5 days Ancient city & camel herder homestay

Day 1: Elsen Tasarkhai- Camel herders homestay

Departing Ulaanbaatar at 8am you travel south for 3 hours on good roads passing through spectacular scenery and increasingly desert like landscape arriving at Elsen Tasarkhai at around 11am. These dunes form the northernmost part of the Gobi desert and are a wonderful place to spend a magical first evening. Upon arrival your guide will introduce you to a local camel herding family who will host you for the night. You will enjoy a lunch of heart soup and fermented camel's milk to fortify you for an afternoon of work with the family herding goats, sheep and horses and milking the animals with the family who will instruct you every step of the way. Int he evening you rest your weary muscles in the family's ger (small felt ten) and drift off with the smell of woodsmoke and the sound of the animals gently lowing around you.

Day 2: Ancient city of Kharkhorum and Erdenezuu

The ancient capital city of the Mongolian western empire, this city was once the centre of the world.You arrive here at about 10 am and visit a local museum where you will learn about the history of this fascinating town. Afterwards (depending on the time of year) we take lunch in a local ger camp where you will also be staying overnight. In the afternoon we visit the UNESCO protected Erdenezuu Monastery where your guide will take you around the temple complex and to a nearby antique market that sells small handcrafts alongside historical souvenirs from the Socialist era (think lots of old propaganda badges!) and more ancient small items.

Day 3: Khustai National ParkIn the morning you will pack the car and drive to Khustai Nuruu National Park just south of Ulaanbaatar. Here you will spend another night with herders in this beautiful and important national park. The area is most famous for its population of Przewalski's horse, the once critically endangered wild horse that has made a resurgence in this area. If you are lucky then you may catch a glimpse of this elusive and lovely creature as it grazes on the wild plains.

Day 4: Return to Ulaanbaatar

Today you rise early at 7 am and return to Ulaanbaatar, arriving at a point of your choice around 9am.

Included in the price: All of your Mongolian accommodation in hotels and ger camps; all breakfast, lunches and dinners whilst in Mongolia; bottled drinking water is also provided throughout the tour; Mongolian local transport, personal guide, translator, driver and entrance to all attractions mentioned in the itinerary.

Not included in the price: International flights, train tickets, travel insurance, international phone calls, alcoholic drinks, laundry service, souvenir shopping,