12 DAYS | €5495 | ADVENTURE SERIES | GROUP MAX 12
Including all meals and two domestic flights
12 Days | From €5495 Twin Share
Adventure travel photography is about stepping into places that test our limits. Vast, untamed lands shaped by the wildest natural forces. It’s in these remote frontiers where culture, wilderness, and endurance meet, that the most powerful images and stories emerge.
Following the success of our TRVL° Mongolia expedition in August 2025, we’ve refined and expanded the journey to bring you an even richer photographic experience. On this updated 12-day adventure, we begin in Ulaanbaatar before flying west to the rugged Altai Mountains near Ülgii. Here, you’ll stay with Kazakh Eagle Hunters, capturing their traditions and the remarkable partnership between human and raptor. From there, we journey deeper into Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, where glaciers carve the borders between Mongolia, Russia, and China.
After returning to Ölgii for a private eagle festival (complete with horseback displays, music, and traditional games) we fly back east to explore Mongolia’s cultural heart. We’ll visit a Buddhist monastery and photograph life in and around its peaceful surroundings before heading north to Murun and the pristine waters of Khuvsgul Lake.
The adventure continues into the realm of Mongolia’s Reindeer Herders, nomads who live among forests and alpine meadows near the Siberian border. You’ll stay in traditional tipis, share daily life with the Tsaatan people, and photograph their deep connection to reindeer and land. Night skies here often open to extraordinary astrophotography opportunities.
Few places embody the spirit of travel photography like Mongolia. From soaring eagles and frozen peaks to silent monasteries and nomadic camps under starlit skies. On this TRVL° Photography adventure, you’ll create images that span landscapes, wildlife, portraiture, culture, and the timeless rhythm of a land unlike any other. Welcome to Mongolia. Let’s go!
Main Tour: Costs, Info & Booking
Dates: July 28th – August 08th, 2027
Start/End City: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Days: 12
Maximum Group Size: 12
Trip Style: Adventure Series
Fitness Level 2: Easy, some walking. No hikes.
Price: €5,495
Deposit: €1,099
- HIGHLIGHTS:
- Exploring Ulaanbaatar
- Staying with Nomad Eagle Hunters
- Up close with Golden Eagles
- Visiting High Altitude Glaciers
- Photographing traditional games
- Overall, Everywhere = Drone Paradise
- Monks & Monasteries
- Staying with Reindeer Herders up north
Mongolia Image Gallery
Itinerary: Main Adventure
Day 1: Arrival at Chinggis Khaan International Airport, Ulaanbaatar. Welcome Meeting and group dinner.
Day 2: Fly to Ülgii and go to meet (and stay with) the Kazakh eagle hunters.
Day 3: Morning with the eagle hunters then drive to Altai Tavan Bogd National Park.
Day 4: Full day exploring high altitude glaciers at the border with Russia and China in Altai Tavan Bogd National Park.
Day 5: Drive back to Ölgii and photograph a private eagle festival including horse & eagle skill practice, traditional music and games.
Day 6: Fly back to Ulaanbaatar and visit a Buddhist Monastery, staying nearby at a tourist camp overnight.
Day 7: Sunrise at the Monastery, then fly to Murun to visit the north.
Day 8: Explore the area around Khuvsgul Lake.
Day 9: Drive along the lake towards the Reindeer Herders nomadic summer camp. Overnight in traditional Tipis.
Day 10: Full day with the nomadic Reindeer Herders. Overnight again in tradition Tipis. Likely good astrophotography opportunities.
Day 11: Sunrise with the Reindeer then drive back to Murun to catch the flight back to Ulaanbaatar. Final group dinner and overnight at hotel in UB.
Day 12: Chill morning followed by transfers to the airport for international flight home. ALTERNATIVELY the Gobi Desert Add-On begins this day from the hotel in Ulaanbaatar. More on that below.
***Please note that this itinerary is subject to change. Mostly around the nomadic Reindeer Herders and where they will be in late summer 2027.
Gobi Desert Add-On
Dates: August 08th – 13th, 2027
Start/End City: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Days: 06
Maximum Group Size: 12
Trip Style: Adventure Series
Fitness Level 2: Easy, some walking. No hikes.
Price: €1,995
Payment can be added to final overall Mongolia adventure invoice
- HIGHLIGHTS:
- Sunset at White Stupa
- Hiking through the Yol Valley
- Khongor Sand Dunes
- Photography at the Flaming Cliffs
- Staying at unique Desert Nomad Camps
- Overall, Everywhere = Drone Paradise
- Final Mongolia Dinner in Ulaanbaatar
Following the success of our 2025 TRVL° Gobi Desert add-on, we return with an enhanced journey into Mongolia’s legendary south, where vast desert, wind-sculpted cliffs, and endless skies create an unforgettable canvas for photography.
Over six days, we’ll travel from Ulaanbaatar to the dramatic White Stupa, capturing sunset light on its surreal rock formations. From there, we venture into the shadowed canyons of Yol Valley for sunrise hikes and golden-hour photography. The journey continues to the immense Khongor Sand Dunes, where you’ll photograph camel herders and shifting dunes under spectacular evening light.
At the Flaming Cliffs, we chase the glow of sunrise and sunset across one of the Gobi’s most iconic landscapes steeped in colour, legend, and silence. Returning to Ulaanbaatar, we’ll celebrate with a final Mongolian BBQ feast before departures the following day.
From sweeping dunes to star-filled nights, this TRVL° Gobi extension is a photographer’s dream. An adventure through the elemental desert of southern Mongolia.
Day 1: We’re back in Ulaanbaatar and begin the Gobi Desert adventure with a drive to White Stupa. Sunset photography at White Stupa.
Day 2: Sunrise followed by breakfast then driving to Yol Valley. Check followed by a hike and sunset photography in the Yol Valley.
Day 3: Sunrise in the Yol Valley, breakfast, then drive to the incredible Khongor Sand Dunes. Sunset at the dunes with local camels and camel herders.
Day 4: Sunrise photography with the local camels and camel herders. Breakfast then drive to Flaming Cliffs. Check in followed by sunset photography at the Flaming Cliffs.
Day 5: Sunrise at the Flaming Cliffs followed by breakfast. Then pack up and drive to Ulaanbaatar for the final group dinner. Likely a Mongolian BBQ of epic proportions!
Day 6: Chill morning followed by a transfer to the Chinggis Khaan International Airport for your flight home.
TRVL° Trip Style
Adventure Series: The TRVL° Photography Adventure Series pushes beyond the familiar, taking photographers into rugged environments, unpredictable conditions, and wild corners of the world. These trips are built for those who crave challenge and authenticity. Capturing raw, unfiltered stories where comfort takes a back seat to discovery and experience.
How is the Accommodation?
Accommodation for the TRVL° Photography Adventure in Mongolia ranges from comfortable city hotels to authentic nomadic stays.
In Ulaanbaatar, you’ll stay in classic three-star hotels, while in the remote west, lodging will be more rustic — including time with a Kazakh eagle hunter family and at a ranger station, both featuring traditional Ger (yurt) accommodation for 4–6 guests, with simple outdoor long-drop toilets.
At the tourist-style Ger camps in Ülgii and Khatgal, you’ll enjoy smaller, twin-share Gers with access to shared toilet blocks and often hot showers. In the north, accommodation will mostly be in tourist camps, except for one night spent with the Nomadic Reindeer herders in their traditional Tipis — an unforgettable experience with outdoor facilities in true expedition style.
Fitness Level 2: Some longer walks plus longer/bumpy drives. But no hiking or seriously strenuous activity. High altitude and rough toilet facilities will be the biggest obstacle. Food also isn’t all that varied. It’s possible to be a vegetarian but vegan would be a struggle.
What’s Included:
- Twin occupancy lodging. Private single lodging is available with payment of a single supplement fee.
- All transportation during the tour, including two internal flights.
- 3 meals a day within the tour dates.
- Airport transfers at arrival/departure and during the tour.
- English-speaking local guides.
- All permits and entry fees.
- Instruction, guidance, and image reviews from our expert photography guides.
What’s Not Included:
- International airfare to and from Ulaanbaatar
- Any excess baggage fees incurred during the two domestic flights.
- Passport and visa fees, if applicable.
- Travel medical & evacuation insurance (required).
- Trip cancellation insurance (optional but recommended).
- Any accommodations or meals before or after the tour dates.
Previous Testimonials
Your Adventure Tour Leader
Brendan van Son is a renowned photographer originally from Canada. After spending 12 years on the road working nomadically as a travel photographer and writer, Brendan is now settled down in Portugal.
Brendan’s work has been featured by some of the world’s most famous publications. Moreover, he has worked with many of the planet’s top commercial brands.
He says that he’s a traveller first, and a photographer second. Brendan always prioritizes the journey, the experience, and the learning aspect of travel. He believes that if you focus on trying to understand your destination, the photos will come naturally.
How to Book
To join this photography adventure to Mongolia you’ll need to pay the deposit of 20% below. Before you book, please be sure to read our Terms & Conditions.
The tour price is based on twin share which means that if you book solo, you’ll be matched with a roommate of the same gender. If you wish to have private accommodation throughout the trip, you’ll need to pay a single supplement. That amount is available upon request and can be added to your final balance.
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Moreover, if you’d like to see where else we’re going, you can see our entire adventure schedule here.
