Mongolia, also known as ‘The Land of the Horse’, is where seas of grass stretch as far as the eye can see and herds of animals move freely under the protection of nomadic peoples. The horse is still central to nomadic life in Mongolia, and Mongolian people are some of the best riders in the world, having a deep and intimate knowledge of equine behaviour. Join Hooves Around The World, and explore Mongolia on horseback in 2026. Read about our Hooves Around Mongolia 2025 trip here!
Book your horse riding trip to Mongolia
Trips do not include travel insurance - we recommend getting Global Rescue insurance for your trip.
This itinerary includes horse and camel riding expeditions, exploration of ancient monasteries, camping in traditional Ger tents, as well as wild camping in the beautiful Mongolian countryside. You will journey through Khangai Nuruu National Park’s rolling hills, river valleys and lush woodlands, stopping at historic sites such as the Shiveet Ulaan ruins and the Tsenkher hot springs. Enjoy stargazing, hot spring relaxation, and authentic nomadic hospitality along the way.
Itinerary subject to change! Keeping into account weather, logistics, and above all animal welfare. Let this incredible trip surprise you, and go with the flow of the land!
Pick up on day 1 is around 07:00 am from your hotel or guesthouse in Ulaanbaatar (UB) city. We aim to get out on the road early as we have a long drive, roughly 5hr 30mins to reach Kharakhorin, Mongolia's ancient capital. As we leave the city you will get your first taste of the vast size of the Mongolian countryside, and we will stop regularly to take photos and break this trip up as much as possible. Our first stop will be a short way out of the city to pick up provisions for the week. From here on out we will only be stopping in with local nomads and very small villages so this is a great opportunity to pick up anything you have forgotten or grab some snacks for between meals.
Around lunchtime and 4 hours into the drive, we reach the geological phenomenon of the Mini Gobi, an off-shoot of the larger desert to the south. Here it won’t be horses that we are riding but the native two-humped Bactrian camel as we spend an hour or so exploring the dunes of this unique landscape. After lunch, we finish the last leg of the journey to Mongolia’s ancient capital. In the evening, we can relax at the guesthouse, and we will have a trip briefing so you know what to expect during the rest of the trip.
Learn a little about Mongolian history and the local area as we visit Eredene Zuu Monastery, Mongolia’s largest functioning Buddhist monastery and the Kharakhorin museum. The monastery is one of the few sites that survived destruction during the communist purges. Its 108 stupas on the outer wall, three temples and some smaller buildings that survive to this day have been restored to their former glory with beautiful artefacts and colourful wall paintings. It is a must-see if you are in the area. The monastery, with its long history, gives you a glimpse of what the ancient city would have looked like under the Great Khans.
After a visit to the fabulous Kharakhorin museum and some lunch, we will set out for the Khangai Nuruu National Park and Orkhon Valley. The drive is 2hr 30 mins, and we will spend the night in a comfortable local Ger camp (traditional Mongolian tent) in the foothills of the mountains near Bat-Ultzii village.
This region is renowned for its fertile rivers and a prosperous nomadic culture. The valley we are currently in is also a UNESCO World Heritage area due to its beauty and cultural significance to nomadic people. The surrounding landscape consists of steep, rolling hills with mountains and wide meandering river valleys at their base. Many of the slopes are covered in trees, and herd animals roam freely through the landscape.
Our riding days are typically around 6hrs per day with breaks, and we cover 25 to 35km a day. The ride today is to Mongolia’s largest waterfall by volume, the Red Falls. Our nomadic hosts and their horses will meet us at our camp, and we have a roughly 21km ride to the falls. At the falls, we plan to have an extended break to give time to take photos, have a dip and explore the area. The waterfall on its own is very impressive, but the river has also carved a deep gorge into the landscape that is accessible by a steep path. The gorge shelters many trees and wildflower meadows, making it a great place to go for a walk and explore a little before continuing with our ride. From the falls, it is a short ride to our host's camp, where, if they are willing, they will prepare for us a traditional Mongolian BBQ to celebrate our first day in the saddle.
Tonight is also our first night camping, and we will pitch up beside our Nomadic hosts under the beautiful Mongolian sky. We can then spend the rest of the evening relaxing around the fire, socialising. This is a great time to get to know your fellow travellers, guides and hosts as we swap stories and answer questions about Mongolia and the trip. As night falls, you are in for a treat as the sky lights up with thousands of stars and the dust clouds of the Milky Way become visible. Mongolia is one of the best places in the world for stargazing, as the country is at a high elevation. Nights are usually clear, and there is little to no light pollution for hundreds of kilometres in every direction.
We ride out from our camp and say goodbye to our host's family as we pick up the trail to the Orkon River. Outcrops of trees and volcanic rocks break up the landscape of the wide river valley. As we meet the Orkon River and ride along its banks downstream, we will choose a nice spot to stop and have lunch. You can relax on the shores of the river or go for a swim as our cooks prepare a delicious meal. After lunch, we will continue on our journey downstream until we reach the sacred valley. The area here is sacred as it is a common route for visitors to the nearby monastery. For this reason, we are not permitted to have a campfire. However, we can enjoy activities such as archery, traditional games like knucklebones, and swimming in the river.
As we leave the Orkon River and its wide valley behind, we head into the hills and smaller valleys of this region. The morning will be spent riding through one of these smaller valleys until we reach the trailhead for the pilgrims’ path to Tövhön Hiid monastery. In true Mongolian fashion, the Monastery is situated on a stunning rocky outcrop at the top of one of the nearby mountains. The panoramic views of the surrounding landscape from the top are incredible, and it has a rich history, being one of the oldest Buddhist Monasteries in Mongolia. Its position on the mountain and solitude echoes older shamanic traditions of connecting with the great blue sky and living in harmony with nature. For most people, the only way to access this monastery is to take the 10-kilometre hike or ride to the top. Fortunately for us, the horses will do most of the hard work, and the pilgrims' path is a change of terrain and pace for us on our ride.
Having returned to the sacred valley to camp, we continue our journey following the valley to its head. Along the way, many springs well up from the ground, feeding a little stream. This area is often kept for winter grazing, so wildflowers and plant life are abundant. It is a beautiful area, and the rest of the ride continues with this breathtaking scenery and more opportunities to gallop in the open and gently sloping terrain. We will pass over into a couple more valleys, getting a stunning view of the green landscape before finding a suitable place to camp near the Shiveet Ulaan ruins. The ruins are situated at the confluence of the Hanuy and Hünüy Rivers. It is believed to have been built by the Uyghur people, and its strategic location in the landscape, and signs of fortification, suggest it was a power base for the region. Possibly even serving as a summer palace for Nomadic people. Excavations are ongoing, and the archaeologists are often enthusiastic to tell us a bit about the site and what they have found.
As we leave the beautiful Hanuy and Hünüy basin and cross the small mountain range to our West on our way to the Tsenkher hot springs. There is some room for exploration. The terrain is perfect for letting the Mongol horses show you what they are made of as we ride over the rolling hills of the mountain pass. Camp for the evening will be by the banks of the river, with a few good spots to choose from, as many rivers and streams flow through the valleys. The surrounding hills also provide wood for the fire and shelter from the winds. Parts of the rivers are deep enough to swim in, and there are often very few people around.
Tonight we will have a celebration to mark the end of the horse riding part of this trip. Enjoy the company of our nomadic hosts, who will be leaving us in the morning to head home to their families. Our hosts often sing traditional songs for us around the fire, and we will share some drinks and stories with our fellow travellers.
We will say farewell to our Nomadic hosts and horses as we continue by vehicle to the Tsenker hot springs. The Springs are a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, as they are believed to have healing properties and soothe the pains of joints and muscles. Perfect after 5 days of riding. There is a Ger camp attached to the hot springs, and we will spend the day and evening lounging in the pools before retiring to our Ger for a well-earned rest.
Today is the penultimate day of our trip, and we must make our way back towards Ulaanbaatar. We now leave the dirt tracks and horse trails of Khangai Nuruu National Park behind and regain the paved roads on our way back to the city. The trip, however, is not over, and we will stop at a Ger camp near Hustai National Park, home to the rare Przewalski horses. Make sure to get some rest tonight, as we will be setting off early in the morning to increase our chances of spotting other wildlife such as wolves, Mongolian gazelle, lynx, ibex, red deer and marmots, to name a few.
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We will set off as soon as the park rangers open the gates to give us the best chance of seeing some of the more elusive members of the park. However, the Przewalski horses are the main draw for the park and are what made the park famous. Their reintroduction in 1990 after going extinct in the wild has been a massive success, and they are now a common sighting here. The horses are distinct from other horse species as they are believed to have never been domesticated, splitting from domesticated horse breeds 38,000 to 160,000 years ago. After spending a few hours wildlife-spotting, we will head back to our ger camp to pick up our things and leave for UB - a 2-hour drive.
Once back in the city, you can rest and relax before we meet up for a final meal together to recount our exploits and say our farewells.
Day 11: We have nothing planned for today, but we will be available to provide airport transfers as well as help and information with onward travel and staying longer in Mongolia should you need it.
Book your horse riding trip to Mongolia
