We had an unforgettable experience on the Mongol Els Sand Dunes & Orkhon Waterfall Jeep Tour with Ger to Ger. I try as much as possible to be an ethical and conscientious traveler, which is why I chose Ger to Ger. They are very mindful of the impact of tourism on local culture and work with herder families and local communities to ensure tourism benefits them directly. Our guide, Yona and our driver Bayaraa were fantastic. They made our trips so fun and made us feel so comfortable and safe. They also shared so much about the history and culture of the areas we visited, very informative. We also laughed a lot! Our stays with the herder families were a highlight of our trip as well and Yona and Bayaraa helped to ensure there was good communication and connection. All the details of the trips were so well organized and taken care of. A big thank you to Fromer as well in the main office who helped us put the trip together and answered all our questions. Thank you Ger to Ger!!

My thoughts on my Mongolian home stays organized through Ger to Ger. First off, I must say this was one of the most unique, wonderful experiences I’ve had traveling. I spent 5 days/4 nights with four different families in the Terelj National Park area, and then traveled down to Dundgovi and spent 4 days/3 nights with three different families in that part of the Gobi Desert. In Terelj, I was a solo traveler, no one else was signed up for this trip, so I went alone. During my days near Terelj, I crossed wide green valleys, and forded rushing rivers on horseback, climbed to hilltops and contemplated the vast quiet beauty of the country. I learned to make cheese, milked cows, and even got to bottle feed an adorable baby cashmere goat. I helped prepare meals, prep fresh cheese for drying, and churned yogurt. I played with some of the most darling, engaging children in the world, and practiced my Mongolian, which was laughable to start, but slowly improved with the help of my families and the wonderful guide and phrase book put together by the Ger to Ger staff. I felt so safe and well taken care of by my families, who were such gracious hosts, and so generous with all they had. My comfort was their upmost concern, and they could not stop feeding me! (That was the first phrase I mastered… “Bi tsat san” translation “I am full”). I had my own private ger (yurt) each night, all very comfortable. At night, after some amazing star gazing, I would lay on my bed writing in my journal and fall asleep listen to the rhythmic munching of cattle or horses as they moved about freely, grazing outside my ger. In the Gobi region, I traveled by public bus, which was very comfortable, and then by jeep over a vast expanse of undulating semi-arid desert. Green with grass, as it had just rained a lot the week before. On this trip I had two other people traveling with me; a couple from Switzerland, who turned out to be just the most wonderful people and excellent traveling companions. We learned to milk goats, rode camels and horses, helped the boys bring in the goats for milking time, and in one of the homes helped prepare the meals and make cheese. We played with the children, tug of war and “Shagai” a game played with sheep ankle bones. (A fun game that can go on for hours...) One of our hosts took us for a hike into the rock formations of Baga Gazarin Chuluu where we climbed among the rocks, took in the views and explored a small cave. Nothing on either trip was very physically strenuous, what is needed is great patience and flexibility. You needed to be able to “go with the flow” as they say… As Ger to Ger states in their trip descriptions, the home stays are not “guided tours”, the families are bringing you in as a guest, but they are not there to entertain you or take you around to “see the sights”. My main purpose of this trip was to spend time with nomadic Mongolian families. They are busy with their livestock mornings and evenings, times that I joined them and watched, or helped (I truly wasn’t much help milking – I did a little, they make it look so easy!) but I could haul buckets of milk to the ger and move stools and things like that. Between milking and meals I had a lot of free time to myself; I would go for walks, play with the children, write in my journal, or just sit outside and take it all in. It is a great place to go for contemplation. Due to heavy rains and flooding, my trip itinerary changed mid-stream, the family I was with had to figure out how to get me to my next stop, plans totally changed, but it was exciting and fun. I just learned to roll with it, the great experiences come in not what was planned, but in the surprise twists – the unexpected. Stay flexible, surrender and you’ll enjoy yourself so much. If you’re fussy about food and what you eat, this is not a trip for you. The nomadic fare is simple, and most tasted good, I grew to love the suutei tsai (milk tea) and drank the sweetest best goat milk in the world there. I still miss it months later. I think the Arruul (dried curds) are an acquired taste… they are hard, and can be sometimes very tangy! The summer food is mostly dairy, lots of milk, dried meats and rice or noodles. The only scant vegetables you’ll see is potato, carrot and onion. Yet as I said earlier, you will definitely never go hungry! There are also formalities, protocols and customs within the ger that the Ger to Ger staff teach you about in a 2 hour “orientation” they give you before you go. I felt like the staff prepared me well for heading out alone. Respecting your hosts and their culture is of the upmost importance. Lastly, the most challenging thing I found on the entire trip was the language. Like I said, Ger to Ger sent me out with a booklet loaded with information and a great phrase book (which all the families are familiar with) and as none of us spoke a common language, a lot of time was spent scanning the book looking for the right word or phrase for what I wanted to say or try to understand. And then trying to pronounce it correctly was another challenge! The Mongolians are not big “gesturers” (like Italians) so waving your arms or trying to gesture something most often resulted in blank stares from your host. It could get exhausting. So that was a long review! If you’ve made it to the end here I will only say this: That a Ger to Ger trip with nomadic Mongolian families will be an adventure you will never forget. You will meet some of the most beautiful, enduring people you will ever meet, have unique adventures, and find that Mongolia and it’s people will hold a special place in your heart forever… Oh – one last thing – if you’re a woman, make sure you bring a really good sports bra- the trotting gait of the Mongolian horse is very bouncy!

During my time in Mongolia I spent a wonderful three nights in Terelj national park staying with three different families. All the families were welcoming but our stay with the second family stood out due to the time spent trying to teach us to sew Mongolian decorative items, learning to milk a cow, and herding goats.As pointed out in our pre-trip talk it is up to you to make the most of the time and conditions are somewhat basic, but definately a must do.

I had read a number of very mixed reviews about the Ger to Ger trips prior to booking my travel; I also read through Ger to Ger’s website on the Living Like a Local trips; what I surmised was that those who had a poor experience tended to be those who had strong expectations of a guided tour with every activity executed per the planned agenda; whilst those who had a positive experience were those who are independent travelers who are happy to figure things out on the go, who went with an open mind, who were flexible when things do not go according to plan, who made the effort to interact and communicate with the families. I made a conscious effort to adopt the latter attitude and booked myself on 2 horse riding treks in Terelj and Khuvsgul Lake, and I had a most memorable experience with 6 nomad families over the 2 weeks. Highlights were the horse riding, the beautiful landscape, watching / participating in tending to the livestock, playing ‘sharat’ (ankle bones) with the children, and ultimately experiencing the nomads’ lives first hand. The things that least appealed were the long walk to the hole-in-the-ground toilets (which in themselves were very unpleasant), the unsanitary cooking / eating conditions, and not showering for a week at a time (wet wipes and solar shower came in very handy)! Still they were all part of the experience. We had a 2+ hr orientation the day prior to the trip. What I found useful were: advice on etiquette with the nomad families, guidance on navigation and basic outdoor survival skills. What I found bizarre was: the “re-learning of Mongolian history” which i did not find helpful. What I would have liked was 15 minutes of language lessons, so we could get our pronounciations right.

Dealing with this company is the most bizarre experience I've ever had. On the one hand, a friend and I took the 'Marvels of the Gobi Desert' tour and found it to be very good -- excellent and skilled drivers, a young and very good guide who spoke great English, nice ger camps, quite OK food, and lots to see and do. We were paired up with a Dutch couple and it was all a great laugh. On the other hand - while booking this trip, we also booked activities with GertoGer to follow our Gobi trip:. a day tour for four people to the Chinggis Khan Statue and other nearby sites, plus one archery lesson and one khoomei lesson. Prior to leaving, the very nice woman who runs the office (Bogie) sent us a secure link to pay for these activities We agreed that we would use the link to pay the day after returning to UB from the Gobi (a Saturday). I paid in the morning. The banking site said 'Success'! It also advised to call Ger2Ger to ensure payment had gone through. I both phoned and e-mailed the office several times that day, but there was no response. Finally, we got hold of the owner (Zanjan [-]) via Facebook Messenger at about 5:30 p.m. This is when things got very, very strange. Rather than treating us as valued customers and people about to spend another US $600, Mr. [-] acted like a big child having a massive temper tantrum: The problem with the link was 'a banking problem' and not his! He would not be lectured! Other businesses would deal with us by simply refusing to deal with us! We were being unreasonable in expecting his staff to be available on Saturdays and Sundays! Rather than pay money to a business that thinks nothing of insulting and demeaning paying customers, we cancelled all future business with GertoGer. His reply: "It is your right...have a good evening." Well. In its advertising, GertoGer emphasizes how it cares for local people and pays them fairly etc etc etc. In our case, we would have employed a driver, a guide, and two local 'masters' (archery and khoomei). Our cancellation resulted in four people not getting work -- a fact that did not seem to make a bit of difference to the owner of this business. Finally, if this review seems a one-off in a sea of positive reviews, check Trip Advisor four or five years back and you'll read of other people having experiences similar to ours with the owner of this business (he makes much of the fact that he's from Alaska). I wish I'd seen them before deciding to give this company a single penny. P.R. We did re-book the tour with another company and were treated with utmost civility and professionalism. GertoGer is not the only game in town, after all.

Let me start off by saying that I'm glad I made this trip. This was what I wanted when I got to Mongolia. First I went on a tour with a guesthouse, which was fine, but it was a lot of driving around, seeing big sites and areas - but it wasn't riding on horseback! Ger to Ger presents the opportunity of actually riding/trekking from and to each nomad family, -with- nomads. I loved it. As a solo traveller, I was going alone. I didn't speak the language, and neither did they speak English. While this provided ample opportunity to meditate on the gorgeous plains, hills and mountains surrounding us, I worried that I might get restless and bored when I couldn't talk with anyone. But, as it turns out, Mongolian hospitality is extremely accommodating. They won't stop feeding you and curiously peer over your items and try to talk to you until you go away. And this is another aspect of the nomad culture I really like: If you want to be left alone, you will be left alone. Family members come and go into the ger without greater fuss, and especially before and after meals. So it's no big deal if you do the same. I had the most fun when I was out with a nomad guide riding to the next ger. With a phrasebook and a bit of body language, you can get really far, in spite of much confusion and delayed comprehension on my part! I had fun trying to learn and memorize new words, especially with Mr. Byambaochar, who, with some success, drilled Mongolian Ger vocabulary into my brain. I was also glad that I got to ride my horse by myself, and not be towed by the nomad, or having to follow close in his heels. I even managed a bit of galloping at the end, when I was comfortable enough with the terrain. The tour followed the itinerary on a broad scale and with the biggest sites, but it clearly got modulated. A few things went down differently, and I had a lot of other interesting experiences which wasn't part of the itinerary. For example, I saw a "Worship of the Fire" ritual with my second family, where two buddhist monks entered and commenced a lengthy ceremony with the gathered families, all of them gathering in the Ger I was supposed to sleep in! I was almost falling asleep during the ritual (Buddhist droning + a day of horseback riding = lullaby), much to the families' amusement. I found it pretty hilarious as well - after I got that craved sleep, that is. One of the monks couldn't keep up with the rituals and had a bit of trouble with his eye-veil, drum, and well, practically everything, which also caused no small amount of ill-concealed snickers and giggles. Truly, a unique and fun experience! This wasn't part of the itinerary, by the way. This was just something that 'happened' to occur as I got there. Very interesting! So, all in all, a very nice trip, considerably cheaper than my first one, more physically challenging (which was what I wanted) and it's giving back to the communities that guide you, to boot. I highly recommend this as a in-depth experience of Mongolian nomadic culture. And if you learn the language before-hand, or get some basic understanding of it, oh boy, you're going to have a fun time.

My husband and I did a three night, four day "Live like a local" experience in Terelj National Park. It was not an easy experience. The conditions were less than sanitary, and it was tiring to constantly try to communicate and engage/connect with the families. It was totally worth the effort. We felt like it was pretty authentic, and we learned a lot and felt more connected to this beautiful country and people by the end of our short trip. If you go in with appropriate expectations and an open mind and heart, I doubt you would be disappointed.

I took part in 5nights 6days Winter Desert Travel. Before you join the tour with this organization I'd recommend you to clarify your reason why you want to participate this tour otherwise you may feel quite disappointment. This tour is very good to know the real normad's way of life and their culture. Their lives are quite simple. They dedicated their lives for livestocks. That's all for them and if you miss the point, you have to complain for everything. Hosts were mostly hospitable and helped me stay safe. However, I just had very little time for activities and there were plenty of blank time which is not on the itinerary. For me it was not a big deal but you may be confused. As I got an orientation at their office which is mandatory to take, I got a bunch of information mainly for their culture and rules which was unfortunately exaggerated more or less in 4 hours. The itinerary was mostly meaningless due to be always not followed. These must be improved by the organizer so that participants feel unfair and waste their precious time and money. If you'd prefer adventure or tours to famous attractions, better go other companies.

Ger To Ger offers its customers to visit nomad families in Mongolia without a guide. Those families are still living in a nomadic lifestyle and only little adapted to tourists and modern life luxuries (such as TV). The life with the families in their own gers or guest gers is very interesting and challenging. You will have to come over the language barrier, as most nomad host only speak little English. In fact you are more likely to meet someone, who speaks German. Be aware that the iternary the company provides you with is just for orientation. The real experiences there depend on weather conditions, season, work load and so on. The food is quite unusual to Europeans in the first place, but tastes really great. The only thing one could complain about is that the introduction you will get on your first day by one of the managers is quite exaggerated. To us it felt more like a conversion to a better style of tourism, that only this company can provide, than like a informative lecture. Still, we would definitely do this trip again!

Let me start off by saying that the experiences we had while on our trips with Ger To Ger will be with us for the rest of our lives. The traditional Mongolian life is sacred and precious and vulnerable. It is important to be mindful of the impact of tourism on such cultures. Ger To Ger is primarily a humanitarian organisation which provides relief for Mongolian communities when they need it most due to climate and economical change. To do this, they make sure that tourism is conducted in a responsible manner and that the communities see real change from Ger To Ger’s work. We signed up for two excursions with Ger To Ger, the first was a 6 day Karakorum to Hot Springs package tour which combined some tourism with nomadic family stays. We were joined on this trip by a guide who translated and told us information about the country and introduced us to the culture. We stayed with three wonderful families and spent the other nights at camps. For our second excursion, we headed out into the Dundgovi region for 12 days. Dundgovi has been hit by a few hard seasons resulting in loss of livestock and stunted pasture regrowth leaving the communities there in desperate situations - all the more reason to visit this beautiful region as 80% of the fee goes directly to the families you visit. This time, there was no guide. It was just us and the families - occasionally a driver would appear to take us the long distances across the desert. It was a daunting prospect at first but the support network put in place by Ger To Ger and the local coordinator (Narangarav, you are awesome) made sure that we are informed and safe. We stayed with 10 amazing families in four distinct areas of Dundgovi where we experienced true Mongolian nomadic life out in one of the most difficult terrains to live in. Activities included hiking, horse riding, camel riding, herding, preparing food, sewing, carving, fetching water, and playing with all the incredible children. The most rewarding element of all is meeting the people and connecting with them. I will carry my experiences here with me for many, many years. I highly recommend this authentic humanitarian experience. Tour responsibly and help out some families in need at the same time. Thank you to all the staff at the Ger To Ger office for getting us prepared and then debriefing on our return.

The host families we stayed in were all very friendly and made us feel very welcomed! You really do get as much out of the experience as you put in. Me and my friends asked if we could help out at all so they allowed us to milk goats, sheer lamb, and herd back the goats which was my favorite part of the trip. We played with their children and went scrambling on the rocks nearby as well. Regarding the staff at Ger to Ger, they are some of the nicest and experienced people I have ever met! Even after our trip was over, they spent hours helping us arrange a personal trip me and my friends were gonna do. They are all very well versed in the Mongolian terrain, public transportation, and what to expect when your in specific areas. I will definitely come back and do another trip with them!

If you want to get an idea of what traditional life in Mongolia is like while also staying off the beaten track, this is the place to book a tour. I did a three day tour in the Middle Gobi region and a 6-day tour in Bulgan Province. I stayed in Mongolia near the end of april, which is a good time temperature-wise. Both tours greatly exceeded my expectations, as did the service provided by GerToGer. GerToGer's humanitarian eco-tourism is very different from most other tour agencies, which are often aimed at profits at the expense of the people you'd visit. GerToGer does the opposite: the money you pay goes directly to the families you visit, allowing them to maintain their traditional lifestyle in modern Mongolia. Additionally, a tour includes an introductory lesson on what it means to be a humanitarian, including tips and tricks of great use when entering Mongolian nomads' lives (although I failed to apply the 'how to stay on your bolting horse'-tip). Then the tour itself. Both times I visited several families, travelling from one to the other roughly once ever day and a half. During the day I would try to help out around the ger the best I could, rarely feeling useless: these people can use your help even though they are not used to having european giants around. I was well taken care of, despite a huge language barrier (most families I visited didn't speak any English) that made it difficult express what I wanted or didn't want. There was also time for a daily trip to beautiful view points, monasteries, sand dunes and lakes, to which we would travel either on horse- or camelback, on foot or by motorbike. I thoroughly enjoyed staying with these people and want to thank GerToGer. These tours were the best combination of feeling safe (knowing you can always call them in case of emergency) and experiencing something real and unique. Definitely a highlight of my travels, you can't miss this if youre visiting Mongolia!

If you are thinking to take a tour in Mongolia this is the place to shop. Forget about all other agencies that offer traditional touristic tours with a English speaking guide, sleeping in tourost camps, etc. Ger to Ger will place you in real nomadic family without a tour guide so you will be on your own, sleeping in real gers with family, eating with family etc. I took 2 humanitarian tours (Dairy and Gobi) and no doubt one of my best experiences in my life. Thanks to Ger to Ger team

My dad and I went for the 6D nomadic homestay tour. We got an opportunity to experience living the actual nomadic life, interacting with the local community, observing and learning about their culture. We witness a cow giving birth, the locals killing a goat and preparing it for dinner, a dog ripping off another dog's fur to defend itself and us! toileting in nature and riding horses across the beautiful terrain. The most wonderful thing about this trip is being able to experience their culture. It is something that I will never forget! Ger to Ger has been awesome, they ensured our safety and made sure we had our essentials. The briefing for the trip was really useful and we will definitely join them again when we are back! We highly recommend Ger to Ger:)

I had an amazing experience with Ger to Ger! My friends and I did the winter desert travel, and we had a blast staying with 3 traditional Mongolian families. We had the opportunity to participate in their daily chores (such as goat milking and herding) and we got to see some amazing sights via horse and camel. Just seeing the amount of work these families do in order to produce meat and dairy products made me realized how valuable animal products are. Ger to Ger gave us all of the tools needed to have a great time with these families, and I would easily do another trip with them!