Cycle Mongolia - Wild Mongolia & Naadam Festival

Don't Miss

Naadam festival – horse racing – Mountain biking – river crossings – Gobi desert – ger camps – campfires under the stars – yak herds – nomads – dirt tracks – horses – herdsmen – Khar Khorin

Getting there

Mongolia is one of Asia's last true frontier wildernesses, home to nomadic herdsman whose traditional lifestyles have changed relatively little from the time of their great hero Ghengis Khan. It's capital, Ulaan Baatar, where the vast majority of Mongolia's citizens live, is an island of modern development, communist architecture and traditional dwellings in a sea of grasslands, mountains, forest and deserts.

The Naadam Festival held on the 11th and 12th July every year reflects the unique spirit and character of these proud people as each year champions are idolised for their performances in the three national games: wrestling, archery and horse racing. One of the most unique events on the planet.

With few roads, it is a mountain bikers dream. Big passes, long downhills, river crossings, technical terrain of all types imaginable. Horse trekking is another way to put yourself in the big shoes of the locals and to experience travel like the nomads do. Hiking opportunities abound. An amazing location for a cycling adventure.

The Mongolians, despite the harsh winters they endure, or perhaps because of it, are famous for their hospitality and are always eager to invite you into their "gers" (traditional tent housing)and to share their food and tea, one of the most rewarding experiences of visiting the country.

Animals abound in Mongolia and visitors are most likely to see herded stock: sheep, goats and yak. Birds of prey, freshwater fish abound as do the marmot and other small mammals as well as the much harder to see agarli sheep, ibex, snow leopard and wolf.

Historically, Mongolia has been at the centre of one of the largest empires the world has seen brought about through the rise of Genghis Khan as well as many other empires before and after. Whilst evidence of such grand empires seems scant there are numerous ancient sites, temples and structures to explore, particularly in central Mongolia around the town of Kharkhorin and the Orkhon River Valley, that hint at a former glory.

This really is the perfect cycle Mongolia tour.

• By Road
• By Rail There are trains coming from Moscow/St. Petersburg, called the Trans-Siberian. It departs once every week. For information on these trains journey, where and how to buy tickets, the following website is very good.
  
  http://www.seat61.com/index.html
  
  There are trains coming from Beijing called the Trans-Mongolian. It departs once every week. This journey takes 30 hours.
  
  Train tickets can be bought in person at the following locations in Beijing:
  Beijing Central Train Station at the ticketing office for foreigners.
  The Beijing International Hotel at the Train Booking Office on the ground floor.
  BTG Travel & Tours, at Room 103, Tourism Tower, 28 Jianguomenwai Street, Beijing between the New Otani and Gloria Plaza Hotels, open 08:00-20:00.
  
  Buying train tickets outside Beijing
  Contact CITS
  Email: support-en@cits.com.cn
  Website: www.cits.net
  Tel: + 86 10 6512 0507 or + 86 10 6512 0503 (these are China numbers)
  
• By Air Summer is a busy time for tourism to Mongolia. Last minute flight tickets can be difficult to obtain. There is only one city airport for international flights, the capital city, Ulaanbaatar, its airport called Chinngis Khan International Airport.
  
  There are several airlines that fly into the capital of Ulaanbaatar including:
  Air China (from Beijing, China)
  MIAT (from Kansai (Osaka) and Narita (Tokyo) Japan, Seoul Korea and Berlin, Germany)
  Korean Airlines (from Seoul, Korea)
  Aeroflot (from Moscow, Russia)
  
  Korean Airlines have flights from Europe, North America and Australasia to Ulaanbataar that stop over in Seoul, Korea.
  
  Also keep in mind that if you fly via China, travellers will mostly need to organise a China visa. If you fly via Seoul, you do not need a Korean Visa. However, check the respective embassy websites for the latest information as situations may change before we are aware of them.
  
• By Sea Ulaan Baatar - the most land-locked capital in the world - is not the easiest place to get to by boat!
  
  Mongolia does have a navy, surprisingly. It consists of one boat guarding the lake border with Russia!

Other Insider Info.

Inclusions:
15 nights accommodation (4 nights hotel, 11 nights camping)
Tents and foam sleeping mats for camping
All transport en route (whilst cycling), vehicle transport from Ulaanbaatar to Bayanhongor and from Kharkhorin to Ulaanbaatar.
Meals: Breakfasts (15), Lunch (12), Dinner (12)
Good Quality Mountain Bike
Bike tools and spare parts
All water and snack food whilst cycling
Local guide, cooks and drivers
Bike Asia tour leader
Entry tickets to and transport for Naadam Festival and Horse Racing

Why do we like them?

Bike Asia are your local cycling partners for a range of destinations across the back roads of Asia.

A friendly, expert and passionate local crew, you can be sure these guys have been there, found the best biking route and worked out how best to share them with you. Their cycle trips are designed to get you under the skin of the amazing and diverse places you visit, and be giving plenty back to them too.

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