9-Day Adventure Horse Trek Through the Lands of Horseman and Yaks (Pioneer Trip)

Book this 9-day horse trek through Central Mongolia, through the stunning lands of horseman and yaks, June 10 – 18, 2025. Intermediate to advanced riders are welcome. Join us for this first-time pioneer ride!

Ulaanbaatar City Tour: Spend the Perfect Day in the Capital

Khuvsgul Wild Winter Tour: Travel with Local Rangers and Visit the Reindeer Tribe

Highlights of this 9-day pioneer ride through Central Mongolia to Khukh Lake and Yak Valley include:

You’ll be the first group to experience this ride. That means it will be a total adventure! While chaos is ensured, safety is still our top priority.
We will completely immerse with the nomadic herders who make Mongolia one of the world’s last wild places to visit.
Master your horsemanship. Learn from the locals how to secure proper knots, essential for securing gear, and learn to adjust and repair your own saddle and stirrups like a true horseman.
Gain insight into the meticulous preparation of Mongolia’s racehorses for the nation’s most celebrated festival, Naadam.
End our journey with a rejuvenating soak in local hot springs.

Hold onto your horses, we’re going on a proper bucket list adventure!

This pioneer trip has it all. We’ll stay with nomadic herders who will welcome us into their homes all along the way. That means experiencing the warm hospitality and getting a glimpse into this centuries-old way of life that still exists here today. This is anything but a tourist trip, we’ll be eating meals with our hosts and living life off-grid, and on horseback, just like they do.

Throughout the journey the landscape will provide breathtaking landscapes of Yak Valley, weaving through mountains, rivers, and endless open steppe.

The goal of this ride is to give you an incredible adventure and help us fine tune this trip for future travelers. So, in the end, we’ll want your feedback! You’re an integral part of this experience, as well!

Join us for this once-in-a-lifetime experience June 10 – 18, 2025.

This trip is meant for traveler’s comfortable horseback riding (intermediate and above recommended).

We have nearly 100 km to cover, so that means we don’t have time to pony riders and may have to make up distance quickly. If you aren’t a comfortable horseback rider, check out these trips instead:

You will be on a horse for six days, using muscles you may not be used to using. We will not have a follow car or support vehicle for this trip. We will be self-supported, bringing tents and all the supplies and food with us we need on horseback.

That means wherever we go, we have to get back from it on our own. And that includes our bags and all our belongings, including your bags.

If you plan to join this trip you need to arrive in Ulaanbaatar on or before June 9, 2025. Please let us know where you will be staying so we can coordinate your pick-up and drop-off.

Many travelers choose to arrive in Ulaanbaatar at least 1 – 2 days early to adjust to Mongolian time and shop for warm clothes. If you’d like to arrive a few days early, these are the hotels and guesthouses we recommend. To make the most of your time in the city, read this Ulaanbaatar Travel Guide.

Below you’ll find a day-by-day breakdown of this 9-Day Horse Trek itinerary, and what it includes.

Meals included in this tour are indicated as Breakfast (B), Lunch (L), and Dinner (D).

Day 1 / Tuesday, June 10, 2025: Drive Ulaanbaatar to Arkhangai

Getting an early start on the day, we’ll leave Ulaanbaatar around 8 am to reach our horse herder family by the evening.

Accommodation: Nomadic Homestay

Accommodation Notes: Throughout this trip we will be staying with local nomadic families. Some will have separate gers for us to sleep in, while others may not. A sleeping bag and sleeping pad are required for this trip. You should also plan that there will be no running water, electricity, and an outhouse toilet.

Meals: L/D

Day 2 – 7 / Wednesday – Monday, June 11 – 16: Horseback Journey to Khukh Lake and Back

This journey will take six days roundtrip. We will ride through vast steppes, climb mountain passes, and cross rivers on our way to Khukh Lake, the Blue Pearl of Arkhangai.

This is your chance to master Mongolian horseback riding. We will each be responsible for saddling and tacking our horses, under the careful guidance of the local horsemen who will be with us throughout this journey.

The highlight of traveling like this will be staying with nomadic families. Jump in and help with daily chores and experience their way of life by living it beside them.

Along the way, watch herder families train racehorses for the upcoming Naadam Festival, Mongolia’s most celebrated festival.

Accommodation: Nomadic Homestay

Meals: B/L/D

Day 8 / Tuesday, June 17: Revive Your Body in the Local Hot Springs

After six days of hardcore adventuring, it’s time to say goodbye to our horses, local guides, and the herder families who welcomed us into their homes.

We’ll load up the cars and head towards one of our favorite secret spots where we’ll enjoy a well-deserved rest. The day will end soaking in the natural hot springs, rich in therapeutic minerals that will relax your muscles and rejuvenate your body.

Afterward, enjoy the comfort of a real bed, a perfect way to end your journey.

Accommodation: Ger Camp

Meals: B/L/D

Day 9 / Wednesday, June 18: Ulaanbaatar or Bust!

After a quiet morning, it’s time to head back to Ulaanbaatar. We’ll reach the city in the late afternoon, and you’ll have the evening at leisure.

Our driver will drop you off wherever you need to go.

Meals: B/L

What's Included

All accommodation and transportation during the trip dates.
An English-speaking professional licensed guide as well as local horse guides to support us during this trip.
Horse riding helmet.
Spare tents and all camping equipment we will need for this adventure.
All activities listed on the itinerary including all tack and saddles.
Meals* (breakfast, lunch, dinner) as outlined on the trip itinerary.

*Please let me know of any dietary restrictions before booking.

What's Not Included

Horse riding half-chaps and/or appropriate riding footwear (required), and gloves (recommended).
A sleeping bag and sleeping pad are required for this trip. These items will not be provided and should be brought from home.
International flights and airport transfers.
Hotels in Ulaanbaatar.
Visa costs and fees.
Travel Insurance that covers medical evacuation and cost of participation (required).
Personal expenses such as laundry, alcoholic beverages, telephone calls, optional activities, and meals which are not included in the trip itinerary.
Tips and additional gratuities.

Visit our tour cancellation policy page if you have any additional questions.

Book Now

The price to book this 9-Day Horse Trek (Pioneer Trip) is $2,500 USD per person.

Learn horsemanship from the world’s best horseman.
Stay and live alongside nomadic families.
Take in the untouched beauty of Mongolian nature on horseback.

This once in a lifetime experience happens June 10 – 18, 2025. Book now – spots are limited!

To book your spot, please complete the Google form linked below. Once received, we will reach out with everything you’ll need to complete your booking.

About Aagie, Your Local Mongolian Guide & Trip Leader

My name is Aagie (short for Agarmaa) and I am a professional certified tour guide and the head of tours at Meanwhile in Mongolia.

Born into a second-generation city life, I rediscovered my roots through travel and guiding. After three years and 30+ tours across the country, I’ve connected deeply with my heritage, from the Gobi to Mongolia’s diverse ethnic groups like the Kazakhs.

Along the way, I’ve encountered snow leopards, hunted with eagles, and explored Mongolia’s vast landscapes. I’m proud to share the beauty and traditions of my country while continuing to learn from it every day.

I will do everything I can to guide you on your adventures with what I’ve learned so far, but there’s also a good chance we’ll discover new things together along the way.

Through [Breanna's] expertise I was able to sleep in local gers, experience the mysticism of a shaman, and ride a horse for three days without feeling like any of it was overly wrought. Breanna mastered that fragile balance of guiding my group without shielding us from the reality of traveling through such wild country.

Can’t stop thinking about my holiday - loved the country, the Mongolian people were so generous and welcoming, every day was an adventure. Thank you to Breanna & Aagie of Meanwhile in Mongolia - they really know how to show you the real Mongolia. The memories will live long in my mind.

I was not expecting to have such a culturally immersive experience as I did when going to Mongolia. This was hands down the most culturally distant place I have ever gone. I went on an organized tour equipped with a Mongolian driver as well as an interpreter. This is not a country I would recommend just "winging". Many destinations have no roads, no signs, and no other way of finding them without local knowledge.

As someone who went on a trip with Breanna in Mongolia - HIGHLY RECOMMEND. It changed my life. Love her and Mongolia and the amazing women I met alone the way.