Travel lightly on the steppe
Our approach
The steppe has hosted travellers for thousands of years. Our job is to make sure each visit leaves it as generous as we found it.
- 01
Guests, not spectators
We visit families who want visitors, agree a fair fee in advance and keep groups small. No staged performances, no turning up unannounced. Herding life comes first; our plans bend around it.
- 02
Leave no trace on the steppe
Grassland recovers slowly. Our drivers stick to existing tracks, we carry out every piece of rubbish (including from wild camps), use stoves rather than fires where wood is scarce, and never take fossils, stones or bones.
- 03
Money that stays local
Mongolian guides and drivers, paid properly and year-round where we can. Family stays and small camps over chains. Felt, cashmere and crafts bought directly from the people who make them.
- 04
Wildlife and sacred places
We keep a respectful distance from takhi, ibex and nesting birds, follow park rules, and treat ovoo cairns, monasteries and mountains like Burkhan Khaldun with the reverence local people give them.
Ger etiquette
Nobody expects perfection, and families are forgiving. A little knowledge shows respect, and your guide will always help.
Please do
- Accept tea, food or a bowl of airag with your right hand, or both hands
- Move clockwise inside the ger, and sit where your host shows you
- Ask before photographing people, altars and family photos
- Walk clockwise around ovoo cairns; adding a stone is welcome
- Bring a small, useful gift for host families; your guide will suggest ideas
Please don't
- Step on the threshold of a ger, or lean on the central posts
- Point your feet at the stove or the family altar
- Whistle inside a ger, or throw rubbish into the fire
- Touch a person's hat, or walk between the stove and an elder
- Fly drones near herds, homes or monasteries without permission
In practice
Travel well with us
Tell us your dates and dreams. One specialist plans everything and replies within two working days.