ITINERARY
Day 1 – Travel to Ulaanbaatar – Hustai National Park
Today plan to arrive at the New Ulaanbaatar International Airport (ULN), Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The most efficient route (at present) seems to be via Istanbul, Turkey which will mean arrival in Ulaanbaatar early morning. Other options also arrive early morning so we request you arrive no later 08.00am We will then have breakfast before setting off to check a couple of areas nearby including some ponds for a variety of birds before we set off on our mammal quest. Birds we may see include Azure Tit, Long-tailed Rosefinch, Amur Falcon, Daurian Jackdaw and around the wetlands a variety of waterfowl with possible Falcated Duck, Swan Goose, Demoiselle Cranes, Citrine Wagtail and White-crowned Penduline Tit. From here we will drive through more open desert habitat to Hustai National Park, about 2 hours’ drive. Once here we will settle in to our comfortable and traditional Ger’s which are large a roomy, with proper beds and a log burner. After lunch we will drive into the national park where we should encounter plenty of Siberian Marmots while keeping a look out for the rare Przewalski’s Horse, a species considered the only truly wild horse which predates all domesticated horses. Once extinct in the wild a reintroduction scheme in the 1990’s has seen the population increase and here in Hustai NP it’s one of the best places to see this special animal. We should be able to find our first Corsac Foxes as well as Red Deer and possibly Argali along with a few smaller creatures such as Long-tailed and Duarian Ground Squirrels, Siberian Jerboa and Brandt’s Vole. We would need a little more luck on our side to find either Pallas’s Cat, Steppe Polecat, Daurian Hedgehog or Eurasian Wolf, but they are all present here! While searching for our target mammals we have good chances for birds that include Cinereous and Himalayan Griffon Vultures, Steppe and Golden Eagle, Saker Falcon and possibly Daurian Partridge, Pied Wheatear and Meadow Bunting.
Night Hustai National Park Ger Camp  B, L, D

Day 2 – Hustai NP – Ulaanbaatar
Today we have a full day to explore the park and try for some of the more difficult species we may have missed yesterday. We will go out early morning and return late afternoon There are just a few small bushes around our camp but these can attract all sorts of migrant birds and are always worth checking. Maybe Brown or Isabelline Shrikes, Dusky Warbler, Two-barred, Yellow-browed, Hume’s, Pallas’s Leaf and Arctic Warblers, rosefinches and buntings! You never quite know! Early evening, we will make our back to Ulaanbaatar where we will stay the night in a comfortable hotel.
Night Ulaanbaatar  B, L, D

Day 3 – Ulaanbaatar – Dalanzadgad
This morning we will set off to the South Gobi province center – Dalanzadgad, about 580 km. There won’t be too much to see along our journey across endless steppe habitat but with luck we may come across our first Mongolian Gazelles or spot more Brandt’s Vole’s, or another Corsac Fox. Birds will be more evident, especially if there is water in any of the small ponds we pass by. Hopefully we will find the gorgeous Pallas’s Sandgrouse, plus Rock Sparrow, Citrine Wagtail, Demoiselle Crane, Steppe Eagle, Upland Buzzard, Black and Griffon Vultures, Black-eared Kite, Golden Eagle, and Saker Falcon. We will also look for the brandti race of “Steppe” Horned Lark and the beautifully plumaged and striking Mongolian Lark. Near Dalanzadgad we may have time to check an area for Great Gerbil.
Night in Hotel in Dalanzadgad (B, L, D)

Days 4 – 9 – Beautiful Mountains and Yol Valley
Over the next 6 days we will be exploring the beautiful mountains that rise up from the flat semi-Gobi Desert. Rocky valleys and small streams play host to a variety of good birds but our main focus will be the iconic “Grey Ghost” or Snow Leopard. We have options to base ourselves in one or two valleys depending on the information received from our daily trackers and farmers who keeping a special look out for recent signs of Snow Leopard activity. Combined with camera traps set out in strategic spots we are well prepared for an encounter with one of the world’s most sought after and beautiful cats. Having said that they can be very elusive and even with up to the minute information we will still need luck and can expect long hours of scanning rocks and caves. Early mornings and evenings are best and we will also go on several night drives or walks to see if we can connect with our target. This area is truly magical and the feeling of being the only people for miles and miles makes it very special indeed. No noise pollution, no light pollution, in fact no pollution! Just what we all dream of, I think! In our search for the Leopard, we also have good chances to find another cat the small furry Pallas’s Cat. Again, elusive but we can try our thermal imager and try and pick one out from the rocky slopes. Mammal activity is good in the mornings especially for Siberian Ibex, Red Deer locally known as “Wapiti”, Argali, European Wolf, Red Fox and Steppe and Marbled Polecat. Smaller mammals include Pallas’s Pika, Mongolian Silver Vole, Mongolian Gerbil and possibly Cambell’s Hamster. Out in the more open desert we can search for Mongolian and Goitered Gazelles plus in the evening or dark we have chances for Long-eared Hedgehog, Desert Hamster, Red-cheeked and Alashan Ground Squirrels, Gobi Jerboa, Mid-day Gerbil and maybe one of the less known species. Our nights here are flexible with the opportunity to move camp if want or need to. The camp sites will be specifically built for us and have large size walk in tents, with proper beds and a shower and toilet tent. Our ground crew have worked hard to make this so called camping a much more civilized affair and maybe we should call it glamping! What really makes this special is the cook who can prepare the most awesome breakfasts, lunches and dinners. If needed we can have cooked breakfasts prepared in the field at our Snow Leopard watchpoints which makes great sense. All in all, this tour allows us to be out in the wilderness with a level of comfort that makes the tour an incredibly memorable experience. On one day we will visit the Yol Valley where daytime mammals are scarce but the birdlife is exceptional. We should see the delightful Wallcreeper, plus Eurasian Eagle Owl, Lammergeier, Golden Eagle, Saker Falcon, Mongolian Finch, White-winged Snowfinch, Himalayan Beautiful and possibly Great Rosefinch, the rare Kozlov’s Accentor, Common Rock Thrush, Godlewski’s and Grey-necked Buntings and possibilities for all sorts of migrants.
Nights in privately set up camp with all facilities. B, L, D

Day 10 – From Mountains to Khongor Sand Dunes
Today after breakfast and maybe a final scan of one of the rocky valleys before we pack up and drive through steppe grasslands in search of Oriental Plover on our way to the famous Khongor Sand Dunes otherwise known as “The Singing Sands” the largest sand dunes in Mongolia. Hopefully we can find a small flock of these delightful plovers which will be starting to group together for the winter, and of course Pallas’s Sandgrouse should almost certainly be encountered. Arriving in the afternoon we will settle into our Ger Camp before setting out on a drive to try and find Mongolian Wild Ass also known as Mongolian Khulan. Listed as endangered it is mostly confined to the desert-steppe, semi-desert and deserts habitats of the Gobi Desert. This species is in decline so we will make a special effort to search far and wide in order to locate our target species. They are known to dig holes in search of water so we will be checking dry riverbeds and areas of scrub. The water holes that are produced by these animals often attract other creatures and in particular birds that need to drink. Hopefully we will encounter both Saxual Sparrow and the unusual Henderson’s Ground Jay. Aside from the Wild Ass we will look for other important species such as Long eared Jerboa, Kozlov’s Pygmy Jerboa, and Five-toed Jerboa, Daurian Pika, Tolia Hare, and we have more chances for Goitered Gazelle, Corsac Fox and Long-eared Hedgehog. A night drive here may prove productive so we will hold this as an option.
Night Khongor Sand Dunes Tourist Camp  B, L, D

Day 11 – Dalanzadgad
Today we have most of the day to continue our search for all of the species we mentioned for yesterday here in the sand dunes. Later in the afternoon we will make our way back across the vast steppe grasslands and semi desert towards Dalanzadgad searching for Oriental Plover in case we had missed it before.
Night in comfortable hotel, Dalanzadgad  B, L, D

Day 12 – Dalanzadgad – Ulaanbaatar
Today we will head back towards Ulaanbaatar stopping if we see anything of interest along the way. Finally, we will arrive at our comfortable hotel.
Night Ulaanbaatar  B, L, D

Day 13 – Departure day
Today is departure day and you are free to book your flight any time during today. Most flights seem to depart early morning so we would suggest this unless you wish to explore the city on your own. B