Horse trekking in the Orkhon Valley
- Region
- Central Mongolia
- Duration
- 10 days
- Difficulty
- Challenging Full days in the saddle or on foot, basic camps, cold nights.
- Season
- Summer · Jun, Jul, Aug
- Style
- Small group or Private · Max 8 riders
- Per person
- From $3,350Plan this adventure
The adventure
You ride the way herders do: steady hours across open valleys, river crossings to the stirrups, lunch on a warm hillside. Each night the horses graze close by, and you fall asleep to the sound of their hooves on the grass outside the tent.
- 01Six days riding Mongolian horses with local horsemen
- 02Ulaan Tsutgalan waterfall and the basalt gorge below it
- 03Wild camping by the high lakes of Naiman Nuur
- 04A night with a herding family in their summer pastures
- 05Erdene Zuu monastery in Kharkhorin
Day by day
Every itinerary is a starting point. Your specialist can add rest days, swap camps or change the pace.
Airport welcome and transfer to your hotel. Over dinner your guide runs through the riding plan, the kit list and how the horses are handled.
- Activities
- Airport welcome
- Riding briefing
- Welcome dinner
- Tonight
- 4-star hotel in Ulaanbaatar
- Meals
- Dinner
The route
Distances in Mongolia are big and roads are often tracks. Expect some long days in the 4x4, broken up by stops with herders, picnics and leg-stretching walks.
- 1Ulaanbaatar
- 2Kharkhorin
- 3Orkhon waterfall
- 4Naiman Nuur
Where you'll sleep
A mix of family gers, small ger camps and a city hotel, chosen for their hosts, their setting and how well they look after the land.
What's included
- English-speaking local guide and experienced local horsemen
- Driver and 4x4 (Land Cruiser or Russian UAZ furgon), plus a support vehicle where tracks allow
- Horses, saddles and riding helmets
- All meals as listed in the itinerary
- Hotel, ger camp and family ger nights, plus tents and camping equipment for wild camping
- National park entrance fees and permits
- Airport transfers on arrival and departure
- A dedicated Steppe & Sky specialist to plan your trip before you go
Not included
- International flights
- Visa, if required for your nationality
- Travel insurance with medical evacuation cover that includes horse riding
- Tips for guide, driver and horsemen
- Alcohol and soft drinks
- Sleeping bag (rental available)
- Single supplement
Good to know
- You should be comfortable at walk, trot and canter and able to ride 5-7 hours a day. Mongolian horses are small, tough and semi-wild, not riding-school ponies.
- There is a weight limit of 95 kg for riders, for the horses' welfare.
- Wild camping nights have no showers; expect river washing and simple toilet tents.
- Summer rain is common in the Orkhon and nights can fall to 5°C at the lakes.
Dates & prices
Per person sharing, excluding international flights. Private trips run on any date you choose.
| Dates | Style | Availability | Per person | Enquire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jun – 29 Jun 2027 | Small group | Available | From $3,350 | Enquire |
| 25 Jul – 3 Aug 2027 | Small group | Limited spaces | From $3,350 | Enquire |
| 22 Aug – 31 Aug 2027 | Small group | Available | From $3,350 | Enquire |
| 8 Aug – 17 Aug 2027Private trip on dates of your choice, June to August. Price per person for two riders. | Private | Available | From $4,450 | Enquire |
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