpack dirt tracks across rolling forest and steppe. Roads vary from paved to rocky in places with some short, steep passes.

Two vehicles support the trip (depending on group size) including a 4×4/standard minivan for people and a separate one for bikes and equipment. You may ride as much or as little as you like. The only things you need carry with you on the bike are your valuables, sunscreen, extra top, camera and water bottle etc. One vehicle travels at the front of the group and one at the rear. The bikes return from Karakorum with the support vans at the end of the trip.

The terrain is best described as rolling. Our route mostly follows jeep tracks along river valleys and over ridgeline mountain passes, with some better-quality paved roads in the early stages of the trip. Trails are mostly hardpacked dirt tracks; however, mountain passes often have loose gravel on the descent, requiring extreme caution. Sandy patches are hazardous in places, particularly at the base of small dips in the road. Our route passes through some more mountainous areas where roads follow rivers upstream and occasionally cross up and over into the neighbouring watershed. The passes referred to in the itinerary are universally low – usually requiring just 330ft-655ft (100m-200m) of vertical rise/descent. Some of the descents can be rocky. Typically, there are four to seven hours of riding each day.

This trip will appeal to anyone who is physically fit, enjoys riding off road and who is happy to camp in beautiful and wild places (we use good quality camping equipment, but home comforts are not a feature of this trip). Our tented camps include a kitchen tent, communal dining tent, wash tent and toilet tents. Mongolia is a country with just 930mi (1,500km) of sealed roads and these tend to be heavily trafficked and in poor condition. By far the most appealing travel is away from the main transit corridors and this is where our route takes us.

If you are bringing your own bike, please ensure that suitable off-road tyres are fitted – if in doubt please contact us for clarification. Due to the open nature of the country and the fact this is a fully supported trip, it is best to be flexible and to adjust the daily itinerary according to circumstances. The exact location of campsites can be changed, as circumstances require, but weary cyclists are free to join the support vehicle.

Please note, the route and distances described in the itinerary are fluid. Depending on local conditions and how the group feel, plus the potential encounters with locals along the way, we may cycle further or less far that day.

Key information

Start hotel: Bayangol Hotel, Chinggis Avenue-5, Ulaanbaatar 14251, Mongolia
Phone: +976-11-312255
Recommended arrival time: You can arrive at any time today. There will be a welcome briefing around 6pm this evening.
Airport: Chinggis Khaan International Airport (UBN)

Getting to the start hotel

The start hotel is approximately 1hr 30min drive from the airport. Exodus provides free arrival transfers to the start hotel from the airport for all customers. If you would like further information on joining this trip, please speak to your sales representative.

Please note, unless specified otherwise, the transfers will be to the start (or pre-tour) hotel and will be on the date on which the tour starts; transfers to other hotels in the same city and/or on different dates may attract an extra charge. Transfers should be booked with your sales representative at least two weeks before the tour starts.

Catching your return flight

There’s a group departure transfer to the airport for customers who Exodus booked onto a chosen flight to London, UK. Please speak to your sales representative if you wish to join. If the group departure transfer does not suit your flight time, speak to your sales representative to arrange an alternative transfer.

Mongolia

Travellers from UK, US, CA and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Mongolia. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

All meals are included.

In the countryside, our support vehicles carry the kitchen, food supplies and kitchen staff including a professional chef. Meals are Western style with a strong Asian influence. Breakfasts are typically cereals, toast and a hot dish. Lunches on the road are sandwiches, cheese, meats and salad. Dinners are a variety of vegetables, meat, rice, potatoes and pasta dishes. Filtered or purified drinking water is supplied on all cycling days, as are tea, coffee and fruit drinks. Dining in Ulaanbaatar is excellent and includes Mongolian, Indian, French, Chinese and Mexican restaurants. If you follow a vegan diet, the variety of food may be limited on this trip. As this kind of diet is relatively uncommon in this region, we cannot guarantee the hotels and restaurants will provide meals that have the necessary variety to be considered satisfying.

June to August is summer in Mongolia, characterised by daytime temperatures of 20C-30C (68F-86F) and evenings around 15C (59F). Summer is also the wet season and rainy days are certain over a two-week journey. September is the start of autumn (fall), expect daytime temperatures of 15C-25C (59F-77F), nights 5C-10C (41F-50F). Mongolia is a land of tremendous seasonal change, as temperatures plummet to -40C (-40F) in winter. It can snow on any day of the year and there is the potential that very cold weather could be experienced on these trips.

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

You’ll also find Thriving Nature, Thriving People moments across our trips. These experiences are often a highlight of your adventure, while also benefiting the natural world or local communities.

On this trip, we:

Attend the Nadaam Festival to experience traditional sports and crafts that support local herders, athletes, and artisans.
Experience a performance by the Tumen Ekh troupe, supporting traditional Mongolian music and dance.

Reviews

Add new review

Linda Cunningham

Added July 2019

Perfect Adventure

I can not recommend this adventure enough: Mongolia is a special country and Exodus provided the ideal adventure to highlight all aspects of Mongolia and Mongolian life. We aren’t really mountain bikers but the biking was superb - not particularly easy - but truly enjoyable in terms of terrain, scenery and fun riding. We aren’t really campers - but have to admit it was kinda enjoyable in the end 😎. Food on the trip was exceptional - we were v well fed: breakfast, elevenses, lunch, afternoon snack, substantial dinner. Ghana and her assistant certainly kept us well fed. We even had a shower and a proper sit down toilet on camp 😎. The whole Mongolian support team were superb and NK - our guide - was a special guy. Knowledgable, funny, kind and considerate - he really made our adventure special.

Most Inspirational Moment

Biking along with a herd of Mongolian horses zooooming alongside us was pretty special. Although the laugh we had playing football v Mongolian team was hilarious 😆

Thoughts on Group Leader

NK was superb: can’t fault him in anyway. Knowledgeable, funny, cheerful, friendly and v capable. He made our adventure special.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get out on your mountain bike and get away on this adventure: you’ll love it. I’d highly recommend going on the Naadam departure.

Suggestions

This is a v special holiday. Mongolia was special, NK and his team were special. Naadam Festival was exciting and fun and I felt Exodus has pulled out all the stops to make the Festival experience great for us.

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Cycling in Mongolia - Naadam Festival

Activity Level