Mongolia + the Gobi, Naadam Festival
Dates & Prices
Start Date | End Date | Offers | Brochure Land Price | Quote |
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Saturday, Jul 05, 2025 | Saturday, Jul 12, 2025 | Get Lower Price | Get Quote |
All the Tour Operator Offers & More
Save 7% Off this Tour - Guaranteed!
$1000 Off Pay-In-Full Savings
$1000 Off Pay-In-Full Savings
Promotion Details
Offer valid on new bookings only. Discounted rates are per person. For travel in 2024 and 2025. Cannot be combined with any other offer, promotion or discount. Additional restrictions may apply. Offer is capacity controlled and may be removed at anytime without notice.
Family & Friends Discount: Save $100
Family & Friends Discount: Save $100
Promotion Details
Applies to new bookings only. Offer combinable with pay-in-full discount. Certain restrictions may apply.
Tour Itinerary
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Day 1
Day 1 - July 5th - Welcome to UlaanbaatarOn arrival, you’ll be warmly greeted and escorted to the 5-star Shangri-La Hotel.
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Day 2
Day 2 - July 6th - Into the Gobi by JeepAfter breakfast, you’ll be escorted to the airport for your included flight to Dalanzadgad in the South Gobi, where General Tours fleet of comfortable 4x4 jeeps await. With only 2 to 3 guests in each jeep with General Tours professional driver and a guide, General Tours promise intimate, personalized exploration over the next 3 days. The adventure begins in Yolyn Am, also known as Eagle Valley. Explore the rugged terrain, including areas with cliffs and canyons so deeply shaded that ice can endure well into summer. Along the way, keep your eyes peeled for soaring eagles and the wild sheep and goats that graze high up the steep canyon walls. A small natural history museum at the entrance to the valley provides more information about the flora, fauna and geology of the valley. Enjoy an al fresco lunch freshly prepared by your private chef and continue to the Three Camel Lodge. Meals B+L+D
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Day 3
Day 3 - July 7th - Excursion to Bayanzag, the Flaming Cliffs via Moltsog Sand dune
This morning is yours to enjoy the singular setting of General Tours Lodge, surrounded by the vast sweep of the Gobi. If you wish, you can enjoy a screening of Bayanzag, The Story of the Weeping Camel. Released in 2004, this well-reviewed German-made docudrama tells the story of a nomadic family of camel herders living in the Gobi Desert. After early lunch drive to the sand dunes at Moltsog Els, visit a local camel-breeder’s family, taste milk products made from camel milk. You will have the opportunity to go camel riding along the base of the dunes and later to walk through the sand dunes. Continue to Bayanzag, you’ll follow in the footsteps of Roy Chapman Andrews. Fondly known as the “Original Indiana Jones,” Mr. Andrews was a storied adventurer and naturalist who went on to become one of the most respected directors of the American Museum of Natural History. It was here amidst this stark expanse of desert sands and towering red sandstone cliffs where he found the first-known nest of fossilized dinosaur eggs in 1922. Petrified forests and the remains of numerous animals including the skeleton of the hornless rhinoceros, the largest known mammal, have also been recovered in the same area. Enjoy a freshly prepared dinner atop the Flaming Cliffs as the sun sets over these desert landscapes. This evening, local children will perform the National Dance, a traditional Mongolian favorite. Delight in another restful overnight in your private Ger at the Three Camel Lodge. Meals B+L+D
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Day 4
Day 4 - July 8th - Back to Ulaanbaatar + Onward to the Tuul River
After a hearty breakfast, travel back to Dalanzadgad and bid farewell to your Gobi guide and driver as you board the flight back to the capital. On arrival, meet General Tours resident guide and visit 976, the most important contemporary art gallery in Mongolia. The exhibits change regularly, but 976 is known for finding talented artists who use a variety of traditional techniques like Tibetan Thangka painting and Chinese calligraphy to create new and vibrant works that are distinctly Mongolian.
After lunch in the city, we’ll take you overland to the evocative Tuul Riverside Lodge, General Tours authentic Mongolian style encampment. Settle in to your private Ger and then join an afternoon archery lesson; it’s a fun way to learn about this revered national sport where bows are still crafted from wood, sinew, horn and tendon. Meals B+L+D -
Day 5
Day 5 - July 9th - Mongolian Traditions + CultureToday offers a unique opportunity to enjoy and experience hands-on some of Mongolia’s very unique cultural traditions. The Mongolian Ger is constructed with a wooden lattice frame and sturdy roof poles that are then covered with multiple layers of felt. Here amidst these scenic rolling hills on the gentle Tuul River, you’ll spend some time this morning learning to construct a real Ger – just like the one you slept in last night!
After lunch, General Tours private concert showcases a variety of Mongolian art forms including Shaman dancing, throat singing, and Uran Nugaralt - an acrobatic form that stresses balance and flexibility. Tonight, gather with your fellow travelers around the campfire for a traditional Mongolian barbecue prepared by the Lodge’s chefs. Meals B+L+D -
Day 6
Day 6 - July 10th - Horse Racing
After leisurely breakfast, General Tours will travel back to Ulaanbaatar by car and attend the National Flag Raising Ceremony at the main square. During the ceremony, a military parade will hold at the square with military officers of the Mongolian Armed Forces, emergency management, and policy officers paying tribute to the State Flag. After lunch General Tours will drive to Hui Doloon Khudag, to the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar, to watch horse race competition. This horse-racing tradition is said to date back to the Bronze Age. It’s considered to be one of the three traditional skills of Mongolian young men. Horse-racing is of course cherished by the herdsmen in Mongolia and is a favorite among the sports. The horses are categorized according to age; the distance of the race is determined by the age of the horse and may range between 15 and 35 kilometers. Then drive back to Shangri-La Hotel. Meals B+L+D
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Day 7
Day 7 - July 11th - The Naadam FestivalGeneral Tours will head to the central stadium to attend the Naadam Festival opening ceremony. Naadam is the biggest and the most widely watched traditional festival in Mongolia, locally also named the "Eriin Gurvan Naadam" – “the three games of men". Wrestling, horse racing, and archery are practiced during this National Holiday from July 11th to 13th. Women have started to participate in the archery and horse-racing games, but not in the wrestling. Naadam is a formal celebration of the 1921 revolution, when Mongolia declared itself a free country. The Naadam celebration was accredited by the representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO in 2010. Afternoon attends the opening ceremony of the National Archery tournament followed by a unique ankle bone shooting competition in anklebone shooting tents or fields at the Naadam arena. The ankle bone shooting is a UNESCO-registered World Heritage game and was officially added to the Naadam Games in 1998. Overnight at the 5-star Shangri-La Hotel. Meals B+L+D
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Day 8
Day 8 - July 12th - Depart UlaanbaatarAfter breakfast, we’ll take you back to the capital for your onward flight. Meals B
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Health and Safety Protocols for Alexander Roberts Tours
Alexander+Roberts Tours is committed to your well-being and safety while you travel.
- All Alexander+Roberts staff will maintain appropriate physical distancing at all times.
- All high-touch surfaces in coaches and private cars – like door handles, railings, armrests, and window controls – will be sanitized each morning and regularly throughout the day.
- Alexander+Roberts expert guides and drivers will wear face masks whenever in proximity to guests.
- Alexander+Roberts staff have been trained on Extra Care procedures – and how to respond to issues that may arise as you travel.
- Complimentary face masks and hand sanitizer will be available in all vehicles while touring.
- Larger luxury motorcoaches so each traveler will have two seats to themselves while touring.
- Private airport transfers with a spacious luxury vehicle when you come and go for every tour.
- Regular and frequent sanitizing of all high-touch vehicle surfaces.
- Prearranged entry for all sightseeing minimizes standing in line with other travelers.
- Whisper Headsets for groups of 5 or more allow for proper physical distancing while sightseeing, except for certain nature activities in remote areas like the Amazon.
- Alexander+Roberts carefully selects restaurants to avoid crowded high-capacity venues; Alexander+Roberts emphasizes fine farm-to-table dining with attentive and efficient service – and the choice to dine al fresco whenever available.
- No large-group dining; enjoy more spacious dining settings and smaller, well-spaced tables for included meals.
- Restaurant staff will follow the guidance of local health authorities and WHO protocols which may include facial coverings.
- Alexander+Roberts hotels are always selected for their outstanding locations, evocative ambiance, impeccable service – and cleanliness.
- Alexander+Roberts partners include the most respected luxury brands – like Belmond, Four Seasons, Park Hyatt, Kempinski and JW Marriott; they are now leading the industry with their sophisticated hygiene standards and protocols to ensure the well-being of all their guests.
- Hotels will be continuously and rigorously vetted to ensure that they are following established WHO guidelines including social distancing and sanitizing procedures of guestrooms and public spaces.
- Hotel breakfasts will usually feature à la carte service and group seating will be replaced by smaller, appropriately distanced tables.
In a Small Group of Never More than 16 Guests or on a Privately Guided Tour for just your traveling party, their experienced guides have the flexibility to adjust your sightseeing based upon local conditions – to avoid times of heaviest traffic and crowding, for example. Alexander+Roberts can dine in smaller authentic restaurants, minimize the time waiting in lines, and leave a lighter footprint. You'll learn the history and stories behind the world's most iconic landmarks, immerse more deeply in the wonders of the natural world, and delight in genuine cultural engagement not possible in a larger group. It's travel without a crowd.
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