Adventure Tours

Mongolia 4×4 Self-Drive Expedition

Fifteen days at the wheel of a Toyota Land Cruiser 200, from Ulaanbaatar to the Kazakh eagle hunters of the Altai, by way of Kharkhorin, White Lake and Lake Khuvsgul. Guided convoy, mechanics on the road.

Mongolia: Country, region
Max 27°C, min -2°C: Weather
Jun-Sep: Seasons
Tarmac, gravel, dirt tracks: Driving terrain
± Approx. 2,960 km: Driving distance
15 Days / 14 Nights: Duration
Moderate, long driving days: Expedition difficulty
Maximum 12 people: Max group size

Highlights

What you will remember

Close to 3,000 km at the wheel of a Land Cruiser
Two nights at Lake Khuvsgul
Hotels, lodges and ger camps
About 60 percent of the route is unpaved
Uureg Lake, at 1,450 m in the Mongolian Altai
Evenings on the steppe
A guided convoy, with mechanics travelling with it
Mountain lakes and open sky

Ulaanbaatar to the Altai: a Mongolia self-drive tour by Land Cruiser

This is a 15-day Mongolia self-drive tour that crosses the country from the capital to its far west. You drive a Toyota Land Cruiser 200 in a guided convoy, about 2,960 km in all, and roughly 60 percent of it is unpaved.
The route starts with the old imperial capital at Kharkhorin and Erdene Zuu Monastery. It turns north to the crater lake of Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur, known as White Lake, and on to Lake Khuvsgul, where there are two …

Price

$8,000per person

Expedition price

Person$8,000

Machine

Toyota Land Cruiser 200IncludedIncluded in the rider price

Custom expedition

Prices are set in Indian rupees and converted for display, so the figure you pay depends on the rate on the day. Flights are not included. Offhorizon Adventures may revise these prices without notice.

Day by day

Expedition program

15 days

Day 1CloseArrive in UlaanbaatarMore detailsArrive in UlaanbaatarWhere you stayNovotel UlaanbaatarAirport transfer. No driving.
You are met at Chinggis Khaan International Airport and driven to the Novotel in the city centre. The afternoon is free for Sukhbaatar Square and the National Museum.
In the evening there is a welcome dinner at a Mongolian restaurant, followed by the expedition briefing: the route, the safety rules and who is in which vehicle.
Day 2CloseUlaanbaatar to KharkhorinMore detailsUlaanbaatar to KharkhorinWhere you stayIkh Khorum Hotel, KharkhorinDistance: Approx. 370 km
Driving: 5 to 6 hours
An early start, southwest on paved road towards the Orkhon Valley. There is an optional stop at the Khustai National Park viewpoint to look for Przewalski's wild horses, which adds about an hour.
By evening you are in Kharkhorin, the old capital of the Mongol Empire.
Day 3CloseKharkhorin to the Tamir River ValleyMore detailsKharkhorin to the Tamir River ValleyWhere you stayGer camp by the Tamir RiverDistance: Approx. 180 km
Driving: 4 hours or more
The morning is for Erdene Zuu, the oldest surviving Buddhist monastery in Mongolia, founded in 1586, and the ruins of Karakorum beside it.
In the afternoon the convoy drives on to the Tamir River Valley.
Day 4CloseTamir River Valley to White LakeMore detailsTamir River Valley to White LakeWhere you stayMaikhan Tolgoi Camp, White LakeDistance: Approx. 220 km
Driving: 4 to 5 hours
North through rolling steppe and forested hills to Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur, the Great White Lake, a crater lake formed by old lava flows.
There is a walk up to the crater of the Khorgo volcano for the view over the lake and the lava fields. A boat ride on the lake is optional.
Day 5CloseWhite Lake to MurunMore detailsWhite Lake to MurunWhere you stayHotel in MurunDistance: Approx. 380 km
Driving: 6 to 7 hours
A long driving day north through taiga and river valleys into Khuvsgul province, ending in Murun, the provincial capital. Dinner is at a local restaurant.
Day 6CloseMurun to Lake KhuvsgulMore detailsMurun to Lake KhuvsgulWhere you stayTaiga Lodge, Lake KhuvsgulDistance: Approx. 100 km
Driving: 2 to 3 hours
A short drive through Siberian pine forest to the shore of Lake Khuvsgul, the Blue Pearl of Mongolia. The afternoon is free on the lakeshore.
Day 7CloseLake Khuvsgul: exploration dayMore detailsLake Khuvsgul: exploration dayWhere you stayTaiga Lodge, Lake KhuvsgulDistance: Approx. 30 km
Driving: 1 hour
A full day at the lake. A morning ride on horseback along the shore, an optional guided walk to a viewpoint over the water, and, if they can be reached, a visit to a family of the Tsaatan, the reindeer people.
A campfire by the lake in the evening.
Day 8CloseLake Khuvsgul to TosontengelMore detailsLake Khuvsgul to TosontengelWhere you stayIder Lodge, TosontengelDistance: Approx. 310 km
Driving: 6 to 7 hours or more
South from Khatgal and west into Zavkhan province. Rough dirt tracks through remote river valleys and forested passes, across the valley of the Ider River.
Day 9CloseTosontengel to Khyargas LakeMore detailsTosontengel to Khyargas LakeWhere you stayGer camp at Khyargas LakeDistance: Approx. 390 km
Driving: 7 to 8 hours
The longest day at the wheel, west across the Great Lakes Depression. Open steppe with volcanic mountains behind it.
Khyargas is a large salt lake at 1,028 m, with red cliffs along the shore and the Altai on the horizon at sunset.
Day 10CloseKhyargas Lake to Uureg LakeMore detailsKhyargas Lake to Uureg LakeWhere you stayGer camp at Uureg LakeDistance: Approx. 280 km
Driving: 6 to 7 hours or more
North along the lake to Ulaangom for fuel and supplies, then northwest to Uureg Nuur, an alpine lake at 1,450 m in the Mongolian Altai.
Day 11CloseUureg Lake to UlgiiMore detailsUureg Lake to UlgiiWhere you stayHotel Mediana, UlgiiDistance: Approx. 200 km
Driving: 4 to 5 hours
South through the Altai into Bayan-Ulgii. Ulgii is Mongolia's westernmost city and the centre of Kazakh culture.
There is time for the Kazakh market, with its felt work, silver and horse gear, before dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 12CloseUlgii to Altai Sum: the eagle huntersMore detailsUlgii to Altai Sum: the eagle huntersWhere you stayThe eagle hunter family's guest gerDistance: Approx. 150 km
Driving: 3 to 4 hours
South to Altai Sum and the home of a family of Kazakh eagle hunters.
You watch a golden eagle being trained and worked, meet the hunters and their horses, hear Kazakh folk music and share a home-cooked Kazakh lunch.
Day 13CloseAltai Sum to UlgiiMore detailsAltai Sum to UlgiiWhere you stayHotel Mediana, UlgiiDistance: Approx. 150 km
Driving: 3 to 4 hours
Back to Ulgii in the morning. The afternoon is free for the Kazakh quarter, the mosque and the market.
In the evening there is a farewell dinner with the local crew.
Day 14CloseFly Ulgii to UlaanbaatarMore detailsFly Ulgii to UlaanbaatarWhere you stayNovotel UlaanbaatarFlight: about 1 hour 40 minutes
A morning transfer to Ulgii airport and the flight back to the capital. The afternoon is free.
In the evening there is a final dinner with Mongolian music and throat singing.
Day 15CloseDepart UlaanbaatarMore detailsDepart UlaanbaatarWhere you stayExpedition endsAirport transfer. No driving.
A free morning in Ulaanbaatar, then a transfer to the airport for your flight home.

The fleet

The cars that go out with you

Each is hired for the length of the expedition, 15 days on the shortest departure, and shared between the people in it.

Toyota Land Cruiser 200
3 seats

The price

What is in it, and what is not

In the price11

Toyota Land Cruiser 200
Included in the price for the whole expedition. You drive it yourself, with no more than three people per vehicle.
Fuel
For every driving day.
Offhorizon guide
One of our own guides leads the convoy for the whole route.
Mechanics and support team
Travel with the convoy and give roadside support throughout.
Hotels in Ulaanbaatar
Two nights at the Novotel, on arrival and after the flight back.
Accommodation on the road
Twelve nights in hotels, lodges and ger camps, including one night in the eagle hunters' guest ger.
Breakfast and dinner
Every day, plus a welcome dinner and a farewell dinner.
Eagle hunter visit
The visit, the demonstration and lunch with the family in Altai Sum.
Entrance fees
To all the sites listed in the programme.
Airport transfers
In Ulaanbaatar, on arrival and on departure.
Route planning, permits and logistics

Not in the price09

Flight from Ulgii to Ulaanbaatar
Booked separately. About USD 250 to 280 per person.
International flights
Lunches
Apart from the lunch with the eagle hunter family.
Travel and medical evacuation insurance
Strongly advised on a route this remote.
Visa
Requirements depend on your passport. Check the current rules for your country before you book flights.
Optional activities
Kayaking and similar extras.
Tips
For drivers and camp staff.
Alcohol and personal expenses
Vehicle damage outside the insurance
Tyres, the windscreen, the underbody, and damage from careless off-road driving or river crossings.

Route map

What to expect

What is under the wheels

About 60 percent of the route is unpaved. Expect dust and corrugated tracks, most of all in the west. You do not need to have driven off-road before, but you should be a confident driver. Day 9 is seven to eight hours at the wheel, and Days 5, 8 and 10 are six to seven. Fuel stations are scarce beyond Murun and Ulaangom, so the convoy carries spare fuel. Uureg Lake is at 1,450 m and the passes near Altai Sum reach above 2,500 m.

The place itself

See it to believe it

Before you book

Questions before you book

Do I drive the vehicle myself?

Yes. This is a Mongolia self-drive tour. You drive a Toyota Land Cruiser 200 in a convoy, behind one of our own guides, who knows the route.

Do I need off-road driving experience?

No, but you should be a confident driver. About 60 percent of the route is on unpaved tracks, and some days are seven hours or more at the wheel.

How many people share a vehicle?

No more than three, so that the long days stay comfortable.

Is there a guide and a mechanic on this Mongolia 4x4 tour?

Yes. One of our own guides leads the convoy, and mechanics and a support team travel with it.

What happens on the eagle hunter visit?

You spend a day and a night with a family of Kazakh eagle hunters in Altai Sum. You watch a golden eagle being worked, meet the hunters and their horses, hear Kazakh folk music, share a meal and sleep in the family's guest ger.

Will we meet the reindeer herders?

If they can be reached. The Tsaatan move their camps, so the visit near Lake Khuvsgul depends on where the family is at the time.

Is the flight from Ulgii to Ulaanbaatar included?

No. It is booked separately and costs about USD 250 to 280 per person.

Where do we sleep?

Two nights at the Novotel in Ulaanbaatar, hotels in Kharkhorin, Murun and Ulgii, lodges at Lake Khuvsgul and Tosontengel, ger camps in between, and one night in the eagle hunters' guest ger.

Which meals are included?

Breakfast and dinner every day, the welcome and farewell dinners, and lunch with the eagle hunter family. Other lunches are not included.

What does the price of this Mongolia overland tour include?

The Land Cruiser, fuel, one of our own guides, mechanics, 14 nights of accommodation, breakfasts and dinners, entrance fees, the eagle hunter visit and airport transfers in Ulaanbaatar. The current price per person is shown at the top of this page.

When is the best time for a Mongolia road trip?

June to September. July has the Naadam festival. September brings golden steppe and clearer skies.

What licence do I need?

A valid driving licence, and an International Driving Permit where it applies.

What is not covered by the vehicle insurance?

Tyres, the windscreen, the underbody, and damage from careless off-road driving or river crossings.

Is there phone signal on the route?

In the main towns, yes. In the remote stretches, no.

How much cash should I carry?

Cards are unreliable outside Ulaanbaatar and Ulgii. Carry US dollars and Mongolian tugrik for lunches, tips and personal spending.

Ride this one with us

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Mongolia 4×4 Self-Drive Expedition

What you will remember