Naadam festival is opened officially by the President of Mongolia. At the stadium, a huge procession is held including hundreds of adults and children dressed in costumes representing Mongolia’s numerous ethnic groups. The opening ceremony features a colourful show with folk music and dance, parachute show and more. The first round of wrestling will start immediately thereafter. After that you will see the archery competitions where contestants can only rely on his keen eye, firm hand and experience, take aim at a target of fist-sized baskets; and ankle bone shooting competition.

We will drive to Khui Doloon Khudag, the horse racing field. Mongol horse racing is part of a living cultural heritage, similar to the equestrian tradition that brought the Mongol armies to faraway places during medieval times. We will see the four-year-old horse racing. The horse race is actually a bit far from the barriers set up for visitors, so bring binoculars! We can visit nomadic tented camps that have sprung up behind the race track and experience a concentration of nomadic Mongolia at one site!