Winter Mongolia: Tsagaan Sar and frozen landscapes
- Region
- Ulaanbaatar & Terelj · Central Mongolia
- Duration
- 9 days
- Difficulty
- Challenging Full days in the saddle or on foot, basic camps, cold nights.
- Season
- Winter · Feb
- Style
- Small group or Private · Max 8 travellers
- Per person
- From $3,650Plan this adventure
Timed for Tsagaan Sar: January or February, following the Mongolian lunar calendar (dates vary, verify yearly)Verify yearly
The adventure
The steppe is white and silent at -25°C, but inside the ger the stove roars and the table groans with buuz. You join the family in their new-year greetings, dressed in your warmest deel, and learn why winter is when Mongolia feels most like home.
- 01Tsagaan Sar with a herding family, from new-year eve to the first-day greetings
- 02Making buuz dumplings for the feast
- 03Takhi in the snow at Khustai National Park
- 04Walks on the frozen Tuul river in Terelj
- 05Gandan monastery during the new-year season
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. Your guide checks your cold-weather kit and goes through Tsagaan Sar customs over dinner.
- Activities
- Airport welcome
- Cold-weather kit check
- 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
- 2Khustai
- 3Terelj
- 4Chinggis Khaan statue
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 throughout
- Experienced winter driver and 4x4 (Land Cruiser)
- All meals as listed in the itinerary
- Hotel, heated ger camp and family ger nights
- Gifts for your host family, chosen with local advice
- Entrance fees and national park 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
- Tips for guide and driver
- Alcohol and soft drinks
- Deel rental (available on request)
- Single supplement
Good to know
- For experienced travellers only. Temperatures fall to -30°C at night and rarely rise above -10°C by day; you need proper expedition-grade cold-weather clothing.
- Gers are heated by wood or dung stoves that burn out overnight, so mornings are very cold until the fire is relit.
- Tsagaan Sar is a family holiday. You are a guest in a private celebration, and your guide will help you follow the greeting customs.
- Snow can close roads; we keep the plan flexible and your safety comes first.
Dates & prices
Per person sharing, excluding international flights. Private trips run on any date you choose.
| Dates | Style | Availability | Per person | Enquire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Feb – 11 Feb 2027Tsagaan Sar expected in early-mid February 2027. Festival dates are checked every year. | Small group | Limited spaces | From $3,650 | Enquire |
| 4 Feb – 12 Feb 2027Second small group staying with a different family. Festival dates are checked every year. | Small group | Available | From $3,650 | Enquire |
| 3 Feb – 11 Feb 2027Private trip around Tsagaan Sar. Price per person for two travellers. Festival dates are checked every year. | Private | Available | From $4,850 | Enquire |
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Ready when you are
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