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Mongolia Small Group Tour | Discover the history and culture of Mongolia
Mongolia, while full of diverse landscapes and interesting cultures, is still relatively unexplored by tourists and travellers. The Mongolia cultural history, is a small group tour for mature-aged and senior travellers, you may be travelling as a couple or solo traveller. What is important is this tour gives you the opportunity to visit and explore this ancient land on Mongolia.
Mongolia has few cities and towns, but has extensive rural lands that remain the domain of nomadic herders. Odyssey Traveller developed this Mongolia small group tour as a new experience for the adventurous. This tour is best suited for active travellers--for those who would like to roam the outdoors, discover the history of this nation, and learn about another culture through visits and conversations with locals.
In this Mongolian small group tour, we travel through the arid desert terrains of the Gobi and the picturesque mountain and lake scenery of the Altai-Mongol Mountain chain.
About Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country, located in north-east Asia. It is sandwiched between Russia to the north and China to the south, and almost touches Kazakhstan to the west. Mongolia is deep in the interior of Asia, far from any sea, leading to a famously extreme continental climate with long cold winters and short cool-to-hot summers.
It is the least densely populated country in the world. The reason why is complex, but it owes a lot to the extreme continental climate mentioned above. Mongolia has very little arable land (or land suitable for growing crops). Three-fourths of the land consists of grassy steppe, which support immense herds of grazing livestock. The rest is divided between forests and barren deserts, with a tiny portion used for agriculture.
The prehistoric people who lived in what is now Mongolia adapted to this environment. While some agriculture was present, the dominant culture of Mongolia was pastoral nomadism. The nomads of Central Asia were the first to domesticate the horse, which they used to herd livestock from steppe to steppe in search of green pastures. In the ancient world, nomads from Mongolia roamed from what is now Romania and Bulgaria in the west to today’s Manchuria (north-eastern China). Yet, unlike agriculture, nomadism could only support small populations, meaning that Mongolia never developed the population densities of nearby China.
Even today, an estimated 25 to 40 percent of people still live as nomadic herders. Much of the sedentary population is urbanised, with the capital Ulaanbaatar comprising around 45% of the nation’s population with a population of 1.3 million.
A cultural and history tour
Only about seven nights of this 20-day program are spent in hotels. In order to immerse ourselves in the Mongolian nomadic lifestyle, many of our nights will be spent in twin-share gers, with shared toilet and bathroom facilities, and in tents furnished with camping equipment. This accommodation assignment permits the program to venture into remote locations where you can enjoy some of the country's best scenery. It also increases the possibility of seeing Mongolian wildlife. All meals are provided during the program. We travel in comfortable 4 x 4 vehicles and, when camping, have an appropriate supply vehicle and accompanied by a cook.
The contrast between ancient traditions and a 21st-century democracy is most visible in Ulaanbaatar, where traditional gers and Buddhist monasteries sit side-by-side with modern high-rises. But few of these contrasts exist once we leave Ulaanbaatar. Mongolia's natural landscape is largely unspoiled and undisturbed; a few families with their livestock and gers dot the land. Our exploratory program will visit a number of these landscapes, from the well-watered north to the arid south.
Itinerary of the Mongolia Small Group Tour
The Mongolia cultural history, small group tours for mature travellers commences with an introduction to the capital, Ulaanbaatar. After the capital, this small group educational tour heads to the forests and lake-land in the central north of Mongolia. Eventually, we end up in the Gobi with its sparse vegetation cover and stony surfaces.
In the Gobi we explore the stunning landscapes inhabited by Bactrian camels, Argali mountain sheep, goitered gazelle, Golden Eagles, Saker Falcons, jerboas (similar to kangaroo rats), and many endemic reptiles.
There will be a variety of activities during this exploration of Mongolia. The tour will visit families, explore ancient cultural relics, take walking tours in a range of forest, grassland, and desert settings, and search for interesting wildlife. Many of these activities involve walking, but each evening we return to the comforts of a ger camp or hotel.
An Odyssey Travel Tour Leader and an English-speaking Mongolian guide will accompany the tour, which is limited to 12 participants.
For more details about the Mongolia cultural history, small group tour for mature travellers , click the ‘Top 5’ or ‘Itinerary’ buttons above! If you’re keen to experience this tour, please call or send an email. Or, to book, simply fill in the form on the right hand side of this page.
Other Tours to Mongolia
This is one of three tours that Odyssey Traveller offers as a holiday or vacation experience for the mature traveller, be they a couple or solo traveller, into Mongolia. Dinosaurs of Mongolia and Mongolia and Russia on the Trans-Siberian Railway are two popular small group tours offered to those seeking a holiday or vacation with a difference.
Articles about Mongolia published by Odyssey Traveller:
For all the articles Odyssey Traveller has published for mature aged and senior travellers, click through on this link.
External articles to assist you on your visit to Mongolia:
Odyssey has more information about Mongolia you can research.
Originally published 16 May 2016
Updated 5 February 2020