Depart the U.S. on flights bound for Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Most flights reach Ulaanbaatar in the evening, so no sightseeing is scheduled for this day. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel for the night. Best Western Premier Tuushin Hotel

Today we explore Ulaanbaatar, starting with the impressive Gandan Monastery, one of the only religious institutions in Mongolia to survive the Communist purges. Its 20-ton gilded statue of “the Lord Who Looks in Every Direction” is one of many highlights of this thriving monastic community. Then we take a curator-led tour of the Zanabazar Museum of Fine Art, named in honor of the 17^th century Buddhist leader, painter, sculptor, linguist, and architect. Visit the Museum of Paleontology at Hunnu Mall, and attend a lecture by a paleontologist from the Mongolian Academy of Sciences. Enjoy an evening performance of Mongolian throat-singing, an otherworldly musical form in which a single vocalist produces two or more distinct tones, or overtones, simultaneously. Best Western Premier Tuushin Hotel (B,L,D)

Drive about two hours west of Ulaanbaatar to Hustai Nuruu National Park, home of the Przewalski horse, the last remaining breed of truly wild horse in the world. 16 breeding horses from captive populations were reintroduced into the wild in 1994, 25 years after they had gone extinct in the wild, and they are once again thriving in their old stomping grounds. Learn about the current conservation efforts and status of herds. Spend the night here in a ger camp, a rustic encampment featuring a number of round yurt-like dwellings. Hustai Ger Camp (B,L,D)

Continue driving west about three hours to Kara Korum, the UNESCO-listed 13th Century capital of the Mongol Empire. The city was subsequently destroyed by invading Manchurians, and all that remains today is the enigmatic Turtle Rock, weighing several tons. Nearby Erdene Zuu (Thousand Treasures) Monastery was constructed in 1586 using stones from the ruined city. It was the first Buddhist center in Mongolia, and is surrounded by a brick wall with 108 stupas, or shrines, that stretch nearly a quarter mile in each direction. The monastery is contained within the Orkhon Valley UNESCO Site that also includes Kara Korum. Munkh Tenger "Blue Sky" Ger Camp (B,L,D)

Continue touring the Orkhon Valley today. The region features more than 300,000 acres of pastureland along both sides of the Orkhon River, and encompasses numerous cultural heritage sites that we can visit. The 8^th century carved rock memorials to Turkish heroes Bilge Khan and Kul Tigin; the ruins of 8^th century Khar Balgas, capital of the Uighur Empire; Tuvkhun Hermitage, spectacularly nestled in a rocky redoubt; and the remains of the 13^th and 14^th century Mongol palace, possibly Ögedei Khan’s residence, at Doit Hill. In the afternoon we drive back to Ulaanbaatar. Best Western Premier Tuushin Hotel (B,L,D)

Fly over vast steppe land to Mongolia’s southernmost province of semi-arid desert. The Gobi harbors sites of some of the most important paleontological discoveries of the 20^th century. Explore the open landscapes dotted with hardy desert plants that serve as forage for wild Bactrian camels, Argali sheep and gazelle. This part of the Gobi is also home to golden eagles, black vultures and lammergeyers, as well as some of the Northern Hemisphere’s rarest mammals, such as the snow leopard and Gobi bear. Three Camel Lodge (B,L,D)

Today we explore two of the Gobi’s greatest attractions: Yolyn Am Canyon and Moltsog Els Sand Dunes. Yolyn Am (“Vulture's Mouth”) Canyon cuts a narrow path into the rocky slopes of the Gurvansaikhan Mountains. So narrow in spots that the warmth of the sun never reaches the canyon floor, snowbanks in the canyon’s depths often remain frozen long into the summer. In the afternoon, explore Moltsog Els, an impressive region of sand dunes about an hour’s drive from the Three Camel Lodge. The vast majority of the Gobi’s terrain is covered in sparse scrub growth and the occasional stands of stunted trees that indicate where water may be found. Moltsog Els is a notable exception. Here, the constantly shifting sands are piled by the wind and reach surprising heights. Three Camel Lodge (B,L,D)

Today we join with local people to celebrate a more intimate rural version of Ulaanbaatar’s annual Naadam Festival. Nomads gather from near and far to participate in the Three Sports of Men – wrestling, horse racing and archery. In the afternoon we drive to Togrogiin Shiree, a white escarpment where the famous "Fighting Dinosaurs" (a fossil of a Protoceratops and a Velociraptor locked in combat) were discovered in the 1970s. In the late afternoon, visit Bayanzag (the “Flaming Cliffs”), one of the most renowned paleontological sites in the world. Roy Chapman Andrews, leader of an American Museum of Natural History expedition and widely believed to be the inspiration for the film character Indiana Jones, found the world’s first nest of dinosaur eggs here in 1922. Three Camel Lodge (B,L,D)

Fly back to the capital today and enjoy free time for independent exploration, last-minute shopping, or packing. Gather for a festive farewell dinner. Best Western Premier Tuushin Hotel (B,L,D)

The main tour concludes with transfers to the airport for international departures. Those doing the post-tour extension to Siberia will instead board a plane for the short flight to Irkutsk, Russia. (B)