Mongolia Small Group Tours 2021 & 2022

Our Mongolia small group tours are personal, innovative and flexible. There’s no ‘big groups’, ‘must-sees’ or ‘all-inclusive packages’ – just the real Mongolia. Our Mongolia small group tours will take you under the surface. Rather than tick-list travel, this is slow travel with a focus on making connections with people, places and the culture. Because of the way we work no two trips are ever the same. This is because, unlike most companies, we only offer a selected number of departures throughout the year as this keeps our experiences fresh and original. It also means that we don’t create a ‘tourist circuit’, spoiling an untouched region. Also, our maximum group size is six which is refreshingly small for the travel industry allowing you to have an original insider experience. All our Mongolia small group tours are a guaranteed departure with a minimum of two bookings. We charge no single supplements if you’re a solo traveller.

 

We can tweak our small group experiences into private options (minimum of two). If you like the philosophy and style of our small group experiences but need to adapt by making the trip shorter or adapting the accommodation or adding another location then get it touch and let Jess be of help.

For those interested in travelling with us in 2021 – thank you! We are slowly updating this page with our 2021 small group experiences but please do get in touch for details. We are aware of the impact that the coronavirus is having on our lives financially so for 2021 we are offering as much flexibility as we can including our updated (until the end of 2021)  flexible booking conditions as well as keeping 2020 prices through 2021. For the booking conditions and for more on the impact of the coronavirus on travel to Mongolia and what measures we are putting in place as a team and community see our dedicated coronavirus webpage (link).  We are also putting in place our ‘Everyone Travels Safely’ strategy which we will publish when ready. We look forward to the day we can remove this note from our website. Jess & the EL team

Winter 2020/21 & 2021/22

Tsagaan Sar Insight - Mongolian Lunar New Year - Middle Gobi - Central Heartland - 7 Days - Feb 10th (2021) & Jan 31st (2022)

Sunrise on Tsagaan Sar - experience Mongolia's Lunar New Year on one of our Mongolia winter tours
Why not consider visiting Mongolia during its Lunar New Year Festival – known as Tsagaan Sar – White Month? It is one of the most important and traditional celebrations in Mongolia. Travel with us and you’ll experience Tsagaan Sar through the eyes of the rural families we work in long-term local community partnership with. This is our own personal insight into local life in Mongolia.

Khovsgol Ice Festival - Khovsgol Nuur National Park - 3 Day Horse Sleigh Expedition - 12 Days - February 23rd (2021 & 2022)

Photo from one of our recent Mongolia winter tours to Khovsgol Ice Festival
The wild landscapes of Khovsgol Nuur National Park form the stunning backdrop to this adventure. Yes, Khovsgol is considered a ‘highlight’ of Mongolia but we’ll show you a more local and hidden side to Khovsgol during this experience that we have researched and designed together with Baasanchuluun a member of the Darkhad ethnic group and head of a young herding family in the rural community of Khatgal.

Thousand Camel Festival- Gobi Desert - Three Day Camel Trek - Thousand Camel Festival - 11 Days - Feb 28th (2021 & 2022)

bactrian camels walking in a the winter landscape of northern Mongolia
The ultimate road trip through Mongolia’s Gobi Desert where you’ll explore, discover and understand the diversity of landscapes that form the Gobi as well as meet some of the people that make their home in this remarkable region. Culminates with the Thousand Camel Festival.

Altai and Eagles - Kazakh Eagle Hunters - Two-Day Eagle Festival - Nauryz - 11 Days - March 13th (2021 & 2022)

Kazakh eagle hunter - Mongolia small group tours 2021
Experience first hand the life of a Kazakh eagle hunter as you spend time living alongside a hunter and his family witnessing and being part of their daily lives. It also combines the traditional festival of Nauryz – the Kazakh celebration of the coming of spring as well as he two-day Nauryz Eagle Festival.

For more ideas for winter experiences, look at our winter tailor made tours - a celebration of Mongolian tradition and culture.

A reindeer belonging to Mongolia's Tsaatan reindeer herders. Part of one of our Mongolia winter tours

May 2021 & 2022

Spring Journey
May 8th & May 15th 2021
May 7th & May 14th 2022
14 days

Mongolia's Orkhon River Valley
Central Heartland | Orkhon River Valley | Cooperative Homestay | Culture of Khangai Mountains | 2-Day Yak Cart Trek

Social Cycles Mountain Biking
May 23rd 2021
2022 Dates TBC
12 Days

Mongolia mountain bike tours
Middle Gobi | Central Heartland | NGO Visits | 7 Days Biking

For more ideas & inspiration for May experiences & departures, take a look at our Mongolia Tailor Made Tours webpage

A beautiful view of the summer grasslands of Mongolia - taken on a blue sky day in the central Khangai Mountains

June 2021 & 2022

Gobi Conservation and Research Expedition
June 2021 TBC
June 2022 TBC
11 Days

Two Mongolian Wild Ass (Khulan) in Mongolia's southern Gobi
Khustain Nuruu National Park | Gobi Desert | Grassroots Wildlife Conservation | 6-Days Research With Association Goviin Khulan

Find Yourself In Mongolia - Yoga & Wellness
June 19 2021
June 18 2022
9 Days

mongolian yurt, called ger, in a landscape on northern mongolia
*Soft Opening* | Yoga workshops | Orkhon River Valley | Culture & traditions of Central Heartland | Slow travel

Untamed Mongolia With National Ulaanbaatar Naadam
June 20th 2021
June 20th 2022
23 Days

One of the 'eternal' landscapes of Mongolia - gers in the central Khangai Mountains.
Gobi Desert | Central Heartland | Khovsgol Nuur National Park | National Naadam Festival | Wild Camping | Mongolia’s diversity of landscapes, people & way of life

For more ideas & inspiration for June, look at our Mongolia Tailor Made Tours webpage

Sunset over Buir Nuur in Dornod Aimag - Mongolia's eastern most province.

July 2021 & 2022

Social Cycles Mountain Biking
- Option of Naadam Festival extension
July 1st 2021
2020 Dates TBC
12 Days

Mongolia mountain bike tours
Middle Gobi | Central Heartland | NGO Visits | 7 Days Biking

Modern Mongolian Nomads With Rural Bulgan Naadam Festival
July 7th 2021
July 7th 2022
13 days

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Local Bulgan Naadam |Culture of Khangai Mountains | Central Heartland Homestays | Amarbayasgalant Monastery | Orkhon River Valley

Nomads Of The Khangai
Horse Trekking With Yak Festival
July 18th 2021 & 2022
15 Days
Details coming soon

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Six-Day Horse Trek | Orkhon River Valley | Naiman Nuur (Eight Lakes) | Yak Festival | Local Homestays

Khovsgol Wilderness Trails - Trekking - July 15th -12 days - Details soon

Visit Mongolia and you’ll get used to seeing these piles of stones. It’s an ovoo – a shamanistic construction erected by local families and travellers to show gratitude and respect, and to honour the spirits of the surrounding land. This particular one is in the spectacular Khoridol Saridag Mountains, just to the west of Khovsgol Nuur – Khovsgol Lake known as Dalai Ej (Mother Sea) in Mongolian. Look more closely at an ovoo and you will see steering wheel covers, plaster casts, crutches, empty bottles of vodka, sweets, small pieces of dairy products such as cheese as well as many ‘khadag’ (Mongolia’s sacred blue scarf that represents the ‘eternal blue sky’). The discarded casts, crutches, steering wheel covers and food offerings are people’s ways of giving thanks for better health, a safe journey or maybe thanking the spirits for the much-needed rain. Don’t be alarmed if you see a horse’s head. The horse is a symbol of strength of spirit, freedom and independence – an honoured animal for a Mongolian herder and oftenwhen a herder’s best horse dies, the spirit of the animal is honoured by the head being placed on an ovoo. In the words of author and historian John Man – ‘Creating them remains an easy, unselfconscious part of travel, a ritual by which Mongolians assert their heritage and the network that binds them’. Photo? Taken by me (Jess) during one of our day-hikes. Just to be clear, I am NOT a photographer!
Khovsgol Nuur National Park | Khoridol Saridag Mountains | 5 Days Trekking | Local Horse Festival

Untamed Mongolia - July 31st - 23 Days - 20-Day Option Available

One of the 'eternal' landscapes of Mongolia - gers in the central Khangai Mountains.
Gobi Desert | Central Heartland | Khovsgol Nuur National Park

For more ideas for July 2021, look at our Mongolia Tailor Made Tours

The Chinggis Khan Equestrian Statue in Mongolia. It is 131ft high!

August 2021 & 2022

Social Cycles Mountain Biking - August 8th - 12 Days

Mongolia mountain bike tours
Middle Gobi | Central Heartland | NGO Visits | 7 Days Biking

Hidden Altai - Trekking - August Dates TBC - 14 Days - Details coming soon

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Western Mongolia – Tsengel Khairkhan – Kazakh Eagle Hunter Homestay – Tsambagarav National Park – 4 Day Trek

Khangai Wilderness Trails - Trekking - 17 Days - Details soon

A panoramic view of Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur National Park in central Mongolia
Khangai Mountains | 5-day foot trek at Tarvagtai National Park | Zavkhan Province

National Parks and Nature Reserves - 16 Days - Details coming soon

Tent - Mandy
Gobi Desert – Gorkhi Terelj National Park – Khentii Mountains – Dadal

Altai Wilderness Trails - Trekking - 14 Days - Details coming soon

Panoramic view of the snow capped Altai Mountains in western Mongolia
Altai Tavan Bogd National Park | 6 Day Trek | 3 Day Trek | Kazakh eagle hunter homestay

For more ideas for August, look at our Mongolia Tailor Made Tours page

Yes, Gorkhi-Terelj is the closest national park to Ulaanbaatar and is very developed (some would say over developed) for the tourist industry (the main valley was first developed for tourism in 1964) but it shares a common border with Khan Khentii and the two reserves are similar. Between the two sites, altitudinal variation is significant, leading to the development of different habitats but both support large areas of forest steppe and mountain steppe, with alpine habitats on higher peaks. The area is rich in rivers and streams, including the Terelj and Tuul and these water sources together with the rainfall in this mountainous region brings life to the pastureland – providing grazing for the livestock of the herding families who make this area their home. These herders include Naraa, Bujee (his wife) and their two children Tsindee and Bayasa – the family we work with in the region.

September 2021 & 2022

Gobi Desert Explorer - Sept Dates TBC - 16 Days - Details coming soon

Sand Dunes Egon
Gobi Desert | Khermen Tsav | Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park | Ikh Nart Nature Reserve

Altai Explorer With Altai Nomad Games - Sept 4th - 17 Days

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Altai Tavan Bogd National Park | 3-day trek | 3 day horse trek with Kazakh eagle hunter | Altai Nomad Games

Eagles & Hunters With Altai Nomad Games - Sept 8th - 11 Days

Kazakh Eagle Huntress
Kazakh Eagle Hunter Homestays | Altai Nomad Games

Altai and Eagles With Sagsai Eagle Festival - Sept 11th - 13 Days

Reasons to visit Mongolia - Kazakh eagle hunter with golden eagle
Tsambagarav National Park | Kazakh Eagle Hunter Homestays | Sagsai Eagle Festival

Altai and Eagles With Ulgii Eagle Festival - Sept 25th - 13 Days

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Tsambagarav National Park | Kazakh Eagle Hunter Homestays | Ulgii Eagle Festival

For more ideas for September, look at our Mongolia Tailor Made Tours page

The sandstone formations of Khermen Tsav in Mongolia's southern Gobi Desert

We Would Love To Hear From You!

Call: +44 (0) 7810280403     Mail: jess@eternal-landscapes.co.uk

 
If you’re in Ulaanbaatar why not pop in to our office. We love receiving guests.
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Just call Tuya to arrange +976 88011476.
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