OVERVIEW

Mongolia is home to nomadic herders. Millions of nomads continue their nomadic lifestyle and regularly migrate 3-5 times a year. Mongolia has long and harsh winter. This is the worst time for nomads who need to take care of their animals and keep them alive until the weather gets warmer and the land turns green.

The nomads of the villages of Sagsay and Ulaankhus undertake one of the longest winter-spring migrations in Western Mongolia. The average migration takes about 4 days and reaches more than 120 kilometers.

Mongolia is home to more than 80 million animals and is the only country where there are more horses than people.

The Discover Altai team offers you a unique expedition in which you can become part of the nomadic migration through the Altai Mountains. This is truly a unique experience, unlike other tours.

If you enjoy wilderness adventures and are looking for extreme expeditions, we invite you to join us on a migration journey through the Mongolian Altai Mountains.

The best time for migration is from February to April. At this time of year, you can join nomadic families and migrate to their native places. It will be very long and very cold. Every day you will hike 25-35 kilometers and herd animals. In warm weather everything is fine and you can enjoy the process. But sometimes it can be very windy and stormy. So please be prepared for the worst.

Our team will be by your side and you will always have a backup team. Serve with hot tea for lunch.

And of course, most travelers who come here are also photographers. Therefore, sometimes it is too difficult to catch up with animals with heavy cameras and they quickly get tired. In this case, we will remain nearby by car, and you can change to a car at any time.

If you are good at horse trekking, you can enjoy horseback riding and accompany the shepherds.

Many adventures happen during migration, so you can be very helpful to nomads. Sometimes some skinny animals cannot make such a long journey and have to be carried by car or camel.

On the fourth day, there is a part where the animals pass by the frozen lake “Khar Nuur” with a magnificent landscape.

After a 4-5 day migration, we finally reached their spring site. This is the southern part of the Altai Tavan Bogd National Park with beautiful views. The name of the area is Dayan. Its height exceeds 2000 meters, and at this time of year, everything is covered with snow. Although there is a lot of snow here, there is always grass and animals here are like in heaven. They’ll be healthy again in the next couple of months.

This is a fully guided expedition. During your migration, you will live in a motorhome. This is the best option we can offer. It can resist the wind and keep you warm at night.

You will be accompanied by an English-speaking guide, drivers, and expedition chef.

The tour will begin and end in the province of Bayan-Ulgii.

Being a nomad means caring for animals. When there is less grass where you are staying, you need to move to another place where there is more grass. There are also summer migrations, which take place from June 1st to June 20th. There is also an autumn migration from mid-August to mid-November. You can join each of these migrations. It would be shorter and less extreme. This is a more enjoyable tour compared to the spring migrations.

Discover Altai is a western Mongolia-based tour agency with experienced local support team.

Please get in touch with us if you are interested in Mongolia migration trip. As a local travel expert we are more than happy to organize your expedition.

Hope to see you in this remote corner of the world!

Nomad Tour Itinerary:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is special about the Altai Mountains?

The Altai Mountains are a mountain range in Central and East Asia, where Russia, China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan come together. The Altai Mountains are home to a number of different animals, including the snow leopard, the argali (a type of wild sheep), and the ibex (a type of wild goat).

Can you hike the Altai Mountains?

Yes! The Altai Mountains are a popular destination for hikers and trekkers from all over the world.

What animals live in the Altai Mountains?

The Altai Mountains are the natural habitat of a few choice animals, including the argali (a kind of wild sheep), and the ibex (another type of wild goat). However this mountain range is most famous for being the dwelling place of endangered snow leopards.

How long is the Altai Mountain range?

The Altai Mountain range stretches for about 2700 kilometers or 1700 miles. It runs from the altitudes of 900 meters or 3000 feet in the west, to 4500 meters or 14750 feet in the east.

Are the Altai Mountains cold?

The Altai Mountains are located in Central and East Asia, where the climate is generally cooler than in other parts of the world. However, the temperatures in the Altai Mountains can vary depending on the time of year and the altitude. In general, the higher up you go in the mountains, the colder it will be.

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