Mongolia’s Naadam Festival and Lake Baikal

12 days
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Group Tour
Our exclusive adventure showcasing Mongolia’s remarkable landscape, historic Irkutsk and scenic Lake Baikal is highlighted by the ancient warrior traditions of the Naadam Festival and an unforgettable day on the most historic and beautiful lakeside stretch of the fabled Trans-Siberian Railway.
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Overview

Trip type
Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

    • Gain insight into the nomadic life and culture of the Gobi’s dauntless residents when you meet with camel breeders and stay in a traditional canvas and felt ger.
    • Witness thrilling tests of courage and strength at the Naadam Festival as spirited contestants including young boys and girls gather from distant corners of Mongolia to compete in wrestling, archery and horse racing.
    • Follow in the footsteps of the original Indiana Jones as you discover the Flaming Cliffs where adventurer Roy Chapman Andrews discovered the first-known nest of dinosaur eggs.
    • Spend a day exploring the shores of the world’s deepest lake; this historic 50-mile stretch of the original Trans-Siberian Railway traverses 200 bridges along magnificent Lake Baikal.
    • Immerse in the culture, history and daily life of a remote and picturesque island; Olkhon, the largest island in Lake Baikal, is home to just 1,500 residents and is revered as a sacred site by the indigenous Buryat people.

What's this trip about?

    Our exclusive adventure showcasing Mongolia’s remarkable landscape, historic Irkutsk and scenic Lake Baikal is highlighted by the ancient warrior traditions of the Naadam Festival and an unforgettable day on the most historic and beautiful lakeside stretch of the fabled Trans-Siberian Railway.

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Details

Itinerary focusOff the Beaten Path
Group sizeSmall Group - max of 16 people
Age range12 years and up
Flights and transportAll internal transport included (including local flights)
Start CityUlaanbaatar
End CityIrkutsk

Travel Themes

  • Cultural
  • Family Friendly
  • High Adventure
  • Local Immersion & Homestays
  • National Parks
  • Nature & Wildlife
  • Train & Rail Journeys
  • Festivals & Special Events

Destinations

  • Russia
  • Asia
  • Mongolia

Attractions

  • Lake Baikal

Activities

  • Historic sightseeing
  • Horseback riding & Equestrian
  • Trains & Rail
  • Wildlife viewing

Trip includes

    • Extensive sightseeing with never more than 16 guests including all entry fees
    • 29 meals: 11 breakfasts, 9 lunches and 9 dinners
    • 11 nights in our carefully selected first class and superior first class hotels
    • All on-tour transportation including all three internal flights
    • Luggage handling, all hotel taxes and service charges, and all taxes and fees for your included internal flight

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Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1: Welcome to Ulaanbaatar

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Ramada City Center Hotel

Upon arrival, we’ll be warmly greeted and escorted to the comfortable and modern Ramada City Center Hotel, ideally located in the heart of the city near the historic Gandan Monastery. After lun...

Day 2: Discover Ulaanbaatar

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Ramada City Center Hotel

After breakfast, our guided sightseeing tour will begin this morning at Gandantegchinlen. Built in the mid-19th century, this is the largest and most important monastery in Mongolia ...

Day 3: The Thrilling Naadam Festival

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Mongolia’s most important festival began centuries ago to test the courage and strength of nomadic warriors. It’s celebrated throughout the land, but the festival events here in the capital are the best and the competitions are t...

Day 4: The Gobi Desert and Yol Valley National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Deluxe Three Camels Lodge

After breakfast, we’ll head to the airport for our included flight deep into the Gobi Desert. With its rich history colored by the exploits of adventurers and explorers, the Gobi is...

Day 5: The Flaming Cliffs and Moltsog Sand Dunes

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Fondly known as the “Original Indiana Jones,” Roy Chapman Andrews was a storied adventurer and naturalist who went on to become one of the most respected directors of the American Museum of Natural History. Follow in his legendar...

Day 6: Back to Ulaanbaatar +and Onward to Irkutsk

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Courtyard City Center Hotel

After breakfast at the Lodge, we’ll fly back to Ulaanbaatar to visit the Bogdo Khan Winter Palace Museum, completed in 1903 as the home of the last Mongolian King. Among the items on display in ...

Day 7: Aboard the Fabled Trans-Siberian Railway

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Courtyard City Center Hotel

After an early breakfast, we’ll travel overland to Listvyanka where a ferry will transport us across the Angara River to Port Baikal, a lakeside village with authentic Siberian co...

Day 8: Irkutsk to Olkhon Island

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Baikal View Hotel

The Decembrist Revolt which unfolded on December 26, 1825 stands out as one of the most dramatic events of 19th-century Russian history. More than 3,000 military officers and soldiers took part in this protest against the ascension of Tsar Nicholas I after the death o...

Day 9: Explore Olkhon Island

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Although this is the world’s largest lake island, Olkhon is home to fewer than 2,000 farmers and fishermen living in scattered settlements across the island. This morning after breakfast, we’ll set out in a vintage Russian UAZ je...

Day 10: Return to Irkutsk

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Courtyard City Center Hotel

After breakfast, we’ll take the morning ferry back to the mainland and journey overland to Irkutsk stopping for lunch en route. We’ll return to the Courtyard City Center Hotel for a 2-night stay. 

Day 11: Discover Irkutsk

Meals: Breakfast

In the company of our native Siberian guide, our sightseeing tour will take us through the historic center of town to spend time with city residents as they go about their daily routines at the local market. We’ll visit the historic Znamensky Convent founded in 1693 a...

Day 12: Depart Irkutsk

Meals: Breakfast

We’ll be escorted to the airport today for our departure flight.

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Dates & Availability

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Last Updated: 8/2/2018

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Alexander + Roberts.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Mar 2021

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Mar 2021

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past cultures was outstanding.

The attention of our guide to our needs and assurance of our visiting all sites - his knowledge of the areas and history and insight into the present and past cultur...

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Marc

Mar 2021

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Superb in both Seba Camp

The Tour Guides were superb in both Seba Camp (Joseph) and Little Makalolo Camp (Paul). We saw virtually every animal possible in closer proximity than we imagined p...

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Alexander Harris founded General Tours in 1947 with the conviction that travel could build bridges of cross-cultural understanding. Since our first-of-its-kind tours to the Soviet Union, we’ve remained at the forefront of international travel, helping culturally inquisitive Americans to explore far-flung lands on six continents including new emerging destinations like Tibet, Cuba, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Uzbekistan.

From the start, we have always strived to understand and anticipate our travelers’ needs. The result is our unique portfolio of enriching journeys that allow you to enjoy the world more.

We designed to evoke our personal approach in crafting upscale journeys filled with genuine engagement, unforgettable exhilaration and personal revelation.

Innovative: Our original itineraries encompass a wide range of exotic global destinations.

Personable: We’re well-informed and flexible in meeting your diverse needs and desires.

Refined: The personal experiences we craft for our small group tours with never more than 16 guests and private journeys are honed by nearly 70 years of expertise.

Authentic: We enrich your travels with genuine cultural engagement and real opportunities for learning.

We're committed to value:

Providing our guests with superior value has always been and will always remain at the heart of our company. That is why all of our trips include extensive expertly-guided sightseeeing, unique experiences you won’t find on other tours, and congenial meals that reflect authentic regional flavors. Everywhere we go, we search out the finest accommodations to enhance your journey… from the most evocative luxury hotels and historic boutique properties to the best safari camps and small ships.

We often hear from travelers that our guides are the best! They hail from the lands you’ll visit and speak English easily and casually. Because they’re lifelong residents, they have the knowledge and passion to engage you comfortably and more deeply with the people, history, traditions and natural wonders of their homelands.

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Logistics

Accommodation

,Ramada City Center Ulaanbaatar Ramada Ulaanbaatar Citycenter hotel, near Gandan Tegchilen Khiid, combines the best accommodations and a great location in the heart of the city. Each morning, the Ulaanbaatar hotel serves a free breakfast, and provide free newspapers for your convenience. Scout out area attractions from your hotel room with free Wi-Fi Internet access or at the free business center PC, then head out to see the local sites. When you return, work out at the on-site gym. Three Camels Lodge The Three Camel Lodge was built to complement its natural surroundings and to utilize renewable energy sources, taking advantage of both solar and wind power. Local artisans and workers crafted the roofs of the buildings in accordance with the canons of Mongolian Buddhist architecture, without using a single nail. Meals, which include traditional Mongolian dishes, are served in an authentic over-sized ger, and food and supplies are purchased from local farms and suppliers. Courtyard Irkutsk City Center This contemporary superior hotel is conveniently located close to the historic Kirov Palace and Angara River. Baikal View Hotel Inviting wood-paneled rooms offer great views over the scenic landscapes of Olkhon Island and Lake Baikal.
Cancellation policy

Cancellations for are subject to penalties of $1000/person up to 31 days, and 100% of program price if canceled within 30 days. Alexander+Roberts offers a Travel Protection Plan that provides protection for your travel arrangements, your belongings and most importantly, you. Please see our Travel Insurance page for complete details.

Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Meals Included

11 breakfasts, 9 lunches and 9 dinners

Age Requirements
12 years and up
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Additional Information
Trip ID
alexander-MonNaaAle

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