We propose an itinerary in the heart of the central steppes, around the most cultural and traditional Mongolian festival, the Naadam!
A stay from 5 to 17 July 2025, to attend one or more Naadam(s) in the Arkhangay, with our nomad friends, far from the capital, for more authenticity, spontaneity and encounters.
In the minds of many travellers, Mongolia conjures up images of vast plains, the yurts of nomadic herders, pristine desert expanses and one of the most famous warriors of all time, Genghis Khan, whose legendary exploits continue to reverberate across this magnificent land.
The history of the Naadam dates back over 2,000 years, when it was a way of selecting and preparing warriors for the battles to come, as the tribes living on the steppes of central Asia regularly attacked each other.
In those days, the great Mongol kings and generals trained their warriors while fighting and feasting, their main tools being wrestling, archery and horses.
Nowadays, Naadam still includes these three practices, which are directly linked to the art of war and have become traditional sports, while being enriched by more modern sports and games such as jack throwing.
Naadam is also known as ‘Eriin Gurvan Naadam’, which translates as ‘3 virile games’.
Its history dates back to the great days of the Mongol Empire. According to some historical accounts, at the beginning of the 13th century, after Genghis Khan had defeated his enemies and reigned over the Mongolian tribes, he organised the games as a celebration. The word naadam means competition in Mongolian, and was associated with this first celebration featuring the 3 arts linked to Mongolian warrior practices: horse-racing, wrestling and archery.
According to historical accounts, after Genghis Khan organised the first celebratory games, a stele dating back to the 1200s was erected in honour of a nobleman named Yesunge who managed to shoot an arrow at a target from a distance of more than 500 metres. This stele bears the first known Mongolian writing.
Later, during the Qing dynasty, Naadam became an official celebration, organised in every village.
Naadam in its current form has been celebrated as a bank holiday since the Mongolian People's Revolution of 1921.
Numerous other Naadams are also organised throughout the country throughout the summer season, in the villages themselves, which also serve as qualifiers for the provincial Naadams, which in turn serve as qualifiers for the national Naadam held in the capital. But many naadams have always been held for various celebrations, such as weddings or births, throughout the year.
Dates : From 5 to 17 July 2025
Group size : 5 people
Price : From €1,870/pers
Your trip at a glance :
Day 1 - 5 July 2025 - Arrival in Ulaanbaatar - city tour
Overnight in a hotel*** in Ulaanbaatar
Visit to the Gandan Monastery and the Genghis Khan Museum
Meals at your own expense
Day 2 - Ulaanbaatar - Kharkhorin - Overnight with a family, in a guest yurt or in a camp
Number of kilometres: approx. 420 Driving time: 4 to 5 hours
Kharkhorin 47°11'55.0 ‘N 102°50'14.6 ’E
Day 3 - Kharkhorin - Overnight with a family, in a guest yurt or in camp
Visit to the Erdenezuu monastery, Kharkhorin museum
and the Calligraphy Arts Centre - Erdenesiin Khuree
Day 4 - IKh Tamir - Overnight with a family, in a guest yurt or in camp
Number of kilometres: 280 Driving time: 4 hours
Ikh Tamir 47°35'12.0 ‘N 101°13'13.2 ’E
Day 5 - Ikh Tamir and day of archaeological discoveries & horse riding
Overnight with family, in guest yurt or camp
Day 6 - July 9 - Ikh Tamir Naadam - Today is the start of the Naadam in this small village!
Overnight with the family, in a guest yurt or in camp.
Day 7 - July 10 Tsetserleg & Naadam - Like many provincial capitals, the celebrations will begin in this small village.
celebrations begin on 10 July.
Overnight accommodation in a local hotel or yurt camp
Number of km: 40 Driving time: 1 hour
Tsetserleg 47°28'21.3 ‘N 101°27'35.8 ’E
Day 8 - 11 July Second day of Naadam in Tsetserleg
Overnight in a local hotel or yurt camp
Day 9 - Orkhon Valley - Overnight stays in yurt camp
Number of km: 250 Driving time: 4 hours
Orkhon Valley 46°50'28.7 ‘N 102°08'52.7 ’E
Day 10 - Orkhon Valley and walk to Tuvkhun monastery
Overnight stay in a yurt camp
Number of km: 50 Driving time: 1 hour
Tuvkhun Monastery 47°00'46.0 ‘N 102°15'19.4 ’E
Day 11 - July 14 - Orkhon Valley Orkhon - Khadag festival Bat-Ulzii
Overnight stays in yurt camp
Number of kilometres: 50 Driving time: 1 hour
Bat-Ulzii village 46°49'34.1 ‘N 102°14'39.1 ’E
Day 12 - Khogno Khan sand dunes
Overnight stays in a yurt camp or with a nomad family
Number of kilometres: 280 Driving time: 4 hours
Khogno Khan 47°17'11.2 ‘N 103°43'38.5 ’E
Day 13 - Khogno Khan & discovering the dunes on camelback
Overnight stay in a yurt camp or with a nomad family
Day 14 - Return to Ulaanbaatar
Number of kilometres: 350 Driving time: 4 hours
Khogno Khan 47°17'11.2 ‘N 103°43'38.5 ’E
Day 15 - July 18 - International flight
What is modern Naadam?
Nowadays, Naadam is a festival that celebrates the bank holidays every year from 10 to 13 July throughout Mongolia. Mongolian Naadam is inextricably linked with the nomadic civilisation of Mongolia, who have long practised pastoralism on the vast steppes of Central Asia. Oral traditions, performing arts, national cuisine, handicrafts and cultural forms such as the Khöömei long song, the Bie biyelgee dance and the traditional violin, the Morin khuur, also play an important role during the Naadam. Today, Naadam is an annual event, a national celebration of sports and the arts attended by thousands of Mongolians with great respect and in perpetuation of ancestral rituals, such as the wearing of the finest costume, the dell. Most of the games are open to participants of all ages and genders, with the exception of wrestling, which is reserved for male athletes.
Ritual songs of praise and poems are dedicated to the participants in each event.
This is the biggest event in Mongolia, where the capitals of the 21 provinces simultaneously celebrate their traditional nomadic culture and heritage.
The 333 soums (small villages) celebrate their own Naadams, often on different dates, depending on special occasions or anniversaries that may occur at certain times.
‘The Mongolian Naadam is inseparable from the nomadic civilisation of Mongolia’, states the inscription on UNESCO's list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity, dating from 2010.
In 2020, the Mongolian government extended the national festival of Naadam from three to five days, and a large part of the country is closed during this period.
Naadam is also one of the most popular periods for travellers visiting Mongolia, with over 15,000 foreigners coming especially to watch the games in 2023.
From its distant history, when the great warlords selected their best warriors in competitions, while feasting, has remained the tradition for which Mongolians and travellers alike must eat khuush.
travellers must eat khuushuurs, a kind of doughnut filled with minced meat and fried in mutton fat and vegetable oil, the famous ‘Naadmin Khushuur’.
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