Wild Mongolia & Naadam Festival

This extended version of our Wild Mongolia trip combines a deeper insight into Mongolia by taking in the countryís national games, the biggest celebration on the Mongolian calendar, the Naadam Festival, as well a mountain bike adventure across the Arkhangai Mountains. The trip starts in Ulaanbataar and we stay for the duration of Naadam. Weíll see the opening ceremony at the National Stadium as well as the wrestling and archery, two of the elements that make up the ìthree manly sportsî that are contested during the festival. Weíll visit the horse races, held just outside the capital, where Mongolians from all over the country come with their prized horses to compete. This cycling tour will take us on a crossing of the Arkhangai Mountains, from the edge of the Gobi desert at Bayanhongor to the old Mongolian capital of Kharkhorin, home of Chinggis Khan. We cycle into the heart of Mongolia and meet its nomadic peoples. This is an off-roaders dream, with only a few kilometres on sealed roads. You can expect to cycle everything: rock strewn dirt roads, rocky riverbeds, compacted earth, grass, long rocky downhills, steep climbs and horse trails. This is a fully-supported ride camping under the stars when not in Ulaan Baatar, Mongoliaís capital. All cooking is catered for by our local team and served in the great outdoors. We will cycle through a diversity of landscapes, including the mountains of the Arkhanghai, lush green grasslands, pine forests and the spectacular Orkhon Falls. We will see a diverse array of wildlife: many birds of prey, cattle, yaks, gophers, and the pride of many Mongolians, the horse. The sheer adventure of biking in Mongolia makes this region very special!