10d
In Search of Reindeer
North to the taiga. To the last of the Tsaatan.
Duration10 days
DifficultyDemanding
Group8 max
Fee$5,400 pp
Remote, demanding, application-based. Max eight people. The routes few operators know, fewer still are trusted to lead. Three originals: Reindeer. Eagles. The Trans-Mongolian Grand.
1.56 million square kilometres. The Gobi south, the Altai west, the Khentii east, the taiga north. Six hours of daylight separate one wilderness from the next. Most roads are tracks. Most nights are under stars.
We have guided expeditions here since 2016. We know which permits your team needs before you arrive, which ranger knows the route, which Land Cruiser will hold the crossing, which ger family to stop at when the weather turns.
Each region is a country of its own. Each expedition is designed around season, permit, and how deep you want to go.
Flaming Cliffs, Singing Dunes, Yol Valley. Camel herders, dinosaur beds, empty star skies. Our most accessible expedition country.
Kazakh eagle hunters, 4,000 metre peaks, glacier-fed lakes, Potanin glacier, borders of Russia, China, Kazakhstan.
Birthplace of Chinggis Khan. Wolf country. River valleys, sacred mountains, horse-nomad routes across roadless terrain.
Tsaatan reindeer herders, Khuvsgul, Darkhad valley, pine forest and bog. The remotest Rara Avis expedition.
Every expedition is custom. What we deliver underneath is the same every time.
National park, border zone, protected area. We secure every permit before you land, and our local office holds them in hand.
Fluent in English, Russian, or Japanese. All licensed. All born in the region they guide. No subcontracting.
Our own 2018+ fleet. Serviced quarterly. Satellite comms, winch, spare parts, extra fuel on every vehicle.
Every trip carries a WFR kit and satellite phone. SOS medical evacuation coverage included for every guest.
From first email to wheels on the steppe. Every expedition is mapped, budgeted, and briefed before we take a deposit.
Discovery call, questionnaire, physical readiness assessment. We learn what success looks like for your group.
Route draft, daily itinerary, cost breakdown, backup plans for weather, medical, and permit contingencies.
Packing list, training tips, visa support, gear rental, full pre-departure briefing 10 days before arrival.
Airport greeting, 24/7 support from our Ulaanbaatar office, daily check-in with your home contact, post-trip debrief.
Three weeks. Four hundred kilometres on horseback. One broken saddle, no broken bones. I have never felt further from email. I have never felt more alive.
The eagle hunter let our son hold the eagle. Our son is eleven. That photograph will outlive us. Every logistic worked. Every meal was cared for.
Rara Avis designed a 14-day expedition for eight YPO members through the Gobi, Altai, and Taiga. Everything delivered. No surprises. We are bringing the next cohort in autumn.
A Rara Avis expedition goes far from paved road. That means we plan for injury, weather, mechanical failure, and evacuation before we leave Ulaanbaatar. Every contingency is rehearsed with our ground team.
Applications reviewed by Nomin and our lead expedition guide. Fitness and experience assessed. You will hear from us within four hours.