Winter Journeys · Lake Khövsgöl

Lake Khövsgöl Ice Festival

Travel north for the Ice Festival and a carefully managed journey through the frozen landscapes of Lake Khövsgöl.

Duration8 days / 7 nights
Best seasonLate February–Early March
GroupPrivate or small group
ActivityModerate; severe cold
PriceOn request

Winter turns Lake Khövsgöl into a road, a gathering place and an immense sheet of blue-white light.

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

Travel north for the Ice Festival and a carefully managed journey through the frozen landscapes of Lake Khövsgöl.

Why this journey

The festival offers a rare view of northern community life in winter. The route is built around cold-weather safety and verified local conditions.

Accommodation

City hotel and heated lakeside lodge

Best suited to

Winter travelers and photographers

Itinerary

Day1

Arrival and equipment check

Meet the guide and complete a cold-weather and safety briefing.

Overnight: Shangri-La or Best Western Premier
More about this day
Position
Day 1 of 8
Where you sleep
Shangri-La or Best Western Premier
Today
You arrive and settle in at the Shangri-La or Best Western Premier.
Day2

Fly to Mörön

Fly north and continue by winter vehicle toward Lake Khövsgöl.

Based here nights 2–6 · Double Lake Ger Camp, Khövsgöl
More about this day
Position
Day 2 of 8
Where you sleep
Double Lake Ger Camp, Khövsgöl
Which night
First of 5 consecutive nights here
Today
You move on to Double Lake Ger Camp, Khövsgöl.
Day3

Winter lake orientation

Review ice safety and make a short excursion on verified routes or along the shoreline.

Same base
More about this day
Position
Day 3 of 8
Where you sleep
Double Lake Ger Camp, Khövsgöl
Which night
Second of 5 consecutive nights here
Today
You stay put; no bags to move.
Day4

Ice Festival day one

Attend opening events, ice games and cultural performances.

Same base
More about this day
Position
Day 4 of 8
Where you sleep
Double Lake Ger Camp, Khövsgöl
Which night
Third of 5 consecutive nights here
Today
You stay put; no bags to move.
Day5

Ice Festival day two

Experience community competitions, horse sleds and winter celebrations.

Same base
More about this day
Position
Day 5 of 8
Where you sleep
Double Lake Ger Camp, Khövsgöl
Which night
Fourth of 5 consecutive nights here
Today
You stay put; no bags to move.
Day6

Winter landscape journey

Travel selected lake or shoreline routes only where current conditions are confirmed safe.

Same base
More about this day
Position
Day 6 of 8
Where you sleep
Double Lake Ger Camp, Khövsgöl
Which night
Fifth of 5 consecutive nights here
Today
You stay put; no bags to move.
Day7

Return to Ulaanbaatar

Travel to Mörön and fly to the capital.

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 airport transfer.

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.

  • Shangri-La or Best Western Premier2 nights
  • Double Lake Ger Camp, Khövsgöl5 nights
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

Deep cold and short days. Our equipment page notes that winter journeys in the Altai and the north routinely see −30°C and below, so the clothing you bring is the single thing that decides whether the trip is comfortable.

Conditions to pack forLate February–Early March
Activity gradeModerate; severe cold
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

  • Domestic flights carry strict baggage limits. We confirm the current allowance with your booking and plan luggage around it.

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; severe cold
Best seasonLate February–Early March
Group sizePrivate or small group

Planning notes

  • Frozen-lake driving is conditional and never guaranteed.
  • Routes follow official restrictions and current local assessment.
  • Specialized winter clothing is required.

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.

Horse sleighs on the frozen surface of Lake Khovsgol

First step onto the frozen lake

A defining moment of the expedition.

Festival day on the ice

A defining moment of the expedition.

Winter light through the forest

A defining moment of the expedition.