Beyond the Steppe: Naadam Festival Tour
Why visit Mongolia? Well, if you’re looking for a reason to travel to this incredible beautiful country filled with nomadic herders, snow-capped mountains, vast deserts, and never-ending steppe, then look no further than our Beyond the Steppe tour which will whisk you around the most beautiful parts of Mongolia, culminating with the famed Naadam Festival.
Mongolia was voted the top place to visit by the Lonely Planet, and for good reason. With such a vast and varied country, there’s something for everyone – so much in fact, it’s almost impossible to encapsulate it all in one adventure.
However, that’s exactly what we’ve done here – taken all the highlights of Mongolia, and wrapped them up into one action-packed adventure, delving deep into the heart of a country which is known by many as the ‘Outdoor Capital of the World’.
So, if you want to experience ankle-bone shooting, taste the traditional foods of nomadic herders, and camp alongside the crystalline waters of one of Mongolia’s most beautiful lakes – look no further, because this is the adventure for you!
Mongolia in Summer
Mongolia is known by many names worldwide, but it’s picked up two particular monikers.
‘The Outdoor Capital of the World’ and the ‘Land of the Blue Sky’ might give you the idea that Mongolia is the perfect summer getaway, and you’d be right.
Throughout the summer, the country boasts reliably warm temperatures and clear skies, making it an ideal destination for your adventures through June, July, and August. This is the most popular time to visit the country, and so that’s why we make sure we’re far off the beaten track during this time, exploring areas that very few other foreign travellers get to.
If you’ve been perusing the internet looking for a Mongolian adventure, you’ll notice very few trips run over the winter – that’s because, despite the glorious summers, the winter in Mongolia is particularly harsh, with temperatures dipping below -40*C on some occasions, so we’d recommend steering clear of any winter holidays to the country (unless you’re searching for Snow Leopards that is!).
Where We Go & Why We Do It
Another thing you might have noticed if you’ve been scouting around for a trip to Mongolia, is how many trips cover the same areas. Spend a day in the capital, head down through Central Mongolia, travel through the Gobi, and then head back to the capital. This is a popular route, although we feel that there’s more to offer – especially during the height of summer, and during festival season!
On our summer trip, we’ll spend a couple of days in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, before boarding a flight which will take us to the far west of the country and the provinces of Khovd and Bayan Olgii – often considered by Mongolians and foreigners alike to be the most naturally beautiful parts of Mongolia. That’s high praise, considering almost all of the country is untouched wilderness!
We’ve been running tours to this region for over 15 years, and in that time, we have created the perfect recipe for a full-on Mongolian adventure – wrapping up all the highlights into one spectacular expedition.
On a personal note, as a small family company, we also have links to Khovd itself, with family members either coming from or still living there; this has given us fantastic footing in the region, which we have leveraged to create something truly unique. Along the way, we’ve also built up an extraordinary cast of friends and partners across the Far West who make our trips run seamlessly and are always looking for anything new to add to the itinerary.
In short, we travel there because we love it. The adventure, the relaxing scenery, the beautiful landscapes – it really does have everything. The perfect recipe for an authentic Mongolian experience.
Hitting the Highlights
It’s a cliché to say we head off the beaten track, but nowhere is that more true than here. However, despite travelling far beyond where others dare, we make sure to hit the highlights; we know there are some things that a visit to Mongolia simply must include, so we make sure to weave those experiences into the heart of our plan.
For most of the trip, we’ll be camping alongside local nomad families – staying in our own tents so as not to intrude on their lives, but spending time living alongside them, helping with their daily tasks, and getting a real sense of what it’s like living as a true nomad.
Often, we’ll serve as entertainment for them. A local family can easily erect their home tent, known as a Ger to Mongolians and a Yurt to Kazakhs, in around 25-30 minutes; you can imagine their enjoyment watching us spending far longer attempting to erect our North Face tents next door to them. However, they don’t hold this against us and often invite us in for evening meals or a plethora of traditional tasty snacks.
One of the best things about the Mongolian countryside is how friendly the people are – you will never meet a more charming and hospitable people anywhere in the world, so I have no doubt you’ll leave Mongolia with a stomach full of snacks!
We’ll also have the chance to ride horses – this is an optional activity that gives us the chance to travel as the locals travel, and how their ancestors travelled across this vast land for thousands of years before them.
Hiking is another opportunity we’ll have out in this wide open wilderness – whether it’s spending free time hiking along a river or stream, or hiking up to the peak of the mighty Potanin Glacier – we certainly won’t miss an opportunity to get out of our trusty trucks and stretch our legs across the Mongolian steppe.
This area is famed for its incredible mountains, fast-flowing rivers, and gorgeous lakes. We’ll also spend time on the famous Mongolian steppe, which dominates much of the countryside and truly makes the intrepid adventurer feel as though they’re on a completely different planet.
We’ll top this adventure off with a visit to the traditional Naadam Festival, the culmination of our expedition and the most important day in the local calendar.
Naadam in the West
The Naadam Festival in Mongolia is the most important celebration in the country. Traditionally, nomadic families would spend all their time isolated, tens, if not hundreds of miles from their nearest neighbours. Naadam was the annual opportunity to meet in one place; families would play sports, younger people would dress to impress in the hope of finding a partner, and older people would spend the day eating, drinking, and enjoying the displays of sporting prowess.
Many foreigners descend on Ulaanbaatar every year for Naadam – however, at the same time, hundreds of thousands of Mongolians flee the hustle and bustle of the city, instead choosing to celebrate with family in the countryside. Naadam in the capital has become a tourist trap, with spectators confined to their seats as they watch the sports in a stadium – this is not what Naadam is to the local people.
Instead, we’ll arrive in Khovd the night before the celebrations begin and be there for the opening ceremony. Whilst we’re still in a stadium (albeit one much smaller and cosier than the capital), we’re not confined to seats, in fact, very few people will be sitting down. Instead, you’re free to spend your day wandering around, watching sports, meeting locals and trying local delicacies.
The centrepiece of the celebration will be the so-called ‘Three Manly Sports’ of wrestling, archery, and horse-riding. On top of those incredible spectator sports, ankle-bone shooting, where locals fire sheep's ankle-bones towards a target using small, powerful catapults, is available to watch and maybe even try!
Explore the Gobi Desert
Once you reach the end of this adventure, you’ll have truly experienced an authentic Mongolian adventure. However, if you’re not done yet – join our ‘Explore the Gobi Desert’ tour which picks up where the summer tour leaves off and heads down south into the Gobi Desert where we’ll explore vulture-filled canyons, mammoth sand dunes dominating the horizon, and flaming cliffs home to the remains of countless dinosaurs.
I hope to see you in Mongolia!
