Welcome to Mongolia! We meet at 1 pm to take a guided tour of Ulaanbaatar. Mongolia’s capital is home to many unique sites, including the Sukhbaatar square, the National Museum of Mongolian History and Choijin Lama Temple Museum. A special treat is in store for you this evening as well, a unique show of contortion and throat singing.
Bayangol Hotel
DinnerWe load in 4WD expedition vans, which have special racks for carrying bikes and drive west on rough tarmac across vast open steppes with rolling hills in the background. Around mid-afternoon, we arrive to a place known as the “little Gobi”. This is a spectacular combination of hilly steppes, granite formations, and extensive sand dunes. We can go for an optional dune walk or a short camel ride while lunch is prepared. We drive on to the provincial capital of Arvaikheer.
Shunkhlai HotelBreakfast, Lunch, DinnerA two-hour transfer brings us close to the foothills of the Khangai range, which covers nearly a fifth of the country’s territory. We start cycling towards the range through a region dominated by dome-shaped mountains, mixed woods, clear streams, and lush grassy valleys that receive abundant rainfall compared to all other parts of Mongolia. We overnight at our first tented camp.
Tented CampBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 40km
+824m
-533mWe start biking with an ascent along a mountain river before a challenging zigzag up to a 2911-m pass and a breath-taking view of the Gobi Desert that lies south of the range. A 500-m descent, most of which is gentle, brings us to the Shargaljuut River valley, inhabited by local herders who graze large flocks of yaks and horses. Upon reaching our campsite, we share impressions of the first riding day. Dinner and overnight in tents.
Tented CampBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 45km+834m-599mThe day begins with a quick breakfast and a gentle ride past herds of yaks and local nomads. The first pass is not too steep but still offers a bit of a challenge. This is followed by a 200-m descent and a steep climb to a lunch spot at the top of Khebel Pass. A swift descent is followed by a climb up a grassy track to the top of Morin Pass. Another swift downhill brings us to a beautiful camp site by the river.
Tented CampBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 33km+739m-605mThe day starts with a gentle climb towards Oromtiin Pass. By the time you get there, you will have prepared your legs for a long climb followed by a fast descent to a river, where lunch will be served. Fifteen more kilometres across grassy plains with easy ups and downs and on some rough and rocky surfaces bring us to Khukhiin Pass, a short but vertical climb to 2,800 m. The following descent is at first challenging but soon smooths out into a large valley. Then it’s an exhilarating downhill to our camp site.
Tented CampBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 38km+644m-715mThis morning, we ride for 25 km along the main river of Khangai that flows south in to the Gobi Desert to form a large saline lake. Then to avoid a rocky and jarring track, we transfer 70 km (3 hours) across the main water divide of the Khangai range and unload our bikes 13 km before our overnight campsite. It’s a downhill descent, no pedalling required, to our camp at an idyllic spot by the river.
Tented CampBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 38km+150m-350mRiding surfaces improve dramatically from today on. It is hard-packed and fast. Leaving the valley, you’ll encounter a series of short but steep passes with excellent descents to more smooth ground. Your last descent of the day will take you to the settlement of Bulgan and then to the South Tamir River. We take a break from our tents and overnight in a cozy ger camp.
Ger CampBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 64km+568m-920mOnly 22 km and half a day riding to Tsenkher River, famous for its hot spring baths. Three short climbs as we aim to reach them before lunch, where two pools filled with hot mineral water await you. A relaxing massage is available for a small additional charge. Overnight in a ger camp.
Ger CampBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 22km+427m-359mThis isn’t an easy day, as there are five passes that vary in length from 2.5 km to 11.5 km, and we gain the most elevation of the entire trip, 1,250 m. The good news is that the track today is a pleasure as we cover 78 km of smooth, hard, and packed surfaces on your way to the Orkhon River valley. This area contains many ancient graves and historical sites and is often referred to as the cradle of Mongolian civilization. We set up our last tented camp on the banks of the Orkhon River.
Tented CampBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 78km+1067m-1090mWe saved the best for last! Your final day of cycling promises to be an exciting one, with an eastward journey along the Orkhon River to Karakorum where the 2nd son of Chinggis Khan built the capital of the Mongol Empire in early 13th century. There are no major ascents today, just lots of small undulations, and we lose altitude the entire ride, making it a fast day. Immediately after arrival to our ger camp, we visit Karakorum. Largely an experiment of city building in a per-dominantly nomadic society, it never became a fully functional capital before it was demolished by invading Chinese Min Dynasty troops in late 14th century. Today, the main attraction here is the monastery museum of Erdene Zuu, established in the 16th century by a Mongol khan as part of introducing Buddhism as the main religion. The monastery then suffered an almost complete destruction during the anti-religion campaigns of 1930s with just a dozen of temples surviving. Spend some time in the peaceful premises of the monastery and take a glance at a few surviving artefacts of the old capital. And finally, visit the new Karakorum museum - a fantastic collection of artefacts continually replenished by new findings and discoveries. We return to the ger camp for showers, dinner, and overnight.
Ger CampBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 72km+597m-910mIt’s time to return to Ulaanbaatar! After a quick breakfast, we drive six hours to Mongolia’s capital, and the rest of the day is free for you to explore the city or to just rest before dinner.
Bayangol HotelBreakfast, Lunch, DinnerAs you eat your last breakfast in Mongolia and prepare for your return trip home, take the time to reflect on all that you witnessed and experienced in this amazing country.
BreakfastDisclaimer: The adventure cycling tours we operate often go beyond the beaten track, and the countries where we ride are not always predictable. Due to these reasons, it is occasionally necessary to reroute or update itineraries. Our guarantee is that we will not change a trip unless for safety or to improve it. Our listed hotels are always accurate at the time of writing, but should we have to change any hotel, it will always be for a similar or better one.
DestinationsMongolia
Tour MeetsUlaanbaatar
Fly in toChinggis Khaan International Airport (ULN)
Group Size2-16 riders
SpiceRoads jerseyWater bottleSupport vehicleGuide(s)Meals (as indicated)AccommodationSnacks and drinks
International flightsDomestic flightsAirport pick upAirport drop offVisa feesAlcoholTips
This trip is recommended for confident and physically fit riders looking for a challenging experience with a lot of off-road terrain. At times, the experience may seem demanding, but the rewards for an adventurous spirit are immense and will provide a lifetime of memories once you decide to get on your bike and go!
Just over 430 km will be covered in the total of nine cycling days on a little bit of everything: dirt roads littered with small rocks, riverbeds, long downhill stretches followed by short steep climbs, compressed earthy terrain, and trails that have mainly been used by horses. Those with an adventurous spirit will get the most out of this cycle tour.
Suitability: The majority of this cycling trip takes place off road, so we recommend that cyclists are physically fit and confident riding on rough terrain. Because this trip is fully supported, weary cyclists can take breaks in the support vehicles if required.
Biking Conditions: The off-road portions of this trip are complimented by flat, hard-packed terrain. While the trails are generally smooth, some passes have loose gravel and sandy patches that could prove hazardous to riders. Additionally, some of the descents can be rocky.
Welcome to Mongolia! We meet at 1 pm to take a guided tour of Ulaanbaatar. Mongolia’s capital is home to many unique sites, including the Sukhbaatar square, the National Museum of Mongolian History and Choijin Lama Temple Museum. A special treat is in store for you this evening as well, a unique show of contortion and throat singing.
Bayangol HotelDinnerWe load in 4WD expedition vans, which have special racks for carrying bikes and drive west on rough tarmac across vast open steppes with rolling hills in the background. Around mid-afternoon, we arrive to a place known as the “little Gobi”. This is a spectacular combination of hilly steppes, granite formations, and extensive sand dunes. We can go for an optional dune walk or a short camel ride while lunch is prepared. We drive on to the provincial capital of Arvaikheer.
Shunkhlai HotelBreakfast, Lunch, DinnerA two-hour transfer brings us close to the foothills of the Khangai range, which covers nearly a fifth of the country’s territory. We start cycling towards the range through a region dominated by dome-shaped mountains, mixed woods, clear streams, and lush grassy valleys that receive abundant rainfall compared to all other parts of Mongolia. We overnight at our first tented camp.
Tented CampBreakfast, Lunch, DinnerRide 40km+824m-533mWe start biking with an ascent along a mountain river before a challenging zigzag up to a 2911-m pass and a breath-taking view of the Gobi Desert that lies south of the range. A 500-m descent, most of which is gentle, brings us to the Shargaljuut River valley, inhabited by local herders who graze large flocks of yaks and horses. Upon reaching our campsite, we share impressions of the first riding day. Dinner and overnight in tents.
Tented CampBreakfast, Lunch, DinnerRide 45km+834m-599mThe day begins with a quick breakfast and a gentle ride past herds of yaks and local nomads. The first pass is not too steep but still offers a bit of a challenge. This is followed by a 200-m descent and a steep climb to a lunch spot at the top of Khebel Pass. A swift descent is followed by a climb up a grassy track to the top of Morin Pass. Another swift downhill brings us to a beautiful camp site by the river.
Tented CampBreakfast, Lunch, DinnerRide 33km+739m-605mThe day starts with a gentle climb towards Oromtiin Pass. By the time you get there, you will have prepared your legs for a long climb followed by a fast descent to a river, where lunch will be served. Fifteen more kilometres across grassy plains with easy ups and downs and on some rough and rocky surfaces bring us to Khukhiin Pass, a short but vertical climb to 2,800 m. The following descent is at first challenging but soon smooths out into a large valley. Then it’s an exhilarating downhill to our camp site.
Tented CampBreakfast, Lunch, DinnerRide 38km+644m-715mThis morning, we ride for 25 km along the main river of Khangai that flows south in to the Gobi Desert to form a large saline lake. Then to avoid a rocky and jarring track, we transfer 70 km (3 hours) across the main water divide of the Khangai range and unload our bikes 13 km before our overnight campsite. It’s a downhill descent, no pedalling required, to our camp at an idyllic spot by the river.
Tented CampBreakfast, Lunch, DinnerRide 38km+150m-350mRiding surfaces improve dramatically from today on. It is hard-packed and fast. Leaving the valley, you’ll encounter a series of short but steep passes with excellent descents to more smooth ground. Your last descent of the day will take you to the settlement of Bulgan and then to the South Tamir River. We take a break from our tents and overnight in a cozy ger camp.
Ger CampBreakfast, Lunch, DinnerRide 64km+568m-920mOnly 22 km and half a day riding to Tsenkher River, famous for its hot spring baths. Three short climbs as we aim to reach them before lunch, where two pools filled with hot mineral water await you. A relaxing massage is available for a small additional charge. Overnight in a ger camp.
Ger CampBreakfast, Lunch, DinnerRide 22km+427m-359mThis isn’t an easy day, as there are five passes that vary in length from 2.5 km to 11.5 km, and we gain the most elevation of the entire trip, 1,250 m. The good news is that the track today is a pleasure as we cover 78 km of smooth, hard, and packed surfaces on your way to the Orkhon River valley. This area contains many ancient graves and historical sites and is often referred to as the cradle of Mongolian civilization. We set up our last tented camp on the banks of the Orkhon River.
Tented CampBreakfast, Lunch, DinnerRide 78km+1067m-1090mWe saved the best for last! Your final day of cycling promises to be an exciting one, with an eastward journey along the Orkhon River to Karakorum where the 2nd son of Chinggis Khan built the capital of the Mongol Empire in early 13th century. There are no major ascents today, just lots of small undulations, and we lose altitude the entire ride, making it a fast day. Immediately after arrival to our ger camp, we visit Karakorum. Largely an experiment of city building in a per-dominantly nomadic society, it never became a fully functional capital before it was demolished by invading Chinese Min Dynasty troops in late 14th century. Today, the main attraction here is the monastery museum of Erdene Zuu, established in the 16th century by a Mongol khan as part of introducing Buddhism as the main religion. The monastery then suffered an almost complete destruction during the anti-religion campaigns of 1930s with just a dozen of temples surviving. Spend some time in the peaceful premises of the monastery and take a glance at a few surviving artefacts of the old capital. And finally, visit the new Karakorum museum - a fantastic collection of artefacts continually replenished by new findings and discoveries. We return to the ger camp for showers, dinner, and overnight.
Ger CampBreakfast, Lunch, DinnerRide 72km+597m-910mIt’s time to return to Ulaanbaatar! After a quick breakfast, we drive six hours to Mongolia’s capital, and the rest of the day is free for you to explore the city or to just rest before dinner.
Bayangol HotelBreakfast, Lunch, DinnerAs you eat your last breakfast in Mongolia and prepare for your return trip home, take the time to reflect on all that you witnessed and experienced in this amazing country.
BreakfastDisclaimer: The adventure cycling tours we operate often go beyond the beaten track, and the countries where we ride are not always predictable. Due to these reasons, it is occasionally necessary to reroute or update itineraries. Our guarantee is that we will not change a trip unless for safety or to improve it. Our listed hotels are always accurate at the time of writing, but should we have to change any hotel, it will always be for a similar or better one.
Because some people can't imagine going on a trip without their own beloved bicycle, we do not provide them as part of this tour. However, you can hire bikes locally for the price listed in the tour pricing section.
If you bring your own bike, please make sure it is a mountain bike, preferably with front suspension in good mechanical order.
Basic spares and tools are carried by the guide and on the support vehicle, though we cannot guarantee having spares for every conceivable problem. Carrying a basic tool kit, a spare tube and a pump while riding is recommended.
Wearing a helmet is required on all our biking adventures and is non negotiable. If you do not wear a helmet you will not be allowed to cycle. Your tour leader is trained in first aid and emergency rescue, but to a large degree you must be responsible for your own safety while riding. It is therefore compulsory that you take out travel insurance that will cover you for a mountain biking tour.
You will be led by a local English-speaking guide and if the group is 9 people or more we will add another guide to the tour. All our guides are well informed in the history, culture and religions of the area where you are biking and are skilled at passing that knowledge on to you. Your guide is also medically trained and an experienced cyclist, able to handle most minor repairs en route.
For more information see here.
Visa regulations in Mongolia can and do change without notice, so please give yourself enough time to check the current regulations to ensure you have the proper documents before embarking on this trip. If you are transiting through China, please check if a transit visa is required or not.
Recommended vaccinations include typhoid, polio, tetanus and Hepatitis A. A certificate for Yellow Fever is required if arriving from an infected area within the prior six days. This is not a malarial area. Please speak to your doctor/physician for the most recent information.
Mongolia is home to extreme weather conditions that are constantly changing. Summertime occurs during the months of June, July, and August and daytime temperatures range from 20 to 30 degrees C (15 degrees in the evenings). This is also the rainy season, so plan on getting wet during your two-week adventure. Autumn begins in September, with daytime temperatures of 15 to 25 degrees C (5 to 10 degrees in the evenings). During the winter, temperatures in Mongolia can drop to -40 degrees C, however snow can fall at any given time of the year. For this reason, please be prepared for cold weather and bring appropriate clothing.
Meals are included in the itinerary where B = breakfast, L = lunch, and D = dinner. Most meals will be prepared by the cooking team on the support staff and feature Western-style cuisine with a sampling of Mongolian food. Any special dietary requirements can also be catered for as well. Please let us know at the time of booking.
Keeping you completely hydrated is a job we take very seriously. Cold water, some energy-restoring local fruit and soft drinks are included in the tour price while riding. Soft drinks and other beverages during meals are not included. Beer and alcohol are NOT included in the price.
SpiceRoads does not require you to pay a surcharge for travelling alone. We will arrange for you to share accommodation with another traveller of the same gender and if we can not match you up we will provide a single room at no extra charge. If you prefer not to share a single supplement is payable to guarantee your own room. The cost of the single supplement is listed above.
We recommend that you tuck away a few extra dollars a day for incidentals. Included entrance fees are those for the listed sites and national parks that are part of the itinerary. Any other site fees are not included.
The Mongolian currency is the tögrög (T). Dollars can be changed at banks and exchange offices in Ulaanbaatar. There are ATMs in the capital which accept Visa and MasterCard and work most of the time, but it is best to have a debit card linked to your bank account. Remember to change all your tögrög when leaving the country as it’s worthless elsewhere.
If this is the tour for you here's what you need to do to confirm your place:
Just complete our online booking form or send your booking details offline (email or post), and we will confirm your participation. No deposit is needed to confirm your place on a SpiceRoads tour.
You are advised to read our Booking Conditions in full before you make your payment and should you require further clarifications of any of the conditions below, please email us or call our office.
There is a minimum number of participants (usually 2) required to enable the trip to go ahead. Once the minimum number is reached, the trip status will change from 'Available' to 'Guaranteed to Depart'. Once a trip is guaranteed to depart you are free to book your flights and make other travel arrangements. If the trip status is ‘Limited’ will mean we have only a small number of spaces available for booking. If you are unsure about the trip status, please email us or call our office.
From the tour page, click the 'Book Now' link. All departures for this tour will appear, just select the date you'd like to travel. For the next steps, you'll need to know the names of the people travelling. If you wish you can also provide extra details such as passport numbers, height (for bike hire), or you can add that later by logging into Manage My Trip (we'll set up an account for you automatically if you don't already have one). Our system will contact you from time to time to fill in the missing information, as it will be required before departure. However, if the trip that you are booking offers a child discount, you will have to fill out the date of birth of each rider (so we can calculate the appropriate discount).
If you are having any problems please send us an email, or give us a call (+66 026 3295) and one of our travel specialists will assist you with your booking.
Just call us or send an email indicating which trip you want to join and we will happily send you a list of questions and process your booking for you.
We do not require a deposit or full payment to book a place for you on a tour.
The balance of the tour’s cost (final invoice) will need to be paid 60 days before the departure date with fees for any bicycle rental(s), single supplement(s) and extra hotel nights.
In the case where a booking is made when there are less than 60 days until the tour departure date, the tour’s cost should be paid in full within 72 hours of receiving an invoice from SpiceRoads. Payment can be made by credit card using our online payment gateway or by bank transfer. When making payment online you will need to confirm that you have read these booking conditions during the "checkout" process, which equates to agreeing to the terms of services and stipulations as indicated in this document.
In all cases, tour fees need to be paid “in full” before participation in a tour. No person(s) will be allowed to join a tour without fully settling their invoice and receiving a confirmation number from SpiceRoads.
The exception can be made for last-minute miscellaneous fees that can be paid locally (visas, additional local hotel bookings, etc.) can be settled on the day of arrival.
If the tour is cancelled or postponed by SpiceRoads because we didn't make the trip numbers and the tour can’t run, we will make a full cash refund (by bank transfer or on your credit card).
If the tour is cancelled for any other reason, including due to Covid related travel restrictions, we will give you a full credit (with no deductions for admin or any other small-print item) to use on any SpiceRoads tour with no time limit. (Exceptions being flights, special permits and other non-refundable items and these will be advised when booking the trip).
Before paying for your tour, you can cancel your booking with no charge and up until 40 days before departure, you can change your booking to another travel date or move your booking onto another SpiceRoads tour with no charges.
If you need to cancel after you have made full payment, please see our cancellation policy.
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