Mongolia's Naadam Festival
15 Days Starting and ending in Ulaanbaatar
Visiting: Ulaanbaatar, Archery & Wrestling Training Camp , Horse Training Camp , Baga Gazriin Chuluu, Tsagaan Suvarga, Yolyn Am Valley, Khongoriin Sand Dunes, Khongor Sand Dune, Bayanzag Flaming Cliff, Ongiin Khiid, Karakorum, Naadam Festival - Opening Ceremony & Archery Events, Naadam Festival - Wrestling & Horse Racing Events
Tour operator:
Tour code:
CBSOS
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
1 - 16
Age range:
15-99
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Tour Overview
The ancient Greeks may have the Olympics but the Mongols have Naadam. Mongolia’s annual circus-like Naadam Festival is a centuries-old tradition that dates back to the era of the great Khans and their dynasties. Wrestling, archery and horse racing — the three skills that Genghis Khan considered essential for any Mongol warrior — are showcased at the country’s largest celebration of the “three manly sports”. Come behind the scenes as we meet the competitors in the lead up to the festival and discover some of Mongolia’s wild outback, visiting ruined monasteries, flaming cliffs and historic cities.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Ulaanbaatar
Location: Ulaanbaatar
Accommodation: Hotel
Sainbainuu! Welcome to Mongolia. You can arrive at any time before your group meeting at 6pm. The location of this meeting can be found at the hotel reception. Please have your passport, insurance and next of kin information ready to give to your leader at this meeting. The hotel is located in a quiet residential area within walking distance to Sukhbaatar Square. After the welcome meeting, you'll have the option to join your fellow travellers for dinner at a local restaurant. If you arrive in town earlier and have time, be sure to get out and explore 'UB', a fascinating town where elderly Mongolians in traditional dress mingle with the nation's young business elite. A great place to start is Gandan Khiid, Mongolia's largest and most important monastery. The Fine Arts Museum, Winter Palace Museum of Bogd Khan and Intellectual Museum are also well worth visiting.
Day 2: Archery & Wrestling Training Camp
Location: Archery & Wrestling Training Camp
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Mongolia’s annual Naadam Festival is a centuries-old tradition that dates back to the era of the great Khans and their dynasties. Wrestling, archery and horse racing — the three skills that Genghis Khan considered essential for any Mongol warrior — are showcased today at the country’s largest celebration of the “three manly sports”. We will get a special insight into each of these sports these couple of days with visits to the training camps that take place in preparation for the festival.You will observe Mongolian archers lining up their shots. Learn how precision and technique play a key role in successful archery and have a go at using the traditional bow and arrow yourself. You will also watch the wrestlers practice. Your leader will explain the rules of Mongolia wrestling and the various techniques and tricks. Some of these wrestlers are huge national celebrities! Learn to cook a Mongolian BBQ and share it with the wrestlers for lunch or dinner. Tonight you’ll either stay at the wrestler’s camp or a ger camp nearby.
Included Activities:
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Day 3: Horse Training Camp
Location: Horse Training Camp
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Wake up at the crack of dawn as the campsite comes alive and drive to another camp where the horse trainers and riders live during their Naadam preparations. Stop on the way at a supermarket to buy some small gifts for the families hosting you tonight – a packet of cookies or juice etc will be enough and your leader can advise on what’s appropriate. It’s tradition to bring gifts to visit someone’s home in Mongolia. Then onwards to the horse rider training camp. Spend the day watching the horses and jockeys train. You'll be amazed at the skill and strength on display in handling their animals. Your leader will tell you about why horses are so treasured by the Mongolian people. Mongolian nomads have developed deep relationships with animals over thousands of years and you will witness some of this during your time here today. Tonight you will stay with a local nomadic family in their ger and learn about their life as nomads. This is truly authentic experience and you will get a very real insight into local Mongolian life. Bed down early tonight to rise at dawn with the trainers and riders tomorrow morning.
Included Activities:
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Day 4: Baga Gazriin Chuluu
Location: Baga Gazriin Chuluu
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Today head to Baga Gazriin Chuluu, a series of granitic formations located in the Middle Gobi province. Ruggedly beautiful, the rocks are worshipped by locals, who are known to make pilgrimages here, and it is rumoured that Genghis Khan also traveled to this site during his conquests. You will have the opportunity to hike in the area and take in the awe-inspiring views before heading onwards to a ger camp for the night.
Included Activities:
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Day 5: Tsagaan Suvarga
Location: Tsagaan Suvarga
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Tsagaan Suvarga is your destination today. Also known as the "white stupa”, the region is well known for its formation of rocky cliffs that are composed of different ores. When exposed to oxygen, the rock turns different shades of pink, red and orange. The cliffs dates back as far as 10 million years, with the different coloured layers indicating different times in the rock's history. Hike and explore the nearby caves after lunch. Stay in the ger camp again tonight.
Included Activities:
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Day 6: Yol Valley
Location: Yolyn Am Valley
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Carry on your journey to Yol Valley today - a deep and narrow gorge in the Gurvan Saikhan Mountains of southern Mongolia more commonly known as the Vulture Canyon. Enjoy a two hour walk through the narrow gorges, with soaring cliffs on either side and bearded vultures sailing high above. Enjoy a relaxed stay in your ger camp tonight
Included Activities:
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Day 7-8: Khongoriin Sand Dunes
Location: Khongoriin Sand Dunes
Today you will drive to the giant sand dunes known as Khongor, Mongolia's largest and called the ‘singing sands’ by the locals. These monster dunes stretch for over 100km and can reach up to 300 meters in height. This is the quintessential landscape that one would picture if asked to imagine a desert. Sweeping, wave-like patterns of sand framed by a bright blue sky and lit by a relentless sun. The dunes’ nickname comes from the sound produced by small avalanches of sand on a windy day, and the noise has been likened the distant hum of an aircraft propeller. You will have two nights here, so take your time to walk up the sand dune or ride a two humped camel along the iconic singing sand dunes. Enjoy this typically Mongolian experience while you make your way through this remote landscape and take in the views. And the rest time is free so go for a walk, read a book, catch up on some sleep or just relax around the ger camp.
Included Activities:
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Day 9: Bayanzag Flaming Cliff
Location: Bayanzag Flaming Cliff
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Bayanzag is your destination today. The large orange tinted rocks here look like they are on fire during sunrise or sunset hours, hence 'flaming cliff'. You'll enjoy a hike here with an impeccable view of the large gobi desert around it. And then settle into your ger camp tonight.
Included Activities:
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Day 10: Ongiin Khiid
Location: Ongiin Khiid
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
A long travel day today to the Ongiin Khiid. Ongiin Khiid refers to two ruined monasteries: Bari Lam Khiid, which was built in 1810 on the north bank of the river near the tourist ger camps, and Khutagt Lam Khiid, which was built in 1760 on the south side of the river and is only accessible when the water is low or frozen over. Once one of the largest monasteries in Mongolia, the complex was destroyed in 1937 as part of a communist purge. Since 1990, a small but growing contingent of monks has resettled amid the ruins, gradually restoring the ancient site. Spend the day exploring the ruins and visit the small museum. Retire to the ger camp in the afternoon.
Included Activities:
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Day 11: Karakorum
Location: Karakorum
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Drive to the ancient city of Karakorum. The city twice served as a capital during the reign of the Mongol Empire and at the creation of the Northern Yuan province. We will stop in Övörkhangai Province and visit Erdenezuu Monastery, which is one of the earliest surviving Buddhist monasteries in Mongolia. The monastery was closed until 1965, when it was permitted to reopen as a museum but not as a place of worship. It was only with the collapse of communism in 1990 that religious freedom was restored and the monastery became active again. Today Erdene Zuu Khiid is considered by many to be the most important monastery in the country, though no doubt it’s a shadow of what it once was. While here we will also visit the Karakorum Museum. The exhibits include dozens of artefacts dating from the 13th and 14th centuries, which were all recovered from the immediate area surrounding Karakorum. Exploring the open market in town is also an option today. Overnight in a ger camp again today.
Included Activities:
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Day 12: Ulaanbaatar
Location: Ulaanbaatar
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch
Return to Ulaanbaatar today and make the most of a restful night, for tomorrow marks the beginning of the Naadam Festival! If you're feeling restless for the rest of the day, perhaps pay a visit to the Choijin Lama Temple Museum, a complex of five temples showcasing a wealth of Mongolian architecture and history, or the quirky Beatles Square. Surprisingly, the Beatles are credited as playing a large role in bringing democracy to Mongolia and have been honoured with a special monument. There's also usually a lot going on at Sukhbaatar Square today as people get ready for the festival starting tomorrow.
Day 13: Naadam Festival - Opening Ceremony & Archery Events
Location: Naadam Festival - Opening Ceremony & Archery Events
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
The Naadam Festival begins today and the group will get the opportunity to witness the opening ceremony, which features extravagantly costumed parades, traditional music, dance and historical reenactments. Truly a sight to behold! The archery competition also takes place today. You might recognise some of the competitors from visiting their training camps at the start of the trip. Who will be crowned champion?
Included Activities:
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Day 14: Naadam Festival - Wrestling & Horse Racing Events
Location: Naadam Festival - Wrestling & Horse Racing Events
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
Watch horse racing and wrestling today on the second day of the Naadam Festival. Cheer for your favourites as you watch them wrestle and ride for glory!After a big day at the festival head out for an optional final night dinner with your group.
Included Activities:
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Day 15: Ulaanbaatar
Location: Ulaanbaatar
Meals Included: breaksfast
Say 'bayartai' to your group as your adventure draws to a close. There are no activities planned for the day. If you'd like to stay longer in Ulaanbaatar, it's recommended that you book additional accommodation well in advance due to it being peak season.
What's Included
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Accommodation
Hotel (4 nights), Tourist Ger Camp (9 nights), Family Ger Camp (1 night) -
Meals
14 breakfasts, 11 lunches, 10 dinners -
Archery Training Camp
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Wrestling Training Camp
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Horse Racing Training Camp
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Baga Gazriin Chuluu - Hike
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Tsagaan Suvarga - Hike
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Vulture Canyon - Hike
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Khongor Sand Dunes - Dune Hike & Camel Ride
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Bayanzag Flaming Cliffs - Hike
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Ongiin Khiid - Ruins
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Karakorum - Erdenezuu Monastery
Included Activities
Archery Training CampWrestling Training CampHorse Racing Training CampBaga Gazriin Chuluu - HikeTsagaan Suvarga - HikeBayanzag Flaming Cliffs - Sunset walkVulture Canyon - HikeKhongoriin Sand Dunes - Sunset walk & camel rideOngiin Khiid - RuinsKarakorum - Erdenezuu Monastery & MuseumNaadam Festival - Opening CeremonyNaadam Festival - Archery eventsNaadam Festival - Wrestling eventsNaadam Festival - Horse Racing events
Transport
This is a trip that includes extensive travelling in some remote terrain away from modern facilities and conveniences. As we spend a lot of time on the road each day, it is important to realise that the emphasis on this trip is on the journey, travelling through amazing landscapes and staying in some stunning locations. As we travel by private transport for the duration of the trip we spend a lot of time together with our group members. If you are looking for an active or independent trip with lots of choice for physical and cultural activities daily then you might want to consider whether this trip is the right one for you. However, if you are keen to explore a fascinating country "road trip" style, take in the scenery as you go and are willing to sit back and enjoy the ride (however long it takes to get there!) then this will definitely add to your experience of Mongolia.
Accommodation
Mongolia Accommodation:Standard Hotels: We use twin share rooms with private facilities at hotels. This is mostly in Ulaanbaatar where hotels are available for tourists.Tourist Ger Camps: There are tourist ger camps set up in different parts of the country and these ger camps cater for tourists needs with a traditional set up of the gers. The standards and facilities vary but in general we use tourist ger camps where it sleeps up to 3 to 4 people in a ger, with shared facilities of flush toilet and simple showers. Water pressure isn't always stable so you won't always have access to hot showers here. Beds are fairly comfortable with plenty blankets provided.Family Ger Camps: The conditions at the family ger stays are very basic but this is as authentic as it gets and a rare chance for a close up look into the life of real nomads. You'll be sleeping on the floor of one of the family gers, just like the nomadic family does, with about 6 to 7 people sharing one ger in a mixed gender arrangement if the group composition comes to it. There may be pit toilets, or you may need to be pointed to the direction of a toilet area. Water bucket is there for simple washing of hands. You will need to bring a sleeping bag for the overnight stay at the family ger. There's the option of renting it in UB when the trip starts.
Important Information
1. A single supplement is available on this trip for hotel nights (4 nights) in Ulaanbaatar and 4 nights out of the stays at tourist ger camps. Your tour leader will advise you on where in the tourist ger camps you'll be able to have a single ger to you.2. A sleeping bag is required for the family ger camp stays. You can bring your own, or hire one in Ulaanbaatar at 20 USD. Please let your booking agent know if you would like to hire one.3. Please provide your passport copy no later than 45 days prior to the departure. This is needed for purchasing Nadaam Festival tickets.4. The visit to training camps heavily depend on the schedule set up by different teams which tend to change last minute. So the order of the visit to different training camps may change between Day 2 and Day 3. Your tour leader will be able to give you the exact details at the group meeting but we will visit the training camps of the three sports to give you the chance of observing and interacting with the athletes in preparation for their games.5. Please note that if you are booked on the 2nd & 4th departure starting on 29 Jun 2024 (departure code: CBSOS2506292&CBSOS2509294), the order of destinations on the itinerary will be adjusted as below ( the included activities in each destination will remain the unchanged):1. Ulaanbaatar: Group meeting2. Ulaanbaatar: Horse Racing Camp3. Ulaanbaartar: Archery & Wrestling Camp4. Karakorum5. Ongiin Khiid6. Bayanzag Flaming Cliffs7. Khongor Sand Dunes8. Khongor Sand Dunes9. Yol Valley10. Tsagaan Suvarga11. Baga Gazriin Chuluu12. Ulaanbaatar13. Ulaanbaatar - Nadaam Openning Ceremony & Archery events14. Ulaanbaatar - Wrestling & Horse Racing events15. Trip finishFor departures CBSOS250629 and CBSOS2506293, the itinerary will be as per the normal itinerary displayed.
Mode of Transport
This is a trip that includes extensive travelling in some remote terrain away from modern facilities and conveniences. As we spend a lot of time on the road each day, it is important to realise that the emphasis on this trip is on the journey, travelling through amazing landscapes and staying in some stunning locations. As we travel by private transport for the duration of the trip we spend a lot of time together with our group members. If you are looking for an active or independent trip with lots of choice for physical and cultural activities daily then you might want to consider whether this trip is the right one for you. However, if you are keen to explore a fascinating country "road trip" style, take in the scenery as you go and are willing to sit back and enjoy the ride (however long it takes to get there!) then this will definitely add to your experience of Mongolia.
Accommodation
OCCASIONAL ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATIONThe style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline. On rare occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our usual accommodation. A similar standard of accommodation will be used in these instances.TWIN SHARE / MULTI SHARE BASISAccommodation on this trip is on a twin/multishare basis. Please note there may be times where facilities will be shared rather than ensuite and rare occasions when you share a room with passengers travelling on a different Intrepid trip than your own.CHECK-IN TIMEThroughout the trip we request that our hotels prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination.PRE/POST TRIP ACCOMMODATIONIf you've purchased pre-trip or post-trip accommodation (subject to availability), you may be required to change rooms from your trip accommodation for these extra nights.
Check out our Q&As
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Is this trip right for you
Staying in various tourist ger camps, you'll be relatively comfortable as most of them will be 2-3 people sharing one ger, with comfortable beds and plenty of blankets, but the facilities are shared and separated from the gers which may take some getting used to.
You will have an overnight family stay at a horse breeder's camp and will need a sleeping bag for this night. This is an authentic local experience, so be prepared for basic, but very real conditions.
This trip involves long drives across some rough terrain and to remote areas, away from modern facilities and conveniences. As you'll spend a lot of time on the road, it is important to realise that the emphasis on this trip is on the journey. You'll travel through amazing landscapes and stay in some stunning locations.
Depending on group size, you may be split into multiple vehicles throughout this trip. The leader will make an effort to rotate travellers through the vehicles so that everyone spends some time together on the drives.
Vegetarians can be catered for, though choices may be limited. Please let us know if you have any specific dietary requirements when you book your trip. Some food will be traditional Mongolian style, but as the traditional diet consists solely of meat and dairy products, most meals are less challenging and based more on Russian or Western cuisine, which is now also common in the Mongolian diet. -
What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers around the world for over 30 years
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Since 2002, The Intrepid Foundation has supported over 130 organisations across the world. We’re creating positive impact through the joy of travel, community and connection.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Over 50% of traveller travel solo with Intrepid. You can choose to share a room with another solo travelle of the same sex for no additional charge, or choose to pay a single supplement if you’d like your own room. Please request this when booking, and we will secure you a single supplement wherever possible. Please note, if you are booking a last-minute trip, it may be harder for us to secure a single room
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Jun 29, 2026 - Jul 13, 2026Book with Confidence
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Intrepid Travel allows you to make 10 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 56 days before the start of the tour.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Intrepid Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform intrepid travel, 56 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Intrepid Travel requires a minimum deposit of 400 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 56 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of intrepid travel charges.
Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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