Our Food of the Nomads experience is an invitation to slow down and connect through food — one of the most intimate ways to understand a culture. Cook side by side with our all-female team and local hosts as you explore Mongolia’s landscapes and discover how its cuisine reflects the seasons, the land, and the rhythm of everyday life.

Gain Cultural Insight – discover rural and urban heritage through genuine connection and shared experience.
Discover Ulaanbaatar through a local lens - gaining a real perspective of Mongolia’s capital.
A meaningful culinary journey - that connects you to Mongolia’s people, landscapes, and food traditions.
Time to Pause – find stillness and space for reflection in Mongolia’s vast landscapes, beneath some of the clearest night skies on earth.
Stay Local – Rest in small, family-run accommodations supported through our long-term community partnerships, ensuring your stay directly benefits rural families directly.
Explore iconic landscapes – from the vast steppe to rolling sand dunes and a historic river valley, see how landscape shapes life and food.
Enjoy a complimentary day trip - to the Chinggis Khaan Equestrian Statue and the dramatic landscapes of Gorkhi-Terelj National Park.

Food is one of the most intimate ways to understand a culture. In Mongolia, it’s shaped by resourcefulness, generosity, and a connection to land and season — yet it’s often misunderstood. Boiled mutton, people say, and little else. But spend time with local families and you’ll find a cuisine built on transforming simple ingredients into something nourishing and sustaining.

Our Food of the Nomads experience invites you to slow down and step into the rhythm of daily life. You’ll learn traditional techniques and discover how food weaves into the fabric of Mongolian culture — either alongside one of our all-female team of trip assistants, most of whom are mothers who prepare these meals every day, or with our local partner hosts. From making dairy products to rolling handmade noodles, it’s a shared process — one that’s as much about people and place as it is about recipes.

This experience moves between rural and urban Mongolia — from family kitchens and local markets to small cafés and community kitchens. Along the way, you’ll meet the people who keep these food traditions alive and see how Mongolia’s cuisine continues to evolve.

There’s also time to pause — to take in the vast landscapes, the clear night skies, and the slower pace that defines life here.

Whether you’re curious about food, culture, or simply how people live differently, this experience offers connection through something universal: the act of preparing and sharing a meal.

Tour Dates: To suit you
Duration: 12 days but can be shortened or extended
Group Size: Flexible although currently priced up to six
Altitude: Between 700 m to around 1,770 m
Trip Style: Tailor-made, immersive cultural road trip
Who it’s for: This journey is designed for curious, open-minded travellers of all ages. You don’t need to be especially fit—while the trip isn’t physically demanding, you should enjoy longer road journeys. What matters most is being comfortable with the realities of simple local accommodation, and basic facilities (think squat toilets and showers every 2–4 days). Above all, a flexible attitude, a sense of adventure, and a genuine enjoyment of life on the road are essential.
Your Local Team: Throughout your journey, you’ll be supported by one of our inter-generational Mongolian teams—a male driver and a female trip assistant—who not only handle the logistics but also offer genuine warmth and insight along the way. Founder Jess and office manager Tuya are available throughout your trip via WhatsApp for any questions or additional support.

Ulaanbaatar

Day One: Final Arrival Day | "Intro To Ulaanbaatar'

Welcome to Mongolia! Enjoy a complimentary transfer from the airport to your chosen accommodation. Join us for an informal introduction to Mongolia’s capital through local eyes — explore the city, prepare and cook your own traditional-style lunch, and share a relaxed welcome drink together.

Your own choice of accommodation | Complimentary airport transfer | Local lunch & welcome drink

Middle Gobi

Day Two & Three: Erdenedalai Homestay

Travel into the wide open landscapes of the Middle Gobi to the rural community of Erdenedalai, where you’ll be welcomed by the Nergui herding family. Spend time learning about their way of life, including how they make airag—fermented mare’s milk—using traditional methods passed down through generations.

Simple private guest ger alongside Nergui herding family (outside squat toilet & no showers) | Day 2: Approx 6 hours driving time | B/L/D

Central Heartland

Day Four & Five: Khogno Khan Nature Reserve & Elsen Tasarkhai sand dunes

Drive to and explore the striking contrasts of this sacred granite mountain, where open steppe meets golden sand dunes. Spend time walking, relaxing, joining a cookery lesson, and taking a gentle camel ride, before visiting the beautifully situated Erdene Khambiin Khiid Temple.

Simple private guest ger provided at herding family run camp (outside squat toilet & no showers) | Day 4 - Approx 6-7 hours driving time | B/L/D

Day Six & Seven: Tsenkher Homestay

Live alongside a yak-herding family, sharing in the daily challenges and rewards of life in the Khangai Mountains. From tending animals to navigating the rhythms of a remote landscape, it’s an immersion into resilience as much as tradition.

Simple private guest ger alongside herding family (outside squat toilet & no showers) | Day 6: Approx 4-5 hours driving time | B/L/D

Day Eight & Nine: Suman River & volcanic landscapes

Head to Tsetserleg, the picturesque provincial capital of Arkhangai Province, and take time to explore this friendly local town. When open, stop by Fairfield Café, known for serving some of the best pastries and coffee in rural Mongolia. Continue from here to a beautiful and unexpected location, where the Dondov family herds their yaks and tends a small vegetable garden at their summer camp.

Simple private guest ger at Dondov family ger camp (outside squat toilet & no showers) | Day 8: Approx 5 hours driving time | B/L/D

Day Ten & Eleven : Kharkhorin & Orkhon River Valley

Spend time exploring the cultural and natural heritage of Kharkhorin and the surrounding Orkhon River Valley—a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Highlights include visits to Erdene Zuu Monastery, the Kharkhorin Museum, and the seasonal Calligraphy Centre, as well as preparing a traditional Mongolian barbecue alongside the Tumee herding family.

Simple private guest ger at Anar Ger Camp (western style facilities but in separate block, not en-suite) Day 10: Approx 6-7 hours driving time | B/L/D

Ulaanbaatar

Day Twelve: Return Ulaanbaatar

Head back east on one last road trip through the central steppe, arriving into Ulaanbaatar in the late afternoon. On arrival, we'll arrange a transfer to your accommodation but the rest of the day is yours to spend as you wish. We also include a complimentary departure transfer on your departure day.

Your own choice of accommodation | Approx 7-8 hours driving time | B/L

Day To Suit You - Gorkhi Terelj National Park (Day Trip)

Discover the best of Terelj National Park and visit Mongolia’s iconic Chinggis Khan Statue Complex and Turtle Rock.

Your own choice of accommodation | Approx 1-1.5 hours driving time each way | L

During this journey, you’ll experience a variety of accommodation styles provided by families that we work in long term local community partnership with, each offering insight into daily life in Mongolia and shaped by the season and setting.

If you’d like to upgrade some of the accommodation nights to include more Western-style facilities, we’d be happy to arrange that — just get in touch for more details.

Mongolian Gers

Throughout the trip, you’ll stay in private guest gers at small camps hosted by the local families we work in partnership with.

Depending on the season in which you choose to travel, these traditional felt dwellings have a central stove to provide heating and will have been insulated and prepared for winter.

Facilities: Showers are taken at the local public shower house every 2–3 days, and toilets are traditional outdoor short-drop latrines.

Mongolian Ger Camps

You’ll also stay in gers at smaller standard tourist camps, which typically provide twin-bed gers.

Facilities: Warm showers and flush toilets are available in shared blocks (typically single-sex), usually a short walk—around 50 metres—from the gers.

Ulaanbaatar

Accommodation in Ulaanbaatar on Day One & Twelve are not included although we provide recommendations and can help with booking.

Your Local Team

Throughout your journey, you’ll be supported by one of our intergenerational Mongolian teams — a male driver and a female trip assistant — who not only manage the logistics but also bring genuine warmth, insight, and companionship along the way.

Unlike many companies, we don’t bring in freelancers just for the high season. Instead, we invest in our team year-round, building a strong culture of trust and collaboration that we share with you on the road.

You’ll also be welcomed by the local families with whom we’ve built long-standing partnerships — their hospitality and friendship are at the heart of this experience.

And behind the scenes, Jess (founder) and Tuya (office manager) are always just a WhatsApp message away for any questions or additional support.

Meals

Each EL team travels with a simple kitchen, and most meals are prepared by your trip assistant. We don’t ask rural families—with limited access to shops—to provide meals, especially given the number of travellers with dietary needs. However, during each trip you’ll also share some meals with host families, stop at guanz (roadside cafés), and eat in local restaurants.

Our trip assistants are not trained chefs, but they know how to keep you well-fed. Meals are based around local, seasonal produce with a focus on food miles. You won’t find elaborate international dishes, but you can rely on hearty, filling food that sustains you. If five portions of fruit a day are a must, you may find this challenging in remote Mongolia.

We can cater for vegetarians, some dietary restrictions, and food allergies—but only with advance notice. Please share your requirements when booking so we can advise what’s possible and set realistic expectations.

Drinks

We provide filtered drinking water, tea, and coffee throughout. Alcohol and soft drinks are not included but can be purchased en route. Choice is limited in the countryside, so if you enjoy a good bottle of wine or whisky, we recommend stocking up in Ulaanbaatar before departure.

Since rural areas lack running water and recycling is minimal, we avoid bottled water. Each team carries large containers and filters water from town stations. Please bring a reusable bottle (a filter bottle is even better). A detailed packing list is provided on booking.

Showers

Running water is rare in rural Mongolia, so showers are limited. On this itinerary we use town shower houses—simple cubicles with plenty of hot water, which many travellers describe as a highlight! You will need to bring a towel.

We also provide bowls and soap powder for hand-washing clothes if needed. Just to be clear: there are no washing machines.

Toilets

Think: a loo with a view!

Mongolia has very few public toilets, so on drives it’s a case of finding a private spot in nature (your trip assistant will give what we call “the toilet talk”).

At host family homes, expect Asian-style squat or long-drop toilets.If squatting isn’t second nature, you may want to practice before travelling—several of our guests recommend it.

These toilets aren’t designed to shock you; they’re simply part of everyday rural life. We provide toilet paper (though not the aloe vera variety!).

Transport

Our driving team is made up of men we know personally and have worked with for years. Their English is limited, but their road skills are unmatched—whether navigating tough terrain or practicing mongolchlokh (improvising the Mongolian way) when a tyre bursts or a vehicle breaks down. And yes, breakdowns do happen—this is Mongolia, after all. By travelling with us, you’re supporting the long-term employment of experienced, traditional men who use their income to provide for extended families.

Each driver owns their own vehicle, which may include Furgon 4×4 vans, Toyota Land Cruisers and Lexus models, Hyundai Starex, or Mitsubishi Delicas. Because they’re driver-owned, interiors and seating layouts vary, and each vehicle is fitted with either lap or seat belts.

We assist with maintenance fees, and all vehicles undergo:

Annual assessments by the Mongolian Government for tourism standards
Standard MOT checks
Licensing for tourism use

Food Of The Nomads tailor made tour map

Group Size & Pricing

We price our tailor made journeys up to six but can run this experience for larger groups.

Sliding Price Scale

The more people who travel together, the lower the cost per person — so everyone benefits:

Final group size of 2 guests - US$ 4320 pp
Final group size of 3-4 guests - US$ 3740 pp
Final group size of 5 guests - US$ 3455 pp
Final group size of 6 guests - US$ 3175 pp

We know your holiday funds are precious. This sliding scale keeps our trips personal and immersive, while making them more affordable when shared — so if you know someone who might like to join, invite them along and enjoy the savings together.

Why Travel with Us?

We know budget is personal, and every traveller has different priorities. Here’s why you should consider us: https://www.eternal-landscapes.co.uk/why-travel-with-us/

Small-scale, ethical tourism – we welcome just 100–150 travellers a year, keeping experiences personal and meaningful.
Thoughtfully designed itineraries – crafted by our founder, Jess, with an emphasis on flow, balance, and season rather than profit.
Long-term partnerships – we invest in our local team and host families, rather than hiring freelancers seasonally or arriving unannounced.
Positive impact – your payment supports local employment, community initiatives, and responsible travel practices.
Not luxury, but genuine – we prioritise authenticity, fairness, and connection over fancy extras.

Curious where your money goes? See the breakdown on our Positive Impact tab.

Included in the price

All meals outside of the city of Ulaanbaatar: These are mainly prepared and cooked by your local team so they are fresh and it means we offer more flexibility for any dietary requirements. We also provide filtered drinking water (not bottled), tea, and instant coffee.
You'll be supported by one of our great teams of a Mongolian driver and a female English-speaking trip assistant, ensuring an immersive experience. Jess and Tuya are available throughout via WhatsApp.
Our complimentary 'Intro To Ulaanbaatar' experience including a local lunch and welcome drink
A complimentary day visit to the Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex and Terelj National Park, including entrance fees and a local lunch
Transportation to and from the airport or train station on arrival and departure days
Entrance fees to monasteries, temples, and museums are included when you are with the local team. Please note this excludes camera tickets.

Not included in the price

International airfare to and from Mongolia
Accommodation in Ulaanbaatar: Our trip pricing excludes the price of accommodation in UB though. Why? Everyone is different is the standard of accommodation they prefer at the start and end of a trip. As there is now such a variety of hotels in UB it is easier to exclude this cost. I provide a list of ideas covering varying standards and budgets and I can also help with booking. There’s everything from a homestay through to Airbnb, US$10 guesthouses and the Shangri-La!
Domestic flight where/if applicable including any fees for excess luggage
Passport and visa fees: Let us know your nationality at the time of booking and we’ll confirm whether you need to apply for a Mongolian visa. It is a relatively easy process depending on your nationality and we can help with some of the formalities.
Travel insurance (mandatory)
Gratuities: Each member of the local team receives a responsible but fair salary and none have to rely on receiving gratuities to supplement their income. In addition, we make sure that everyone who works with us or helps us is fairly rewarded for their work and the service they provide. At the end of the tour, if you wish to make a gratuity to the local team then thank you – it is not compulsory but it is appreciated when given. We give detailed information on booking.
Personal Expenses: We provide detailed guidance on booking
Alcohol: Alcohol is available to buy in shops and supermarkets throughout your trip, and your team will make regular stops.

We have a detailed FAQ page covering everything from packing lists to payments, but here are answers to the most common immediate questions:

Visa

Requirements vary depending on your nationality. You can check the most up-to-date information at evisa.mn. If you need assistance, we’ll help once your booking is confirmed.

International Flights

All international flights arrive at Ulaanbaatar’s Chinggis Khaan International Airport (UBN). We don’t book flights, but we can advise on routes and airlines. Most travellers fly via Korea, Turkey, China, or Japan. Airport transfers are included in your trip unless your journey begins in Ölgii, Mörön, or the Gobi.

Domestic Flights

Some of our experiences include internal flights within Mongolia, operated by MIAT and Hunnu Air. These are small aircraft, and schedules are subject to weather and operational changes, so flexibility is key. Tickets are excluded unless stated otherwise, but we handle all bookings on your behalf.

Standard allowance: 15kg check-in + 5kg hand luggage
Excess baggage: usually $1–3 per kilo (often not applied)

Packing List

We provide a detailed, tailored packing list when you book your trip. This ensures you bring everything you need for Mongolia’s varied weather and rural conditions, without overpacking.

Booking Conditions

Our booking terms and conditions cover payments, cancellations, and other key details. You can read them here.

If you decide to cancel your trip, by choice or necessity, up to 10 weeks before departure, we will fully refund your deposit (and balance if paid). Refunds will be made in GBP or US$ excluding fees we incurred to receive your payment and any cancellation fees we incur for domestic flights or accommodation booked at your request. The actual amount you receive may be lower or higher depending on the exchange rate used by your bank.

If you decide to cancel between 10 and 31 days before departure, we will fully refund your balance (if paid), and your deposit will be held as credit to be used on a different trip instead (with no cut off date. This can be transferred to a friend or family member). Refunds will be made in GBP or US$ excluding fees we incurred to receive your payment and any cancellation fees we incur for domestic flights or accommodation booked at your request. The actual amount you receive may be lower or higher depending on the exchange rate used by your bank.

If you cancel within 30 days of departure, we will retain the following percentage of your deposit and balance.

30 days before departure - 50% of holiday cost

29 – 15 days before departure - 90% of holiday cost

Less than 15 days before departure - 100% of holiday cost

Notes

There is no time limit on when you may use your deposit credit, but it is non-refundable if you decide to cancel in future.

Failure to join the tour will also mean you forfeit the tour cost. We will deduct the cancellation charge(s) from any monies you have already paid to us.

Food of the Nomads | Positive Impact Overview

We donate 5% from each booking to Asral NGO’s Hot Meal Project (a Mongolian project we work in long-term local community partnership with) and you receive our 24-page Mongolian recipe book.

We have a ‘foodprint’ plan in place looking at how we can reduce food waste on our tours – https://www.eternal-landscapes.co.uk/measuring-our-food-waste/

Measuring Our Food Waste

Read Article

The experience has been built with a focus on Mongolian culture and on creating local benefits for local people & communities including families we work in long-term local community partnership with – helping to supplement their income to help prevent urban migration, face the challenges of climate change and allowing them to maintain their fragile herding lifestyle.

Our team of female Mongolian trip assistants is breaking down barriers in tourism and leading the way for other Mongolian women from a diverse range of backgrounds to work in and be supported by tourism. Mongolia’s growing economy has not directly translated into better employment opportunities for women and by choosing to travel with us you’re helping us to create long-term development and employment opportunities for our brilliant trip assistants.

Chandmana Erdene - Empowering Mongolian women in tourism

Chandmana Erdene - A Circular Approach To Tourism

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High unemployment rates and toxic masculinity are two very real issues faced by older more traditional men in Mongolia. By choosing to travel with us you’re helping us to provide long-term employment for our team of older, more traditional male drivers who have experience and accumulated knowledge but who would otherwise struggle to find employment and provide for their extended families.

Eternal Landscapes drivers for Solider's Day In Mongolia

Supporting Mongolia's Male Tourism Drivers: Beating Toxic Masculinity and Unemployment

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We are in the process of measuring the carbon footprint of each experience we offer and balancing the footprint through the Mongolian Nomad Carbon Project. We wanted a high-standard project local to Mongolia where the local community had a positive say in the scheme and its impact. It’s the first project of its kind in Mongolia – https://www.eternal-landscapes.co.uk/climate-action-plan/

Our Climate Action Plan

Read Article

A donation is made to the Mongolian projects we support and that you will visit such as the Uuliin Nuur Community Project in Ulaanbaatar.

Uuliin Nuur Community Project Ulaanbaatar

Project Support

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No domestic flights. Emissions per km for domestic flights are high because a large proportion of the flight is spend taking off and landing. As we are serious about tackling the carbon footprint of the trips we offer, we try that a majority of our experiences don’t include domestic flights.

We are members of Tourism Declares A Climate Emergency and a signatory of The Glasgow Declaration which requires us to publish an annual Climate Action Plan. It also means we have essentially signed up to work towards halving our emissions by 2030. We must report publicly on an annual basis on progress against our interim and long-term targets, as well as on actions being taken. We do this in our Climate Action Plan linked above.

One of the five pathways defined in the Glasgow Declaration is ‘measure’ and we have started the process of measuring the carbon footprint of our tours.

We wanted an accurate footprint analysis whilst also keeping the process manageable, achievable, and affordable. Of the limited carbon calculators available to small tourism companies with a restricted budget we have signed up with the carbon calculator tool Carmacal – specifically designed for tour operators and the 2017 winner of the UNWTO Award for Innovation in Research and Technology.
However, there are limitations with this online tool in the fact that – like most online carbon calculators – you can only measure transport and accommodation and a few very specific activities. But, the main contributors to carbon footprints are food, consumption, transportation, and energy, and all are heavily utilised during a tourism experience.
As a result, founder Jess has worked with two postgraduate students from the Responsible Tourism Management Postgraduate Course of Leeds Beckett University in the UK – the only responsible tourism management MSc certified by the UNWTO – looking at how we can measure the carbon emissions of meals on tour as well as the carbon footprint of our office as well as certain tour activities.

Balancing Our Carbon Footprint

We are in the process of measuring the carbon footprint of each of our tours. Once this is complete, we will balance those emissions by purchasing Plan Vivo–certified carbon certificates (environmental service certificates that each represent the reduction or avoidance of one metric tonne of CO₂) through C-Level and the Mongolian Nomad Project, delivered in partnership with the Mongolian Society of Range Management. The Plan Vivo Standard is built on ethical principles that deliver long-term climate, livelihood, and biodiversity benefits.

In the meantime, we have partnered with C-Level to fund a secure carbon calculator (linked below) for our guests. Through this, you can:

Balance the footprint of your flights
Offset a chosen amount of CO₂ (including your annual footprint)
Or make a direct donation to support the project’s work

Each contribution is invested in Plan Vivo Certificates that support the Mongolian Nomad Project

We know this isn’t perfect, but it is a start. As the saying goes: “you can’t manage what you don’t measure.” For us — a small business with limited resources — this approach is both realistic and achievable.

‘I wish you could be cloned and offer the sort of service EL does for all the other countries we want to visit. A responsible travel company where you genuinely love the country and we feel where local people benefit from tourism – just as we benefited from learning about their lives.’

Michelle Le Blanc