🏔️Altai Trekking Expedition, Tsagaan Salaa to Khoton Lake Trek 8 Days Tour
📍 Western Mongolia | Altai Tavan Bogd mountain | Altai Tavan Bogd National park | Khoton lake
🏔️ A Camel-Supported Long-Distance Journey Through the Heart of Mongolia’s Highest Mountains
This 8-day Wild Altai Grand Expedition is a serious long-distance trekking journey through the most remote valleys of Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, Mongolia’s highest and wildest mountain region.
The route links glacier valleys, ancient Turkic migration corridors, sacred mountains, nomadic summer pastures, and turquoise alpine lakes, creating one of the most immersive trekking experiences in Central Asia.
- 🥾 Trekking Level: Moderate to Challenging
- 📏 Daily Trekking Distance: 20–25 km
- 🐫 Support Style: Fully camel-supported
- 🍽️ Meals: Professional expedition cook throughout
- 🏕️ Accommodation: Wilderness tent camping & hotel in Ölgii
This is not a soft adventure. It is designed for fit, motivated trekkers who want true wilderness, endurance hiking, and authentic cultural encounters.
⭐ Tour Highlights – Altai Trekking Tour
- 🏔️ Summit Malchin Peak (4,050 m) Stand on one of the highest accessible peaks in Mongolia with breathtaking panoramic views across the Altai Mountains.
- 🧊 Potanin Glacier Views Trek alongside the majestic Potanin Glacier, the largest glacier in the country.
- ⛰️ View Mongolia’s Highest Mountain Enjoy close-up views of Khüiten Peak (4,374 m), the highest point in Mongolia.
- 🐫 Camel-Supported Trekking All luggage, food, and camping equipment are transported by camels, allowing you to hike with a light daypack.
- 🏕️ High-Altitude Base Camp Experience (3,000 m) Spend nights at a remote base camp surrounded by glaciers, snow peaks, and absolute wilderness.
- 🥾 Moderate to Challenging Adventure A true high-altitude trekking experience designed for adventurous travelers seeking physical challenge and reward.
- 🍽️ Professional Cook & Full Board Meals Freshly prepared hot meals every day, even at base camp and during remote trekking days.
- 🚿 Extra Comfort in the Wilderness Portable shower and sitting toilet available on request, rare for high-altitude trekking in Mongolia.
- 🌄 Untouched Altai Wilderness Travel deep inside Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, one of Central Asia’s most pristine mountain regions.
- 🌌 True Expedition Atmosphere Remote camps, star-filled skies, glacier silence, and a genuine mountaineering-style adventure without technical climbing.
Detailed Itinerary:
- 🚙 Distance: ~200 km
- ⏱️ Driving Time: ~5 hours
- 🏕️ Overnight: Nomadic ger camp / yurt / tent
- 🍽️ Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Arrive in Ölgii, the cultural center of western Mongolia’s Kazakh population. Meet your expedition team—trekking guide, driver, professional cook, and camel handlers. After loading equipment and supplies, begin the scenic drive toward the Altai Tavan Bogd Mountains gate.
The journey gradually transitions from town life into open steppe and then into rugged mountain terrain. Expect wide valleys, braided rivers, herds of yaks and horses, and distant snow-covered peaks rising on the horizon.
By late afternoon, reach the park entrance area and settle into a nomadic-style camp. Enjoy a freshly cooked dinner and a detailed briefing covering route overview, safety procedures, and the high-mountain conditions ahead.
- 🥾 Trekking Distance: ~16 km
- ⏱️ Trekking Time: ~5 hours
- 🏔️ Camp Altitude: ~3,000 m
- 🏕️ Overnight: Tent camping near glacier
- 🍽️ Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner
Begin trekking toward the immense Potanin Glacier, the largest glacier in Mongolia. Camels carry all food, camping equipment, and luggage, allowing for a steady and comfortable walking pace.
As you move deeper into the valley, towering ice fields and jagged ridgelines dominate the landscape. The route offers exceptional views of:
- Khüiten Peak (4,374 m), Mongolia’s highest summit
- Massive glacial tongues spilling down from the mountains
Arrive at a dramatic high-altitude campsite beside the glacier. The evening is spent resting, enjoying warm meals, and absorbing the raw power of the high Altai environment.
- 🥾 Trekking Distance: ~16 km
- ⏱️ Trekking Time: ~5 hours
- 🏕️ Overnight: Ger camp / yurt / tent
- 🍽️ Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast, pack camp and begin the return trek, following the camels back down the valley. This reverse route offers new visual perspectives as light shifts across the ice and rock walls.
Arrive back near the Altai Tavan Bogd gate in the afternoon. Enjoy a relaxed evening, recharge your energy, and prepare for the next long trekking section deeper into the southern valleys.
- 🥾 Trekking Distance: ~20–23 km
- ⏱️ Trekking Time: 6–7 hours
- 🏕️ Overnight: Tent camping
- 🍽️ Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner
Today begins a new chapter of the expedition as you trek southward into Khar Salaa Valley, one of the most historically significant valleys in the Altai.
🪨 Along the route, discover ancient Turkic petroglyphs, stone carvings, and burial markers—evidence that this valley has served as a migration route for nomadic civilizations for thousands of years.
Camp in a quiet, open valley surrounded by rocky ridges and distant glaciers, where history and wilderness merge seamlessly.
- 🥾 Trekking Distance: ~20–25 km
- ⏱️ Trekking Time: 6–8 hours
- 🏕️ Overnight: Riverside tent camping
- 🍽️ Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner
The trek today leads into the spectacular Bear Valley, known for its dramatic geology and water features.
Expect:
- Cascading waterfalls dropping from high cliffs
- Milky-white rivers fed directly by glaciers
- Narrow mountain corridors opening into wide alpine basins
Camp beside a flowing river, where the sound of water and crisp mountain air create a deeply immersive wilderness experience.
- 🥾 Trekking Distance: ~20–22 km
- ⏱️ Trekking Time: 6–7 hours
- 🏕️ Overnight: Tent camping
- 🍽️ Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner
The landscape gradually softens as you enter Akhsu Valley, a fertile high-altitude valley used by Kazakh nomads during the summer months.
🐎 Visit nomadic families, observe daily herding activities, and learn how these communities adapt to the harsh mountain environment. This day provides a strong cultural contrast to the icy glacier terrain earlier in the journey.
- 🥾 Trekking Distance: ~22–25 km
- ⏱️ Trekking Time: 6–8 hours
- 🏕️ Overnight: Tent camping
- 🍽️ Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner
On your final trekking day, hike toward the turquoise waters of Khoton Lake, one of the most scenic alpine lakes in western Mongolia.
Forests appear along the shoreline, and the atmosphere becomes calmer as the trek concludes. Meet your drivers near the lake and enjoy a final wilderness camp beside the water.
- 🚙 Driving Distance: ~180 km
- ⏱️ Driving Time: ~5 hours
- 🏨 Overnight: Hotel
- 🍽️ Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Drive back to Ölgii, stopping to explore the Khairakh Tolgoi petroglyphs, an important archaeological site with ancient carvings.
Continue to visit a Kazakh Eagle Hunter family, where you learn about the centuries-old tradition of hunting with golden eagles—an iconic cultural heritage of western Mongolia.
Arrive in Ölgii and check into your hotel.
- ✈️ Flight: Ölgii → Ulaanbaatar
- 🚐 Transfer: Morning airport transfer
- 🍽️ Meals: Breakfast
Depart western Mongolia with unforgettable memories of the Altai Mountains—glaciers, valleys, nomadic culture, and one of the most remote trekking routes in Central Asia.
🌟 End of Expedition
📝 Tour Notes – Wild Altai Trekking Expedition
- 🥾 Trekking Level: Moderate to Challenging – designed for strong hikers comfortable with long daily distances (20–25 km).
- 🐫 Camel-Supported Trekking: All luggage, food, and camping equipment are carried by camels; guests hike with daypack only.
- 🍽️ Meals: A professional cook travels with the group and prepares all breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, including picnic lunches on trekking days.
- 🚿 Comfort in the Wilderness: Portable shower and sitting toilet available on request, as there are no hotels or restaurants inside Altai Tavan Bogd National Park.
- 🏕️ Accommodation: Expedition-style tent camping throughout the trek and hotel stay in Ölgii at the end.
- 🌦️ Weather: Mountain weather can change quickly; itinerary may be adjusted for safety.
- 📡 Connectivity: Very limited or no mobile signal during trekking days.
- 🌿 Responsible Travel: We follow Leave No Trace principles and respect local nomadic culture and fragile alpine environments.
🎒 What to Bring – Malchin Peak Summit Trek
🥾 Trekking & Clothing
- Well broken-in hiking boots
- Trekking shoes or sandals (camp use)
- Thermal base layers
- Warm fleece or insulated jacket
- Windproof & waterproof jacket
- Trekking pants
- Warm hat & gloves
- Extra socks & underwear
🎒 Daypack Essentials
- Small daypack (20–30L)
- Water bottle
- Snacks / energy bars
- Sunglasses & sunscreen
- Lip balm
🌄 Camp & Personal Items
- Sleeping bag (or rent on request)
- Headlamp or flashlight
- Power bank (no electricity in the park)
- Personal medications
- Personal toiletries
- Personal cash (small bills)
📌 All main luggage, food, and camping equipment are transported by camels.
⭐ Why Choose This Tour – Malchin Peak (4,050 m) Summit Trek
- 🏔️ One of Mongolia’s Most Remote Treks Travel deep inside Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, far beyond standard routes and tourist trails.
- 🥾 True Long-Distance Adventure Daily trekking distances of 20–25 km deliver a real sense of achievement and expedition-style travel.
- 🐫 Camel-Supported Comfort Enjoy challenging trekking without heavy packs—camels handle all logistics.
- 🧊 Epic Altai Landscapes Glacier valleys, turquoise alpine lakes, dramatic waterfalls, and wide open valleys including Tsagaan Salaa, Khar Salaa, Bear Valley, and Khoton Lake.
- 🏕️ Authentic Nomadic Encounters Visit Kazakh nomadic summer camps and learn about traditional herding life.
- 🦅 Eagle Hunter Experience Meet a traditional Kazakh Eagle Hunter family near Ölgii and learn about this ancient Central Asian tradition.
- 🍽️ Professional Support Team Experienced guide, camel handlers, and cook ensure safety, comfort, and smooth logistics.
In short: this tour is ideal for travelers seeking a serious trekking challenge, raw wilderness, and deep cultural immersion—not a soft adventure.
❓ FAQs – Malchin Peak (4,050 m) Summit Trek
- Q: How difficult is this trek?
- A: It is moderate to challenging, with long daily distances (20–25 km). Good fitness is required.
- Q: Do I need to carry my luggage?
- A: No. Camels carry all luggage and equipment. You hike with a daypack only.
- Q: Are meals included?
- A: Yes. All meals are included and prepared by a professional cook.
- Q: Where do we sleep?
- A: Tent camping throughout the trek and a hotel in Ölgii at the end.
- Q: Are showers or toilets available?
- A: There are no permanent facilities, but a portable shower and sitting toilet are available on request.
- Q: What weather should I expect?
- A: Days are generally mild; nights can be cold. Weather can change rapidly in the mountains.
- Q: Is this suitable for beginners?
- A: Not recommended for beginners. Best for experienced hikers or very fit travelers.
- Q: Is there phone or internet access?
- A: Mobile signal is very limited or unavailable during trekking days.
- Q: When is the best time to do this trek?
- A: June to September, with July–August offering the most stable conditions.