Ice Festival in Land of Reindeers

Once every year a small Ice Festival is arranged by the local people that live around the lake. It is a time to get together, when the hardest wintertime is getting easier, daylight longer. After the Mongolian New Year of Tsaagan Sar and before the spring migration this small Ice Festival takes place somewhere on the ice of the lake. People come in horse sledges from all around (and a few jeeps) and competitions in ice-skating, horse sledge racing, and tug-of-war is being organized. Arms wrestling on ice slabs are a favorite of the women. And everybody enjoy the “Happy Sumo” wrestling on ice Mongols who mimic Japanese wrestlers and compete on the ice. Mongols are ice-skaters and use their inner felt boots and ice skates in their traditional dresses
when skating.

Day 1: Ulaanbaatar
Upon your arrival at the Buyant-Ukhaa International Airport in Mongolia, you will meet the Mongolei Reisen crew and transfer to the Bayangol hotel, conveniently situated in downtown Ulaanbaatar. After freshening up from your trip, we will spend the day with a walking tour of some of the capital’s most note worthy sites starting out at the heart of Ulaanbaatar, Sukhbaatar Square. Here we will see the statue of Sukhbaatar, the hero of
the Mongolian revolution, the Parliament house, National Opera, and City Hall. Afterwards we’ll visit Zaisan Hill, which offers great views of the city. Before dinner, you will attend a performance of traditional dancing and singing. Mongolia is best known for the traditional form of throat singing, khoomii, and the horse-headed fiddle that accompanies many traditional songs. Overnight in hotel (L, D)

Day 2: Murun
We start our adventure by flying to Murun, the capital of Mongolia’s northern-most province of Khovsgol. From the airport we’ll take a scenic drive to the Hangard ger camp, overlooking the magnificently scenic Lake Khovsgol – one of the deepest and cleanest freshwater lakes in the world. The area is home to several ethnic groups and considered to
be sacred place by the local population. Overnight in ger camp (B, L, D)

Day 3: Ice Festival
We will spend the day at the action-packed Ice Festival in Khorkhoit. The festival features the unique folklore of the Tsaatan “Reindeer People”, plus reindeer and horse races, arm-wrestling competitions held on the ice, and shows of shaman rituals. Some of Mongolia’s most mysterious and ancient practices are performed for you to see firsthand – a very unique opportunity to experience these cultures while they still exist. Overnight in ger camp (B, L, D)

Day 4: Lake Khovsgol
We spend the day exploring Lake Khovsgol, with activities ranging from hiking and horseback riding to ice fishing and visiting local nomadic families. Overnight in ger camp (B, L, D)

Day 5: Ulaanbaatar
We conclude our tour with the flight back to Ulaanbaatar city and some sightseeing. We’ll visit Gandan Monastery, the center of Buddhism in Mongolia with a towering 25 meter, 20 ton statue of the Megjjd Janraysig Buddha. We’ll also pay a visit to the Natural History Museum featuring exhibits on Mongolia’s flora and fauna and a collection of dinosaur skeletons found in Mongolia. Overnight in hotel (B, L, D)

Day 6: Departure
Our adventure together ends with your transfer back to the Buyant-Ukhaa International Airport for your departure.