Night flight from Frankfurt to Genghis Khan's homeland

Your tour guide will warmly welcome you upon arrival in Ulaanbaatar. Enjoy a hearty breakfast before checking into your room and relaxing. In the afternoon, a city tour will take you to the heart of the Mongolian capital: the central Genghis Khan Square and the Zaisan Monument, offering a magnificent panoramic view of the city. Afterwards, you will visit the Winter Palace of the last Bogd Khan – once the residence of Mongolia's Buddhist leader, now a fascinating museum with six temples. To conclude the day, you will experience a concert featuring the impressive sounds of traditional throat singing and the horsehead fiddle – a truly memorable start to your journey.

Gandan Monastery is the largest and most important Buddhist monastery in Mongolia, perched atop a hill west of Ulaanbaatar. Even from afar, you can see its magnificent temples and monastic complex. Here, vibrant faith meets history: the monastery is a "living museum" while simultaneously providing space for practice and teaching. The many prayer wheels, both inside and out, are particularly impressive. You can experience a Buddhist ceremony here together with monks. Southwest of the capital lies Hustai National Park, whose name means "Birch Mountains." Typical Mongolian steppe and forest landscapes await you, along with abundant wildlife such as elk, gazelles, red deer, and ibex. The reintroduction of the Tachi horse is especially fascinating – these horses, once extinct in the wild, now roam freely thanks to successful breeding programs. On an approximately two-hour hike, you can savor the tranquility of nature and let the landscape work its magic.

On your journey westward to central Mongolia, you'll visit the ruins of Khar Bukh Balgas fortress, a relic of the Kidan Empire from the 10th to 12th centuries. The journey continues to Gurvanbulag, where forest, mountains, the lonely steppe, and the sand dunes of the Gobi Desert converge – part of the Khogno Khan Nature Reserve. Here, you'll visit a nomadic family and spend the night in a yurt camp belonging to their community. This will give you an intimate glimpse into the daily lives of the nomads and provide fascinating insights into their culture. Be curious, ask questions, and let yourself be captivated by the hospitality and joyful way of life of the people.

Yesterday you only got a glimpse into the lives of the nomads – today you have the opportunity to shape the day entirely to your liking. Enjoy the tranquility of the Mongolian steppe, hike to the sand dunes, try your hand at archery, or help the villagers with traditional cheese or milk liquor production – including a tasting. By the end of the day, you'll know what real Khorkhog tastes like and which tricks lead to victory in a game of Shagai with the nomads.

On your way to the ancient capital of the Mongol Empire, you'll visit the monuments of Khöshöö Tsaidam, whose bilingual Chinese-Turkic inscriptions from the 6th to 8th centuries testify to the former grandeur of the first Turkic empire. In the afternoon, you'll reach the ruins of Karakorum at the foot of the Khangai Mountains. Genghis Khan chose this location in the Orkhon Valley as the seat of his vast empire, but Chinese troops destroyed the city at the end of the 14th century. Karakorum experienced a second golden age about 200 years later, and the first Buddhist monastery in Mongolia was established here. Today, you'll visit the Erdene Zuu Buddhist temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monastery, whose name means "precious lord" or "hundred treasures," is surrounded by a large Tibetan-style wall incorporating 100 stupas and four large gates facing each cardinal direction. Not far from Karakorum lies the Zuulun Suvd felt workshop, originally founded as a family business and now a women's craft cooperative. Here, senior citizens, the unemployed, and people with disabilities find employment and produce a wide range of felt products. Come and see the craftsmanship for yourself – you're sure to find some lovely souvenirs to take home.

In the morning, you'll explore the market in Karakorum and discover many local products and specialties. Afterwards, you'll continue to the unique Orkhon Valley, which impresses not only with its culture but also with its stunning scenery. You'll stroll along the river, past fertile fields and rolling hills through the vast, untouched landscape of Mongolia. In the afternoon, you'll visit a nomadic family who will welcome you in typical Mongolian fashion with a bottle of snuff. Those who wish can also sample the national drink, airag, fermented mare's milk.

Today you'll travel to Ongi Monastery, which stretches along both sides of the Ongi River in a small, black lava mountain range. The 435-kilometer-long river originates in the Khangai Mountains and flows through the Gobi Desert to Red Lake. The river is now threatened with drying up – it first ran dry in 1998. You'll visit the monastery ruins, which, like many other monasteries, were destroyed. For about 15 years, a stupa has commemorated the lamas who were killed in the 1930s. A few monks now practice again in a newly built temple. Besides a small museum, you'll find animal sculptures on a nearby hill. The monastery was once an important center of Buddhist learning in medicine, philosophy, and astrology.

Get out of bed and into the cliffs of Bayansag – "rich in saxaul," as the name suggests. Here, saxaul trees abound, gnarled survivors in the otherwise barren landscape, offering a bizarre sight. When the evening sun hits the red sandstone, the cliffs transform into a fiery sea of light – hence the name "Flaming Cliffs." In the early afternoon, you'll reach the red shore, famous for its spectacular fossil finds. Millions of years ago, dinosaurs roamed here, and their remains are still remarkably well-preserved. In 1923, explorer Roy Chapman Andrews discovered the world's largest dinosaur graveyard here – including the first dinosaur eggs ever found. Even today, new fossils are constantly being unearthed. You'll hike for about an hour and a half through the saxaul forest to the glowing red cliffs. Enjoy the tranquility, the unique landscape, and the breathtaking view of the setting sun.

In the Gobi-Gurvan-Saikhan National Park, west of Dalandad, lies one of Mongolia's most spectacular attractions: the shifting sand dunes of Khongoryn Els. They rise over 100 meters high, are four kilometers wide, and stretch for 180 kilometers between the mountain ranges. After settling into your yurt camp and freshening up, you can climb to the highest peak of the "singing dune" and enjoy the breathtaking view. When the wind sweeps across the dune crest, the sand grains create a peculiar humming sound – hence the name. Afterward, you can whiz back down the hill and end the evening with a dreamy view of the golden sand dunes.

Because yesterday was so impressive, we're going back to the sand dunes – they look completely different in the clear morning light. Or have they perhaps shifted overnight? You'll visit a camel-herding family in their ger – a combined kitchen, living, and sleeping tent – and have the opportunity to ride these spirited desert animals. Afterward, you'll climb a lower sand dune, and in the afternoon, you'll have free time at the camp to peacefully enjoy the vastness of the desert.

About 45 kilometers west of Dalandad lies Jolyn Am, a picturesque, narrow valley also known as the Vulture Gorge. It is located east of the Gurvan Saikhan mountain in the Altai Mountains. The stream that winds through the valley disappears at the end under a meter-thick snowfield that doesn't completely melt even in summer. You can hike through the valley for about an hour and a half and, with a bit of luck, see vultures, steppe buzzards, and various falcon species circling in the clear blue sky – a truly impressive natural spectacle.

Early in the morning, you'll begin the long drive to the Baga Gasrin Chuluu rock formation, located in the heart of the steppe. For Mongolians, this is a pilgrimage site where Buddhist ceremonies are held. Nestled within the massif are the ruins of an ancient monastery, shrouded in legend. Genghis Khan is said to have camped here with his warriors – while there's no proof, the stories and the extraordinary combination of rocks, mineral springs, and the vast steppe will captivate you. You'll hike for about two hours through this impressive landscape and, with a bit of luck, encounter ibex, wild sheep, marmots, or circling vultures.

You bid farewell to the vast steppes and desert landscapes and travel back to Ulaanbaatar. You arrive in the capital in the afternoon and check into your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to spend as you please – perhaps shopping for last-minute souvenirs or taking a leisurely stroll through the city. Cashmere and camel hair products are especially popular and make perfect souvenirs to take home.

Today you will be taken to Ulaanbaatar airport. Here you will say a reluctant goodbye to your tour guide and to this hospitable country, and fly back home.