Horseback & Nomadic Life · Eastern Mongolia

In the Footsteps of Chinggis Khan

Ride the Khukhuur Steppe, spend time with nomadic herders and continue to Dadal, the homeland associated with the early life of Chinggis Khan.

Duration8 days / 7 nights
Best seasonMay–September
GroupPrivate, 2–4 guests
ActivityModerate to active
PriceOn request

Imagine riding all morning without crossing a fence. The grasslands continue beyond sight, and the horse beneath you already knows the way home.

The itinerary that follows is the structure. The expedition itself will be shaped by weather, people, wildlife, road conditions and the opportunities that appear along the way.

Journey overview

Ride the Khukhuur Steppe, spend time with nomadic herders and continue to Dadal, the homeland associated with the early life of Chinggis Khan.

Why this journey

This route links riding with historical context. The experience is not built around staged performances: it follows real herding landscapes, local households and the places through which the story of Temüjin is still interpreted.

Accommodation

Ger camp, local guesthouse and city hotel

Best suited to

Confident riders and culturally curious travelers

Itinerary

Day1

Arrival and journey east

Meet your guide in Ulaanbaatar and travel toward Khentii via the Chinggis Khaan Equestrian Statue Complex. Continue through Chinggis City before reaching the Khukhuur Steppe.

Based here nights 1–4 · Steppe Horse Camp
More about this day
Position
Day 1 of 8
Where you sleep
Steppe Horse Camp
Which night
First of 4 consecutive nights here
Today
You arrive and settle in at Steppe Horse Camp.
Day2

Meet the Mongolian horse

A detailed safety briefing is followed by horse matching and a controlled introductory ride. The afternoon focuses on balance, rein handling and the pace of riding across open grassland.

Same base
More about this day
Position
Day 2 of 8
Where you sleep
Steppe Horse Camp
Which night
Second of 4 consecutive nights here
Today
You stay put; no bags to move.
Day3

Nomadic life on the steppe

Ride to nearby herding families. Depending on the season, help gather livestock, observe milking or assist with household work before sharing lunch with your hosts.

Same base
More about this day
Position
Day 3 of 8
Where you sleep
Steppe Horse Camp
Which night
Third of 4 consecutive nights here
Today
You stay put; no bags to move.
Day4

Tenger Andgai

Complete the journey’s longest ride to the monument associated with the friendship of Temüjin and Boorchi. Your guide places the site within the wider historical landscape of eastern Mongolia.

Same base
More about this day
Position
Day 4 of 8
Where you sleep
Steppe Horse Camp
Which night
Fourth of 4 consecutive nights here
Today
You stay put; no bags to move.
Day5

Across the Onon country

Travel by vehicle through river valleys and forest-steppe toward Dadal, pausing at sites connected to Shikhikhutag and the early Mongol state.

Overnight: Dadal guesthouse
More about this day
Position
Day 5 of 8
Where you sleep
Dadal guesthouse
Today
You move on to Dadal guesthouse.
Herder gers and homestays
Staying in a working household, sharing the family ger or a guest ger beside it. Simple, warm, and the reason most travellers remember a journey. Washing is basic and the space is shared.
Day6

Dadal and Deluun Boldog

Visit Deluun Boldog, Khajuu Bulag and the Balj River valley. Return west in the afternoon, with a short ride if conditions and timing allow.

Overnight: Steppe Horse Camp
More about this day
Position
Day 6 of 8
Where you sleep
Steppe Horse Camp
Today
You move on to Steppe Horse Camp.
Day7

Return to Ulaanbaatar

Drive back to the capital. On arrival, visit Sükhbaatar Square and enjoy a relaxed final evening.

Overnight: Shangri-La or Best Western Premier
More about this day
Position
Day 7 of 8
Where you sleep
Shangri-La or Best Western Premier
Today
You move on to the Shangri-La or Best Western Premier.
Day8

Departure

Private transfer to Chinggis Khaan International Airport.

Overnight: —
More about this day
Position
Day 8 of 8
Tonight
You travel home; no accommodation is booked.

Where you stay

Where you sleep is chosen for the route. Some nights are the best room for hundreds of kilometres; some are a tent beneath a sky with nothing else under it, which is its own kind of luxury.

  • Steppe Horse Camp5 nights
  • Dadal guesthouse1 night
  • Shangri-La or Best Western Premier1 night
The places we have named

Where this journey stays somewhere we book by name, here it is. The nights not listed here are ger camps, herder households or our own tents, described below.

Ger camps

Permanent seasonal camps with beds, bedding and a wood or dung stove. Facilities vary by region: the better camps have private shower blocks and reliable hot water, remote ones have neither. We will tell you which is which before you book.

Herder gers and homestays

Staying in a working household, sharing the family ger or a guest ger beside it. Simple, warm, and the reason most travellers remember a journey. Washing is basic and the space is shared.

Tented camp

Our own mobile camp where no fixed accommodation exists. Proper sleeping mats, a mess tent, a cook and a toilet tent. Carried in and carried out, leaving nothing.

Hotels

In Ulaanbaatar and provincial centres. City nights are booked at the standard you ask for, and we will tell you what to expect where a provincial hotel is a simpler place.

Price and inclusions

Pricing

Every journey is priced for your dates, party size and choice of accommodation, and confirmed in writing in your proposal. This is a private journey, so the vehicle, driver, guide and camp staff are the same whether two of you travel or six, and the per-person price falls as your party grows.

The price also moves with season, domestic airfares and any specialist staff your route calls for. Single travellers and anyone wanting sole occupancy should ask about the supplement.

Request a proposal →

What the price covers

Included

  • Private vehicle, driver and fuel throughout, with a support vehicle on remote routes
  • English-speaking expedition guide, and specialist guides where the journey calls for them
  • All accommodation as described in the itinerary
  • All meals shown in the itinerary, including camp catering where the route is self-supported
  • Domestic flights where the itinerary shows them
  • National park, protected area and site entrance fees
  • Community, homestay and herder household contributions
  • Drinking water, camping and cooking equipment on self-supported sections
  • Satellite communication and 24-hour operational support from Ulaanbaatar
  • Airport transfers on arrival and departure days

Not included

  • International flights to and from Ulaanbaatar
  • Visa fees and any entry requirements
  • Travel insurance, which must include emergency evacuation and repatriation and is a condition of travel
  • Personal clothing and equipment, including cold-weather gear
  • Alcoholic drinks and personal expenses
  • Optional activities and additional riding days not shown in the itinerary
  • Single occupancy supplement, where requested
  • Gratuities, which are entirely at your discretion
  • Costs arising from weather, road conditions or flight delays outside our control

Confirmed in writing at proposal stage. Anything not listed here is not assumed to be included. Booking terms →

What to pack

Warm days and cold nights, with the year’s heaviest rain falling as short afternoon storms in July. Pack for a wide daily range rather than for one temperature, and for sun on open steppe.

Conditions to pack forMay–September
Activity gradeModerate to active
Hire in UlaanbaatarFitted the afternoon before departure

We provide

  • Drinking water, camping and cooking equipment on self-supported sections
  • Satellite communication and 24-hour operational support from Ulaanbaatar
  • Accommodation, meals and transport as shown in the itinerary

You bring

  • Travel insurance, which must include emergency evacuation and repatriation and is a condition of travel
  • Personal clothing and equipment, including cold-weather gear
  • Personal medication, and a copy of your insurance policy

What this journey asks of your kit

  • This journey includes nights in a working household. There is no private space and washing is basic, so pack light and bring what you need to be self-sufficient.

Hire the bulky, expensive items rather than buying them for one trip; bring your own base layers. Equipment hire → · What the month is like →

Before you go

Activity gradeModerate to active
Best seasonMay–September
Group sizePrivate, 2–4 guests

Planning notes

  • Riding distances are adjusted to ability and weather.
  • Mongolian horses are compact, responsive and ridden differently from many European horses.
  • A support vehicle remains available on longer riding days.

A private journey can usually be moved a grade in either direction by adjusting pace and distance. How we grade a journey → · Choosing your month →

Tailor this journey.

Adjust the pace, accommodation, specialist access and regional extensions around your interests.

Plan a private itinerary

Expedition moments.

The experiences that give the route its character.

Saddled horses on the line before a ride

First saddle at sunrise

A defining moment of the expedition.

Tea inside a herder ger

Tea after the herd returns

A defining moment of the expedition.

The Onon river winding through forest-steppe

The rivers of Temüjin’s childhood

A defining moment of the expedition.