Visiting Mongolia’s Reindeer Tribe With Kids: Our Incredible Journey

Traveling to Northern Mongolia to meet the Mongolia reindeer tribe had been on our bucket list for a long time, and finally, this adventure was real!

Come with us on our journey deep into the Taiga of Northern Mongolia to meet one of the world’s remaining communities of nomadic reindeer herders. Their lives are closely connected to their reindeer, and the families move their camps throughout the year in search of suitable weather and food for the herd.

And getting there was an adventure in itself!

To reach their summer camp, we had to take a 12-hour sleeper train, spend two days driving off-road, camp along the way, and finally ride horses for six hours through the Taiga.

Was it difficult? At times, definitely.

Was it worth it? Absolutely. And we would do it again!

Who Are Mongolia’s Reindeer Herders?

Before I continue with our journey, I should explain a little more about the people we were traveling so far to meet. We knew them at the time as the Reindeer Tribe, but they are commonly known as the Tsaatan, or Dukha, an Indigenous community of reindeer herders living in Northern Mongolia’s Taiga.

Their lives and traditions are closely connected to their reindeer, and many families continue to move seasonally with their herds. During our visit, we stayed at their summer camp and had the opportunity to observe a small part of their everyday life.

Of course, spending two days with a community doesn’t mean we fully understand their culture or their challenges. What we can share is simply what we saw, what they shared with us, and what the experience meant to our family.

Leaving Ulaanbaatar 

We flew into the capital of Mongolia Ulaanbaatar just a few days before this big adventure. Between the jet lag and trying to understand more of where we were, I don’t think we grasped enough about how busy this city really is until we had to catch the train out. We walked down the stairs from our Airbnb, confident that there was over an hour of time to get to the train station. After all, it was only 6 km away! Wrong! Have you ever been to Ulaanbaatar?! This is the capital of Mongolia and of the 3.5 million inhabitants of the country, a huge percentage of Mongolia’s population lives here. So every hour is rush hour! No taxis were available until luckily we found one willing to drive us at a higher price. The meeting time was 6 pm at the railway station with our guide Tulga from Nomadic Trails. We made it there by 6:15 pm. The sleeper train was leaving at 6:40, luckily we arrived just in time!

The sleeper train was a whole new experience for our family. It is like the trans-Siberian train but it goes to the north of Mongolia. We were going to get off in Erdenet a copper mining town. The ride was 12 hours throughout the night. There is no food served on the train, so we brought our own dinner and drinks, however, a lady did come by with a shopping cart with snacks on it, but not an actual full meal.

Later we prepared our beds, four for each cabin. Around 10:30 pm, once the excitement started wearing off and it finally got a bit darker outside, we tried to go to sleep. However, this train has another particularity. Every time it starts it makes a loud jolt that inevitably moves you from where you are sitting! So you can imagine how it feels when you are trying to sleep! Let’s say it was a long night…

At 7:40 am, still very tired from a very different night of sleep we got off and jumped right away in a car, to drive out in the direction of Taiga!

This was probably our smoothest day on the road because we did most of the kilometers on asphalt. However, a few hours into the drive Tulga turned off the main road and onto a dirt road. That was the end of the easy driving and the beginning of the bumpy roads!

This inexistent road would take us through many valleys right into the heart of the Taiga area.

The first night we slept in a lovely area surrounded by trees. For our kids, it was officially the first time camping in the wilderness. They learned how to set up the tents, which was a whole new adventure in itself. However, since we were on a private tour we didn’t have to worry about cooking or setting up anything else. But it was so fun to watch them work together in going through the whole process. You could feel everyones’ excitement in the air. I think we all couldn’t believe that we were sleeping in a tent in Mongolia! You know that incredible feeling you get when you are dreaming about doing something for a long time and then when you are actually living in the moment you just cannot believe it?! We were in Mongolia and we were heading to meet the Reindeer Tribe!

Tough Driving days

Until now everything had been pretty easy. So when Tulga told us that the road for the next few days was going to be pretty bumpy I honestly could not imagine how bad it could really be. This was the day we started truly understanding and learning about different ways of life.

First of all, as we started driving we found a house on a 4×4 truck being driven down a hill. It wasn’t our first time seeing a house being moved around but never in the middle of nowhere and most of all on a dirt road. It was a true “WOW moment” for all of us!

We drove for a few hours through beautiful green valleys, every now and then rushing through a small river. We stopped and took loads of photos of yaks relaxing. We beeped our horns to make hundreds of sheep and goats move out of our way. We admired beautiful wild horses galloping along the way. We stopped to watch the birds fly in the beautiful Mongolian blue sky.

It was an amazing site, all we could do was take every inch of this drive in, to make sure it would always stay in our memories of this adventure. We also filmed as much as we could to be able to share in some way the feeling that driving here gave us. Although there was a destination in mind, meeting the Reindeer Tribe, the trip to get there was just as magical.

I’m not going to deny that the bumpy roads were not always fun. We had moments when we did get a bit tired of not being able to sit normally or avoid crashing into each other. Or when we were trying to take a nap and our head would bump into the window. But then when we slowed down and watched animals playing, grazing, or simply sleeping, it felt like time was moving in slow motion and for a moment nothing was running after us. We could fully enjoy being part of this moment also with its bumps.

Ovoos in the shamanic land

We stopped for a lunch break in a lovely spot and just took in the beautiful landscape while enjoying a delicious meal!
Finally, we reached the pass where 13 Ovoos are located. These are shamanic offering places. Each Ovoo represents the year of birth in the Chinese calendar and then there is the main one. People stop here to worship the sky and they do so by going around their birth year Ovoo 3 times while making an offering. Then they walk around the more prominent one 3 more times. While we were there many people arrived, it was lovely to watch them do the ritual of walking around the ovoos, then sit there for a while before leaving.

Finally, we entered Darkhad Depression, here there are more than 200 lakes and many stunning views! Our camp for the night looked over a river and our neighbors were hundreds of sheep! 

The following day, as our drive continues through the shaman territory. We made a stop along the way to see another Ovoo and admire the beautiful view over many lakes. It was a cloudy day but it was still stunning. After a lunch break in a shaman’s home, we drove towards our stop for the night…it actually was a forced stop since both our cars got stuck in the mud! However, we were impressed by how resourceful Mongolians are at solving this type of situation. After trying many different ways they successfully got them both out! 

Shortly after the horses arrived, the final leg of our trip was going to start bright and early the next morning!

Riding up to the tribe

Bright and early we started our 6-hour horse trek. Our guide told us that it usually takes between 7 to 9 hours depending on riding abilities, so I guess we did pretty well! It wasn’t easy though. As soon as we got on our horses, Mass’s one threw him off. We are not sure what spooked him but he had a bit of a temper. Later on, as we were going in a muddy area again Mass had to jump off because the horse got stuck in the mud! What made the trek really hard for us and the horses for most of the way was the millions of mosquitoes who loved biting us also over our clothes! However once we reached the pass and colder weather, they were finally gone for good.

At the pass, Luca saw a tiny patch of snow and insisted that everyone get off and play. It was such a fun moment! I think we all needed a fun break also if just for a few minutes!

About an hour later, after crossing the very windy and chilly pass we finally reached the summer camp of the Reindeer Tribe. We were welcomed by the shaman and his wife who offered us reindeer milk tea, reindeer curd, and homemade bread. We still couldn’t believe we were actually sitting in a tepee with them!!! Also a few hours later, as we were walking around the camp enjoying the sunset surrounded by reindeer we STILL could not believe we were here!!! Luckily there are plenty of photos and videos to remind us that it really happened !

Our time with the tribe

What did we do here at the summer camp for 2 days? Well first of all we wanted to observe. We were curious of understanding better what their lifestyle was like. It can be hard to fully comprehend a way of living that is completely different from yours so being part of it also for a short time can truly be eye-opening. Let me tell you more about their day.

First of all, the women milk the reindeer 3 times a day. Early morning, afternoon, and evening. They collect the mamas and babies and tie them separately so they can freely do the milking, reuniting them after. It was funny to see how voracious the babies were in getting the milk once they got to their mamas! However, on cold days, they let the babies be fed right away. Cosimo had a chance to milk a reindeer and it wasn’t that easy! You have to tie their back legs so they don’t try to run off, then wet your fingers in some milk and start squeezing! The Reindeer people drink milk tea and make curd all with the reindeer milk.

While we were there one of the families was moving their tepee from one spot to the other because there was too much dust in that spot. In this case, they have to move everything. Usually, when they leave the camp for the season, they only leave the poles up and take everything else, but this case was different, they were actually moving their house!

We spent some time with the local shaman. He explained his costume, the meaning of its different parts and some of the rituals he performs. He told us that people come to him for things such as fortune telling, healing and guidance.

We had a chance to try riding the reindeer, I still cannot believe it! It was an incredible and a bit unsettling experience. Much different than riding a horse and I honestly thought I was going to fall off!! Everything feels much more wobbly although I think they actually have a better grasp of the ground especially with the mud. The tribe usually rides the reindeer in order to move from one camp to the other. They are much stronger than you may think!

The kids are sent to school during the year, which is far from the camp so they live in the town (it takes about 6 hours of horseback riding to the closest village). But we were there during their vacation time so some were there. Our kids had a chance to play with the younger children from the tribe. In fact, the older ones have many more responsibilities so they were not around as much.

This experience became even more special to us later because it found its way into our Adventure Globe books! In the second book of the series, the kids’ adventure takes them to Mongolia, where they meet the reindeer herders. I loved being able to take something our family had actually experienced and turn it into part of their fictional adventure.

Was it all magical?

I know my description might make it seem like a dreamy experience, but I have to be honest and say that it wasn’t all perfect and easy as it may sound.

Our excitement gave us the strength to push through a few moments when we were ready to go back. The weather was unpredictable: cold, hot, rain, wind, and cold again, and we definitely needed layers to feel comfortable. The trip to get there was long and sometimes all we wanted to do was get out of the car and walk the rest of the way. It is for sure easier than doing it all by horse but also a drive can feel too long, especially on extremely bumpy roads. The horse ride made our butts and many other muscles in our bodies sore. Every time we got off it took a few minutes to start walking normally again 😂.

Life in the Taiga is not easy. The weather can be extremely cold, and the families live in teepees with a stove inside for warmth. Because of their remote location and nomadic lifestyle, access to fresh fruits, vegetables and other foods can also be limited.

Spending even a short amount of time there made us realize just how different everyday life can look depending on where in the world you are. We were constantly impressed by how resourceful the families were and by how adapted their lives were to the environment around them.

Our thoughts about this experience

Spending time with the Tsaatan families gave us a glimpse into a way of life completely different from our own.

There was no electricity, Wi-Fi, hot shower or soft mattress waiting for us. The weather changed constantly, and everything from staying warm to preparing food required more work than we are used to.

But that’s only what we, coming from our own lifestyle, noticed.

What we also saw was a community living closely with nature, families working together and people whose lives are deeply connected to their reindeer and the land around them.

Some choose to continue this traditional way of life, while others choose a different path.

We met a teacher who had grown up in the community but moved to a village to pursue his career. Yet every summer, he returned with students, sharing the culture he grew up with while also working with the younger children in the community. I loved that. Choosing a different life didn’t mean leaving behind where he came from. 

I think that’s one of the things this experience reminded us of most.

When we see a lifestyle completely different from ours, it’s very easy to compare. To think about what someone has or doesn’t have based on what we consider necessary. But different doesn’t mean less.

We weren’t there long enough to truly understand what life in the Taiga is like, but we were there long enough to come away with enormous respect for the people who welcomed us and allowed us a glimpse into their world.

And then, as if Mongolia wanted to give us one last gift, a complete rainbow appeared as we were saying goodbye.

After everything it had taken to get there, the train, the endless bumpy roads, the mud, mosquitoes, camping and six hours on horseback, it felt like the perfect ending.

Our family will treasure those days forever.

And what made the experience even more special was something very simple: we experienced it together.

No experience would have been quite the same if one of the five of us hadn’t been there.

Want to Experience More of Mongolia?

For this trip, we booked our tour with Nomadic Trails. They organized our journey from Ulaanbaatar all the way into the Taiga and our stay with the reindeer herders.

And if you’d rather experience a little bit of Mongolia from home, you can find this adventure in Book 2 of our Adventure Globe series! Our family’s real travels have inspired many of the places and experiences that appear in the books, and Mongolia’s reindeer herders became part of the kids’ Adventure Globe journey.

Discover Adventure Globe Book 2

Continue the journey with:

If you are planning a trip to Asia, these unique destinations should definitely be on your radar:

• Brunei: The Family Trip That Became a Girls’ Adventure 
• 5 Days in Hong Kong: What We Did, What We Missed, and Why That’s Perfectly Okay
• A Family Journey Through India
• Discovering Cambodia: From Phnom Penh to the Magic of Siem Reap with Kids
• Visiting Bhutan with Kids: Inside the Magical Kingdom of Bhutan

I hope our experience helps you plan an unforgettable Asia adventure of your own!