Trans-Mongolian Railway Adventure

Huanying! Welcome to China. Touch down in the capital of Beijing, ready for a railway adventure. Your trip begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm, where you’ll meet your trip leader and travel companions. After, why not get together with your group for an optional dinner, perhaps finding one of the best duck restaurants in the city. Your leader will know some wonderful places where you can eat this delicious speciality.

Bid farewell to Beijing and hop on a bullet train to Chengde where you'll change to a private transfer. Travel into the grasslands of Ulan Butong and visit the reindeer camp of the Ewenki people – an ethnic group of about 35,000 living in northern China. Learn about their life as reindeer herders and how modern life has impacted their way of living. Then, continue to your hotel in Ulan Butong, where a Mongolian barbecue dinner and evening bonfire party await.

Rise in Ulan Butong, then head out to the Huanggangliang National Forest Park, located in the remnants of the Greater Xing’an Mountains – home to Huanggang Peak, standing at an altitude of 2029 m (6657 ft). There are glacial and U-shaped valleys to explore, and you’ll pass by abundant flowers and endless grasslands. After lunch, you’ll visit Asihatu Stone Forest – over 2 million years of wind and rain have contributed to create the rare stone formations! To finish the day, see the Gongge'er Grasslands, with its vast rivers lazily weaving through the landscape and wild deer roaming. If you’re into your photography, this is the place to be!

This morning, drive to Hunshandake Sandy Land at the southern end of the Xilingol Grassland – a famous water desert in China where spring water emerges from the sand dunes and gathers into small rivers and lakes. In the heart of the Hunshandake, you’ll visit the Ulihan Desert Campsite. The lakes and grasslands provide a scenic backdrop for your barbecue lunch. After, you’ll visit Dali Lake, one of the four famous lakes in Inner Mongolia, then head to Xilinhot for the night.

Get set for a day of travel. After breakfast, drive from Xilinhot to Erlian, arriving around midday. Stop for lunch and meet your new leader for the Mongolian portion of your journey, then head to the train station in the late afternoon and hop aboard the Trans-Mongolian Railway line headed to Sainshand. Stop in Zamiin-Uud along the way for a border crossing. Arrive after midnight and head straight to your hotel in Sainshand for some well-deserved rest.

Take in the sights and sounds of Sainshand on a walking tour this morning. Visit a museum dedicated to the Noyon Khutagt – the Lama of the Gobi, who was a writer, composer, painter, Buddhist scholar and physician. The museum displays Buddhist artifacts that survived the period of the Mongolian People's Republic. After, take a short drive to the Khamriin Monastery, which was founded by Noyon Khutagt on this site due to the spiritual energy radiating from the Gobi Desert. To the north of the monastery lie a series of caves where monks practiced high levels of meditation for 108 continuous days. Take a short hike around the area to visit these caves, as well as the energy centre known as Mongolian Shambala. Return to Sainshand, then spend the evening as you like!

After breakfast, drive to the Mountain of Wishes – named for the belief that if you climb to the top and whisper a wish, it’ll come true. You’ll get the chance to do exactly that, using the stairs to enjoy the view over the valley and making a wish or two. Then, get an insight into local ways of life as you visit a family of camel herders. Hear stories about the nomadic way of life over a traditional, homecooked lunch with the family. Later, return to Sainshand, then board an overnight train headed to Ulaanbaatar.