The allure of nomads, what makes Mongolia magical.

Why I Keep Coming Back

People often ask me why I keep returning to Mongolia.

This year marks 13 years since I first travelled there to ride the Mongol Derby. Back then, it was the horses that drew me in. The freedom of galloping across endless, unfenced landscapes with nothing but blue sky above and open steppe stretching to the horizon was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. It felt wild, untamed and completely alive.

But over the years, something changed.

It stopped being just about the riding.

It became about the people.

Some of my favourite memories aren't the big adventures at all—they're the quiet moments. Sitting around a campfire after a long day in the saddle, listening to stories I don't always fully understand but somehow still feel. Sharing salty milk tea inside a warm ger while the wind howls outside. Watching children race horses across the steppe with smiles that say everything.

Year after year I return to the same families. I've watched children grow up, celebrated milestones, shared laughter, tears and countless meals. Somewhere along the way, they stopped feeling like people I visited and started feeling like family.

That's why Great Nomad Expeditions exists. Not just to show people Mongolia's incredible horses and breathtaking landscapes, but to introduce them to the people who have made this country feel like a second home to me.

The horses may have brought me to Mongolia, but it's the friendships, the stories and the families that keep bringing me back.

Horse Riding Holidays in Mongolia

Crossing a river in the far north of Mongolia on one of the sacred white horses.

Why the Sacred White Horses Keep Calling Me Back

Over the past decade I've ridden more than 12,000 kilometres across Mongolia. I've crossed the frozen Gobi on camelback, travelled with eagle hunters in the Altai, followed reindeer through the northern taiga and ridden across endless steppe where the horizon seems to stretch forever. Every expedition has its own magic.

Yet one place continues to draw me back more than anywhere else—the homeland of Mongolia's Sacred White Horses.

There's something different about this landscape. The mountains feel quieter, the valleys seem untouched by time, and everywhere you go you'll hear stories of the white horses. They are more than beautiful animals; they are woven into Mongolia's history, spirituality and identity. For generations they have appeared in legends, songs and ceremonies, representing purity, strength and the deep connection between people, horses and the natural world.

What amazes me most is not just the mythology surrounding them, but their resilience. These horses survive in one of Mongolia's harshest environments, enduring long winters, rugged mountains and a truly wild existence. Watching them move effortlessly through this landscape gives you a new appreciation for why horses hold such an important place in Mongolian culture.

Our Sacred White Horse Expedition isn't simply a riding holiday. It's part physical journey and part spiritual one. Of course, you'll experience spectacular riding through green valleys, mountain passes and open meadows, but you'll also have the time to slow down, listen to local stories, meet the families who care for these remarkable horses and begin to understand why they are held in such high regard.

For me, that's what makes this expedition so special. It isn't about ticking another destination off a list. It's about seeing Mongolia through the eyes of the people who have lived alongside these horses for centuries.

If you've ever wanted more than just a holiday—if you want a journey that leaves you with a deeper understanding of horses, culture and one of the world's last great nomadic societies—the Sacred White Horse Expedition may become as unforgettable for you as it has been for me.