Do I need riding experience to join this tour?

No prior experience is required. Mongolian horses are calm, sturdy, and used to novice riders. The first day includes orientation and basic riding instruction. If you have ridden before, let your guide know so they can assign you a more spirited horse.

What do we sleep in and eat?

Nights 2 and 3 are in traditional Mongolian gers (felt yurts) hosted by nomadic families. Meals are primarily Mongolian: mutton, noodles, dairy products, and bread. Vegetarian options can be accommodated with advance notice.

How physically demanding is the tour?

Expect 4–6 hours in the saddle per day on days 2–4, covering 12–20 km. The terrain is mostly flat to gently rolling steppe, with occasional hills. Riders typically experience muscle soreness in the inner thighs by day two — this eases by day three. A moderate fitness level is recommended.

Gobi and Mountain Steppes Horse Trek - Exciting Mongolia Travel

Duration

4 nights / 5 days

Moderate

Mongolia — Elsentasarkhai, Hugnu Khan

Horse Trekking, Adventure, Cultural

Flexible — enable “On Request” or use Fixed Starting Dates add-on

Overview

Itinerary

Cost

FAQs

Overview

Mongolia is a country of wide-open spaces, pristine nature, hospitable people and horse-based nomadic culture. Our Gobi and Mountain Steppes Horse Trek includes 3.5 days of fenceless horseback riding, nomadic life discovery, traditional ger stays, authentic Mongolian barbecue, hiking in Hugnu Khan National Park, and ruins of ancient monasteries. The tour takes place in the unique transition zone of Elsentasarkhai where Gobi desert meets mountain steppes.

Highlights

Timeless, fenceless 3.5-day horse trek in breathtaking nature
Explore both Gobi desert and mountain steppe in one journey
Stay with a nomad family and share their daily life
Sleep in a traditional Mongolian ger
Camp under stars in wild, untouched nature
Authentic Mongolian barbecue dinner
Ruins of ancient temples and sacred worshipping sites
Hugnu Khan National Park and Shireet Tsagaan Lake

Day 01 :

Ulaanbaatar to Elsentasarkhai — First ride & nomad welcome

Meet your guide and driver at the airport, railway station, or your accommodation. Set off for Elsentasarkhai — a unique landscape where Gobi desert, mountain steppes, grasslands and high peaks converge. Visit a nomad family and discover the rhythms of their daily life, then saddle up for a 2–3 hour introductory ride across the open steppe. The evening ends with an authentic Mongolian barbecue under the stars.(L/D stay nomad ger , ~10 km (acclimatisations ride)

Day 02 :

Sand dunes to Shireet Tsagaan Lake — Ikh Mongol Mountain

Ride along sweeping sand dunes with rolling mountains on one side and open steppes on the other. A small river traces the dune edge, bringing green meadows to the scene. Today's destination is beautiful Ikh Mongol Mountain and Shireet Tsagaan Lake nestled among the dunes — the very location where the first foundation of Ulaanbaatar was laid in 1639.(camping tent, B/L/D, Full day — approx. 7–8 hours, ~ 22km

Day 03 :

Across the dunes to Hugnu Khan Mountain

Ride north through expansive sand dunes, passing small lakes with green shores dotted with colourful wildflowers. Continue across the open steppes — you may ride faster if you choose — arriving at picturesque Hugnu Khan Mountain. One of the most dramatic riding days of the trek.(B/L/D, camping tent, )Full day — approx. 8 hours ~ 30km.

Day 04 :

Ancient temples, sacred sites & final ride

After breakfast, visit the ruins of Erdenehamba Temple. Optional hike to Uvgun Temple ruins for awe-inspiring panoramic views. Ride on to Khadagt Khoshuu, a sacred local worshipping site within Hugnu Khan Mountain, then continue to the ger camp to conclude the horseback journey.(B/L/D, ger camp, Half day — approx. 4 hours, ~28km

Day 05 :

Return to Ulaanbaatar

About 4–4.5 hour scenic drive returns you to the capital. Enjoy a restaurant lunch, then check into your 3-star hotel. Free afternoon to explore Ulaanbaatar at your own place.(B,L Transfer day — 4 to 4.5 hours driving. No riding)

Gobi and Mountain Steppes Horse Trek

Overview

Itinerary

Cost

FAQs

Overview

Highlights

Itinerary

Includes

Cost Includes

Cost Excludes

FAQs

You can send your enquiry via the form below.

Get in touch with us

© 2026 Exciting Mongolia. All rights reserved. All images are licensed or used with permission.