TTR Mongolia

Mongolian Naadam Festival Tour & Terelj national park

Reviews

5/5

Sale price 15% off

$204/per day

Duration

3 days / 2 nights

Age range

2 to 80

Operated in

English

Group Tour

Shared accommodation

Overview

Naadam is the most widely watched festival among Mongols and is believed to have existed for centuries in one fashion or another. It has its origin in the activities, such as military parades and sporting competitions such as archery, horse riding, and wrestling, that followed the celebration of various occasions, including weddings or spiritual gatherings. It later served as a way to train soldiers for battle and was also connected to the Mongols’ nomadic lifestyle. Mongolians practice their unwritten holiday rules that include a long song to start the holiday, then a Biyelgee dance. Traditional cuisine, or Khuushuur, is served around the Sports Stadium along with a special drink made of horse milk (airag). The three games of wrestling, horse racing, and archery are recorded in the 13th-century book The Secret History of the Mongols. During the Qing dynasty’s rule, Naadam became a festival officially held by sums. Now it formally commemorates the 1921 Revolution, when Mongolia declared independence from Qing dynasty and coincides with Mongolian State Flag Day. Naadam also celebrates the achievements of the new state.[4] It was celebrated as a Buddhist/shaman holiday until secularization in the 1930s under the Communist influence of the Soviet Union.
The biggest festival (National Naadam) is held in the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar, during the National Holiday from July 11 to 13, in the National Sports Stadium. It begins with an elaborate introduction ceremony featuring dancers, athletes, horse riders, and musicians. After the ceremony, the competitions begin. The competitions are mainly horseback riding

Included/Excluded

This tour offers Vegetarian food option on request. Simply let our Customer Support team know the food option that you prefer.

 Pick-up and Drop-off transfer service included at your accommodation in selected Down Town areas.

    Transport to tour’s highlights with licensed and insured vehicle(s).

Nightly Accommodations (as specified in itinerary)

  • Flights before and after the tour are not included in the tour price. You can organize your flights separately at any point.
  • Travel insurance is not covered in the tour price. You can organize travel insurance with your preferred insurance company. We recommend World Nomads, a company recommended by LonelyPlanet. You can check out the details here.
  • Transportation and driver

    Clean drinking water

    Border permits and national park entrance fees

    Horseback riding

Tour Plan

Mongolia’s Naadam Festival, a traditional holiday and the largest celebration in the whole country, draws visitors from around the world for sports tournaments and cultural activities. The 3-day festival features traditional Mongolian sports like wrestling, horse racing, and archery.

Hello and welcome to the Naadam, a special trip of Mongolia.

Your guide will take you to see the preview of the Naadam Festival. Here, you’ll visit the horse-racing arena, where you’ll watch a foal race and archery competition between “Shagai” shooters. You’ll also enjoy a national folklore performance.

Stay overnight in the hotel

Meal:  L, D

In the morning we will drive to the National Sports Stadium to watch the inauguration ceremony. The ceremony begins with the Mongolian president and features a colorful parade and several live performances.

We will stay for a bit to see the beginning of the wrestling and archery competitions.

Then driving to Terelj national park to stay the night in a beautiful area and traditional yurt ger.

Approximately 60 km drive to Terelj National park

Stay overnight in the hotel

Meal:  B, L, D

it beginning another day of naadam our drive to the horse races. These races take place in Khui Doloon Khutag, a spacious valley just 50 kilometers outside of Ulaanbaatar.

Here we will explore the area, watch the horse races, and eat the traditional Naadam cuisine: khushuur. Later we will go horseback riding along the valley for 2-3 hours.

 

Stay overnight in the hotel

Meal:  B, L

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