Hidden in an isolated corner of Northern Mongolia, straddling the border of Russian Siberia, a unique minority group lives in the sprawling tundra.
Around 500 Dukha people live a remote nomadic life, migrating from place to place in search of valuable resources to continue their existence.
Minority people can be found all throughout Asia, but the Dukha are notably different for the livestock that they keep.
Not yaks, camels, goats or horses, but reindeer. Known as the Tsaatan people, these reindeer herders have been attracting international attention over the last few years for their unique and unchanged way of life.
We knew that if we ever came to Mongolia we would make sure that we travelled to the far north to visit these fabled people and their reindeer.
As luck would have it we found ourselves in the region and immediately made it our priority to trek into the taiga.
From the town of Moron we travelled north by van and met up with a nomadic family.
We rented their horses and took a two-day trek to reach the distant taiga, camping along the way.
Once we arrived we stayed with Magsar, Amgaa and their family of three.
We spent three nights learning about their culture, helping with daily chores, herding the reindeer and simply experiencing how life goes on in the taiga.
While not everything went smoothly, it was by far the most rewarding and memorable time of our travels.
This is our photo journey to the Tsaatan reindeer herders.
Visiting the Tsaatan Reindeer People
To visit the Tsaatan reindeer herders it is recommended to book through the TCVC, or through a TCVC-approved agency.
Unfortunately we organised our tour through Saraa from Saraa’s Guesthouse in Moron
Under no circumstance would we ever recommend dealing with this lady.
We will not go into details of what went wrong and how she had lied to us about important aspects of the tour, but take our word that you should avoid her tours at all costs.
Alesha and Jarryd
Hey! We are Alesha and Jarryd, the award-winning writers and professional photographers behind this blog. We have been travelling the world together since 2008, with a passion for adventure travel and sustainable tourism. Through our stories and images we promote exciting off-the-beaten-path destinations and fascinating cultures as we go. As one of the world's leading travel journalists, our content and adventures have been featured by National Geographic, Lonely Planet, CNN, BBC, Forbes, Business Insider, Washington Post, Yahoo!, BuzzFeed, Channel 7, Channel 10, ABC, The Guardian, and plenty other publications. Follow our journey in real time on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.
Hi, We’re Alesha and Jarryd!
We’ve been traveling the world together since 2008, searching for the planet’s best destinations and adventures.
54 thoughts on “Mongolia’s Mystical Tsaatan Reindeer People”
Looks like a fun trek. Hoping to do something similar this summer in Alaska. Dog sleds, salmon siting, eagle photographing, along with all the other critters that inhabit the tundra. I drove truck up the Alcan highway and enjoyed the scenery immensely. Now, a buddy and I are gonna ride that road on our Honda cruiser bikes. At least thats the plan. Should be interesting.
thanks for the beautiful pics!
Thank you so much. We appreciate it.
Thank you so much. We appreciate it. 🙂
This was a fascinating article about your experience with the Magsars. Great presentation in word and photographs. Now that is something I’d like to experience.. Thanks again.
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed the article. It was an amazing experience. Hope you get to do it one day. 🙂
Visiting the Tsaatan people is a special experience. It takes days of difficult traveling to reach their area, but if you plan well it has its rewards. We rode in on horses and then spent our next days visiting quite a few other families by riding around the area on reindeer. It was truly an extraordinary adventure!
Sounds like you had a great experience. It really is a magical place. Thank you for sharing.
They are beautiful! They look happy, healthy and at peace with the world.
The Tsaatan reindeer herders are very peaceful people. It was an amazing experience
Awesome photo blog. What an offbeat experience!
Thank you so much. Definitely is an off the beaten path place. 🙂
Superb photos! I have always wanted to go Mongolia! Love, love it! Thanks for making me smile with those photos. And I love horse ride too! Wish I could experience the same too someday!
Thank you so much Lia. We are so glad you loved the photos. We hope you get to Mongolia one day and have a great experience like us. All the best.
Hi, I am now worry about my trip as I just booked with that lady via fb without deposit. Do you recommend me to cancel and get the guide when I reach Khovsgol? Is it easy to pair up with others tourists?
Thanks
Definitely use your own judgement and listen to your gut. Our recommendation is to book things when you are there. Make sure the horses are familiar with the reindeers. Ours were not and that was the problem for the Tsaatan people. They were not happy and we were angry and embarrassed. If the horses are not familiar with the reindeers they get spooked, the reindeers get spooked and sometimes it doesn’t end well. We do not know if this lady uses her own horse people or TCVC now but when we used her she said the horses go to the reindeers all the time and when we arrived it was very clear they did not and freaked out. It is an amazing experience (our top 3 of all our travel) so definitely do it. When are you going? Have a great time.
Simply awesome!
I’ve lived in Mongolia for almost 4 years, but I never got the chance to visit the Tsaatan. I’m planning to go back there this autumn and I will make sure not to miss an adventure with the reindeer people this time.
Would you know if TCVC has an office or a representative in UB?
Hi Rey, It is an amazing experience and we highly recommending visiting the Tsaatan people. Not too sure about the office but if you book a tour, make sure you book it through a company that is TCVC approved. Unfortunately we were talked into a company that wasn’t (not realising it) and our horses were not use to the reindeers and were scared of them. We only got to visit one other family because we walked there. We didn’t want to take the horses anywhere and upset families due to the horses being scared. Have a great time.
i am awestruck by the images that you guys have posted on this blog, simply amazing! wish i could have been there. I can imagine the serenity of the place in Mongolia. Keep posting. Thanks
Thank you so much. We are blushing. It is an amazing part of Mongolia. 🙂
Hello guys, nice adventure!!!
I’m in Mongolian right now and thinking about the Reindeer tribe, but I didn’t have clear information about is possible to go this season, do you know?
Tks
It may be still really wet and snowy up at the reindeer herders. Our suggestion is go to Khovsgol and ask around. It is a beautiful place to chill by the lake also. Nice camping up there. All the best.
Hi! I really love your post!
I know it’s late but my mother and I are looking to visit the Tsaatan people as well. Unfortunately, the TCVC’s email does not seem to work anymore 🙁 Is it possible for us to first arrive in Mongolia before finding our way there? Or would we have to book a tour before we arrive? Thank you!
Absolutely. You can arrive and book no worries at all. When you get to Khovsgol Lake you can organise it there. As we said in the post make sure it is with the company TCVC. There is a tourist centre in Khovsgol and the lady is super friendly.
Don’t let anyone convince you to go with their guide with their horses. We got told many stories and they weren’t true. The horses that TCVC provide are use to the reindeers and are not afraid. You will be able to visit other families in the area and you be more welcomed by the families. All the best.
This is amazing–thanks for sharing! I am planning on traveling to Mongolia later this year to visit the Tsaatan people just like you guys–either in September or October (which would you suggest?). I saw you recommended booking through the TCVC or through a TCVC-approved agency. Do you have any other recommendations?
September is a great time to go. October starts getting a bit cold so be prepared for that if you are there then. Definitely don’t miss the Tsaatan People. Such an amazing experience. Like we said in the article go through a TCVC approved agency otherwise the horse will be scared of the reindeers and you won’t get to explore other camps. We recommend staying with 1 family instead of dividing your time up between 2. You become close and they’ll be more inviting in including you in herding, fishing, etc. We went bare hand fishing with our family, milked the reindeers, rode one, picked up the reindeer poop, learned about carving the antlers and cooking. We had some other tourists stay at our camp for a night. They got in late afternoon and left the next morning to visit another camp. They spent no time at all with the family. We spent 3 nights at our family’s camp and it was awesome. You can explore during the day and visit other areas. Have a great time. It is such a beautiful area of Mongolia. Happy travels
Absolutely fantastic, as always 🙂 You guys rock!
Mongolia is very high on our list and now I just added one more “to-see-thing” there.
And reindeers are just way too adorable, had a chance to meet them in Finnish Lapland :))))
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much. You rock too. 🙂 What an experience for you. They sounds awesome too. Definitely put this on your list if you ever get to Mongolia. Just make sure the horses are through the TCVC as they will be familiar with the reindeers.
What happened with this Saraa woman? I’ve gotten in touch with her on Helpx and I do t want to get into a weird situation
I had to look this one up and wow!!! Incredible place on Earth and triple wow, the photos! I mean, I’m speechless just looking at them… Beautiful beautiful!
Thank you so much Veronika. It is really an incredible place and beautiful people. We definitely recommend going here if you ever go to Mongolia.
Incredible amazing photos and what an experience!! I seriously considered doing this trip for the Reindeer people, but found out that the Golden Eagle festival would be going on when we are there in October , so we opted for that. Maybe someday we’ll get the chance to do this too. What camera/lens do you use?
Hi Hali, you should definitely put it on your list for the future. The Golden Eagle festival would have been awesome. We use an Sony A7ii camera. These photos were shot with the kit lens which is 28 – 70 mm / f3.5 – 5.6. We don’t use this lens much now. We have a 16 -35 mm / f4 and a 55 mm / f1.8 which we use all the time. Sorry about the late reply.
awesome trip & photos! this will definitely be on my itinerary 🙂 im wondering if you guys could share the costs involved.
Thank you so much. It was as a package (transport, 4 horses, 2 pack horses, 2 non english horse guides and return transport). There were 4 people so we split it. It worked out to be about $250 USD per person for the 7 day trip. You needed to bring your own food, sleeping gear, cooker (they did have a fire place but you’ll have to bring pots) and water. It was an incredible experience staying with the family. Hope you get there one day.
Wow! Just Wow! I am envious of you both right now. What an incredible experience!!!!
Thank you so much Sadie. It definitely was an amazing experience.
Blimey. That is my favourite post of all I think! Just adore the little girl and those beautiful people. I bet your bums were numb for some time after the ride, but what an experience all the same. I never did know Reindeer could be ridden like that! x
It was one of the best experiences of our entire travels! So glad you enjoyed the post Jane. And yes, riding a reindeer is damn awesome 😉
This sounds like such a cool adventure, I actually never heard about the Tsaatan people until now and they seem like very interesting people (nomads like us but on another level). Now I too have to put Mongolia and the Tsaatan on my list of places to go and things to do! You had me at Teepee and Reindeer. Thanks for sharing 🙂
P.s. the pics are gorgeous!
Thanks Jazzy! The Tsaatan people are definitely worth a visit 🙂
I can’t get over how amazing these shots are guys. It looks like a different world.
Thank you so much Katie. We really appreciate it.
Stumbled onto your blog while procrastinating by reading the Yahoo Travel feature that quoted you guys. Amazing photography and stories. I have work I need to get back to, but I subscribed to your newsletter and I look forward to taking more time to peruse your other posts.
Thanks so much Justin! Appreciate you stopping by our little corner of the web. Let us know if you ever have any questions. Happy travels buddy 🙂
Just amazing!! Your stories, the photographs, the people – incredible. Looks like a really special part of the world. Keep up the good work! 🙂
Thanks very much Nita 🙂
Just love these photos and the story. And am also giggling that the town is called Moron. Sorry to hear you had a nasty run-in with that Moron woman.
Thanks Jane! And it’s all good about the run-in with the Moron woman. Just another part of travel 🙂
Hi. Actually it is Murun. It means beautiful big river.
wowwww…
What images so amazing !!
Mongolia is a unique destination and highly recommended
Thanks very much. We definitely recommend Mongolia as well 🙂
Love this post and the photos. I’m reading “The Secret History of the Mongol Queens” right now – and it’s great to see the landscape where it all happened. Would love to do this someday.
54 thoughts on “Mongolia’s Mystical Tsaatan Reindeer People”
Looks like a fun trek. Hoping to do something similar this summer in Alaska. Dog sleds, salmon siting, eagle photographing, along with all the other critters that inhabit the tundra. I drove truck up the Alcan highway and enjoyed the scenery immensely. Now, a buddy and I are gonna ride that road on our Honda cruiser bikes. At least thats the plan. Should be interesting.
thanks for the beautiful pics!
Thank you so much. We appreciate it.
Thank you so much. We appreciate it. 🙂
This was a fascinating article about your experience with the Magsars. Great presentation in word and photographs. Now that is something I’d like to experience.. Thanks again.
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed the article. It was an amazing experience. Hope you get to do it one day. 🙂
Visiting the Tsaatan people is a special experience. It takes days of difficult traveling to reach their area, but if you plan well it has its rewards. We rode in on horses and then spent our next days visiting quite a few other families by riding around the area on reindeer. It was truly an extraordinary adventure!
Sounds like you had a great experience. It really is a magical place. Thank you for sharing.
They are beautiful! They look happy, healthy and at peace with the world.
The Tsaatan reindeer herders are very peaceful people. It was an amazing experience
Awesome photo blog. What an offbeat experience!
Thank you so much. Definitely is an off the beaten path place. 🙂
Superb photos! I have always wanted to go Mongolia! Love, love it! Thanks for making me smile with those photos. And I love horse ride too! Wish I could experience the same too someday!
Thank you so much Lia. We are so glad you loved the photos. We hope you get to Mongolia one day and have a great experience like us. All the best.
Hi, I am now worry about my trip as I just booked with that lady via fb without deposit. Do you recommend me to cancel and get the guide when I reach Khovsgol? Is it easy to pair up with others tourists?
Thanks
Definitely use your own judgement and listen to your gut. Our recommendation is to book things when you are there. Make sure the horses are familiar with the reindeers. Ours were not and that was the problem for the Tsaatan people. They were not happy and we were angry and embarrassed. If the horses are not familiar with the reindeers they get spooked, the reindeers get spooked and sometimes it doesn’t end well. We do not know if this lady uses her own horse people or TCVC now but when we used her she said the horses go to the reindeers all the time and when we arrived it was very clear they did not and freaked out. It is an amazing experience (our top 3 of all our travel) so definitely do it. When are you going? Have a great time.
Simply awesome!
I’ve lived in Mongolia for almost 4 years, but I never got the chance to visit the Tsaatan. I’m planning to go back there this autumn and I will make sure not to miss an adventure with the reindeer people this time.
Would you know if TCVC has an office or a representative in UB?
Hi Rey, It is an amazing experience and we highly recommending visiting the Tsaatan people. Not too sure about the office but if you book a tour, make sure you book it through a company that is TCVC approved. Unfortunately we were talked into a company that wasn’t (not realising it) and our horses were not use to the reindeers and were scared of them. We only got to visit one other family because we walked there. We didn’t want to take the horses anywhere and upset families due to the horses being scared. Have a great time.
i am awestruck by the images that you guys have posted on this blog, simply amazing! wish i could have been there. I can imagine the serenity of the place in Mongolia. Keep posting. Thanks
Thank you so much. We are blushing. It is an amazing part of Mongolia. 🙂
Hello guys, nice adventure!!!
I’m in Mongolian right now and thinking about the Reindeer tribe, but I didn’t have clear information about is possible to go this season, do you know?
Tks
It may be still really wet and snowy up at the reindeer herders. Our suggestion is go to Khovsgol and ask around. It is a beautiful place to chill by the lake also. Nice camping up there. All the best.
Hi! I really love your post!
I know it’s late but my mother and I are looking to visit the Tsaatan people as well. Unfortunately, the TCVC’s email does not seem to work anymore 🙁 Is it possible for us to first arrive in Mongolia before finding our way there? Or would we have to book a tour before we arrive? Thank you!
Absolutely. You can arrive and book no worries at all. When you get to Khovsgol Lake you can organise it there. As we said in the post make sure it is with the company TCVC. There is a tourist centre in Khovsgol and the lady is super friendly.
Don’t let anyone convince you to go with their guide with their horses. We got told many stories and they weren’t true. The horses that TCVC provide are use to the reindeers and are not afraid. You will be able to visit other families in the area and you be more welcomed by the families. All the best.
This is amazing–thanks for sharing! I am planning on traveling to Mongolia later this year to visit the Tsaatan people just like you guys–either in September or October (which would you suggest?). I saw you recommended booking through the TCVC or through a TCVC-approved agency. Do you have any other recommendations?
September is a great time to go. October starts getting a bit cold so be prepared for that if you are there then. Definitely don’t miss the Tsaatan People. Such an amazing experience. Like we said in the article go through a TCVC approved agency otherwise the horse will be scared of the reindeers and you won’t get to explore other camps. We recommend staying with 1 family instead of dividing your time up between 2. You become close and they’ll be more inviting in including you in herding, fishing, etc. We went bare hand fishing with our family, milked the reindeers, rode one, picked up the reindeer poop, learned about carving the antlers and cooking. We had some other tourists stay at our camp for a night. They got in late afternoon and left the next morning to visit another camp. They spent no time at all with the family. We spent 3 nights at our family’s camp and it was awesome. You can explore during the day and visit other areas. Have a great time. It is such a beautiful area of Mongolia. Happy travels
Absolutely fantastic, as always 🙂 You guys rock!
Mongolia is very high on our list and now I just added one more “to-see-thing” there.
And reindeers are just way too adorable, had a chance to meet them in Finnish Lapland :))))
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much. You rock too. 🙂 What an experience for you. They sounds awesome too. Definitely put this on your list if you ever get to Mongolia. Just make sure the horses are through the TCVC as they will be familiar with the reindeers.
What happened with this Saraa woman? I’ve gotten in touch with her on Helpx and I do t want to get into a weird situation
I had to look this one up and wow!!! Incredible place on Earth and triple wow, the photos! I mean, I’m speechless just looking at them… Beautiful beautiful!
Thank you so much Veronika. It is really an incredible place and beautiful people. We definitely recommend going here if you ever go to Mongolia.
Incredible amazing photos and what an experience!! I seriously considered doing this trip for the Reindeer people, but found out that the Golden Eagle festival would be going on when we are there in October , so we opted for that. Maybe someday we’ll get the chance to do this too. What camera/lens do you use?
Hi Hali, you should definitely put it on your list for the future. The Golden Eagle festival would have been awesome. We use an Sony A7ii camera. These photos were shot with the kit lens which is 28 – 70 mm / f3.5 – 5.6. We don’t use this lens much now. We have a 16 -35 mm / f4 and a 55 mm / f1.8 which we use all the time. Sorry about the late reply.
awesome trip & photos! this will definitely be on my itinerary 🙂 im wondering if you guys could share the costs involved.
Thank you so much. It was as a package (transport, 4 horses, 2 pack horses, 2 non english horse guides and return transport). There were 4 people so we split it. It worked out to be about $250 USD per person for the 7 day trip. You needed to bring your own food, sleeping gear, cooker (they did have a fire place but you’ll have to bring pots) and water. It was an incredible experience staying with the family. Hope you get there one day.
Wow! Just Wow! I am envious of you both right now. What an incredible experience!!!!
Thank you so much Sadie. It definitely was an amazing experience.
Blimey. That is my favourite post of all I think! Just adore the little girl and those beautiful people. I bet your bums were numb for some time after the ride, but what an experience all the same. I never did know Reindeer could be ridden like that! x
It was one of the best experiences of our entire travels! So glad you enjoyed the post Jane. And yes, riding a reindeer is damn awesome 😉
This sounds like such a cool adventure, I actually never heard about the Tsaatan people until now and they seem like very interesting people (nomads like us but on another level). Now I too have to put Mongolia and the Tsaatan on my list of places to go and things to do! You had me at Teepee and Reindeer. Thanks for sharing 🙂
P.s. the pics are gorgeous!
Thanks Jazzy! The Tsaatan people are definitely worth a visit 🙂
I can’t get over how amazing these shots are guys. It looks like a different world.
Thank you so much Katie. We really appreciate it.
Stumbled onto your blog while procrastinating by reading the Yahoo Travel feature that quoted you guys. Amazing photography and stories. I have work I need to get back to, but I subscribed to your newsletter and I look forward to taking more time to peruse your other posts.
Thanks so much Justin! Appreciate you stopping by our little corner of the web. Let us know if you ever have any questions. Happy travels buddy 🙂
Just amazing!! Your stories, the photographs, the people – incredible. Looks like a really special part of the world. Keep up the good work! 🙂
Thanks very much Nita 🙂
Just love these photos and the story. And am also giggling that the town is called Moron. Sorry to hear you had a nasty run-in with that Moron woman.
Thanks Jane! And it’s all good about the run-in with the Moron woman. Just another part of travel 🙂
Hi. Actually it is Murun. It means beautiful big river.
wowwww…
What images so amazing !!
Mongolia is a unique destination and highly recommended
Thanks very much. We definitely recommend Mongolia as well 🙂
Love this post and the photos. I’m reading “The Secret History of the Mongol Queens” right now – and it’s great to see the landscape where it all happened. Would love to do this someday.
Sharing this right now!
Thanks Bryan! Glad you enjoyed the post 🙂