Day 1, Monday
Relax and prepare yourself for your adventure on world-class Korean Airlines. Meet other students, watch on-demand movies and unwind. A Rustic Pathways Flight Leader will accompany each of our escorted group flights from JFK, LAX, and SFO. Our staff and flight leaders will make sure that your journey is easy and enjoyable!

Day 2, Tuesday
Today will be ‘lost’ as you cross the International Date Line – not to worry, however, because you’ll get it back on your way home.

Day 3, Wednesday
As your plane soars over the pacific and enters Asia, you will land in Korea where a Rustic Pathways Employee will be waiting to pick you up. You will be escorted to your hotel in Seoul. We will get you checked in, and you will be free to sleep and relax until your morning wake up call. We’ll feed you a delicious Korean breakfast and then send you on your way to your connecting flight to Ulaanbaatar.

Day 4, Thursday
Take a look out the window as you fly over the rolling steppes of Mongolia and prepare yourself for embark on an incredible adventure on the terrain below. You’ll arrive at Chinggis Khan International Airport in the early afternoon, where your Rustic Pathways leaders will be waiting for you. You will get on a van and drive out to Khentii. We will camp out tonight near Khokh Lake, which was the site of Genghis Khan’s coronation. Tonight you will enjoy a tasty backcountry meal and a peaceful night of sleep in your warm sleeping bag.

DAY 5, Friday
You will wake up early, tear down your camp and eat breakfast. Then you will meet your horse guide and learn the basics of Mongolian horse riding. Once you are ready you’ll saddle up and hit trail just like Genghis Khan did many years ago. Along the trail we will stop and take rest as well as eat our lunch. 40 km from Khokh lake you will stop for the night and set up camp. Your leaders will cook you dinner and you will have an enjoyable evening around the camp fire listening to the stories of Genghis Khan.

DAY 7 Saturday
Today you will wake up early and tear down camp and have a hearty breakfast. Then you will ride until you get to the base of the sacred mountain, and we will make sure that we rest and eat lunch along the way. Once there we will set up our camp at the base and your leaders will once again prepare dinner. Tonight you will get a good nights sleep and enjoy listening to many stories around the fire.

DAY 8 Sunday
will get up early this morning and after we have had something to eat we will start our climb. On the way up you will encounter some ancient burial sites. A place rumored to be the resting place of Genghis himself. When we get to the top we will have a picnic lunch with the beauty of the great Khan’s nation all around us. Once our strength has returned you will begin your descent towards the base camp. Tonight enjoy a relaxing evening and be

DAY 9 Monday
After breakfast and the camp duties, you will begin your trek back towards khokh lake. We will travel just as far as we did before and we will stop and camp between the lake and the mountain. No scheduled activities are planned for this evening. Just eat and go to sleep.

DAY 10 Tuesday
We will do our typical morning routine and then we will trek back to the lake. We will spend the night at the lake.

DAY 11 Wednesday
Back to Ulaanbaatar. You will make it to Ulaanbaatar early today and will check into our guesthouse once you arrive. We will let you get cleaned up and then we will go out for a night on the town. We will wonder the streets of the city, check out the city square, but souvenirs, and eat a delicious meal. Then we will go back to the guesthouse and get a good nights rest on a nice soft bed.

DAY 12 Thursday
You will be taken to the airport if you are flying home or connecting to another country. If you are continuing your adventures in Mongolia you will get ready for your next program. An Important Note about Schedule Changes: Rustic Pathways reserves the right to change, alter, or amend the daily itinerary for this trip at any time. Changes can be made for various reasons including changes in flight or program schedules, changes in the scheduless of various external tours incorporated in our trips, the addition of new activities into a trip, or the substitution of an old activity for a new activity. The itinerary shown here provides a good outline of the anticipated daily schedule for this program. As with any travel program, some changes may occur.

Questions? Please e-mail mongolia@rusticpathways.com.

An Important Note about Schedule Changes:
Rustic Pathways reserves the right to change, alter, or amend the daily itinerary for this trip at any time. Changes can be made for various reasons including changes in flight or program schedules, changes in the scheduless of various external tours incorporated in our trips, the addition of new activities into a trip, or the substitution of an old activity for a new activity. The itinerary shown here provides a good outline of the anticipated daily schedule for this program. As with any travel program, some changes may occur.

Checked Luggage:
 A medium sized duffel bag or large back pack will be most efficient. Wheeled bags are not recommended due to the rough terrain, but is acceptable if that is what you have. It is important that you try to keep your total luggage to one piece of checked luggage, and do your best to keep it under 40 pounds.  You will be carrying it with throughout the program and you want to keep it movable.

You Should Bring :
small backpack- this can be used as your carry on and will also be used for day hikes
sleeping bag (The nights in Mongolia can get chilly, so a sleeping bag with a rating of 0 degree is reccommended)
Sleeping pad or Thermarest – optional but recommended for extra comfort while sleeping.
hiking shoes (for all trips) – it is best to wear hiking shoes for all trips, which give good support and protect your feet from rocks, loose stones, etc.
towel – a travel towel that is compact, very absorbent, and fast drying is the best kind
waterproof shell/rain jacket or poncho – in most cases a waterproof/windproof shell with a hood is ideal. Ponchos are more practical on a horse trek as they can cover your saddle and prevent your seat from being wet. Jackets or ponchos for horse treks should be of a subdued, darker color, and preferably of a material that does not crackle or rustle much. Some Mongolian horses are spooked by unfamiliar bright/light colors and noises from plastic or nylon rain gear.
waterproof pants – should fit over your other pants, and from May through September need not have a lining or should have a very light, breathable lining.
fleece jacket or warm sweater/jumper –a fleece jacket with a full length zipper in front would be the most practical. Pull over fleece jackets or any kind of synthetic material would be good as well.
cotton t-shirts – two to three T-shirts will usually suffice
long sleeve shirts – one light weight, fast drying, light colored one, preferably with buttons down the front so you can wear it open over a T-shirt for sun protection – and one medium weight for cool evenings.
lightweight pants – two pair, and if you have one with zip-off legs that can double as shorts, this is ideal
shorts – the fast drying kind are ideal
warm hat – wool or fleece, which can cover your ears
long underwear – (for treks and horse treks) in summer a lightweight top and bottom will suffice. Your long underwear should be the synthetic kind that wicks away moisture from the skin and keeps you dry
swimsuit- be mindful that Mongolia has a very conservative culture, so be considerate of the type of suit you pack
socks – socks should be of a material that keeps your feet dry
underwear – fast drying. Sports/athletic bras offering good support are best for countryside portions of all trips – roads are bumpy here!
sun hat – should shade your face, ears, and the back of your neck
gloves – lightweight for trekking and riding, warm for spring and autumn trips
sandals – to be worn around camp, in the shower, and wading in streams or lakes. The best kind have adjustable straps around the ankle, and will stay on your feet if you are walking in a slippery stream bed
sun glasses – should be dark and offer UV protection
sunscreen – choose one with stronger protection (SPF 20 or more) if you are light skinned. A sunscreen in stick form that can be applied to lips, nose, cheeks, and the tops of your ears is a very handy item
comfortable shoes – should have sturdy soles and good support
insect repellent – read the label carefully and avoid those that are toxic to fish and amphibians, or wash these off well away from rivers, lakes, and streams
resealing (ziploc) plastic bags – bring enough to protect your documents, money, camera, binoculars, and other items from wetness, sand, and dust. A few extra bags are handy for repacking wet clothing until you reach your next camp and can dry them out
binoculars/camera – carry in a soft padded case if possible
water bottle – for treks and horse treks, should have a wide mouth for refilling easily
wet tissues – choose unscented ones that will not attract insects
chapstick- a stick that has spf would be best
watch/alarm clock – an inexpensive watch with an alarm is a handy item
hand sanitizer- just something to keep your hands clean.
notebook and pen- good to keep track of you adventures through Mongolia.
Optional- gifts for your host families. These can be simple gifts like a tee shirt or some small souvenir from the states.

1 - Will the kids be drinking bottled water?
Traveling through a very dry country such as Mongolia, we will be sure that you will receive the proper amount of water, and we will only be drinking bottled water or pure natural spring water.

2 - Do we need to get visas for this program?
On arrival to Mongolia you will receive a stamp that will be valid for thirty days. No other paperwork is necessary.

3 - What will the accommodation on this trip be like?
We will spending most of our nights sleeping inside tents along the trail. A warm sleeping bag and comfortable sleeping pad are recommended.

4 - What immunizations do we need to get for this trip?
There are no immunizations required for this trip.

5 - What costs are not included on this trip?
You should bring your own money to buy souvenirs or for any snacks.

6 - Will there be a flight leader to this country?
There will be a flight leader that will escort the students to Korea. In Korea someone from the rustic pathways team will be there to pick them up and take care of them for the night.  The next day they will be escorted back to the airport and put on the flight to Ulaanbaatar. At Ulaanbaatar their program leaders will be waiting for them at the terminal.
 
7 - How does this program connect to other programs?
Due to the somewhat secluded nature of Mongolia, we recommend starting your Rustic Pathways summer in Mongolia and then connecting to other programs.

8 - How long is the flight to this country?
Total flight time should be around 14 hours.

9 - What kind of food will we be eating?
We will stock up on our own food before we depart for the countryside. Most of our meals will be prepared by our staff. Breakfast will be your typical western breakfast (toast, pancakes, yogurt, ect. ). Lunch will usually consist of sandwiches. Dinner will be cooked by our staff (pasta, stir fry, and ect.). We also enjoy traditional Mongolian cuisine which is typically meat and dairy products. If you have any food allergies or are a vegetarian please let us know before you arrive so we can properly cater to your food requests.

10 - How many girls and boys are usually on this trip?
This is the first year for our Mongolia programs and we are uncertain of what the ratio will be. However, we expect it to be fairly even between the amount of girls and boys.