Winter Central Mongolian Tour
The most popular winter route in the country: dunes under snow, the imperial capital with nobody in it, a hot spring at minus thirty, and the wild horses at Hustai.
Why anybody comes here in winter
Central Mongolia is one of the most popular winter routes in the country. It has beautiful landscapes, a unique nomadic culture, a long history and very hospitable people, who have kept their traditions from generation to generation for centuries. In central Mongolia you visit Kharakhorum, the Khugnu Tarna reserve and Terelj National Park, and you can enjoy one of the hottest springs in Mongolia.
Day by Day
Khugnu Khan nature reserve covers 46,990 hectares in Rashaant soum of Bulgan province, at the point where three provinces meet. Alongside its mountains, the reserve has a remarkable stretch of sand dunes about 80 kilometres long, and the scenery is a striking mix of desert, mountain, river and green grassland. There are two monasteries in the reserve.
Kharakhorum was one of the most important cities in the history of the Silk Road. It was founded by Chinggis Khaan in 1220, but it grew into the capital of the Mongol Empire in the 1230s under his son Ogedei. The Mongols had a profound impact on trade across Central Asia, as their vast empire connected east and west. We explore the highlights of the city and visit Erdene Zuu monastery.
Tsenkher hot spring lies in a beautiful forested valley. The water comes out of the ground at 86°C and is said to help arthritic joints and other ailments. It is under high pressure underground, so the flow is strong, about 10 litres per second, and it carries minerals from calcium and sodium to sulphur. The water is good for the skin. During the day you can sunbathe, and after dark you can sit in the hot spring and look at the stars.
Hustai National Park is one of the best-known protected areas in Mongolia. Since 2003 it has been managed by the Hustai National Park Trust, which works to conserve the park's ecosystems and historical stone monuments, build up the takhi population, and develop eco-tourism that supports local livelihoods. The project to reintroduce the takhi, the Przewalski's wild horse, began here in 1992, and today there are more than 360 takhi in the park. After we have seen them, we drive back to Ulaanbaatar.
Terelj is one of the most popular destinations around Ulaanbaatar. It has been protected since the 1960s and became a national park in 1993, and it is connected to the city by a paved road. Wildlife in the park includes brown bears, grey wolves, foxes and more than 200 species of birds, and the Tuul river flows through it. Gorkhi-Terelj National Park also has many rock formations popular with climbers. We hike to Turtle Rock and the Ariyapala meditation centre.
The Chinggis Khaan statue at Tsonjin Boldog, on the bank of the Tuul river, is 40 metres tall and shows Chinggis Khaan on horseback. It faces east, towards his birthplace. Afterwards we drive back to Ulaanbaatar.
