No, We operate all the tours ourselves independently. We do not sell other company's tours.

Some travel companies copy each other's itineraries and offer them at a cheaper price without having researched or traveled themselves. All our tours have been genuinely well researched by us. All our vehicles, bikes and equipment belong to us, are maintained by us, and are of a good enough standard to withstand Mongolian conditions. We do not hire occasional staff or use hired vehicles. Some cheap companies rent their vehicles with drivers and take students as guides. We do not hand over our clients to other people and we run all trips ourselves with our own staff. Only in China and Russia we use reputable agents to organise extension tours.

Our clients have used the "Continental" Hotel for several years and always given positive reports on the service, rooms, restaurant and other facilities. It is located near to the city center, on the airport side of town, a few minutes walk from shops, bars and restaurants. We do not recommend that our clients stay in cheaper accommodation where security cannot be guaranteed and much time wasted struggling through heavy city traffic. However, if you prefer to stay in a different hotel, you can arrange it yourself.

If you want to arrive in Mongolia early, or stay longer after your tour has finished, we can make the extra hotel reservations for you at the "Continental" Hotel. If you want to travel in China or Russia, we can also help with arrangements using our experienced agents based in Beijing and Moscow.

The first reason is because in some cases we are working as the ground operator for other tour operators around the world so it is actually us "Off The Map Tours" doing the trip in Mongolia. The second reason is because sometimes our routes, text and photographs have been copied and used by other local companies without our permission. Therefore you have to research well and check the company carefully before booking a tour.

We do not sell international air tickets to Mongolia but we work with ATOL holding travel agents who can provide the flights. We can suggest the cheapest and most convenient routes to Ulaanbaatar. Most people coming from Europe use Aeroflot, Miat Mongolian Airlines or Korean Air. The alternative is to fly via Beijing in China and on to Ulaanbaatar using Air China or MIAT.

Some visitors do not need a Mongolian visa (tourists traveling on a US passport currently fall into this category). See the complete list:   Mongolian Embassies & Consulates  worldwide. Sometimes an official letter of invitation is required to accompany the visa application. We will provide this if necessary.

On camping tours there is a fixed menu for meals and we cannot provide different food for people with special dietary requirments. On ger camp tours it may be possible for vegetarians to request meat-free meals, but have to be prepared to accept whatever the cook can manage. The cooks are employed by the ger camps, not by us.

We have several vehicles including Land Rover "Defender", Russian UAZ Forgon and Kamaz. It depends on the size of your group as to which vehicle we choose to use.

In Ulaanbaatar you will be staying at the three star   'Continental Hotel'  in the city centre. When out on tour you will either spend the nights at ger camps or camping in tents, depending on the route and how remote it is. Where there are   'Ger Camp' each group of two, three or four friends, will have a traditional ger furnished with beds, a wood-burning stove and table. There are toilet, shower and washing facilities at the camp. On some tours, for example the eastern route to the birthplace of Genghis Khan, you will be camping in the wild in our hardy dome   'Tents'.

This depends very much on the terrain. For mountain biking tours it varies from 35 - 65 km in a day. Horse riding tours are usually around 25km per day, and hiking trips between 12 km and 25 km (average 15 km). On motorbike tours the distance is usually 100 - 250 km per day but depends on the terrain and how many interesting things there are to see and do along the way. On good black topped roads the riding distance might be much greater.

Mountain biking, hiking and horse riding tours are graded based upon the average daily distance to be covered, the terrain and likely weather conditions. Your own ability and experience will determine how challenging the tour is for you personally. Generally speaking most of the trips can be achieved by anyone in good physical condition, provided they have trained beforehand. Several of the tours have complete vehicle support. If you need to know more, contact us for a more detailed description of the route. We have done all the tours ourselves and are familiar with the conditions. On motorbike tours participants must be confident riders and have some off-road experience. You should check with us before booking to be sure that the trail matches your ability.

Several nationalities do not need a Mongolian visa. See here:   'Visa Information'. Everyone requiring a Mongolian visa must get it before traveling. We do not take responsibility for people traveling without a visa and expecting to obtain one on arrival in Ulaanbaatar.

When you make a booking, you will receive a Tour Dossier in which there is a complete list of all you need to take in the way of equipment, clothing, medicines, etc.. Generally speaking you need to bring everything to cover all eventualities because outside Ulaanbaatar you cannot depend on anything being available. For motorbike tours you will need proper off-road motorcycling gear including helmet, rigid boots and body armour. Click here for more:   'Off Road Motorbike Protective Kit'