Short on time? The Wild Spirit of the Mongolian Steppes covers the heart of the steppe in 10 days. In winter, the Frozen Ride crosses frozen Lake Ugii Nuur by sidecar.
Stage 1/14
Stage 2/14
56 miles, including 16.8 to 22 miles of track.
Stage 3/14
162 miles, including 32 to 60 miles of track.
Stage 4/14
84 miles, including 71 to 76 miles of track.
Stage 5/14
130 miles, including 53 to 69 miles of track.
Stage 6/14
40 miles, including 40 miles of track.
Stage 7/14
134 miles, including 31 to 94 miles of track.
Stage 8/14
28 miles, including 28 miles of track.
Stage 9/14
62 to 71 miles, including 62 to 71 miles of track.
Stage 10/14
31 miles, including 31 miles of track.
Stage 11/14
78 miles, including 74 miles of track.
Stage 12/14
93 miles, including 37 to 56 miles of track.
Stage 13/14
162 miles, including 6.2 to 43 miles of track.
Stage 14/14
A Royal Enfield motorcycle and spare parts.
Fuel, parking, any tolls.
Third-party motorcycle insurance.
Mandatory insurance: insurance covering medical expenses on site. Repatriation assistance, which covers you in case of 2-wheel (large displacement) accidents.
Legal insurance and cancellation insurance highly recommended.
International driving permit.
This adventure tour is long: 14 days, 11 of them riding, about 1,050 miles with many gravel tracks and river crossings through steppe, volcanic landscapes and dunes. Good fitness and stamina are needed. Passengers welcome if you are both used to long days on gravel. Some nights are in yurt camps and with nomad families.
Some stages are far from medical facilities: first aid and transport to the nearest medical center rely mainly on our support vehicle, as helicopters and ambulances are rare, and phone coverage can be patchy. As on any adventure route, road conditions depend on the weather during and before the trip.
It is our most complete tour in Mongolia: 14 days and about 1,060 miles on a loop from Ulaanbaatar, past Hustai National Park, Ögii Nuur lake, the White Lake and Khorgo volcano, the Tsenkher hot springs, the Orkhon Valley, Karakorum and the Khögnö Khan dunes. The Wild Spirit of the Mongolian Steppes follows a similar loop in 10 days, without the White Lake or the two nights with a nomad family. The Frozen Ride is our winter tour, by sidecar, in January.
The tour is rated Sustained: this raid is for experienced riders with good stamina and in good physical shape. Half to nearly two thirds of the route is on steppe dirt roads, mostly fast-flowing, with river crossings and small passes. Stages are far from medical help and cell coverage is patchy: the support vehicle follows the group.
Stages run from 56 to 162 miles. Three days are spent in one place, at the White Lake, the Tsenkher hot springs and in the Orkhon Valley: you choose between rest, hot baths, a hike or a horseback ride, and a 28 to 40 mile loop by motorcycle. The last stage, 162 miles, is mostly on pavement back to Ulaanbaatar.
A Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, built for dirt roads, maintained by our mechanic, who follows the group with the spare parts. If your height makes you hesitate, either way, talk to your travel advisor before booking.
Yes, if the rider is comfortable riding two-up on dirt roads: the track days are bumpy, for the rider and the passenger alike. The tour costs $5,190 per rider and $4,290 per passenger. Talk to your travel advisor before booking.
An English-speaking motorcycle tour leader, a mechanic and the driver of the support vehicle, which carries your luggage and the spare parts; with more than 6 participants, a second vehicle follows the group. The group is limited to 10 motorcycles (12 participants with passengers).
$5,190 per rider and $4,290 per passenger. The price includes the motorcycle, gas, the team, lodging, all meals from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 14 and transfers from Ulaanbaatar airport. You pay for your flights, any visa fees, the International Driving Permit, drinks, tips, entrance fees for visits and a $708 deposit per motorcycle.
The tour starts and ends in Ulaanbaatar, and you book your own flights. Our team meets you at the airport on day 1, which is free to explore the city. We return to Ulaanbaatar in the middle of the afternoon on day 13; day 14 is free until your transfer to the airport, according to your flight times. To arrive earlier or stay longer, ask your travel advisor about the options.
The season runs from May to September; open dates are shown on this page, and other dates are possible on request through your travel advisor. Expect 59 to 77°F during the day, with possible showers late in the day. Evenings are cool: bring warm clothes and rain gear. Details are in our Mongolia weather guide.
In a hotel in Ulaanbaatar, then in yurt camps, two or three to a yurt, with one night at the foot of the Khögnö Khan dunes. In the Orkhon Valley, the two nights with a nomad family are spent in a shared yurt, for up to 4 or 5. Restrooms are separate, hot water is not guaranteed every evening and there is almost no internet. A single room is only possible in Ulaanbaatar.
