The roots of Mongolia’s most important festival date back centuries to the periodic gathering of nomadic warriors whom came together to test their strength and courage. It’s celebrated throughout the land, but the festival events in the capital are widely regarded as the best - and the competitions as the fiercest. Indeed, participants and spectators come from across Mongolia for the celebrations and contests.
The excitement begins this morning when we take you back to Ulaanbaatar to attend the opening ceremonies at the Central Stadium; it’s a colorful pageant featuring skilled dancers, athletes, and musicians. Then the competitions get underway! The wrestling championships can involve over 1,000 contestants but with no weight classes and 16 thrilling contests running simultaneously, the competition progresses quickly. The archery contest dates back more than 2,000 years and is a test of strength and military prowess. Bows are still crafted in the traditional Mongolian fashion from sinew, wood, deer horn and bamboo and strung with deer tendon.
After lunch, we’ll take you to the outskirts of the capital to witness the horse racing competitions, an audience favorite that attracts Mongolia’s finest herdsmen, horses and racers. Covering distances ranging from 9 to 20 miles across the vast Mongolian steppe, these races are a test of both endurance and speed for both the horses and their riders; some of them are boys and girls as young as six years old! Tonight you’ll enjoy a final night at the 5-star Shangri-La Hotel. Meals B+L+D