Mongolia
Mongolia: The Land of Genghis Khan
Program No. 22965RJ
Mongolia is a must for the intrepid explorer. Admire its limitless beauty as you discover ancient ruins, growing cities and the incredible Gobi Desert.
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15 days
14 nights
33 meals
12B 11L 10D
1
Depart North America
In Flight
2
In Transit to Destination
In Flight
5
Hustai National Park, Neolithic Ongot Monuments
Hustai National Park
6
Mongol Traditional Show, optional horseback riding
Hustai National Park
9
Ongi Monastery Ruins
Ongi Monastery ruins
10
Flaming Cliffs
Bayanzag (Flaming Cliffs)
12
Yolyn Am Canyon, Archery demonstration
Yolyn Am Canyon
At a Glance
Nearly 800 years ago, Genghis Khan (properly pronounced Chinggis Khaan) powerfully made Mongolia the largest contiguous empire that the world has ever known. Today, a gentler Mongolia’s breathtaking wilderness and growing cities are ample reason to explore this fascinating country that embraces both its nomadic traditions and its path into modern culture. Experience the mysteries of Mongolia as you explore its capital city, Ulaanbaatar, meet local nomadic families, and stay in ger camps amid the vast beauty of the Gobi Desert.
Activity Level
Let's Go!
Walking on pavement and dirt paths; hiking on sand dunes, riding camels; extensive travel by four-wheel-drive vehicle on some days.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Discover Ulaanbaatar — Mongolia's capital city — as you explore its museums, monasteries and public courtyards.
- Admire the luminous Flaming Cliffs in the Gobi Desert, where paleontologists discovered the world's first dinosaur eggs.
- Explore the ruins of Karakorum, Genghis Khan's 13th-century capital city.
General Notes
Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available.
Suggested Reading List
(20 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Mongolia: The Land of Genghis Khan
Program Number: 22965
Eagle Dreams, Searching for Legends in Wild Mongolia
Charmed from a young age with Kazakh nomads, Stephen Bodio travels to Mongolia, circa 1990. The country has just celebrated its independence, but Bodio is more interested in traditional life as he explores the birthplace of falconry and observes the time-honored traditions that have survived the ages.
Genghis Khan and the Quest for God
With compelling evidence, top-notch historian Jack Weatherford argues that Genghis Khan used religious tolerance to offset fanaticism and hold his disparate territories together.
Lonely Planet Mongolia
A comprehensive guide in the Lonely Planet style featuring 46 maps, background detail on the country and culture and practical information for the traveler.
Wild East, The New Mongolia
Lawless captures the startling contrasts of emerging technologies, MTV culture and crumbling Soviet heritage on the wide, open plains in this entertaining tale of life in modern Mongolia.
Genghis Khan, His Conquests, His Empire, His Legacy
In this astute biography, McLynn measures the deeds of Genghis Khan against the conclusions of history. Although Khan and his Mongol hordes have the historic ill repute of being a bunch of criminals and thugs, McLynn captures Khan’s genius as an empire-builder and innovator.
On the Trail of Genghis Khan, An Epic Journey Through the Land of the Nomads
Inspired by the nomadic tradition, award-winning adventurer Tim Cope travels by horseback across the entire length of the Eurasian steppe from Karakorum, the ancient capital of Mongolia, through Kazakhstan, Russia, Crimea and Ukraine, to the Danube in Hungary, documenting the unbounded hospitality of the people of the steppe.
Lonely Planet Mongolian Phrasebook
A handy pocket guide to Khalkh Mongolian, the language spoken in Mongolia and surrounding parts of Russia and China.
The Mongols, A Very Short Introduction
Rossabi, a leading historian, revises the popular perception of the Mongols as savage conquerors to show them as wise rulers who adopted shrewd economic policies, patronized the arts and helped foster peace in the lands they controlled.
Culture Smart! Mongolia
A concise, no-nonsense guide to local customs, etiquette and culture with a short overview of the land and people along with practical travel advice.
Modern Mongolia, Reclaiming Genghis Khan
This slim primer, richly illustrated with 120 color photographs, covers the sweep and excitement of 20th-century Mongolian history, the country's nomadic heritage and the legacy of Genghis Khan.
Walking the Gobi
Thayer weaves her experiences on a camel trek with a portrait of the region's nomadic cultures and natural history.
Odyssey Guide Mongolia
For this comprehensive illustrated guide, Robinson incorporates contributions from friends and colleagues, including American Museum of Natural History paleontologist Mark Norrell and Smithsonian ethnographer William Fitzhugh.
Hunting With Eagles, The Kazakh Eagle-hunters of Mongolia
In this collection of 90 dramatic images, award-winning photographer Palani Mohan celebrates the world of Mongolia’s Kazakh tribes, nomadic peoples who hunt on horseback with golden eagles. His duotone photographs and explanatory text show a way of life that is rapidly changing.
The Blue Sky
Set in the Altai Mountains of northern Mongolia, this novel confronts the clashes between the nomadic Tuvan people's ancient way of life and the pervasive influence of modern society. First of a trilogy that includes MGL78 and MGL77.
Dinosaurs of the Flaming Cliffs
Novacek pens an amazing tale of discovery in the Gobi Desert that captures the thrill of exploration and the challenges of field work as well as the story of paleontology and travel in the footsteps of the legendary Roy Chapman Andrews.
Birds of Mongolia
This first modern field guide to the diverse birds of Mongolia features 83 color plates, species descriptions, and maps.
The Secret History of the Mongol Queens
Weatherford (Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World) turns to the wives and daughters of the great medieval leader in this bold history of the women of the Silk Road.
Mongolia Map
This attractive map (1:2,500,000) includes a small street plan of Ulaanbaatar.
Moving With The Seasons
Writer and photographer Carter collaborated with a Mongolian family in making this book, an intimate season-by-season account of nomadic Mongolian life on the steppe. Carter’s personable prose and excellent photography capture the people’s daily lives, in many ways still untouched by modernity.
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
Weatherford interweaves his own travels and field work on the Central Asian steppe, much of it on horseback, with a lively portrait of Genghis Khan and the world of the medieval Mongols.
