Discovery tour through the Gobi Desert

Day 0: Geneva-Beijing Départ en vol régulier pour Pékin. Nuit à bord.

Day 1: Beijing- Oulanbator Arrival in Ulaanbaatar. Transfer to the hotel (3 *). Visiting the Monastery "Gandan" (The name of Tibetan origin can be translated as "Great place to Joyfull." The monastery was the only one to remain officially in business after the destruction and mass purges of 1937-1938. It re-opened in 1944: some monks maintained a Buddhist activity, activity was shown to strangers as a curiosity and folklore of yesteryear. Currently there are several hundred residents and monks the monastery again became the largest lamasery in the country.) Lunch at restaurant Modern Nomad (Mongolian modern kitchen). Visit the Museum National d'Histoire (covering the period from prehistory to the present). Dinner at restaurant and overnight stay.

Day 2: Karakorum UB jeep ride to the ancient capital of Karakorum (In 1220, Genghis Khan had decided to establish his base camp, leaving women and headquarters during his military campaigns, on the left bank of the Orkhon River: Karakorum, located 370 km from the current capital Oulan-Bator. ) Picnic on the way. Installing the yurt camp. Visit Erdene Zuu Monastery (The Monastery Erdene Zuu (hundred treasures) was the first Buddhist monastery to fixed structure to be established in Mongolia. Its construction began in 1586 during the reign of Khan Abtai but only ended about three centuries later. At its peak, the monastery then had between sixty and a hundred temples, 300 yurts were installed in its enclosure and over 1000 monks had taken up residence.),dinner and overnight at camp.

Day 3: Orkhon river Journey to the valley of the Orkhon River (120 km). The valley is a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its rich cultural and historical heritage. En route we will pass through the lovely monastery of Tovkhon Hiid which is on the top of a mountain and that was the place of meditation and retreat of a famous Mongolian lama Zanabazar and leading intellectual of his time. A 45 minutes walk to reach the top of the mountain and the temple where you will have a splendid view of the surrounding area. Night in a tourist camp.

Day 4 : monastery Ongiin Trip to the ruins of the ancient monastery "Ongiin Khiid" (approximately 200 km). In the extreme western province of Dundgobi, in a mountainous region along the river Ong (Ongiin gol) is the monastery, or rather the ruins of the monastery, Ong. Located on both sides of the banks of the river, the monastery was built Ongiin Hiid in two phases: on the north side was the temple Barlim and on the south was the temple Hutagt. At the height of its activity, 1,000 monks lived here before it was destroyed by the Russians in 1937. There are now a white stupa of origin and a small building that serves as a place of worship (restored in 2002) by 14 monks present on the site. The yurt at the entrance of the temple serves as a museum: are exposed, among other things, old carved stones rescued from destruction, objects of worship and some fossils.

Day 5 : forests Saxaoul Trip to the forests of Saxaoul (Gobi famous tree) at a place called "Bayanzag" (approximately 170 km), walk around the cliffs surrounding the ocher-red shimmer. Night in a yurt in a tourist camp.

Day 6: Singing dunes Journey to the "Singing Dunes" (set of sand dunes bordered by a small green oasis), walk through the dunes and oases nearby. Opportunity to take a walk on a camel.

Day 7 : Valley « Yoliin Am » Singing Dunes trip to the valley of "Yoliin Am" (beautiful deep gorge which the river remains frozen most of all year), walk in the canyon. Ride to the tourist camp and overnight in the yurt.

Day 8: Dalanzadgad + « Bag Gazarin Chuluu » Yoliin Am towards the town of Dalanzadgad then to « Bag Gazarin Chuluu » ( Baga Gazriin Chuluu is an amazing formation of granite placed at the heart of the steppe. This granite formation is sacred to the Mongols: in the nineteenth century, two monks lived here and they left cave paintings and other drawings as evidence of their passage. These huge rocks ocher maze natural form which you can see the turning of the trees covered with blue khatag (silk offering scarves), övöös (stacked stones that rise toward the sky) and other materials or objects placed there as offerings to the spirits of the place and ancestors.We will also visit the ruins of an old monastery ...). Overnight at tourist camp.

Day 9 : Oulan Bator Bag Gazarin Chuluu - - back in Ulan Bator. Overnight at hotel (3 *).

Day 10 : Oulan Bator Visit the Museum of Beautiful-- Arts (paintings and sculptures). Lunch at restaurant. Visit the Winter Palace of Bogd Khan (temples, thangkas, Bogd Khan museum dedicated to himself). Souvenir shopping (top floor of the "department store", antique shops). Farewell Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 11: Oulan Bator—Geneva Transfer to the airport and flight back to Geneva.

Land tour price (excluding international flights):

• 2050 Chf per person, based on 2 people
• 1999 Chf per person, based on 3 to 5 people (single supplement not included)
• 1888 Chf per person, based on 6 to 9 people (not including single supplement)