065: Dig Eastern Mongolia: explore the world of ancient nomads

Dates & Tuition

2027 COURSES (15 days each session)
Sessions	Dates	Tuition
Session #01	2027 | June 16 – July 1	USD 2,600
Session #02	2027 | July 2 – July 16	USD 2,600
Terms and conditions of payment		Apply now>>>

Course fee includes

• Course tuition and teaching.
• Round trip by road between Ulaanbaatar and the expedition camp near Khulunbuir, and all local transport.
• Accommodation at the expedition camp, in gers with a heating stove and a bed for each student; male and female students sleep in separate gers.
• All meals at the camp, cooked every day by the expedition cook, and filtered drinking water.
• Excursion to Khulunbuir.
• Certificate of Completion and, on request, the Student Evaluation Report.

 

The camp and the gers

What a ger is. A ger is the traditional round felt tent of Mongolian herders: a wooden lattice frame covered with felt, about 5-6 metres across, with a stove in the centre. It stays warm at night and cool during the day.

Sleeping gers. For a group of 6 students the camp sets up 2 sleeping gers, one for male and one for female students. Each student has their own bed, and beds are moved between the gers to match the number of men and women in the group. Each ger has a heating stove for cool nights; there is no air conditioning. Bring a sleeping bag and a camping mattress for your bed (an inflatable one is the easiest to carry). Each student keeps their bed area and the ger tidy.

Kitchen ger. The expedition cook prepares every meal in the kitchen ger. In good weather the group eats outside under a shade; when it is windy or rainy, everyone eats inside the kitchen ger. Filtered drinking water is always available.

Field laboratory. Finds and samples are sorted, cleaned and recorded in the field laboratory at the camp, where some lectures are also given; others take place outdoors.

Toilets and showers. The camp has two enclosed outdoor pit toilets: after each use you add a little soil, and the expedition cook regularly treats them with safe disinfectants. There are no showers at the camp: every two days the expedition van takes students to Khulunbuir, 5-6 km away, for a hot shower (paid by each student).

Electricity and internet. A generator runs most of the day, so you can charge your phone and laptop. There is mobile coverage and Starlink internet.

Laundry and shops. There is no laundry service; each student washes their own clothes. Khulunbuir has well-stocked grocery shops (snacks, coffee, cold drinks) and a hospital.

 

Not included

• Airfare to and from Ulaanbaatar.
• Hotel or hostel nights in Ulaanbaatar before and after the session, booked by each student on Booking.com or a similar website (about USD 25-35 per night in the city centre).
• Meals in Ulaanbaatar (about USD 25-30 per day).
• Personal snacks and purchases, and showers in Khulunbuir.
• Travel medical insurance (compulsory, arranged by each student).

 

How to get there

Fly to Chinggis Khaan International Airport (Ulaanbaatar) and arrive by the day before the session starts (June 15 for Session 1). Students travel on their own from the airport to the city centre: an official airport taxi costs about USD 15-27 and takes about an hour. Students book their own hotel or hostel in downtown Ulaanbaatar, near Sükhbaatar Square, on Booking.com, Hostelworld or a similar website (about USD 25-35 per night). Before you travel, we will send you a list of the most recommended hotels and hostels, so that you can book your nights on arrival and before your flight home. On the departure day (June 16 for Session 1, July 2 for Session 2) you meet the expedition team at 7:30 a.m. in front of the National Museum of Mongolia, in central Ulaanbaatar. At the end of the session (July 1 and July 16) the group returns to Ulaanbaatar in the evening and the team drops you off at the same place. If you want to arrive a few days earlier to recover from jet lag, book those nights the same way. Book a round-trip ticket with fixed dates before you travel (no open return): arrive in Ulaanbaatar by the day before the session starts (June 15 for Session 1, July 1 for Session 2) and fly home the day after the session ends (July 2 for Session 1, July 17 for Session 2).

Visa. No visa is needed for the course: students from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and the European Union can enter Mongolia without a visa.

Insurance. Travel medical insurance is compulsory and is arranged by each student; the Institute does not arrange it. Ask your university's study-abroad office first, as many universities already provide it. In the United States, companies such as GeoBlue, IMG (Patriot plans) and Seven Corners offer this type of insurance.

 

Places available

The course is limited to 6 participants per session. Reservations are only effective when payment of the registration fee is received. If for any reason the course is cancelled, payment is returned according to the field school refund policy.