THE LAST OF THE REINDEER HERDERS
Journey to the northern end of Mongolia to visit one of the few remaining true nomads on the planet. The Tsaatan, or the Reindeer People of Mongolia, still practice the traditional nomadic lifestyle of herding reindeer and moving camp according to the seasons.
Your route will take you from the Mongolian steppe to the taiga, first by 4x4 and then by horseback. Explore ovoos, deer stones, and other ancient monuments on the way to the remote Tsaatan villages. On your return from the Reindeer camp, visit Lake Khuvsgul, the twin sister of Lake Baikal in Siberia.
BEST TIME TO GO
May through October
We recommend that you book this trip at least 3 months in advance.
PRICING
USD 4,750 per person, min. 4 people;
USD 4,500 per additional person.
Indicative rate; final price to be confirmed based on actual itinerary.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
An English-speaking guide, a driver, a cook, and local nomads along with their horses;
Hotel accommodations and camping;
All transfers during the trip, from your hotel in Ulaanbaatar and back;
An unforgettable experience with the Reindeer People;
Amazing vistas of a spectacular landscape;
All meals on camping and transit days;
Border permits.
Airport/Hotel transfers, meals in Ulaanbaatar, alcoholic beverages, and gratuities are not included. You will need to bring your personal camping gear.
An Enriching Life Experience with a Nomadic Culture
The Tsaatan’s lives revolve around their reindeer. Their migration follows the growth of the specific type of lichen that the reindeer eat, while their day-to-day activities are centered on looking after their animals. Instead of gers (a traditional portable home for the nomads), expect to see conical tents covered in canvas (called “ortz” in Mongolian) in the Reindeer camp. As you watch the smoke lazily wafting out of the chimneys, feel yourself instinctively slowing down, matching your pace to the rhythm of the place.
During your visit, learn about a way of life that hardly exists anymore; a lifestyle maintained out of choice, not of necessity. Keeping only what they need allows the Dukha (how the Tsaatan call themselves) to easily move several times a year. Their very strong sense of community is the backbone of their survival in this isolated environment.
Your Itinerary
This itinerary involves transferring from Ulaanbaatar and other points, hotel stays, camping, traveling by 4×4, and horseback riding. You will be spend 1 or 2 nights with the Reindeer People and at least 2 nights with nomad families. The rest of your camping nights will be in the mountains, on the steppe, or by the lake. Day 1 and Day 16 are your arrival to, and departure from the country, respectively. Come with an open mind and a sense of adventure.
Insider Notes
Tsagaannuur is the farthest of the three districts in Darkhad Valley. It is home to a distinct group of Tuvans who call themselves Dukha. Since most of them have historically engaged in reindeer-herding in the taiga regions, they are commonly known in Mongolia as the Tsaatan, which literally means ‘those who herd reindeer’.
Before the present-day border between Mongolia and Tuva were delineated in the 1920s, most of the Tuvans in this area were free to go back and forth between the two countries. However, due to the strict reinforcement of this new border, the Reindeer People in Mongolia were cut off from their immediate family members who stayed in Tuva, and have never seen them since.
