Terelj National Park and Chinggis Khan Statue (Day tour)

Hotel pick up at 9am. Drive to Chinggis Khan complex statue (approximately 1.5 hours of drive from Ulaanbaatar).  The statue is recognized as the world’s tallest horseman monument standing at 40m tall in an open valley. We will go inside the Chinggis Khan complex take some memorable photos, see the Guinness world record holding giant Mongolian boot and horse whip. Visit the mini historical museum, get on the elevator to get on the horse’s head and take close-up selfies with Chinggis Khan and observe the surrounding view. For lunch we will visit nomadic family and enjoy Mongolian lunch (Khorkhog, Khuushuur or Tsuiwan. Vegetarian dishes are also available upon request) Lunch will be followed with horse riding and exploring the surroundings. Then we will continue driving towards Terelj National Park. The park is one of the most visited parks of Mongolia as it is known for its beautiful scenery, unique rock formations one of which is the Turtle rock that you will visit. Furthermore, there are several temples from which we will visit the Aryabal meditation temple located on mountainside that offers breathtaking view of the park. After some walking we will drive back to Ulaanbaatar city. End of tour.

[ Driving distance – 154 km,  Driving duration – 3 hours,  Meals – Lunch]

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS 

 Chinggis Khaan statue complex- everyone including foreign and local tourists should visit this statue at least once as it is a MUST see in Mongolia. It is recognized as the world’s tallest horseman monument standing 40m tall. Inside the complex you will find mini museum of history, giant Guinness world record holding horse whip and Mongolian traditional boot.

World’s largest Mongolian boot holding world Guinness record since 2009

Terelj National Park is one of the most visited and interesting national parks of  Mongolia. It is connected with Ulaanbaatar city by 70km paved road.  Terelj National park is known for its beautiful scenery, unique rock formations one of which is the Turtle rock, temples including Aryabal meditation temple also the remaining of Princess temple. Interesting activities possible at the National park include horse riding, camel riding, hiking, trekking, kayaking, flower and bird watching.

The Turtle Rock, or called Melkhi Khad by the locals, is an interesting rock formation that looks like a turtle. This giant rock formation is a popular spot for visitors and has its own legend.

Ariyabal meditation temple is situated in Terelj National Park, 3 km from Turtle Rock. It is a Buddhist meditation temple built in 1810 but destroyed during the religious purge of the 1938, however restored at the beginning of 2004-07. From the temple you will see the beautiful view of the national park. During hot days it would be a nice cool place to meditate and feel the positive energy of the area.

A traditional yurt (from the Turkic languages) or ger (Mongolian) is a portable, round tent covered with skins or felt and used as a dwelling by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. The structure comprises an angled assembly or latticework of pieces of wood or bamboo for walls, a door frame, ribs (poles, rafters), and a wheel (crown, compression ring) possibly steam-bent. The roof structure is often self-supporting, but large yurts may have interior posts supporting the crown. The top of the wall of self-supporting yurts is prevented from spreading by means of a tension band which opposes the force of the roof ribs. Modern yurts may be permanently built on a wooden platform; they may use modern materials such as steam-bent wooden framing or metal framing, canvas or tarpaulin, Plexiglas dome, wire rope, or radiant insulation

Since the ancient times as illustrated on rock and cave paintings, horses were an inseparable part of Mongolian people and their lifestyle. The very first thing you have to know about Mongolian horses is that they are still half wild. Apart from few horses that are used for riding, the rest of the herd usually roams around grazing grass and spending their time free. Even the riding horses are set free in the evening. This is the main reason they have their own temper and unique character.