Expedition
Tsaatan, Reindeer Herders of the Taiga
Khovsgol taiga, northern Mongolia
- Length
- 9 days
- Months
- June to September
- October to May
- Temperature
- 10 °C to 25 °C, and it rains
- −20 °C to −40 °C, and it is dry
- Group
- 2 to 6 travellers
This expedition runs in both seasons
Overview
A nine-day journey into northern Mongolia to stay with Tsaatan reindeer-herding families in the Ulaan Taiga. In the summer, the families are at their high pasture, above the tree line and beyond the mountains.
After travelling through Amarbayasgalant, Mörön and Ulaan-Uul, we continue by four-wheel drive and on horseback to the families’ summer camp. We spend three nights there, learning about their daily life, their reindeer and the way they move between seasonal camps.
One day is spent exploring farther into the mountains for wildlife. Moose, musk deer, ibex, bears and wolves live in the area, although sightings are never expected.
A winter journey into northern Mongolia, travelling through Mörön and Tsagaannuur before continuing by four-wheel drive and horseback into the East Taiga. We stay with Tsaatan reindeer-herding families in their winter camp, spending time around the herd and learning how daily life continues through the coldest months.
Snow covers the forests and valleys, and the reindeer remain closer to camp than during summer. Tracks may reveal the presence of moose, roe deer, wolves, wolverines and other northern wildlife, although direct sightings remain difficult.
This is a cold and remote journey, with simple accommodation and days shaped by the weather. The families move with their reindeer, so the location of the camp and the journey needed to reach it may change.
EquipmentWhat we provide, and what you need to bring
Summer departures
Summer weather in the Ulaan Taiga is cool and changeable. The horse trail may cross wet ground and rivers, while nights can be close to freezing. Pack lightly, as the main luggage will be carried by packhorses.
Provided by Artus Expeditions
- Saddles and riding helmets
- Sleeping bags suitable for cold summer nights
- Insulated sleeping mats
- Waterproof bags for luggage carried by packhorses
- Drinking water and water purification
- A group first-aid kit and emergency communication device
You will need to bring
- Thermal base layers and a warm fleece or light down jacket
- A waterproof jacket and waterproof trousers
- Quick-drying trousers suitable for riding
- Broken-in waterproof boots with ankle support
- A warm hat, light gloves and several pairs of warm socks
- Sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellent and a mosquito head net
- A small daypack, headlamp and reusable water bottle
- Personal medication, toiletries, hand sanitiser and wet wipes
- A soft-sided duffel bag or backpack for the packhorses
For photographers
- Camera and telephoto lens
- A waterproof cover or dry bag for your equipment
- Spare batteries, power banks and memory cards
- A lightweight tripod or monopod
Optional but useful
- Riding gloves
- Gaiters or lightweight rubber boots for very wet ground
- Trekking poles
- Binoculars
- A personal sleeping-bag liner
Charging facilities are limited or unavailable during the three nights in the taiga. Hard-shell suitcases cannot be carried by the packhorses.
EquipmentWhat we provide, and what you need to bring
Winter departures
Winter in northern Mongolia can be extremely cold, with temperatures sometimes falling below −30 °C and occasionally reaching −40 °C. We will check your equipment with you before departure.
Provided by Artus Expeditions
- Winter sleeping bag suitable for very low temperatures
- Insulated sleeping mat and extra blankets
- All accommodation, meals and drinking water
- Transport by 4×4 and any horses required for the journey
- Group first-aid kit and emergency communication equipment
- Spotting scope for wildlife observation
You will need to bring
Clothing
- Two sets of merino wool or synthetic thermal base layers
- Warm fleece or wool mid-layers
- Heavy down parka
- Insulated winter trousers
- Windproof outer jacket and trousers
- Warm clothes for evenings and sleeping
Avoid cotton for your main outdoor layers, as it stays cold when damp.
Boots and cold-weather accessories
- Insulated winter boots rated for at least −30 °C, preferably with removable liners
- Three or four pairs of thick wool socks
- Thin liner gloves
- Warm insulated mittens
- Warm hat covering the ears
- Balaclava or face covering
- Neck warmer or buff
- Sunglasses and ski goggles for wind and snow
Personal equipment
- Soft duffel bag rather than a hard suitcase
- Small daypack
- Head torch and spare batteries
- Insulated water bottle or thermos
- High-capacity power bank
- Spare camera batteries and memory cards
- Mongolian plug adapter if required
- Sunscreen and protective lip balm
- Personal medication and basic toiletries
- Quick-drying towel and wet wipes
Optional but useful
- Binoculars
- Camera equipment
- Disposable hand and foot warmers
- Waterproof bags for electronics and clothing
- Lightweight indoor shoes or slippers
- Sleeping-bag liner
Cold drains batteries quickly, so keep phones, power banks and camera batteries close to your body whenever possible. Space in the vehicles and around the Tsaatan camp is limited, so luggage should remain practical and compact.
Where it goes
For the best experience, we recommend viewing this map on a larger screen.
Natural Earth; Khövsgöl protected areas traced from the UTSPA map. Other areas shown at true area, not surveyed boundaries.
Where it goes
For the best experience, we recommend viewing this map on a larger screen.
Natural Earth; Khövsgöl protected areas traced from the UTSPA map. Other areas shown at true area, not surveyed boundaries.
Protected area
Ulaan Taiga Strictly Protected Area
4,300 km²— nearly three times the area of Greater London
A remote landscape of taiga forest, mountains and summer grazing grounds near the Siberian border. Tsaatan families still move through it seasonally with their reindeer, changing camp as the herds move between different pastures. The area is shaped as much by this pastoral life as by the forests and mountains themselves.
Your local guide on this expedition
Tsendsuren Shukhert
Local Guide
Born and raised in the Darkhad Valley, Shukhert knows the region from a lifetime spent travelling through it. He is an exceptional horseman and horse trainer, and was the subject of Hamid Sardar’s documentary Le Cavalier mongol. He guides our journeys into the taiga and helps travellers discover the land, its people and their way of life.
Day by day
The itinerary
Day 1
Ulaanbaatar to Amarbayasgalant
Leave Ulaanbaatar in the morning and drive north. Most of the way is on a paved road. The last part is on a dirt road.
We will arrive at Amarbayasgalant Monastery in the afternoon. It was built in the 18th century in honour of Zanabazar, the first head of Buddhism in Mongolia. It is one of the largest Buddhist monasteries still standing in the country.
During the communist purges of 1937, many of its temples were destroyed and its monks were killed or sent away. The main buildings survived, and monks came back in the 1990s. Monks still live and pray here, and you may be able to meet some of them.
Spend the night in a ger camp near the monastery.
Day 2
Amarbayasgalant to Mörön
Drive west through Selenge and Bulgan provinces to Mörön, the main town of Khovsgol Province. It is a long day on the road. We stop for meals and whenever there is something worth a photo.
Spend the night in a hotel in Mörön. It is your last hot shower and real bed until you come back here on day 8.
Day 3
Mörön to Ulaan-Uul
Leave the paved road and drive north-west into the Darkhad Valleys. The road is mostly dirt tracks. It crosses valleys, rivers and mountain passes, so the drive is slow and bumpy.
After the village of Ulaan-Uul, continue to the camp of a local herding family. Meet your hosts and spend the rest of the day with them. They will show you how they live, how they look after their animals and how they move with the seasons.
Sleep in a ger or a teepee at the family camp. From tonight there is no running water, no shower and little or no electricity.
Day 4
Into the Ulaan Taiga
Drive for about two hours on a dirt track towards the Ulaan Taiga Strictly Protected Area. At the end of the track, meet the horsemen and load the bags onto the packhorses. Your main bag goes on the horses, so keep what you need during the day in a small backpack.
Then ride for about five hours – 20 kilometres – into the mountains. The trail goes through forest and open valleys and crosses rivers. Some parts are muddy and uneven, and your boots will probably get wet.
Arrive at the Tsaatan summer camp, above the tree line at more than 2,000 m. You will sleep here in a teepee for the next three nights. In June it stays light until about ten at night, and the evening is when people sit and talk.
Day 5
With the Tsaatan families
Spend the day with the families and their reindeer.
The morning starts with milking, when the reindeer come down to the camp. After that there is no fixed plan: the day follows the work the families have to do. You can help, watch, ask questions and take part in daily life and tasks.
Learn how they look after the reindeer, why they move camp between seasons and how life in the taiga changes through the year. You can also go out with the herders, take photos of the reindeer, or walk in the forest and valleys around the camp.
Day 6
Wildlife of the Ulaan Taiga
Go further into the mountains, on horseback and on foot. Explore high valleys, the edge of the forest and open slopes, and look for animals and the signs they leave behind.
Moose, musk deer, roe deer, ibex, brown bears, wolves and wolverines all live here. They are hard to find, and we never expect to see them. You are more likely to find tracks, droppings or places where they have been feeding, or to see an animal from far away. Binoculars help a lot.
Come back to the camp later in the day for a last evening with the families.
Day 7
Tsaatan camp to Ulaan-Uul
Say goodbye to the families in the morning, load the packhorses and ride back over the mountains. The ride takes about three to four hours, as the horses tend to speed up knowing they are going back home.
Meet the cars where the track ends and drive back to Ulaan-Uul with your first hosts. Arrive at the family camp near the village later in the day and spend your last night in the countryside.
Day 8
Ulaan-Uul to Mörön
Drive south through the Darkhad Valleys and back to Mörön. Most of the day is on dirt roads.
If the roads are good and there is time, stop at the Uushigiin Uvur Deer Stones, just outside Mörön. They are standing stones from the Bronze Age, about 3,000 years old, with deer carved on them.
Spend the night in a hotel in Mörön, with a hot shower after five nights without one.
Day 9
Mörön to Ulaanbaatar
Leave Mörön early and drive back to Ulaanbaatar on the paved road. It is the longest drive of the trip, about 9 to 10 hours, with stops for meals and short breaks. You arrive in the capital in the evening.
If there are flights on your dates, you can fly back from Mörön instead (see Shorter return).
Day 1
Ulaanbaatar to Amarbayasgalant
Leave Ulaanbaatar in the morning and drive north to Amarbayasgalant Monastery. Visit it in the afternoon. In winter there are few visitors and the grounds are covered in snow, so it is very quiet.
The monastery was built in the 18th century in honour of Zanabazar, the first head of Buddhism in Mongolia. During the communist purges of 1937, many of its temples were destroyed and its monks were killed or sent away. The main buildings survived, and monks came back in the 1990s. Monks still live and pray here, and you may be able to meet some of them.
The days are short in winter, so we arrive before it gets dark. Spend the night in a ger camp near the monastery.
Day 2
Amarbayasgalant to Mörön
Drive west through Selenge and Bulgan provinces to Mörön, the main town of Khovsgol Province. We stop for meals and short breaks on the way.
Snow, cold and bad visibility can make the drive slower in winter. Spend the night in a hotel in Mörön.
Day 3
Lake Khovsgol in winter
Drive north to Khatgal, the village at the south end of Lake Khovsgol, and spend the day by the lake. In winter the mountains are white with snow and most of the lake is frozen.
Khovsgol holds more water than any other lake in Mongolia. If the local guides say the ice is safe, go out onto the lake by car or by horse-drawn sleigh. The plan for the day depends on the ice and the weather, and we decide it on the spot.
Spend the night in a ger camp or a guesthouse in Khatgal.
Day 4
Khatgal to Tsagaannuur
Leave Khatgal and drive west through the Darkhad Valleys. The road goes through snowy valleys and forests, over frozen rivers and mountain passes, to the village of Tsagaannuur. It is a long day on dirt roads, and how long it takes depends on the snow.
In Tsagaannuur, meet the local team. They will tell us where the Tsaatan families are camped at the moment and the best way to get there.
Spend the night in a simple guesthouse in the village.
Day 5
Tsagaannuur to the Tsaatan winter camp
Leave Tsagaannuur with a local guide and tracker and head to the families’ winter camp in the East Taiga. In winter the camp is usually closer to Tsagaannuur than in summer.
We drive as far as we can by 4×4. Depending on where the camp is and how much snow there is, the last part is on foot or on horseback. It is quicker than in summer, because the ground is frozen and nothing gives way under the horses.
Meet your hosts and settle into the camp for the next three nights. The teepee is heated by a stove that someone has to keep going all night.
Day 6
With the Tsaatan families
Spend a full day with the families and their reindeer. Learn how they look after the animals in winter and how they get through the coldest months of the year.
In winter the reindeer stay close to the camp, so they are all around you rather than up on the mountain. The day follows life in the camp. You can go out with the herders, take photos of the reindeer and help with simple jobs.
The days are short, and most of the work outside happens in the middle of the day. Evenings are spent in the teepee, around the stove.
Day 7
Reindeer and wildlife of the winter taiga
Spend a second full day with the families. If the weather allows, go into the forest and valleys nearby, on foot, on horseback, on a reindeer or by sleigh.
Look for tracks in the snow and other signs left by moose, roe deer, foxes, wolves, wolverines and other animals. They are hard to see, and we never expect to see them.
Come back to the camp before dark for a last evening with the families.
Day 8
Tsaatan winter camp to Mörön
Say goodbye to the families and leave early. Drive back through Tsagaannuur, then south through the Darkhad Valleys to Mörön.
How long it takes depends on where the camp is, how much snow there is and the state of the roads. Part of the drive may be in the dark. Spend the night in a hotel in Mörön.
Day 9
Mörön to Ulaanbaatar
Leave Mörön and drive back to Ulaanbaatar, with stops for meals and short breaks. With snow on the road, it can take longer than in summer. You arrive in the capital in the evening.
On some dates you can fly instead. The flight is direct and takes 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. There are few flights in winter, so check the times and the luggage allowance before you book.
The location of the Tsaatan families changes with the seasons and the condition of the reindeer pastures. Please contact us when planning your journey so that we can confirm the most likely camp location and route for your travel dates. Riding times and the exact route may therefore change. Rain, high rivers and wet ground can also make travel considerably slower.
The Tsaatan families move with their reindeer, so the exact location of the winter camp cannot be confirmed far in advance. Contact us with your travel dates and we will check the location of the families and how the camp can be reached. This nine-day itinerary is possible only when the camp location and road conditions allow us to return to Mörön in one day.
Snow, extreme cold and poor visibility can make travelling slower. Any journey onto frozen Lake Khovsgol will depend on local ice conditions. Domestic flights are limited and must be confirmed for your travel dates.
Your expedition
What is included :
Included
- All ground transport in Mongolia, using our own vehicles and drivers, with fuel included
- All accommodation listed in the itinerary
- All meals and drinking water throughout the expedition
- Your expedition guide, together with the local rangers, trackers and spotters who work with us
- All park and reserve entry fees and permits
- Airport transfers in Ulaanbaatar on the scheduled arrival and departure days
- All camping and cooking equipment required by the itinerary
Not included
- International flights to and from Ulaanbaatar
- Optional domestic flights offered instead of an overland journey
- Travel insurance, which is required and must cover medical evacuation
- Visa fees, where applicable
- Alcoholic drinks and personal expenses
- Optional activities or services not listed in the itinerary
Key species
Wildlife to look for on this expedition
Regular
ReindeerRangifer tarandusRegular
Rare
Grey wolfCanis lupusRare
Other species you may see
- Siberian roe deer
- Pikas
- Golden Eagle
- Bearded Vulture
- Black-billed Capercaillie
- Other grouse and forest birds
- Moose
- Siberian musk deer
- Red deer
- Wild boar
Before you book
The realities of this expedition
This journey reaches a remote part of northern Mongolia, with long drives, several hours on horseback and very simple facilities in the taiga. We want you to know what to expect before you decide.
- Several days involve long drives, including a journey of around 9–10 hours between Mörön and Ulaanbaatar if you do not choose the 1h flight option.
- The Tsaatan camp is reached on horseback. Expect around 4–6 hours of riding each way over wet, uneven ground, with forest trails and river crossings.
- Five nights are spent in simple teepees or gers with no running water, showers, private bathrooms or reliable electricity.
- Weather can change quickly. Rain, cold nights, wet ground and mosquitoes are all possible, even during summer.
- The families move with their reindeer, so the location of the camp, riding times and exact route may change.
- Mobile coverage is limited and medical assistance is several hours away. Wildlife is difficult to find, and tracks or other signs are more likely than direct sightings.
Before you book
The realities of this expedition
This is a remote expedition with basic facilities and long days in the field. It will not suit everyone, and we want you to know what to expect before you decide.
- Serious winter cold : Temperatures regularly fall below −25 °C and can be much lower at night. The cold is the main difficulty of this expedition.
- A route that must remain flexible : The families move with their reindeer, so the exact location of the camp can change. Snow, ice and road conditions may also affect driving times and the final approach.
- Very simple accommodation : Guesthouses in the villages are basic. With the families, accommodation will be in a ger or a teepee with toilets outside.
- Wildlife is never guaranteed : The reindeer are domestic. Wild animals may occasionally be seen in the taiga, but sightings are unpredictable.
Travellers
What travellers said afterwards
JuliaTsaatan Expedition
Arthur was an amazing guide, giving myself and my 4 friends from New Zealand an authentic and once-in-a-lifetime experience visiting the Tsaatan people. Arthur was knowledgeable, kind and became more of a friend than a guide. His connection with the locals provided unique insights into their way of life, and his skills as a translator helped bridge the gap and allow us to become immersed in Mongolian culture too. I am very grateful to Arthur for often going above and beyond to help us, for his flexibility and authenticity as a guide. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone, it is well worth it!
NarayanaTsaatan Expedition
We had an incredible experience in Mongolia with Artur as our guide, and he was a huge part of what made the trip so memorable. From the beginning, Artur’s communication was excellent. He was organised, approachable and always made sure we knew what was happening even when plans had to change. But what really stood out was his humour and personality. He brought so much fun and laughter to the trip, making even the long travel days and challenging moments enjoyable. Artur has a genuine connection with Mongolia and its people that goes far beyond being a tour guide. Having lived with local people and learned to speak the language, he has a level of understanding and respect for the culture that you can really feel. Being fluent in French, English and Mongolian, he was able to connect effortlessly with both us and the local people, helping us understand and appreciate the way of life we were experiencing. He wasn't simply taking us from one tourist attraction to another, he made the experience feel genuinely authentic. I would absolutely go on another adventure with Artur and would have no hesitation recommending him to anyone wanting to experience the real Mongolia rather than just see it as a tourist. Go in with an open and adventurous mind, embrace the experience, and you’ll have an awesome trip! Thanks Artur for an unforgettable trip and some seriously good memories. I hope our paths cross again for another adventure!
Ask us anything about this trip
Dates, fitness, cold, cameras, or what happens if the weather closes in. We answer these ourselves.