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Trip Rating Details
Challenging: Includes expedition style camping or stays with local families, where formal washing and toilet facilities may not be available. May include full-day hikes or rides (4 to 6 hours) over moderate terrain and occasional steep trails, or long driving distances on rough roads.
Packing List
This is a suggested packing list, which you should feel free to adjust to suit your needs. Please refer to our travel guide for more detailed information.
- backpack or soft bag
- sleeping bag (-5C)
- waterproof bag cover
- day pack
- head lamp/flashlight
- spare batteries/bulb
- personal medications
- towel
- waterproof hiking boots
- waterproof jacket with hood
- waterproof overpants
- fleece jacket or wool jumper
- cotton t-shirts
- long sleeve shirts
- lightweight trousers
- shorts
- warm hat
- long underwear
- socks
- underwear
- sun hat
- gloves
- sandals
- sun glasses
- sun cream
- spare glasses
- spare hiking shoes
- insect repellent
- resealing (ziploc) plastic bags
- water bottle
- binoculars/camera
- hiking stick
- wet tissues
- watch/ alarm clock
- money belt/ pouch
- insurance confirmation copy
- emergency contact number
See our packing tips for detailed information.
Trip Information - Wildflowers of the Eight Lakes
Day 1. Arrival (D)
Arrival in Ulaanbaatar and transfer to the hotel. Depending on your time
of arrival, we may take a short city sight-seeing tour. In the afternoon
we Visit the Natural History Museum, where a permanent exhibition of the
flora and fauna of Mongolia is displayed, including excellent examples
of dinosaur skeletons excavated from the Gobi Desert. Evening welcome
dinner. Overnight in hotel.
Day 2. Ulaanbaatar/Kharkhorin (B,L,D)
Built by Chinggis Khan about 800 years ago, Kharkhorin, better known as
Karakorum, was famed throughout Asia as the capital of the Mongol Empire.
Here kings were chosen, laws made, and the fate of the next city to be
conquered were determined. You will visit the ruins of the old city, the
Erden Zuu monastery and other historical monuments in the area. Overnight
in a ger camp by the Orhon River.
Day 3. Kharkhorin/Tuvkhon Monastery/Red Waterfall/
Zuun Salaa (B,L,D)
From the Hangai Mountain Range the Orhon River runs all the way to Lake
Baikal in Siberia. Today we head south, driving along the river’s banks.
The plants common on our route today include Trailing Bindweed (Convolus
arvensis), Sanguisorba officinalis, Zadowskii’s Herb, Chrysanthemum, Silene
repends, and Parnassus Grass (Parnassia palustris). Our first stop will
be at Tuvhon Monastery, established during the 1650’s by Zanabazar, one
of Mongolia’s most respected religious leaders. The monastery’s wooden
buildings are integrated with a natural system of caves perched hear a
hilltop, from which you have beautiful views of the Orkhon Valley and
the surrounding pine forests. Continuing south; we reach the Red Waterfall,
where we will stop for a short rest. From the waterfall we drive to into
the foothills of the Hangai Nuruu where we will meet our local guide.
Overnight in tents.
Day 4 – 9. Zuun Salaa – Eight Lakes National
Park (B,L,D)
For the next six days we will hike at a leisurely pace through the Hangai
Nuruu, Mongolia’s second largest mountain range, in the area of the Eight
Lakes which lies 2800 meters above sea level. The park contains many lakes
scattered over two big valleys. Very few families inhabit the area, and
it is a perfect place to see a large variety of wild flowers. As we hike,
we will carry only light daypacks, and our luggage and tents will be carried
on ox carts. As we hike from one lake to the next, you will see most of
the wildflowers of Central Mongolia, including Gentian (Gentiana decumbens),
Bluebell (Campanula), Aconite (Aconitum Czekanovskyi), Siberian columbine
(Aquilegia sibirica), Delphinium (Delphinium crassifolium Schrad), Alpian
aster (Aster alpinus), Echinops latifolius Tausch L, Adenophora verticillata
L, Adenophore stenanthina L, Pasque flower (Pulsatilla ambigua), Veronica
(Veronica incana), Meadow crane’s bill (Geranium pratense), Scabious (Scabiosa
comosa) Schizonepeta multifida L, Monkshood (Acomitum barbatum), Gallwort
(Linaria acutiloba), Tulip (Hemerocallis minor) Youngia tenuifolia L,
Arctic poppy (Papaver nudicaule), Fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium),
Pink (Dianthus versicolor), Superb pink, (Dianthus superbus), Pyrola (Pyrola
incarnata), Lady’s slipper (Cypripedium guttatum), Lily (Lilium pumilum
Delile), Sanguisorba officialis L, Paeonia anomala L, Iris (Iris ruthenica),
Edelweiss (Leontopodium ochroleucum), Silene repens L, Gentiana algida
L, and Altai onion (Allium altaicum). We will camp overnight in tents.
Day 10. Eight Lakes/Urkhit Valley (B,L,D)
On our last day in the Eight lakes region we hike out the Urkhit Valley
where we meet our vehicles. Camping overnight.
Day 11. Urkhit Valley/Tsenkher Hot Springs
(B,L,D)
After breakfast we say to goodbye to our local guides, and we drive north
to the region Mongolians call the ‘paradise of the horse herders’ for
its lush grasses and open valleys. We pass through thick pine forests
to the Tsenkher hot springs, where water flows out of the ground at 82
C, and where we can enjoy a relaxing soak in tiled pools. Overnight in
a ger camp.
Day 12. Tsenkher Hot Springs/Ugii Lake (B,L,D)
After breakfast we depart for Ogii Lake, which lies in semi-arid steppe
surrounded by low hills. In this are common species include Inula britannica,
Orostachys spinosa, Youngia tenuifolia, and Rhem undulatum. Our first
stop of the day is at the Khultigen monument. The massive stone tomb was
built in honor of a Turkic prince and warrior killed in a battle that
took place not far away. The stone is engraved in both Chinese and Runic
scripts. A short drive from the monument brings us to the shores of Lake
Ogii, where many nomadic families spend the summer, so we have a great
opportunity to visit them and learn about their unique way of life. Overnight
in ger camp.
Day 13. Ugii – Ulaanbaatar (B,L,D)
After breakfast we will drive back to Ulaanbaatar, arriving in the late
afternoon. After checking to our hotel, we will visit Gandan Monastery,
Mongolia's biggest Buddhist monastery. In the early evening we will attend
a cultural performance and concert before having a farewell dinner together.
Overnight in 4 star hotel.
Day 14. Departure (B)
Breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport for your departure.
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