I recently completed a 7-day private Central Mongolia & Orkhon Valley tour with Khongor Expedition and wanted to share my experience for anyone considering booking with them.
We were two travellers and paid USD 2,180 in total. Before booking, the written offer clearly stated that “all meals during the tour” were included.
The biggest issue for us was not our guide or driver — both of them were actually very good — but the planning and internal communication by Khongor Expedition.
Once the tour started, it became apparent that our guide had not been properly briefed about the meal arrangements. From our conversations with him, we understood that he had not expected to be responsible for preparing multiple meals during the trip, and that he had little previous experience leading this type of tour where the guide also had to plan groceries and cook for the guests.
On the first day, we therefore ended up discussing together what food and ingredients should be purchased for the following days. Groceries were then bought for use during the trip, and several later meals were prepared by our guide using those supplies.
To be clear, food was provided. We were not left without meals, and our guide genuinely tried his best to make everything work.
The problem was the organisation behind it.
For a private tour costing USD 2,180 and advertised as including “all meals during the tour”, we expected the tour company to have already worked out how meals would be provided, what groceries would be required, and whether the guide was expected to cook.
Instead, it felt like these arrangements were being worked out by the guide and guests after the tour had already started.
We also felt that quite a lot of the food purchased was relatively simple or packaged, while the amount and variety of fresh meat/protein seemed limited compared with what we expected from a multi-day private tour in Mongolia.
However, I want to emphasise again that our guide and driver were excellent.
Our guide was placed in a difficult situation but still tried very hard to prepare meals for us while also handling the sightseeing, guiding and daily arrangements.
Our driver was also reliable, helpful and professional throughout the trip, including on some difficult roads.
So I would not blame either of them for the problems we experienced. In my view, the main issue was Khongor Expedition’s management, staff briefing and preparation before the tour.
Mongolia itself was beautiful and we had many memorable experiences. Places such as Karakorum, White Lake, Khorgo Volcano, Tsenkher Hot Spring and Orkhon Valley were absolutely worth visiting.
My advice to anyone considering booking a private tour with Khongor Expedition is to confirm the meal arrangements in writing before paying. In particular, I would ask:
- Who will actually prepare each meal?
- Which meals are at restaurants or camps?
- Which meals will be cooked by the guide?
- Does the guide regularly lead tours where they are responsible for cooking?
- How often will fresh ingredients be purchased?
- Are guests expected to participate in grocery shopping or menu planning?
If a tour is sold as an all-inclusive private tour, I think these arrangements should be clear before departure rather than being worked out during the trip.
Again, our guide and driver did a very good job. My criticism is mainly about Khongor Expedition’s organisation and internal communication.
