Mongolia is home to numerous ethnic groups including the tsaatans or the reindeer people. Now there are only 400 Tsaatan people in Mongolia and they inhabit the remotest but amazing beautiful mountain taigas. The Tsaatan love their nomadic lifestyle of “breeding reindeer and sleeping in huts”. This tour offers an outstanding introduction to this diverse, ancient and extraordinarily beautiful country, visiting areas and sites that many other tours do not visit and a rare chance to visit the Tsaatans. Discover the Reindeer People blends landscape and cultural sightseeing in Mongolia and gives you the unique opportunity to understand the secrets behind the Tsaatan’s lifestyle.
- Meet the world’s most socially isolated people where they live
- Flying to Murun town saves time
Length: 8 days
Area: North Mongolia
Date: Any date is possible for this tour
Ride & Horse Details:
Horse Breeds: Mongolian ponies
Trip Pace: Leisurely
Weight limit: 200 lbs
Meeting Point: Ulaanbaatar
Prices
Please carefully check what is include and what is not include in the prices!
1600 USD p.p for 2pax
1500 USD p.p for 3pax
1400 USD p.p for 4pax
Single Supplement: 220 USD
Included: 2 nights in tourist ger camp, 6 nights in the tent, food service, land transportation, English speaking guide service, mineral water, all entrance fees and Government charges, all activities costs, round trip domestic flight
Not included: gratuities for staffs, personal expenses, travel insurance
Reindeer Tribes of Mongolia Tour
Day1. Fly to Murun town & Uushig Deer Stone
Day2. Drive to Tsagaannuur village
Day3. Go to reindeer people
Day4. Reindeer people
Day5. Reindeer people
Day6. Go back to Tsagaannuur village
Day7. Khuvsgul Lake
Day8. Fly back to Ulaanbaatar
Day1. Fly to Murun town & Uushig Deer Stone.
We will pick you up from your accommodation (pick up time will be confirmed) and transfer to the airport. Then fly to Murun town (1 hour flight). After you landed in Murun town, our local guide and driver will pick you up & drive to Uushig Deer Stones (15 km). A complex of 30 deer stones of Uushig Valley and its burial mounts belong to the ancient Huns period and over 3000 years old. The Bronze Age funeral practice, sacrificial ritual and ideology and animal style art, which were spread among ancient nomads, are all together represented through deer stones made by long block of granite. We will visit to the site. Overnight in the tent.
Day2. Drive to Tsagaannuur village.
After breakfast time, we will drive to Tsagaan Nuur village (265 km – 9 hours on the dirt road). Tsagaan Nuur village is located in the Darkhad Depression which is a wide plain surrounded by 2000-3000 m high mountains roughly the same size as Khuvsgul Lake basin. This fantastically beautiful place with countless rivers and containing over 300 small lakes. It is home of fishes. Overnight in the ger guesthouse.
Day3. Horse ride to reindeer people.
After breakfast time, we will start horse trek for reaching to reindeer people (full day ride). Load the luggage on the pack horses. All camping gears and food stuffs, baggage will be carried by horses. Horse riding through the forest in the northern mountains searching for the reindeer people summer place, it might be necessary to ride for some hours to arrive the reindeer people – depends their exact location. The ride itself is over some difficult mountainous areas but the scenery is spectacular. Finally we will reach to Duka people home. Overnight in the tent.
Day4-5. Reindeer people.
You can learn about and appreciate different ways of life. For indigenous communities, it can facilitate cultural exchange and celebration. And for those that are struggling to maintain their livelihoods and traditions, it’s also a way of educating others about their situation, earning some money and playing an active part in the maintenance of their culture. You will enjoy the relaxing, beautiful and silent nature. Overnight in the tent.
Day6. Horse ride back to Tsagaan Nuur village
After breakfast time, we will start horse back ride to back for reaching to Tsagaan Nuur village (full day ride). Say goodbye to the reindeer people. In the evening, we will arrive in the Tsagaan Nuur village. Overnight in the local ger guesthouse.
Day7. Khuvsgul Lake
After breakfast time, we will drive to Khuvsgul Lake (280 km – 9 hours mostly on the dirt road). About midway along border between Mongolia and Russian Siberia, in a gigantic stone bowl nearly 110 km long and almost 40 km wide, lies 3% of the all the fresh water on earth – Khuvsgul Lake. Overnight in the tourist ger camp.
- Option: you can have another one more night in the Khuvsgul Lake, if you consider only 1 night is not enough. Ask the rate from TGM operator.
Day8. Fly back to Ulaanbaatar
After breakfast time, we will drive to the Murun airfield (130 km – 3 hours on mostly on the paved road) & fly back to Ulaanbaatar (1 hour flight). After you landed in the city, our driver will pick you up and transfer to your accommodation.
End time: Depends flight schedule. Usually in the afternoon.
Total driving distance: 790 km
Information
- Above prices are changeable by changing components (kind of services) of the itinerary.
- This is a private tour and you or your travel buddies will be in the tour.
- Domestic flight companies accept only 10kg-15kg lugguge incuding your carry on bags too for free transfer.
- It is your responsibility to ensure you are in correct pick up location at correct time as stated on your booking form.
- No smoking in travel vehicles or aircraft.
Please let us know should you have further inquiries! We are looking forward to assist you with organizing your stay in Mongolia and answering any questions you might have about this tour. We want your holiday experience in Mongolia to be as amazing as it is possible.
The Dukha or Duhalar (Mongolian Tsaatan) are a small Tuvan Turkic community of reindeer herders living in northern most edge of Khvusgul Privince of Mongolia. Only 44-45 Dukha families remain, totaling somewhere between 200 and 400 people. They ride, breed, milk, and live off of reindeer. The name “tsaatan” means “reindeer herder” as in “tsaa buga” (reindeer).
