Mongolia, also known as the land of the horse, where seas of grass stretch for as far as the eye can see and herds move freely under the protection of nomadic peoples. The horse is still central to nomadic life here and Mongolians are some of the best riders in the world having a deep and intimate knowledge of horse behaviour. Join Hanna Rogers on the very first Hooves Around The World trip to Mongolia from 4 to 13 July 2025.
Book your horse riding trip to Mongolia
Our personalised itinerary includes horse and camel riding, exploring ancient monasteries, camping in traditional Ger tents, and attending the Naadam Festival. You'll yourney through Khangai Nuruu National Park’s rolling hills, river valleys, and lush woodlands, with stops at historic sites such as the Shiveet Ulaan ruins and the Tsenkher hot springs. The Naadam Festival highlights Mongolia's rich cultural heritage with traditional wrestling, archery, and horse racing competitions. Enjoy stargazing, hot spring relaxation, and authentic nomadic hospitality along the way.
This horse riding holiday starts on the 4th of July 2025. Pick up 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 7hr 30mins to reach our nomadic hosts. 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 MiniGobi, 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 meet our nomadic hosts, and their horses at their Ger (Mongolia Yurt) camp in the Khangai Nuruu National Park.
The 5th of July is our first full day in Khangai Nuruu National Park in the centre of Mongolia. This region is known for its fertile rivers and prosperous nomadic culture encompassing the UNESCO World Heritage area of the Orokon River and many historical sites. Having met our hosts the night before and their horses, we saddle up and prepare for our first day of riding. It is a relaxed morning with breakfast being available from 08:00-10:00am. We aim to start riding by 10:30am, and ride for 6 to 7 hrs with plenty of breaks to ease into the trip. The surrounding landscape is that of steep rolling hills with wide meandering river valleys at their base. Many of the slopes are covered in trees and herd animals roam freely through the landscape. In the evening we will select a campsite near the start of the Tövkhön Khiid monastery trail for our ascent the following day.
Dinner will be prepared and cooked on the campfire by our trip’s chef as we set up camp. We will spend the rest of the evening relaxing around the fire socialising and swapping stories. Thisis a great time to get to know your fellow travellers 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 most of 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.
The morning of the 6th of July we visit the mountain monastery of Tövkhön Khiid. The monastery is nestled next to a rocky outcrop on top of a mountain surrounded by trees. The path is only accessible on foot or horseback as most vehicles struggle with the steep and winding trails through the woodlands. At the top, you will be greeted by panoramic views of the surrounding landscape and your guide will show you around the still-active Buddist monastery, one of the oldest in the region. After exploring the monastery and surrounding landscape we will have lunch and prepare to ride down the other side of the mountain. The landscape begins steep, gradually giving way to gentle grassy slopes as we weave through the trees back down to the river valley. We follow this river for the rest of the day as it cuts its path through the surrounding hills and eventually opens out into the plains of the Hanuy and Hünüy River basin where we will camp for the night.
This evening we will spend our first night in a traditional Ger so we can experience what it might be like to be a nomadic family on the Mongolia steppe. The Camp is located near to the ruin of an eastern Turkic estate/castle overlooking where the Hanuy and Hünüy Rivers meet. The complex is known as Shiveet Ulaan and is roughly 120x45 meters in diameter. Due to its age little remains but it is a unique monument in the Eurasian geography and located at a beautiful vantage point for us to enjoy the sunset.
We have a fantastic day of riding planned on the 7th of July 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. It is a two-day ride and we aim to cover 25 to 30km of the 52km ride today. There is some room for exploration and 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 today will be wild and we have 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 wash in and there are often very few people around.
On the 8th of July we finish the rest of the ride to Tsenkher Hot-springs. The day starts by following the river as it splits and meanders down the valley. With the sun on our backs, it is a tranquil ride through a green and lush landscape. There are opportunities to explore and go a bit faster if you wish. Sometime after lunch, we will head into the hills up to the site of the Tsenker hot springs. The hot 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. There is a Ger camp attached to the hot springs and we will spend the evening lounging in the pools before retiring to our Ger to get a well-earned rest.
Our last day of riding is on the 9 of July, along the gentle northern slopes of the mountain range to our East. We will initially retrace our step back down the valley to the larger river we followed north the previous day. Instead of heading back South, we will head East towards a small lake and a large woodland area that hugs the northern slopes of the mountain range now to our south. The woodland is lush with trees, wildflowers and plant life. Horseback is the best way to see this natural landscape and if we are lucky we may see some deer and other wild animals as there is little human activity in this area.
We aim to finish the day riding around 17:00/18:00 at a Ger camp in a beautiful hiking location. Staying at the Ger camp is optional. If the group would prefer we could continue riding a little further and set up a camp along one of the many streams that flow from the mountains around us. It will be our last night in the countryside so take in the beautiful surroundings and enjoy the majesty of the night sky as tomorrow we return to civilisation.
The morning of the 10th of July we will say farewell to our Nomadic hosts and horses as we, and undoubtedly many other nomadic families, make our way to the Naadam celebrations. The journey (roughly 2 hours total) starts off-road for the first hour following the river downstream until we meet the road. From there it is not far to Kharkorin the ancient capital of Mongolia. We will stop outside the ancient city walls and learn about the old palace and still-functioning Erdene Zuu monastery, Mongolia's largest Buddhist monastery. After lunch satisfied with our stop we will continue to the site of this year's local Naadam festival.
With Mongolia gaining more international attention the national festival of Naadam has become a busy time of year in the capital. To avoid the crowds and get a more genuine experience of this nationally important event we will be staying locally in Arkhangai province for the festivities.
The Naadam festival celebrates the three Mongolian traditional sports; wrestling, archery and horseriding. These sports are all historically and culturally important in Mongolia. Cave paintings from 7000BC depict wrestlers locked in a ferocious battle and Ghengish Khan and other prominent rulers praised these sports for keeping their army physically fit and fighting ready.
Archery and horse riding have both been key skills in Mongolian warfare until the modern day, and were essential for day-to-day survival on the Eastern Steppe. Like much of Mongolia's culture and art, their sport has been shaped by their environment. We will see this on the 11th of July during the wrestling opening ceremony. Before the contest begins competitors will emanate the Eagle and Flacon’s strength, speed and cunning to give them good fortune in the match ahead. The archery contests will also begin today with the initial heats to narrow down contestants before the final tomorrow.
On the 12th of July, Naadam continues with the finals and award ceremonies of both the wrestling and archery as well as the horse riding races. The horse racing takes place along a large distance, depending on the horse's age (15km for 2 years, 30km for horses over 6) so stunt riders often entertain the crowds at the finish line until they come into view. In between competitions, there is a festival atmosphere with plenty of stalls selling wares as well as Gers set up for relaxing and socialising. It is a melting pot of Mongolian culture and a fantastic time to see the country.
The 13th of July is the final day of the trip so we will make our way back to UB for some souvenir shopping and a final meal together. The misleadingly named ‘Black Market’ is the best place to go for both traditional items and keepsakes. In the evening your guide will select a restaurant for our final big group meal today as we say our goodbyes. We will be available to provide airport transfer the following day if required.
Book your horse riding trip to Mongolia
