Mongolia’s Reindeer Herders and Northern Wilderness Photography Expedition, 14-21 September 2027

Guided by: Andrew Marty, Erdenebulgan Battsengel – English speaking professional photography guides

Step beyond the main Mongolia journey and into the country’s remote northern frontier. This eight-day photography expedition takes you from Ulaanbaatar to the pristine taiga forests, alpine lakes, and high mountain valleys where the Tsaatan reindeer herders still live a nomadic way of life. Along the way, you’ll capture intimate portraits of reindeer at dawn, witness nomadic traditions unchanged for centuries, and frame landscapes where vast steppe meets snow-capped peaks. From Murun to Tugul, from hidden encampments to the shimmering “Blue Pearl” of Lake Khuvsgul, every day offers rare opportunities for both cultural encounters and breathtaking photography. Designed as a seamless continuation of the main Mongolia tour, this extension immerses you deeper into the untouched wilderness and disappearing traditions of the far north.

Day 1, 14 September

Guests arrive in Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar, where they will be welcomed at the Khubilai Hotel. The city lies in a valley surrounded by rolling steppe and forested hills, offering a striking first impression of Mongolia’s vast landscapes. In the evening, a welcome dinner will set the stage for the journey ahead, giving everyone a chance to meet fellow travelers and discuss the upcoming adventure. For those continuing directly from the main tour, this day provides a smooth transition into the northern extension, allowing time to rest and prepare before venturing deeper into remote regions.

Day 2

Depending on schedules released closer to the season, the group will either fly to Murun or travel by road. A flight typically takes one hour, while the drive can last most of the day across sweeping steppe dotted with nomadic gers, herds of horses, and eagles soaring on the thermals. If flights arrive late in the day (around 5–6 pm or later), the group will overnight at a local hotel to recharge before continuing north. Murun, the administrative center of Khuvsgul province, serves as the last outpost before the wilderness begins.

Day 3

A long travel day lies ahead, with approximately 7–8 hours of driving to reach Tugul. Along the way, breaks will be taken for lunch and photography as the landscape gradually shifts from open steppe to forested valleys and mountain ranges. This is the frontier where roads grow rougher and nomadic life more pronounced. By evening, we arrive in Tugul, a remote village that provides access to Tsaatan lands. Sunset offers the chance to photograph surrounding mountains bathed in evening light, capturing wilderness that has changed little for centuries.

Day 4

The first full day with the Tsaatan reindeer herders begins before sunrise, with a hike or short ride to a viewpoint overlooking the encampment and surrounding mountains. Golden light illuminates mist rising from the valleys while reindeer graze quietly around the tipis. After lunch with the community, we spend the afternoon documenting daily life—herders tending their animals, children moving between tipis, and smoke drifting from open fires. At sunset, we capture portraits of nomads against dramatic alpine scenery, reflecting a way of life that is rapidly disappearing.

Day 5

Another sunrise session focuses on a nearby river, where reflections and morning mist create a magical atmosphere. After two to three hours photographing reindeer in their natural setting, the group returns for a final meal with the nomads before departing. In the afternoon, we travel to Jargant Lodge, nestled in mountain landscapes. Evening light here is especially beautiful, with herds moving across meadows as the last rays strike the ridgelines. Overnight at Jargant Lodge.

Day 6

An early morning outing captures sunrise around Jargant, often with frosted grass sparkling in the first light. After breakfast, we cross a rugged mountain pass toward Lake Khuvsgul, one of Mongolia’s natural wonders. Known as the “Blue Pearl,” this alpine lake is the country’s largest freshwater reserve and sacred to local people. Its deep-blue waters, framed by taiga forest and snowcapped peaks, make it a remarkable subject for landscape photography. We settle into Toilogt Camp along the shore, with sunset photography at the water’s edge.

Day 7

The day begins with sunrise at the lake, when calm waters reflect the surrounding mountains in perfect mirror images. After breakfast, we drive three hours along a paved road back to Murun, where onward logistics depend on the 2026 flight schedule. From here, a flight will return us to Ulaanbaatar, where we gather for a farewell dinner. This evening is a chance to reflect on an extraordinary journey—from intimate encounters with Tsaatan nomads to the grandeur of Mongolia’s northern wilderness.

Day 8

Guests depart Ulaanbaatar at their convenience for international flights. For many, the images captured during this expedition—reindeer silhouetted at mountain dawns, nomadic families tending fires, and vast alpine lakes glowing under northern skies—will remain as lasting testaments to Mongolia’s untouched beauty and the resilience of its people.

Price: 6500 USD

Included in the price:

Sharing twin accommodation in hotels where available
Ger camp /All accommodations/
All transportation: Domestic flights and ground transport by well-prepared Toyota Land Cruisers, 3 persons per car
Drivers
Fuel
Photography Guides and Tour leaders services
National park fees
Meals
Chef’s services
Beverages (water)
Additionally we prepare electric cord line, power generators for remote places with no electricity

Full board (all meals included as stated in itinerary!)

Not included in the price:

Medical insurance
Alcoholic beverages
Visas (but we will prepare all needed documents for your visa – invitations, supporting letters etc)
Single supplement in hotels (1000 USD) – in camps we will give you a whole single Ger, single supplement for hotel basis
Extra baggage charge (Limit of baggage in Domestic flight is 15kg total carry on and check in), around 2-5 usd charge per extra kg paid by credit card at the airport

What to bring

Gear:
– camera with tripod and remote shutter release
– A wide angle lens. For example, Nikkor 14-24 or Canon 17-40. Best lens for use in wide-angle scenes or architecture photography
– A middle-zoom lens such as a 24-70 mm
– A telephoto zoom lens, such as a 70-200 mm

Wear:
– Waterproof and windproof jacket (consider the average temperatures +5 – 20 C)
– Waterproof pants
– Warm down-jacket and thermal pants
– Casual clothes for dinners and lunches and photography workshops

Full list of recommended wear will be sent to participants.

Accommodation and food

Throughout the journey, guests will stay in a variety of accommodations that reflect both comfort and Mongolia’s frontier spirit:

Khubilai Hotel, Ulaanbaatar – A comfortable city hotel providing a welcoming base at the start and end of the expedition.
Local Hotel, Murun – If required by flight schedules, the group will overnight in Murun, the provincial capital of Khuvsgul.
Tugul Village Stay – Rustic accommodations in a remote settlement at the edge of the Tsaatan lands.
Jargant Lodge – A mountain lodge surrounded by valleys and meadows, ideal for sunrise and sunset photography.
Toilogt Camp, Lake Khuvsgul – A lakeside camp along the shores of Mongolia’s “Blue Pearl,” offering direct access to the region’s most stunning scenery.

Please note that we bring our amazing cook for this trip. So even vegetarian options are available. It’s hard to get veggies in Mongolia, but you can be sure that we take care of good food during this trip. Let’s say for breakfast we have bacon and eggs, toasts with nutella, sausages, juice, coffee etc. For lunch and dinner we have salads, nice soup and meat/pasta/rice various nice dishes.

Physical difficulty

The main tour is easy to moderate in terms of activity. Most of locations in the West even in the mountains are just next to the car parking. First and second location in West Mongoia – 50-100 m from the car). Third location in West Mongolia involves 300 m walk with 20-30 m ascend on a 20%-30% slope to reach little panoramic hill. At Gobi desert you need to be ready to walk in sand dunes. I recommend bringing hiking poles here. Usually it’s 30-40 min walk to most amazing inner dunes.

Temperatures in the night might be colder, so you just need to prepare yourself in terms of wear, especially for extension part in remote Altai.

In this tour lots of driving is involved on unpaved roads (although on nice landcruisers). In Western part it’s 1-2 hours to location and back, to get to Gobi from Dalanzadrad is 4-5 hours to drive and back).

Weather: (Averages in Aug – Oct)

Coldest: +1°C to -2°C

Normal: 6°C to +8°C

Warmest: +13°C to +16°C

The Gobi desert is the warmest area in Mongolia. But it’s autumn time and it gets cold in the night time. So please take your warm clothes. Full packing list will be sent to participants 2-3 months before the trip start.

Tour leaders

Erdenebulgan Battsengel

Erdenebulgan is a landscape, travel photographer. He took photograph since 2011.

In the past years, Erdenebulgan’s photography has been featured in multiple magazines: Lonely Planet, Viewbug, Deejis, Goodali, National Geographic Mongolia etc…

2015: Feeling Chain – Photo exhibition

Awards:

Winner in the EZNis Contest My Beautiful country – 2012
Winner in the “Hureelen” Best of Mongolia photo contest – 2014
Winner in the Delta outfitters photo contest – 2015
Also many 3^rd place awards and best participants..

Andrew Marty

Born in Australia, I moved to the United Arab Emirates in 2009 and now call the cosmopolitan city of Dubai home.

My passion for photography started from an obsession with travel – providing a vehicle to inspire others to venture far and wide. Photography allows me to draw on a destination’s culture and represent it visually – whether that is the bazars of India, landscapes of Iceland or the iconic New York City skyline.

Over the years, my photography has developed to include as many styles as possible – from cityscapes to wildlife and time-lapse to portraiture. This approach has allowed me to create content for international brands like Audi, Fairmont Group, One&Only, Visit Rwanda and flydubai. Photography is all about visual story-telling, creating an opportunity to take people to some amazing destinations around the world, via my lens. Whilst many images these days are destined only for social media, I still firmly believe that the best place for a great photo is printed and hung on the wall. I take pride in trying to capture images that are suited for framing and to be enjoyed everyday.

I am passionate about sharing my knowledge of photography through workshops and photo tours. I currently guide private photography sessions, workshops for Nikon and tours for Iceland Photo Tours, Daniel Kordan Photography and PhotoPills.

At home in Dubai, I am creating professional content for brands in the travel and tourism industry – from high quality images, social media reels, right the way through to tailor-made Virtual Reality experiences. My company, The Travel Hub, is a dedicated content & strategy agency for travel brands. We pride ourselves on taking audiences on a journey and inspiring travel through visual media.

I am a brand ambassador for Nikon Middle East and Manfrotto.

In a world where we are taking more photographs than ever before, I still love the challenge of getting that perfect shot.