DAY 1. ARRIVAL IN ULAANBAATOR/WELCOME LUNCH/CITY TOUR
Welcome Lunch Included
Arrival at the new “Genghis” Khan (“Chinggis” Khan) Airport (52 km, + 2-3 hours of travel, depending on traffic) in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. Welcome by the Samar Magic Tours team. Exchange money at the banks in the airport. Transfer to the hotel (*rooms can be used from 2:00 PM on the day of arrival (Early check-in fee applies). 10:00 AM – Panoramic city tour: to the Central Square and the Genghis Khan Monument Complex, built in 2006 to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Mongolian state or the Mongolian Empire by Genghis Khan (1206-2006). It is located opposite the Mongolian Parliament and Government House. Welcome lunch at a traditional local restaurant. Transfer to the hotel. Enjoy some time at the hotel to adjust to the local time. Overnight at the selected and confirmed hotel. Dinner not included.
DAY 2. GRAND TOUR OF ULAANBAATAR
Breakfast and Lunch Included
Breakfast. 9:00 AM – Meet the Samar Magic Tours team at the hotel reception. Panoramic city tour: We will visit Gandan Monastery, Mongolia’s tallest and most important Buddhist Monastery, which houses a 25-meter-tall Buddha. Gandan Monastery was founded in 1809 as the Yellow Temple. The monastery houses a library containing the Buddhist scriptures of Ganjjuru (8 volumes), its commentaries (225 volumes), and other scriptures inscribed with nine precious stones. It was declared a national heritage site in 1994. Visit to the Zanabazar Museum of Fine Arts, which contains a large collection of Mongolian art, including works by the 17th-century sculptor and artist Zanabazar, as well as the country’s most famous painting, “One Day in Mongolia,” by B. Sharav. Next, visit the Mongolian History Museum, with its rich collection of historical and cultural artifacts from the Stone Age to the present day. 13:00-Lunch is included at a local restaurant. Afterward, visit the new Genghis Khan Museum, which finally opened on October 11, 2022. The museum showcases the history of Mongolian kings from the reign of King Hunnu Modun Shanyu to the abdication of the eighth Jebtsundamba. At 6:00 PM, enjoy a traditional Mongolian folk song and dance performance. Transfer to your hotel. Overnight at the selected and confirmed hotel. Dinner is not included.
DAY 3. FLIGHT TO ULGII/SAGSAI/MEETING WITH KAZAKHS FALCONIST FAMILIES
Full Board
Breakfast. At the appropriate time, transfer to the new “Genghis” Khan (“Chinggis” Khan) Airport (52 km, + 4-5 hours travel time) in Ulaanbaatar. Flight to Ulgii (approximately 1.5-3 hours flight time). Domestic flights subject to final schedule. Arrival and meeting at Ulgii Airport, capital of the Bayan-Ulgii Province, the most remote province in Mongolia. Transfer to a Kazakh tourist camp. Afterwards, departure for the village of Sagsai, where we will visit traditional Kazakh families and observe how eagles are trained. Meeting with Kazakh eagle falconer families to learn about and experience some training and preparation techniques for the Eagle Festival. Accommodation in a Kazakh tourist camp, based on a Standard Ger.
DAY 4. GOLDEN EAGLE FESTIVAL OPENING CEREMONY/COMPETITIONS BEGIN
Full Board
After breakfast, meet your transport and depart for the Golden Eagle Festival. The official opening ceremony begins with a parade of participants on horseback with their eagles. The competition starts when each Kazakh displays their hunting attire and accessories. The most elaborate and beautiful clothing and accessories receive the highest points. In the afternoon, the Golden Eagles will be tested for speed and agility. The eagles will be released from a cliff, and their handler will stand below and instruct them to land on their arm, as they do during the hunt. Those with the fastest times and best technique will receive the highest scores. In the evening, we will attend a Kazakh play honoring the Kazakhs and their eagles. Overnight at a Kazakh tourist camp, based on standard gers.
DAY 5. GOLDEN EAGLE FESTIVAL/COMPETITION/AWARDS CEREMONY
Full Board
After breakfast, meet your transport and depart for the Golden Eagle Festival. Get ready for some exciting action today!. Golden Eagles will be released from a cliff to attack fox pelts dragged by their owner on horseback. The eagles will be judged on their success in catching the “fox,” their speed, and their “grasping” technique. As points are tallied for the competitions, Kazakhs will compete in their traditional game called “kukbar,” which tests riding skills, strength, and agility. In the late afternoon, the festival winners will be announced at the Golden Eagle Festival Awards and Closing Ceremony. In the evening, enjoy a celebratory dinner. Overnight at a Kazakh tourist camp, based on a standard ger.
DAY 6. FLIGHT ULGII/ULAANBAATAR
Breakfast and Lunch Included
Breakfast. At the designated time, transfer to Ulgii Airport. Return flight to Ulaanbaatar’s new “Genghis” Khan (“Chinggis” Khan) Airport (approximately 1.5-3 hours). Domestic flights subject to final schedule. Arrival, meet with Samar Magic Tours. Transfer to the hotel (*rooms will be available from 2:00 PM on the day of arrival). Lunch included at a local restaurant. Transfer to the hotel. Overnight at the selected and confirmed hotel. Dinner not included.
DAY 7. ULAANBAATAR/GREAT EQUESTRIAN STATUE OF GENGHIS KHAN/GORKHI-TERELJ NATIONAL PARK/ULAANBAATAR
Breakfast and Lunch Included
Breakfast. 9:00 AM – Meet the Samar Magic Tours team at the hotel reception. Then, depart to visit the Great Equestrian Statue of “Genghis´´ Khan (approx. 55 km, 1.5 hours, plus 2 hours depending on traffic). The statue symbolically points east, towards his birthplace (Khenti Province). At the base of the sculptural complex is a visitor center, 10 meters high, with 36 columns representing the 36 khans of “Genghis´´ Khan’s Ligdan Khanate. It was inaugurated in 2008. Visitors can reach the horse’s head through its chest and neck for a panoramic view. The area around the main statue will be surrounded by 200 gers (traditional Mongolian dwellings), designed (but not yet built) and constructed following the pattern of horse hoofprints used by Mongolian tribes during the 13th century. The museum integrated into the complex displays exhibits related to the Bronze Age and Xiongnu archaeological cultures of Mongolia, highlighting the tools they used daily. Belt buckles, knives, sacred animals, etc.; and a second exhibition on the great Khan period of the 13th and 14th centuries, displaying ancient tools, goldwork, and some Nestorian crosses and rosaries. Adjacent to the museum is a tourist recreation center, covering 212 hectares. At the base of the statue, visitors can see a replica of the Great Khan’s legendary golden whip. Near the Great Statue of Genghis Khan, you can take beautiful photos with the Kazakhs and their Golden Eagles, ride Bactrian camels, or take Mongolian horseback rides across the steppes, and try archery (*extra charge on site). A traditional Mongolian lunch is included in the tour. Departure towards Gorkhi-Terelj National Park (50 km, 1 hour), located in the northeast at an altitude of 1600 meters above sea level. The park features towering Mesozoic granite boulders, mountains, steppes, alpine forests, and striking rock formations with curious shapes, such as Turtle Rock. Declared a National Park in 1993, it covers an area of 300,000 hectares. Stop for photos, souvenir shopping, and a hike to Turtle Rock, the symbol of Gorkhi-Terelj National Park. Return to Ulaanbaatar (approximately 70 km, plus 2 hours of travel time, depending on traffic). Transfer to the hotel. Overnight at the selected and confirmed hotel.
Dinner not included.
DAY 8. GRAND TOUR OF ULAANBAATAR
Full Board
Breakfast. 9:00 AM – Meet the Samar Magic Tours team at the hotel reception. Visit the Bogd Khan Palace Museum, built between 1893 and 1903. This museum complex is located in Ulaanbaatar. It was the Green Palace of the eighth Jebtsundamba Khutughtu, who was later proclaimed Bogd Khan, or ruler of Mongolia. Besides being the oldest museum, it also boasts one of the largest collections in Mongolia. The palace is the only remaining part of the Bogd Khan’s original four residences. With the Winter Palace, the Gate of Peace and Happiness, the Cooling Pavilion, and six temples, each containing Buddhist artwork, scriptures, and thangkas, such as the Naidan Temple and the Makhranz Temple, the palace complex comprises approximately 20 structures. The museum has around 8,600 exhibits. On display are many of Bogd Khan’s possessions, such as his throne and bed, his art collection and stuffed animals, and his ornate Ceremonial Ger, a pair of ceremonial boots presented to the Khan by Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, and also a jeweled outfit worn by Bogd Khan’s pet elephant. Visit and last-minute shopping at a pure Mongolian
cashmere shop. Next, we will visit the hill south of the city, the Zaisan Memorial. We will see the 75-foot (23-meter) tall Buddha statue located at the base of the Zaisan Memorial. Beneath the statue is a small room containing sutras and images of Buddha and his disciples. Farewell dinner included at a local restaurant. Transfer to the hotel. Overnight at the selected and confirmed hotel.
DAY 9. DEPARTURE FROM MONGOLIA
Breakfast included
Breakfast. Rooms must be vacated by 12:00 PM on the day of departure. Meet the Samar Magic Tours team in the hotel lobby. Transfer to the new “Genghis” Khan (“Chinggis” Khaan) Airport (52 km, +5 hours of travel time). Departure from Mongolia. END OF THE GREAT JOURNEY.
