Into The Taiga: Horse Trekking Through Northern Mongolia & A Visit With The Tsaatan Reindeer Herders
August 29-September 10, 2025
Join us for a horse pack trip through Lake Khovsgol National Park in the Horidol Saridag Mountains of Northern Mongolia. Supported by Estancia Ranquilco's T.A. Carrithers and a fantastic team of local Mongolian guides, cooks, and nomadic herdsmen, ride in good company through the stunningly beautiful and varied landscapes of the region. Rich meadows, lagoons and coniferous forest surround the crystalline Lake Khovsgol, where waterfowl, wild boar and five species of deer make their home. Gorgeous rivers wind through the valleys. The steppe - Mongolia's signature ecosystem - rolls out in a vast expanse of open grassland encircled by towering snowy mountains rising up in the distance. And at the edge of the steppe in the northern-most reaches of the country grows the deep mossy forest known as the taiga.
Unique among most national parks, Khovsgol is home to many nomadic herding families, including the Tsaatan reindeer people who have lived there for thousands of years. The people of Khovsgol are deeply tied to the natural world within which they live, and follow ancient herding traditions - moving with their herds to follow the grass. We'll have the opportunity to witness this way of life firsthand through close interactions facilitated by our local guides. We’ve developed dear friendships with a couple of these families on our previous trips, and look forward to visiting with them again.
Itinerary:
Meeting in Ulaanbaatar, Day 1 (Aug 29):We’ll be staying at the Munkh Tenger Ger camp in a lovely valley just outside of Ulaanbaatar. They have several cozy, traditional gers (yurts), shared bathrooms with hot showers, and a big dining hall. Dinner that night will be at the Munkh Tenger.
Day 2: We’ll have breakfast at the camp and then head into the city center to the Narantuul, a large open street market where we can shop for warm wool sweaters, hats and scarves as well as deels—the cozy robes worn by the nomads on the steppe. After that we will head to lunch, and then to the airport for the 1 hour and 10 minute flight to Murun. After landing we drive 3 or so hours to our beautiful ger camp on the shores of Lake Khuvsgul.
Days 3-10: We will mount our sturdy little horses and begin our 8-day ride through the mountains. For the first two days we will be riding along the shores of the massive Lake Khuvsgol. We’ll then cross over the Horidal Saridag Mountains to the Darkhad Valley, an ancient lakebed surrounded by snowy peaks. From there we'll ride up into the taiga forests to seek out the reindeer herders. We camp in tents every night, and eat simple, hot meals prepared by our Mongolian cook. On our last day we meet up with the vans around lunch time and dive a few hours to a ger camp by the river at the south end of the valley.
Day 11: All day van ride through gorgeous mountains and valleys, mostly on minimal 2 track "roads". We'll spend that night at a ger camp by the river near Murun.
Day 12: After a leisurely morning at the camp, we'll head into Murun for lunch, and then catch and afternoon flight back to Ulaanbaatar. lodging that night will be at the Blue Sky Hotel in the city center, with dinner at a nearby restaurant.
Day 13 (September 10th):Breakfast followed by farewells!
Cost of Trip: $4680
- All meals, lodging and activities from the evening of August 29th to the morning of Sept. 10th.
- Domestic flights to and from Northern Mongolia
- Ground transportation during the trip
- Global Rescue emergency evacuation coverage and service
- Tips for Mongolian guides and crew
Mongolia’s Horses:
Nowhere are horses more central to daily life than in Mongolia. Mongolia is known as the land of the horse, and Mongols have a reputation for being the best horsemen on Earth. Even in the 21st century, Mongolia remains a horse-based culture and retains its pastoral traditions. Many of its 2.4 million people are semi-nomadic and primarily support themselves by breeding five domestic species: horses, cattle (including yaks), camels, sheep, and goats. The horse, which is used for travel, herding, hunting, and sport, is the most prized. In the words of a herder who lives outside the capital city Ulaanbaatar, “We Mongols respect horse as our companion of night and day. The horse is the source of joy and pride of a Mongolian herder. And we are nothing without our horses”.
Most Mongolian horses are ponies by European standards (less than 1.5m shoulder height), but these animals are really tough. They have tremendous reserves of energy and can carry heavy loads for long periods. Accordingly, Genghis Khan’s cavalry was the most powerful in the world at one time. During the winter, Mongolian horses are not given any supplementary food and must therefore rely solely on their summer reserves and forage for what they can find under the snow. Nomadic horses are semi-wild; they are allowed to roam freely.
