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Trip Rating Details
Moderate: Hotels, lodges, or full service tent camping. Hikes of two to four hours on some days. Easy physical activities. May include one to three longer driving days.
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)
- day pack
- head lamp/flashlight
- spare batteries/bulb
- personal medications
- towel
- hiking boots/shoes
- rain jacket with hood
- fleece jacket or wool jumper
- cotton t-shirts
- long sleeve shirts
- lightweight trousers
- shorts
- warm hat
- socks
- underwear
- sun hat
- sandals
- sun glasses
- sun cream
- spare glasses
- insect repellent
- resealing (ziploc) plastic bags
- binoculars/camera
- wet tissues
- watch/ alarm clock
- money belt/ pouch
- insurance confirmation copy
- emergency contact number
See our packing tips for detailed information.
Trip Information - Secret History of the Mongols
Day 1. Ulaanbaatar (D)
Arrival to Ulaanbaatar and transfer to your hotel. Depending on time of
arrival, you may have a short city sight-seeing tour. Evening welcome
dinner. Overnight in hotel.
Day 2. Ulaanbaatar/Dadal (B,L,D)
After a morning visit to the Museum of National History, we have an early
lunch then catch a helicopter flight to Dadal, stopping at the sacred
mountain of Burkhan Haldun which was Chinggis Khan’s place of refuge.
When we land in Dadal, we will be met by our 4WD vehicles. We will visit
the village of Dadal and then continue to the ger camp where we will spend
the night. Over dinner, your guide will brief you on the historical significance
of the area.
Day 3. Dadal/Chinggis Wall (B,L,D)
After breakfast we will visit the place most widely accepted to be the
birthplace of Chinggis Khan. Then, we continue overland to the Chinggis
Wall, an ancient fortification, visiting Naratu Shituen and Husutu Shituen,
places of historical significance in Chinggis Khan’s life. Camping overnight
in the vicinity of the Chinggis wall.
Day 4. Chinggis Wall/Duurilag Nars/Binder (B,L,D)
In the morning we drive towards the Onon river, a focal point of the early
life of Chinggis Khan, and explore the ruins of the ancient city at Duurilag
Nars and the area around Bayan Adarag, the site of the summer camp of
Chinggis Khan’s clan when he was a boy. In the later afternoon we continue
west along the banks of the Onon, reaching the ger camp where we will
spend the night.
Day 5. Binder/Batshireet (B,L,D)
After breakfast at the camp, we will drive into the village of Binder,
where you will have an introduction to the Buryat way of life and learn
a little about the historical role that the Buryat ethnic group has played
in the history of the Mongol Empire. After lunch, we continue north towards
Batshireet, following for a short ways the Barkh river, the escape route
of Chinggis Khan’s family as they fled into hiding. Overnight in Buryat
cabins near Batshireet.
Day 6. Batshireet/Oglogchiyn Herem (B,L,D)
On this day we will visit Oglogchiyn Herem, an archeological site locally
referred to as the Almsgivers Castle. The world’s media erupted with sensational
headlines about this walled burial ground, when a research team announced
that they had found a burial site that may contain the remains of the
Mongolian khans and nobles, including Chinggis Khaan.
We will visit the site, believed to have been originally built during
the Hun period or 3rd century BC. A 3.2 km long, nine foot high stone
wall encloses about 100 hectares of sparsely forested rocky mountain in
in which may lie up to 60 graves of Mongolian khans, princes and other
nobles. We can explore the site on foot, and visit the surrounding areas
by horseback or jeep. The valleys around the site are well known for their
spectacular wildflowers. Overnight in gers or cabins nearby.
Day 7. Oglogchiyn Herem/Bereeven Khiid/Hangal
Nuur (B,L,D)
On this day we drive through river valleys dotted with bronze age tombs
and their stone markers, heading south on the trail of Chinggis Khan as
he rose to power and began building an alliance of clans. We will stop
at Baldan Bereeven Khiid, an ancient monastery that has only recently
become the subject of renovation, and have a picnic lunch here. As we
pass through pastureland and forest we will stop to visit with nomadic
familes, giving you the opportunity to experience a way of life that has
changed little since the time of Chinggis Khan. We spend the night in
a ger camp beside a small lake at the foot of the Hentii mountains.
Day 8. Hangal Nuur/Har Zurhen/Chinggisiin Tulga
(B,L,D)
Crossing some low mountain passes, we arrive at Har Zurhen at Hukh Nuur
(Blue Lake), the spot where the young Temujin was titled King of the Mongolian
United Tribes and named Chinggis Khaan. Here we will enjoy some light
walking, and a picnic lunch before continuing to visit some spots that
local lore and legend associate with Chinggis Khan. We will camp overnight
near the banks of the Tsenkher river.
Day 9. Chinggisiin Tulga/Khodoo Aral (B,L,D)
Today we head south, to an area on the open steppe known as Khodoo Aral.
A gathering place for the Ikh Khurildai or the grand council, Khodoo Aral
is the place where Chinggis Khan consolidated his power and where subsequent
Khans were elected. Nearby are the ruins of Avraga Toson, the site of
the first capital of the Great Mongolian Empire and of Chinggis Khan’s
residential encampment. Dinner with a local nomadic family, camping overnight.
Day 10. Khodoo Aral/Gun Galuut (B,L,D)
On this day we leave Khentii behind us, crossing the Kherlen river and
continuing to Gun Galuut National Park. Lying at the shores of Ikh Gun
Lake, home to many species of waterfowl, and next to Baits Mountain, natural
habitat to the nearly extinct Mountain Sheep, there are great chances
to observe some of Mongolia’s most impressive wildlife here. The Kherlen
River is situated only minutes away from our ger camp, Overnight in ger
camp.
Day 11. Gun Galuut/Ulaanbaatar (B,L,D)
Today we return to Ulaanbaatar, arriving in time for a late lunch. After
checking into the hotel and a having our meal, we will go to the main
square of the city for a short stroll, and see the monuments recently
put up in front of the parliament building recognizing Chinggis Khan as
the father of the Great Mongolian State. Time permitting, we will continue
to the Bogd Khan Palace museum, the palace of the last Mongolian king,
who was considered a living god. Farewell Dinner. Overnight in 4 star
hotel.
Day 12. Departure (B)
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your departing flight.
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