Discover Altai

I had a great time with Discover Altai last summer. Dauren, the manager and coordinator, was very thorough and responsive in his communication. When he met up with my group in Ulaanbaatar and Bayan-Olgii, I felt like I was hanging out with a friend who’s showing me around his country.

The five-day horse trek through the National Park itself was stunning and breathtaking. We started the trip by taking a thrilling 7-hour drive in a Soviet 4x4 van from the Bayan-Olgii Airport into Altai National Park. The roads were rough and bumpy, but our driver navigated the route with finesse. (Word has it that he’s been driving on Mongolia’s rough roads since he was twelve.) We stayed in a ger the first night and camped for the next five days while we traveled on horseback. Each person had a private tent, which was set up for us by the guides, cook, and horsemen.

Our guide was Nurgha. He was friendly, funny, and personable. The entire team worked so hard to ensure that we had a good trip. Their set up was also impressive. With just three pack camels, they were able to bring along a pop-up canopy tent, a picnic table, 7 foldable camping chairs, propane tanks, a stove top, fresh food, plenty of snacks, and private tents for everyone. We ate breakfast and dinner from the comfort of the shaded canopy tent, where our cook Jinggis Beck made hot meals complete with meat, rice, noodles, vegetables, tofu, and even fresh-caught fish from the river. We always had hot tea available and of course my favorite Mongolian milk tea.

The horse trek itself: Our horsemen did great with picking the right horses for us, and the saddle we were given were super comfortable that I didn’t feel sore at all from five days of riding. They also accommodated me by giving me the wider Mongolia stirrup which felt better for my feet/legs. I had about one-week of horse riding training under my belt before this trip, and it felt sufficient for me to ride along with the group. There was one person in our group who didn’t have horse riding experience, and the horsemen led his horse for the first day or two, then he was able to ride on his own. So I’d say this trip is definitely doable even without horse riding experience. The white horse I rode after the Potanin Glacier was so well behaved. There was a steep hike up a mountain where we had to get off our horse and lead them by the leash. When I accidentally dropped the reigns, the horse didn’t run off without me but actually stood there and waited for me to pick the reigns. Kudos to the animals for being well-trained and working so hard.

Altai National Park itself was one of the most remote places I’ve been to and five days without internet in pristine nature was absolutely refreshing. Everywhere we went, starting with the car ride into the park, the scenery and landscape was stunning. We got to see the Potanin Glacier, hike to the Green Lake, trek through a high-elevation plateau (Takhilt Pass) that looked like another planet, and ride through the Bear Valley along the river. See my photos, as words can’t do justice to the beauty of Western Mongolia’s landscape. Towards the end of the trip, we also got to visit an Eagle Hunting family and spend time with their huge majestic eagle.

One extra bonus for me was that the trip happened to fall on my birthday. I kept quiet about it and figured I’d let it pass without any fanfare. But that morning, Nurgha pulled out a wrapped gift box and I opened it to find beautiful Kazakh souvenirs, including earrings, a necklace, and a small crossbody bag. Dauren had seen my ID because he needed it to book the domestic flights. They noticed my birthday, prepared my gift ahead of time, and brought it along by car + horseback/camel hundreds of kilometers into the remote national park just to give it to me on my birthday, which I hadn’t even mentioned. How thoughtful is that??? I wear the earrings and necklace every time I go out and the bag has been super handy too.

Dauren was great in the planning of our 4 day trip and always replied swiftly to any questions I had. He took us for a very nice lunch in Ulgii, visited the museum, before heading to Sahsai where we were staying the night with the Eagle hunter’s family. They made us feel so welcome and provided us with snacks and milky tea. Then we drove to see the stone man monument nearby and had delicious homemade buuz for dinner. The next morning we left for Lake Tolboo. Our camp was right next to the lake and had a beautiful view. After a quick swim and a walk, Dauren made us some delicious shish kebabs. On the way back to Ulgii, we stopped at a ger and got to try fermented horse milk (airag) and watch the milking of the mares. This was a memorable experience for myself and my friend. Again, the nomadic family were so hospitable even though it wasn’t part of the trip and they hadn’t been expecting us.
Then we had some free time in Ulgii for shopping and lunch, before Dauren collected us from our hotel to go and see Friendship Hill overlooking the whole town. We then went to a lovely Turkish restaurant for dinner.

Dauren took care of everything and we were well looked after from start to end. He even made us breakfast before our flight back to UB.

I will definitely be using Discover Altai for any other trips in Mongolia and highly recommend him.

Thanks for showing us around your beautiful province, I look forward to returning one day.

One of the best trip during my world tour was with discover Altai, i goes to Bayan Olgii foe the eagle hunter festival one of the authentic tradition for mongolian, Dauren the host of discover Altai is a very kind man who come pick me up at the airport and bring me to eat Mongolian speciality then welcomed me in his house with her family who was very awesome. I goes to the mountains with Dauren for several weeks to meet the eagle hunter familys and spend the time with me for translate and guide me for many activity like horse riding or see the eagle hunting. If you want an authentic trip i recommend you discover Altai this is my best memory

Fantastic trip and wonderful experience. Great guide, great cook that spoiled us with way to much food and accommodated a vegetarian. Felt spoiled and they wouldn't let us help with the gear.

The only thing i don't like about my trip to Mongolia was that it ended too fast! Tavan Bogd National Park is a magical place but I appreciate having Dauren as my guide the most. He and his team are professionals and such kind people.

Everyday I dream of going back to Mongolia, and these guys would be the first I'd go to.

Wonderful experience! Great, knowledgeable guides. Spectacular hikes and memorable stay with an eagle hunter. Highly recommend!

It was the best part of my trip in Mongolia. Dauren is a very experienced guide. Ask to spend some days with his family, in Sagsay.
I highly recomend his services! Miss those days

ひとり遠征登山でモンゴルに行こうと思い、このDiscover Altai選びました。ひとりで不安でしたがとても素晴らしいガイド兼オーナーのダウレンさんと彼のチームのおかげで素晴らしい旅と登山ができました。

途中お腹を壊してしまい迷惑をかけましたが、ダウレンさんは親身に薬を探してくれ…おかげで旅の後半は元気いっぱいモンゴルを満喫しました。

登山以外では旅程をアレンジをしていただき、鷹祭りやホームステイや乗馬など…楽しい思い出を作れました。

またモンゴルに行く際はこちらの会社を選びます。