Orkhon Valley & Ancient Capitals — 6 Days
Overview
A six-day journey through the UNESCO-listed Orkhon Valley, the ruins of Kharkhorin and the living monastery of Erdene Zuu.
The Orkhon Valley has been the political and spiritual heart of the steppe for more than two thousand years. From the Turkic khaganates to the rise of Chinggis Khaan, empires were founded along this broad river basin in Övörkhangai province, and today it is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape.
Over six days you travel from Ulaanbaatar into this historic valley, walking among the foundations of Kharkhorin, the 13th-century imperial capital, and visiting Erdene Zuu, Mongolia's oldest surviving Buddhist monastery, still ringed by its famous wall of stupas. You continue to the basalt gorge of the Orkhon waterfall and climb to the secluded Tövkhön hermitage, where the monk-artist Zanabazar once worked in the forest above the plains.
Throughout the trip you stay in welcoming ger camps, share meals with herding families and travel at an unhurried pace that leaves time for the wide green landscapes that give this region its character in summer.
Good to know
- Best season
- June–September
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Group size
- 2–12 people
Fitness: Suitable for most travellers in good general health; expect some short walks on uneven ground and a moderate uphill hike to Tövkhön.
Highlights
- Explore the UNESCO-listed Orkhon Valley cultural landscape on the historic Orkhon River
- Walk the grounds of Kharkhorin, capital of the 13th-century Mongol Empire
- Visit Erdene Zuu, Mongolia's oldest monastery, encircled by 108 stupas
- See the Orkhon waterfall (Ulaan Tsutgalan) tumbling through a basalt gorge
- Hike up to the Tövkhön hermitage retreat associated with the artist Zanabazar
- Stay in traditional ger camps and meet nomadic herding families
Itinerary
Leave Ulaanbaatar in the morning and drive west across rolling steppe toward the Orkhon Valley, a journey of around 6–7 hours with stops along the way. Pause at the Khögnö Khan area and its dunes before continuing to Kharkhorin. Settle into your ger camp near the old capital. Overnight in a tourist ger camp. Meals: L, D.
What's included
- Private 4x4 vehicle with experienced English-speaking driver-guide
- 5 nights' accommodation in tourist ger camps along the route
- All meals as listed in the itinerary (B/L/D)
- Entrance fees to Kharkhorin museum, Erdene Zuu monastery and the Orkhon Valley protected area
- Bottled drinking water during driving days
- Visit to a local herding family with refreshments
- All fuel, road and park fees
Not included
- International flights to and from Ulaanbaatar
- Mongolian entry visa where required
- Travel and medical insurance
- Alcoholic and soft drinks, plus meals in Ulaanbaatar
- Tips for the driver-guide and camp staff
- Personal expenses and optional horse riding
Gallery
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