Genghis Khan Birthplace Tour

Welcome to this 9 days Mongolia tour with Ulaanbaatar, during which you can not only appreciate the beautiful natural scenery and admire historical heritages but also enjoy horse treks and visit local herdsmen’s camps. Upon your arrival at the Ulaanbaatar airport, our driver will greet you timely and escort you to check in the hotel downtown. Recover from the jet lag resting at the hotel or stroll around to glimpse the nomadic country on your own.

Accommodation: Grand Hill Hotel Ulaanbaatar (4 stars) or similar

After breakfast, our guide and the driver will pick you up from the hotel and then drive 6 hours to Chinggis City. Midway, we will visit the Genghis Khan Statue Complex located 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of the city of Ulaanbaatar. It is known for a 40-meter (131-foot) high equestrian statue of Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire. Inside the statue is a museum exhibiting precious relics of Mongolian nomadic culture. There is also an elevator leading to a sightseeing platform over the head of the horse, where visitors can have a panoramic view of the endless grassland. Leaving the complex, we will continue heading to Chinggis City. Check into the pre-reserved hotel for a good rest upon arrival.

 The Legend of Genghis Khan
As an outstanding military strategist and politician, Genghis Khan, along with Napoleon, Caesar the Great, and Peter the Great, was a great figure who influenced and shook the world. His father was poisoned when he was nine, and he was also chased by enemies. After years of escape, he gradually raised his own army that frightened the enemy and finally established the country of Mongolia. Legend has it that he could summon eagles in the sky with his singing voice or easily raise his hand and bend his bow to shoot large eagles.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Ezent Guren Hotel or similar

Today's trip will begin with a visit to Dadal village. It will take about 6.5 hours to drive there. Once the birthplace of Genghis Khan, Dadal is now a settlement of the Buryat Mongols and is also a pilgrimage site for the Mongols. When arriving in the afternoon, the guide will escort you to stroll around the village to enjoy its charming rural landscape, consisting of dark pine forests, clear rivers, and lakes. Russian-style wooden houses, hidden in the thick camphor pine forest, are well arranged. This is indeed a place on horseback because even very young children ride their horses leisurely on the streets. Later, check into a local ger camp.

 Explore Enigmatic Mystery of Genghis Khan’s Birthplace
No one knows the exact birthplace of Genghis Khan, but the book ‘Secret History of the Mongols’ points to the Khentii Mountains straddling modern-day Mongolia and Russia. Two villages - Dadal and Binder, tucked in the mountains, gain the honor. It is said that the Khentii Mountains not only sheltered the young Temüjin (Genghis Khan’s original name) but also protected him from tribal conflicts. After he was crowned as Genghis Khan, he prayed toward the mountains for gratitude every day. After this heroic leader passed away, Mongolians regard the Khentii Mountains as the holy land, revere its stones as holy relics, and pray to the mountains that once guarded their greatest leader.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Chingis 3 Lake Tourist Camp or similar

After breakfast, we will visit Deluun Boldog and Khajuu Springs. Deluun Boldog is a boundary zone a few kilometers up north of Dadal Village, with steppe, rounded hills, and shallow gulches. It is said to be the possible location where Genghis Khan was born in 1162. There is a stone erected in 1990 on top of one of the hills, inscribed with the story of Genghis Khan's birth. The nearby Khajuu Spring is the mountain spring where Khan was washed after birth. Then, we'll pay a visit to a local herdsman's ger museum. This afternoon, we will set off for Binder Village with beautiful natural scenery. On arrival, explore the village and stay overnight at a ger camp in the nearby Kurkh River Valley.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Chingis Toonot Tourist Camp or similar

In the morning, the guide will accompany you to visit Ancestor's Wall, which is not far from Binder Village. It is a 3-meter-high (9-foot) and 8-kilometer-long (5-mile) red granite wall built in the 13th century around a big graveyard of ancient nomadic inhabitants. On the way, we will also stop over to see other ancient monuments, including Rashaan Khad with abundant rock carvings, deer stones, and Binder Ovoo (Binder cairn) dating from the Paleolithic to the Bronze and Iron Ages.

After lunch, move on to visit Baldan Bereeven Monastery, an important Gelugpa or Yellow Hat Buddhist monastery located in a river valley. Then, head to the local ger camp for dinner and overnight stay.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Tourist Camp or similar

Today, we will depart for the beautiful Blue Lake. As a highlight of this Mongolia tour, it is not only a scenic place surrounded by verdant forests and teeming with various species of flora and fauna, but also one of the most important historical places in Mongolian history, for it is the place where Temuujin was enthroned and titled as "Genghis Khan" in 1189.

After lunch, we will take the car for around 3 hours to Gun Galuut Natural Reserve - the harmonious complex of high mountains, steppes, grasslands, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. From a distance, water and sky merge at the horizon, with nothing in between. This area also protects many endangered wild animals and has a very diverse ecosystem. Birds even lay eggs in the longest rivers in Mongolia, the Kherlen River and the Tsengin Burd Wetland. You can take a bird-watching tour at the nearby ponds or ride horses on the vast steppes.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Steppe Nomads Tourist Camp or similar

In the morning, the guide will accompany you to Terelj National Park, famous for its green grassland, lush woods, and many rock formations. On arrival at the park, we will first go to admire the 24-meter (75-foot) high Turtle Rock beside the main road and then drive to the deep steppe to the serene Ariyabal Meditation Temple that sits on a small hill. If interested, you may freely enjoy a horse trek in the vast park on your own.

★ Nomadic Family Visit: What Does a Herdsman Family Look Like?

For an immersive experience, a nomadic family visit will be specially arranged. A yurt, a couple, three or four dogs, five or six children, dozens or hundreds of sheep, and of course, horses comprise a Mongolian herdsman family. The mother milks sheep or cows with her little daughter every day; older children herd sheep on horseback; and the father does some daily routine. They are very hospitable and enjoy chatting with guests. Perhaps the nomadic lifestyle will eventually disappear into the vast Gobi and the deep steppes one day. Capture the chance, come here, and visit this vast land to experience a life that is totally different from yours.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Terelj Lodge Ger Camp or similar

After breakfast, we will drive 2 hours back to Ulaanbaatar and visit Zaisan Memorial Hill. The hill was built in memory of the allied Mongolian and Soviet soldiers who died in the Second World War. On top of the memorial hill, you can overlook the surrounding mountain landscape and the entire city. After lunch, proceed to visit Sukhbaatar Square located at the city center. Then, the rest of the day is free for you to stroll around or buy some souvenirs for families and friends. If needed, feel free to ask for suggestions from the guide. In the evening, you will be picked up for an excellent music and dance show and a farewell dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Grand Hill Hotel Ulaanbaatar (4 stars) or similar

Today, according to your flight schedule, our driver will escort you to the airport and say good-bye. Thanks for choosing us, and we wish you all the best!

Mongolia is also famous for its eagle-hunting tradition that dates back 2,000 years. On the first weekend of October, the Kazakhs living in western Mongolia will hold the two-day Golden Eagle Festival in Ulgii to celebrate their ancient bond with the raptors, during which you can watch not only the thrilling eagle hunting but also a tug-of-war with a headless goat. If you want to unveil this ancient tradition, just message us, and we can tailor the itinerary for you!

Meals: Breakfast