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Highlights
Experience Western Mongolia on this 14-day Kharkhiraa & Turgen adventure
Experience the bustling capital city of Ulaanbaatar and its culture.
Trek through the mountain landscape of western Mongolia for roughly 120km.
Take in the natural beauty of the Kharkhiraa Plateau and its many glaciers.
Visit the breathtaking shores of the Shaazgay and Uureg lakes.
Uvs province is a spectacular region of permanently snow-capped mountains, glaciers, torrential rivers, salt and freshwater lakes, sand dunes and a fantastic variety of animals and plants. On this spectacular 14-day trekking adventure, you will climb uphill through the rugged Mongolian landscape to reach a high plateau nestled between the Kharkhiraa and Turgen Mountains.
Packed full of breathtaking scenery and the warm hospitality of the Mongolian people, this tour is certainly one of the best in Central Asia. If you are looking to explore the vast expanse of Mongolia and the dramatic terrain that can be found within its boundary, then you should strongly consider Trekking in the Kharkhiraa & Turgen Mountains.
Uvs province is a spectacular region of permanently snow-capped mountains, glaciers, torrential rivers, salt and freshwater lakes, sand dunes and a fantastic variety of animals and plants. On this spectacular 14-day trekking adventure, you will climb uphill through the rugged Mongolian landscape to reach a high plateau nestled between the Kharkhiraa and Turgen Mountains.
Packed full of breathtaking scenery and the warm hospitality of the Mongolian people, this tour is certainly one of the best in Central Asia. If you are looking to explore the vast expanse of Mongolia and the dramatic terrain that can be found within its boundary, then you should strongly consider Trekking in the Kharkhiraa & Turgen Mountains.
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Trekking in Kharkhiraa & Turgen Mountains Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival at Ulaanbaatar and an Optional City Sightseeing
Guests will be greeted upon arrival at the airport, before being transported to a convenient, centrally located hotel. A 4-5 hour city tour can be arranged depending on your arrival time, which includes Bogd Khan’s Winter & Summer Palace, a series of beautiful traditional buildings in which the eighth Living Buddha and the last king lived.
You will also explore the Gandantegchinlen Monastery, which is the largest and most important monastery within Mongolia, before visiting the magnificent 82-foot high statue of Migjid Janraisig. You will finish the city tour atop Zaisan hill for a view of the whole Ulaanbaatar.
In the evening, your tour guide will give you a short briefing about the coming trip and answer all your questions, before taking you to a famous Mongolian restaurant for a first taste of Mongolian food.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Ulaanbaatar
Distance: None
Meals: Dinner
Day 2 Flight to Ulaangom
On the second day of your adventure you will fly to Ulaangom, the capital of the western Uvs province. After a 3-hour flight, you will be met by your guides and briefed on the journey ahead.
Your 8-day trek to Mount Kharkhiraa and Mount Turgen covers about 120 kilometers and involves two high passes at elevations of 2930 and 2944 meters. A moderate level of fitness is required, but even at the higher levels, the hike is not too strenuous. Even though it is summer, the weather in the mountains is unpredictable, and we must be prepared for everything, including snow.
You will head to the Blue Lake, the starting point of your trek, after a quick tour of the Aimag’s capital city.
Overnight Location: Camping in Ulaangom
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 3 Trekking along the Blue Lake
Day 3 of your Mongolian adventure will see you load your belongings onto the camels and horses after a hearty breakfast.
Afterwards, you will begin the trek along the Blue Lake’s shores, making your way through several small passes. The Blue Lake is a lovely small alpine lake with sparkling clear water.
Overnight Location: Camping
Distance: 17km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 4-5 Trekking along the Kharkhiraa River
The next two days will see you leave the shores of the Blue Lake behind in order to trek upstream alongside the Kharkhiraa River. Here, you will trek through a rocky mountain valley, leaving the lush open pastures behind as you make your way towards Kharkhiraa Mountain.
Overnight Location: Camping in Kharkhiraa Mountain
Distance: 18km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 6 Kharkhiraa Plateau
Today you will cross a pass in order to reach the vast expanse of the Kharkhiraa plateau, which is ringed by glaciers. Here, you will also see a number of smaller lakes. The Kharkhiraa River, which you had previously hiked alongside, is fed by the glaciers that you will see throughout this portion of the journey.
Overnight Location: Camping in Kharkhiraa Plateau
Distance: 15km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 7 Trek to Turgen Mountain
Day 7 of the tour will see you trek to Turgen Mountain after passing through the glaciers. To get to the Yamaatiin Valley, you will have to cross the Kharkhiraa Mountain Pass, which is 3000 meters above sea level. The pass is situated between the 4000m high Kharkhiraa and Turgen glaciers. We’ll have amazing views of both valleys on either side of the pass, as well as the breathtaking white glaciers.
Overnight Location: Camping in Turgen Mountain
Distance: 18km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 8 Three Colours Lake
Continuing on with your journey, you will arrive at the 110 lake region after some more hiking. This picturesque valley features beautiful flora and geological formations that are in stark contrast to previous landscapes that you have encountered so far on the tour.
Overnight Location: Camping in Turgen Mountain
Distance: 17km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 9 Trek to Yamaatiin Valley
Today you will continue descending through the Yamaatiin Valley. Eventually, you will arrive at Damjig Canyon, where you will spend some time hiking and exploring the rugged canyon landscape.
Overnight Location: Camping in Turgen Mountain
Distance: 15km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 10 Trek to Goojuur Waterfall
Day 10 of the tour will continue with a trek that leads to Goojuur Waterfall. This beautiful cascade is 17 meters high and drops down a rock face into a serene pool below, making for an excellent scene against the rocky, mountainous backdrop.
Overnight Location: Camping in Turgen Mountain
Distance: 17km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 11 Trek to Shaazgay Lake
On the final hiking day of the tour, you will make your way through some rugged terrain to Shaazgay Lake, where you will meet up with the vehicles to continue on the journey.
Overnight Location: Camping
Distance: 18km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 12 Uureg Lake
You will head to Uureg Lake today, which is close to the Russian border and the vast expanse of Siberia. It’s a big, stunning, slightly salty lake that is surrounded by majestic mountains and some snow-capped peaks that rise to 3000 meters or higher. Summer gers of nomads line the valley’s mouth, which leads into the lake. Overnight accommodation in tents.
Overnight Location: Camping
Distance: Flexible
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 13 Flight back to Ulaanbaatar
The time has come to leave and fly back to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital. You can use your free afternoon as you see fit; a good option is to go see the lovely cultural exhibitions and admire the contortionists while watching colorful and rhythmic Mongolian dances.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Ulaanbaatar
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 14 Departure
After a filling breakfast, guests will say goodbye to Ulaanbaatar and make their individual departure.
Overnight Location: None
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast
Trekking in Kharkhiraa & Turgen Mountains Price and Dates
This guided trekking tour to Mongolia is always run as a private tour for your group only and the prices depend on the size of your group. The prices below are per person:- Guided Group of 2+: USD3075 per person
Accommodation on the Trekking in Kharkhiraa & Turgen Mountains
This tour is based in hotels and camps. Hotels on this trip are 2 and 3-star and offer modern conveniences that can make this trip more pleasant. Rooms may have fireplaces or access to amenities such as hot tubs, steam rooms, or private decks to lounge on.
In some cases, the accommodation listed below may need to be substituted for other comparable accommodations.
What’s Included in the Trekking in Altai Tavan Bogd National Park?
Meals
13 breakfasts, 12 lunches, and 13 dinners are included in the tour
Accommodations
Accommodations for 13 nights.
Transportation during the Tour
Local transportation, flights, and local airport transfers are included for you and your luggage. International airport transfers are not included but can be booked as an optional extra. Please note that local flights have luggage included of up to 10kg and any extra weight is subject to extra charge (around 2 USD per kg).
Also Included
- English-speaking guide
- Camping and kitchen equipment
- National Park entrance fees
- Museum and Monasteries entrance tickets
- Pack animals during trek
Not included
- City touring
- Medical and trip insurance
- Evacuation costs
- Alcohol and soft drinks
- Local flight limited to 10kg
- Excess luggage on local flight (1kg cost approximately 2 USD)
- Visa Cost
- Items of Personal Nature
Optional Extras
- City tour
- Airport transfers
- How hard is the Trekking in Kharkhiraa & Turgen Mountains?
- Do I need a visa to travel to Mongolia?
- Are meals included on the Trekking in Kharkhiraa & Turgen Mountains?
- Do I need insurance?
- How do I get to Ulaanbaatar to start this tour?
- Is the Trekking in Altai Bogd National Park in English?
- Where does the Trekking in Altai Bogd National Park end?
- How many members make up a group?
- Can I customize this tour?
- Do I need special vaccines to travel to Mongolia?
- Are there any travel restrictions for Mongolia?
- Is this country safe?
We rate this tour as a 4 / 5. This requires being reasonably fit. The hikes are not strenuous, but you should expect to hike on rocky terrain for multiple days in a row.
Check with your local country about visa requirements. You could also try this website, though you should verify with your government.
13 breakfasts, 12 lunches, and 13 dinners are included.
Yes, it is mandatory to have health and medical insurance to join this trip, and your insurance should cover hiking.
Fly into Chinggis Khaan International Airport (ULN) where you will be greeted and transferred to the hotel.
Yes, the tour guide is English-speaking.
The tour ends where it starts, in Ulaanbaatar
In order to ensure the utmost in personal service and quality, we limit our groups to a maximum of 8 to 10 passengers. During the expedition, knowledgeable and sympathetic guides will look after you with our local auxiliary staff. While camel and horse trek, local nomads will guide around destined areas.
Yes! Please contact us with your preferred tour specifications and we’ll adapt this itinerary to your needs.
Check with your family doctor.
Please check with your local government about travel restrictions before you book your tour. This map from the US Department of State provides an overview of the current status in countries around the globe. The UK‘s Foreign Office and Government of Canada also provide advice on foreign travel. Note that the travel advice may change depending on your nationality.
Politically the country is very stable. An elected President and Parliament is at the head of the country’s management. Administratively, if you meet your visa requirements, no other hassle will be experienced. Policemen are helpful to foreigners and no street violence exists. No natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods were registered recently. As a general rule in any other countries avoid walking during the night.
Customer Ratings
Mongolian Dot Travel is a B2B company that is a member of the Mongolian Tourism Association and one of Mongolia’s most reputable and professional Destination Management Companies.
