Cycling in Mongolia - Naadam Festival

Experience Overview

Mongolia remains a mysterious presence in the heart of Central Asia, a traditional country where visitors are still an unusual sight. Nomads wander the grasslands, setting up their white gers (tents) where the pasture is lush for their horses. On our bikes, we follow good trails across open steppe, into expansive mountain scenery and through larch and pine forests. Camping wild under the wide skies adds an adventurous edge to what is one of our most intrepid cycle tours. Adding to the experience, this special departure spends two days taking in traditional wrestling, archery, horse-riding, bone flicking and Mongolians dressed in their best clothes at the Naadam Festival in Ulaanbaatar.
Profile
— Accommodation: 4 Classic nights (hotels), 12 Simple nights (9 participatory camping, 2 traditional nomadic ger camp, 1 sleeper train) — 11 days of cycling (including two half days) with 100 percent vehicle support — Group normally 4 to 14, plus leader. Minimum age: 16
At a Glance
— Accommodation: 4 Classic nights (hotels), 12 Simple nights (9 participatory camping, 2 traditional nomadic ger camp, 1 sleeper train) — 11 days of cycling (including two half days) with 100 percent vehicle support — Group normally 4 to 14, plus leader. Minimum age: 16
Trip For You
This is an Activity Level 4 (Moderate & Challenging) cycling trip and classified as off-road. For more information on our trip gradings please visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to contact us. We advise that you have reasonably good fitness and are a confident cyclist, with some off-road cycling experience. Please also take the number of nights camping into consideration; hotels are only used in Ulaanbaatar. We believe that camping allows you to experience the wonderful remoteness of Mongolia. Average daily distance: 31mi (50km)Number of cycling days: 11 (including two half days)Vehicle support: 100 percent Terrain and route: We take good quality, vehicle-width, hardpack dirt tracks across rolling forest and steppe. Roads vary from paved to rocky in places with some short, steep passes. Two vehicles support the trip (depending on group size) including a 4×4/standard minivan for people and a separate one for bikes and equipment. You may ride as much or as little as you like. The only things you need carry with you on the bike are your valuables, sunscreen, extra top, camera and water bottle etc. One vehicle travels at the front of the group and one at the rear. The bikes return from Karakorum with the support vans at the end of the trip. The terrain is best described as rolling. Our route mostly follows jeep tracks along river valleys and over ridgeline mountain passes, with some better-quality paved roads in the early stages of the trip. Trails are mostly hardpacked dirt tracks; however, mountain passes often have loose gravel on the descent, requiring extreme caution. Sandy patches are hazardous in places, particularly at the base of small dips in the road. Our route passes through some more mountainous areas where roads follow rivers upstream and occasionally cross up and over into the neighbouring watershed. The passes referred to in the itinerary are universally low – usually requiring just 330ft-655ft (100m-200m) of vertical rise/descent. Some of the descents can be rocky. Typically, there are four to seven hours of riding each day. This trip will appeal to anyone who is physically fit, enjoys riding off road and who is happy to camp in beautiful and wild places (we use good quality camping equipment, but home comforts are not a feature of this trip). Our tented camps include a kitchen tent, communal dining tent, wash tent and toilet tents. Mongolia is a country with just 930mi (1,500km) of sealed roads and these tend to be heavily trafficked and in poor condition. By far the most appealing travel is away from the main transit corridors and this is where our route takes us. If you are bringing your own bike, please ensure that suitable off-road tyres are fitted – if in doubt please contact us for clarification. Due to the open nature of the country and the fact this is a fully supported trip, it is best to be flexible and to adjust the daily itinerary according to circumstances. The exact location of campsites can be changed, as circumstances require, but weary cyclists are free to join the support vehicle. Please note, the route and distances described in the itinerary are fluid. Depending on local conditions and how the group feel, plus the potential encounters with locals along the way, we may cycle further or less far that day.
Group Description
The trip is led by an experienced cycle leader and an English-speaking Mongolian guide. Two 4×4/standard minivan vehicles support the group; these are sturdy Russian-built minivans with roof-mounted bike racks. A professional chef and assistants (depending on group size) accompany the group in the countryside.
Eating Drinking
All meals are included. In the countryside, our support vehicles carry the kitchen, food supplies and kitchen staff including a professional chef. Meals are Western style with a strong Asian influence. Breakfasts are typically cereals, toast and a hot dish. Lunches on the road are sandwiches, cheese, meats and salad. Dinners are a variety of vegetables, meat, rice, potatoes and pasta dishes. Filtered or purified drinking water is supplied on all cycling days, as are tea, coffee and fruit drinks. Dining in Ulaanbaatar is excellent and includes Mongolian, Indian, French, Chinese and Mexican restaurants. If you follow a vegan diet, the variety of food may be limited on this trip. As this kind of diet is relatively uncommon in this region, we cannot guarantee the hotels and restaurants will provide meals that have the necessary variety to be considered satisfying.
Transportation
Two vehicles support the trip (depending on group size) including a 4×4/standard minivan for people and a separate one for bikes and equipment. Depending on group size, an additional bus will meet the group in Karakorum for the long drive back.
Joining Instructions
Key information Start hotel: Bayangol Hotel, Chinggis Avenue-5, Ulaanbaatar 14251, Mongolia Phone: +976-11-312255 Recommended arrival time: You can arrive at any time today. There will be a welcome briefing in the evening, but if you miss it the leader will update you separately Airport: Chinggis Khaan International Airport (UBN) Getting to the start hotel The start hotel is approximately 1hr 30min drive from the airport. Exodus provides free arrival transfers to the start hotel from the airport for all customers. If you would like further information on joining this trip, please speak to your sales representative. Please note, unless specified otherwise, the transfers will be to the start (or pre-tour) hotel and will be on the date on which the tour starts; transfers to other hotels in the same city and/or on different dates may attract an extra charge. Transfers should be booked with your sales representative at least two weeks before the tour starts.  Catching your return flight There’s a group departure transfer to the airport for customers who Exodus booked onto a chosen flight to London, UK. Please speak to your sales representative if you wish to join. If the group departure transfer does not suit your flight time, speak to your sales representative to arrange an alternative transfer.
Weather Information
June to August is summer in Mongolia, characterised by daytime temperatures of 20C-30C (68F-86F) and evenings around 15C (59F). Summer is also the wet season and rainy days are certain over a two-week journey. September is the start of autumn (fall), expect daytime temperatures of 15C-25C (59F-77F), nights 5C-10C (41F-50F). Mongolia is a land of tremendous seasonal change, as temperatures plummet to -40C (-40F) in winter. It can snow on any day of the year and there is the potential that very cold weather could be experienced on these trips.
Spending Money
Budget an extra US$150 for incidental expenses such as laundry, telephone and excursions into the nightlife of Ulaanbaatar. Cashmere, leather products, carpets, woodcarvings, watercolour paintings and traditional Mongolian dolls all make great souvenirs – US$150 is a modest souvenir budget. Optional excursions Horse riding (for experienced riders) may be available at some locations within the itinerary. The price will be confirmed at the time as these are operated independently by local horsemen. Please note, riding helmets and instruction are very unlikely to be available and, where they are provided, the quality may not be of the highest standard. Mongolian ponies are generally unpredictable and more suited to confident and experienced horse riders. Any horse riding undertaken in Mongolia is done entirely at your own risk. Theatre show in Ulaanbaatar: US$15
Tipping
Tipping is entirely at your discretion. However, the tour leader normally prepares a tip kitty for trip/hotel staff. You should set aside US$65 for this. The kitty does not include a tip for the tour leader, which is also discretionary though US$15 is reasonable.

Highlights