SOVIET TOURS TO THE FORMER MPR
MAY 08 ⇾ MAY 21
Far from the glass-and-steel skyscrapers of modern Ulaanbaatar and beyond the platitudinous Naadam folk shows, there is a different country awaiting to be (re)discovered. Despite the shameful destruction of many Soviet-era buildings, the former Mongolian People’s Republic (Bügd Nairamdakh Mongol Ard Uls aka MPR) and its “socialism of the steppes” still live on in a vast plethora of neo-classical architectural shapes, lonely war memorials, towering apartment blocks, melancholic houses of culture (соёлын ордон), hidden monuments, and spectacular mosaics. In addition to our regular group departures to Mongolia, we also offer tour services for private travel parties and lone wolves alike. As a traveller-oriented boutique operator, tailored trips and bespoke adventures are our bread and butter. Get in touch for more info on our customised journeys to Mongolia!
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DAY 1 — WELCOME TO MONGOLIA
Meet-and-greet at Chinggis Khaan International Airport and transfer to our hotel of choice in central Ulaanbaatar.
First orientation walk around and about Mongolia’s national capital and free time to adjust to the climate of the steppes and the urban hurly-burly of sprawling Ulaanbaatar.
Overnight in Ulaanbaatar (hotel).
DAY 2 — SOVIET ULAN-BATOR
Full day devoted to the mesmerisingly rich and diverse socialist-era material heritage of Ulaanbaatar, formerly known as Ulan-Bator (Red Hero) back in the heydays of the USSR-aligned Mongolian People’s Republic.
Highlights of our Soviet-themed sojourn in Ulaanbaatar will include: the modernist Hotel Ulaanbaatar, the revolutionary bas-reliefs adorning the façade of the former Lenin Museum, the neoclassical arcades of the National University of Mongolia, the impressive Zaisan War Memorial, the stern bust of Marshall Zhukov, and the usual share of monuments, mosaics and vast expanses of ugsarmal, the Mongolian version of Soviet high-rise panel buildings.
Overnight in Ulaanbaatar (hotel).
DAY 3 — FACTORIES AND MOSAICS
We’ll depart from Ulaanbaatar in the early morning hours and head north for Darkhan, an archetypically socialist planned city built with extensive economic assistance from the Comecon.
Darkhan is a true paradise lost for Soviet geeks and urban explorers as it abounds with stunning mosaics, massive architecture, and decaying industrial areas.
During our gallivanting around and about Darkhan we’ll also take in a stroll at the local market as well as a de rigueur visit to Kharagiin Khiid, a functioning Buddhist monastery located in the oldest quarter of the city.
Overnight in Darkhan (hotel).
DAY 4 — MINERS AND MONKS
After breakfast we’ll go west towards Erdenet, the second-largest city in the country, capital of the aimag of Orkhon and an important centre of the Mongolian mining industry.
On our way to Erdenet we’ll make a detour to the famed Amarbayasgalant Monastery, a strikingly evoking place of worship founded between 1727 and 1737, partially destroyed by order of the Mongolian red revolutionary and MPR’s leader Khorloogiin Choibalsan in 1937 and then reconstructed after 1975.
Once in Erdenet, we’ll tour the many Soviet-era highlights the city has to offer and drop in at the local mining museum, headquartered inside the city’s Palace of Culture, a quintessential Soviet institution itself.
In the middle of the 1980s, more than 50% of Erdenet’s inhabitants were Soviets working as engineers or miners, thereamong also the parents of Volodymyr Zelensky, the notorious president of Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War (2022-2025).
Overnight in Erdenet (hotel).
DAY 5 — ANCIENT HEARTLANDS
From Erdenet we move south and travel towards the tranquil provincial town of Kharkhorin: one can hardly imagine that from the city’s present look, but this was once the capital of the great Mongol Empire under Ogedei Khan.
En route to Kharkhorin we’ll cross astounding natural sceneries, pass by remote hamlets and ger (yurt) settlements and take a few off-road detours to embrace that tempting sense of endless adventure lingering all around the country.
Once in Kharkhorin, we’ll visit Erdene Zuu, the earliest surviving Buddhist monastery in Mongolia, and the vaguely socialist-looking Monument to the Mongol States.
If time allows, we’ll also drop by the Altan Khaan gallery for contemporary arts and traditional handicrafts, the ideal place to get acquainted with the local scene.
Overnight in Kharkorin (guesthouse).
DAY 6 TO DAY 7 — EDEN ON EARTH
We’ll take a two-day break from the Soviet-centred fil rouge of our trip and enjoy a 4x4 gallivanting around the Orkhon Valley, a true Elysium on Earth of rolling meadows, gentles slopes, and slow-flowing streams.
The Orkhon Valley has also been inscribed by UNESCO in the World Heritage List as it embodies the development of nomadic pastoral traditions spanning more than two millennia and is arguably one of the best places in Mongolia to explore trails on horseback and immerse yourself in the local culture while galloping through the serene beauty of the surroundings.
Overnights in the Okrhon Valley (ger camp on day 6) and Kharkorin (guesthouse on day 7).
Bespoke Experiences • A traditional meal and an authentic stay with a Mongolian family in Kharkorin, horse riding in the Orkhon Valley and a full immersion into Soviet-era atmospheres inside a provincial соёлын ордон (House of Culture).
DAY 8 — A RIDE TO THE END OF THE NIGHT
On the eight day of our tour we’ll head back to Ulaanbaatar to catch a late train to Choir, a nostalgic city full of monuments and memorials, including a futuristic statue commemorating Jügderdemidiin Gürragchaa, the first Mongolian cosmonaut.
Travelling across Mongolia by train is an adventure of its own and a not-to-be-missed experience in the company of local merchants, commuters, shepherds, and holiday-goers alike: we will share food, stories, vodka and laughs, while the barren landscapes of central Mongolia will roll by on the other side of the window.
Overnight in Choir.
DAY 9 — FADING GLORIES
In the morning we’ll roam around around Choir and its vanishing vestiges from a bygone era of great expectations and unrealised utopias.
After luch, we’ll then continue to Mandalgovi, a placid urban cluster on the edge of the Gobi Desert and the gateway to the Mongolian Deep South.
Overnight in Mandalgovi (hotel).
DAY 10 — WINDSWEPT OUTPOSTS
We’ll kick off our day with a sortie to the the otherworldly granite rock formations at Ikh Gazriin Chuluu and then steer back to the main highway for Dalanzadgad, the windswept dusty capital the Ömnögovi Aimag, near the border with the Chinese People’s Republic.
The afternoon will unfold with an exploration of the city's Soviet heritage before we make our way to the local market where we’ll stock for provisions for our upcoming two-day foray into the desert.
Overnight in Dalanzadgad (hotel).
DAY 11 TO DAY 12 — DUNES AND CLIFFS
Time to enter the boundless expanses of the Gobi Desert and unveil a mesmerising dreamscape of stunning natural features and profound solitude: we'll base ourselves in a comfortable yet genuinely Mongolian ger camp and scout the many wonders this unearthly region has on offer, including the much-celebrated Khongor Dunes and the flaming Bayanzag Cliffs.
With a bit of luck we might also catch a glimpse of some of the Gobi’s most elusive inhabitants, such as the cute jerboa (hopping desert mouse), the solemn golden eagle, the elegant black-tailed gazelle, the super-rare Gobi bear or even the Mongolian Death Worm, a cryptid commonly regarded as the inspiration for the graboids of the Tremors film franchise.
Overnights in Khongor (ger camp on day 10) and Dalanzadgad (hotel on day 11).
DAY 13 — THE GREAT CONQUEROR
An heartbroken goodbye to the dunes and a rather uneventful domestic flight back to the capital await us today, but despair not: before reentering the hustle and bustle of Ulaanbaatar, we’ll make a final detour to Tsonjin Boldog in order admire the larger-than-life equestrian monument erected to honour the greatest conqueror in human history: the one and only Temüjin, more widely known by his honorific Genghis Khan.
Around sunset time we’ll finally check in at our hotel in Ulaanbaatar and celebrate with a conclusive grand dinner in one of the many delicious Korean restaurants of the capital.
Overnight in Ulaanbaatar (hotel).
DAY 14 — Farewell to the steppes!
After sharing a last Mongolian breakfast, we'll take care of your transfer to Chinggis Khaan International Airport.
Possible tour extensions to this itinerary include: Kazakhstan and/or Siberia.
End of the tour.
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3990 €
INCLUSIONS
Double/twin-room accommodation (breakfast included), private transport in Mongolia (jeep/minivan), all entrance fees, train tickets, all lunches and dinners outside of Ulaanbaatar, English-speaking guiding service, 24/7 on-site and remote assistance.
EXCLUSIONS
Single supplement, international flights, main meals in Ulaanbaatar, extra drinks, visa fees (if required), tips, travel insurance.
© Zugerl's Soviet Mongolia + Gianluca Pardelli