Ancient medieval games still survive in Mongolia and are part of the living cultural heritage of our country.  Wrestling, horse races and archery are still the most popular sports.  In July, the National Naadam all across the country, the largest celebration being in Ulaanbaatar itself.  Herdsmen arrive on horseback from distant provinces, which simultaneously trains their horses for the races to come.  Such a journey can take between one to three months! A giant nomad camp is set up on the steppe outside Ulaanbaatar the night of July 10th. This tour is a close encounter with the Mongol Three Manly Games of horseracing, wrestling and archery; skills which were required and practiced during the medieval times of Chinggis Khan's armies, and perhaps as long ago as the time of the Huns.

Photos: Haroldo Castro

Brief Outline Itinerary

This is a three day encounter with the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar, and its immediate surroundings during Naadam times.  The itinerary should be understood as tentative in order to accommodate changes in the Naadam programs made or restricted areas created on short notice by the police.   Overbooking of hotels is likely. At Nomadic Journeys we  experience Naadam every year, so we know how to anticipate any problems.  It is a time when everyone wants to be in Ulaanbaatar, which includes  Mongolian government invited VIPs and other official guests, which is why accommodation and transport are in short supply.   

Saturday 10th Ulaanbaatar
Arrive in the Mongolian capital by flight or join this program from any of our other trips. Transfer to the hotel. You may explore the city on your own for the rest of the day. Ulaanbaatar was a migrating ger city (yurt city) until 1778, when the town finally settled on the Tuul River where it stands today. Today more than half the population still lives in gers in the city. The minor archery competitions may have started already, especially different types such as children’s archery, Buryat-style archery, etc. Training sessions allow for good photography. In the evening the horse trainers will move their horses, along with their mobile camps, near to the city at the steppe area. We meet for a festive welcome dinner.    

Sunday 11th Ulaanbaatar
A.m. Naadam is officially opened by the President of Mongolia.  Soldiers on horseback, sometimes dressed in Chinggis Khan warrior regalia, will ride in with the nine white horsetail banners.   They will take the banners at the Parliament, where they are usually displayed, and then ride in procession through the city, later to place them in the center qf the National Stadium, from where we will be viewing the Opening Ceremony. Usually the first round of wrestling will start immediately thereafter. Usually 512 wrestlers from all across Mongolia will compete in the first round! But sometimes more than 700! There are no judges, no time limits and no weight limits! We will attempt to see the archery competitions (if we didn't the previous day) and later find our way out to the steppe area on the fringes of the city, to visit to the nomadic tented camps that have sprung up, and experience a large concentration of nomadic Mongolia at one site. Herdsmen have come with their horses and all necessary provisions for the festivities, which include airag (koumiss; fermented mares milk) for the merrymaking.  Stroll around the area and you are likely to be invited in somewhere.  You may also try your luck viewing the finals of the horse races, but prior instructions are necessary since the approach of several hundred horses running as hard as they can is a potentially hazardous situation.   

Monday 12th Ulaanbaatar
A.m. The horse races are continuous over the two main days of Naadam, and today we will try our luck early and find a site, beyond the restricted zone, where a close up encounter is possible with some of the 700 or so children who will be on horseback.  Otherwise, with the crowds and restrictions of the police, a real close-up experience is not possible. Mongol horseracing is part of a living cultural heritage, similar to the equestrian tradition that brought Mongol armies to faraway places during medieval times. P.m. This is a buffer time, during which we would hope to accommodate personal requests, but we will continue our quest to experience the Naadam Games, possibly repeating some of the previous experiences. We will catch up with something that we missed earlier or other elements of Naadam.

Tuesday 13th Ulaanbaatar
Transfer to the airport for your flight out of Mongolia or join any of our other trips.

Prices & Practicalities

Excludes: Laundry, imported drinks.   

Extension Programs: Prior to and after this program we have an interesting choice of trips.  There is a Yak Trek in Khan Khentii, a Camel Trek in the near Gobi and horse trips such as Mongol Horse Trails and Gobi Steppe Ride.

Trips available in conjunction with Naadam:
- MONGOL HORSE TRAILS,
- GOBI STEPPE RIDE,
- YAK TREK IN THE KHAN KHENTII
- CAMEL TREK IN THE NEAR GOBI.

Hui Doloon Hudag horse races: Our intention is that at least one night will be spent in temporary gers (yurts) that have been set up at the horse trainer’s camps at Hui Doloon Hudag. This feature will enable you to spend an evening out there, and then be able to see the first early start of horse races, before the traffic comes in. It is a totally different atmosphere. You need to check out of the hotel for that night.

Dates ex Ulaanbaatar: UNG01:  10-13July 2010