Western Mongolia Photo Expedition Tour

Arrive in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s vibrant capital, and transfer to your hotel to rest after your journey. After lunch, enjoy a short city tour to discover Mongolia’s culture and history. Visit Gandan Monastery, the country’s largest Buddhist center, where monks perform daily prayers and a magnificent 26-meter Buddha statue stands inside the main temple. Continue to the National Museum of Mongolia, which presents the country’s history from ancient nomadic empires to modern Mongolia. Later, stroll through Sukhbaatar Square, the historic heart of the city surrounded by important government buildings. In the evening, enjoy a welcome dinner and prepare for your upcoming adventure.

Accommodation: 4-star Hotel. Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Take a flight to Ulaangom, the central town of Uvs province. A short tour of the town. Uvs province has a chain of lakes, wetlands, sand dunes, and high mountains.

Accommodation: Local hotel. Meals: Full board

Drive to Gashuun Valley, which is a wonderful panoramic landscape of ice-capped Turgen Mountains. Visit Stone memorials from ancient periods. Photography day of wonderful nature and historical sites. Tented camp at the bank of the Turgen River.

Accommodation: Tent. Meals: Full board

Drive to Lake Achit - the largest lake in Uvs province, located on the border of three western aimags. It offers stunning sunsets and sunrises and plenty of fish. The lake is home to flocks of geese, eagles, and other birdlife. In the afternoon, drive to Kharkhiraa valley - a delightful valley surrounded by dense pine forests, has crystal clear river and carpeted with flowers. It is a perfect place to stay and photograph, relax, or go hiking and take beautiful photos. On the way, we will stop at “Island of Devel”, which is home of kinds of rare birds.

Accommodation: Tent. Meals: Full board

Drive to Ulgii, the central town of Bayan-Ulgii province. Unlike other provinces, its population is dominated by Turkic Kazakhs, who have their own language, customs, and the only Muslim religion in Mongolia. Visit a local museum, black market, and theater. Photography day of another culture and tradition than the main Mongols.

Accommodation: Local hotel. Meals: Full board

Today we head to the Altai Mountain area and arrive at Shiveet Khairkhan mountain- the closest place to the Altai peaks reachable by car. We are traveling at an altitude of 2500-3000 m. We will visit a local Kazakh family to explore their lives as well as rent horses for our further trip. Here you can meet the local people and take portraits and the daily life of Kazakhs. They have a bigger Ger dwelling than the Khalkha majority group, and they are characteristic. Prepare our luggage for the next 3-day trekking trips to Altai peaks.

Accommodation: Tent. Meals: Full board

Leave our vehicle and load our luggage onto the horses and trek toward the Altai Tavan Bogd peaks of 4100-4374m. You can take photos of a horse or camel caravan which suits the Western Mongolian landscape, rocky and snow-capped mountains. Arrive near the foot of the high peaks and camp there.

Accommodation: Tent. Meals: Full board

Head back to the van through and after lunch drive to Khurgan lake, the lowest point of Altai Tavan Bogd National park.

Head back to the vehicle through Tsagaan Gol - White river, which owes its color to glacial milk, the suspended powder of rock eroded by the high glaciers. Here you have a chance to photograph both landscape and people. Then, drive towards Lake Khurgan.

Accommodation: Tent. Meals: Full board

Full photography day at Khurgan and Khoton lakes and surrounding area. The system of these lakes, connected by a wide channel, is the source of the Hovd River which drains the whole Mongolian Altai. Khoton Lake is located in an intermountain tectonic depression in the northern portion of the Mongolian Altai.

Accommodation: Tent. Meals: Full board

On the way stop at Tsengel sum and Valley of Jivertei. Here we can take photos of ancient man stones that belonged to the Turkic Empire, which existed from the 5th to 7th centuries.

Accommodation: Tent. Meals: Full board

Come close to magnificent Tsambagarav mountain (4193m) via Tolbo lake. Enjoy the natural beauty and meet local people. Stay in the local eagle hunting family. Photography day of hunting eagle show and nomad life. Owners train eagles so they chase fox skins dragged by their owners on horseback, collect marmots, small foxes, and wolves, and return to the ger, where the Kazakhs use them for food.

Accommodation: Nomadic family stay. Meals: Full board

Drive to Khovd, the central town of Khovd province, as well as the major industrial center of western Mongolia. Brief city tour. Local Museum - geology exhibit, collections of stuffed wildlife, including an ibex with its distinctive corrugated antlers, ethnic costumes and artifacts, and a snow leopard pelt tacked up on the wall. One of the most interesting exhibits is the re-creation of the cave paintings at Tsenkheriin Agui /Tsenkheryn cave/.

Accommodation: Local hotel. Meals: Full board

Take a flight back to Ulaanbaatar at a local airport. Transfer to the hotel and relax. Farewell dinner together.

Accommodation: 4-star Hotel. Meals: Full board

Transfer to Chinggis Khaan International Airport and depart Mongolia, with lasting memories of your trip.

Meal: Breakfast