Best time to visit Mongolia

Winter in Mongolia is very long – it stretches from November, right the way through December, January and February. It’s also very cold – the lowest temperature recorded was -57°C! That’s not commonplace though; the average winter temperature sits at a positively balmy -40.

Similarly, June, July and August are extremely hot in the Gobi desert: very dry air, red-hot sand, not much cover and temperatures that can hit 40°C - not a comfortable combo – head elsewhere.

Mongolia’s weather in April is exciting, but probably a bit edgy for most; dust storms are frequent, especially in the Gobi where winds can whip up to 140km/hr – very cool if you can handle it.

March, April and May means nomadic herders on the move, which is an exceptional sight to behold as men lead their families – and their yaks! – from A to B.

The autumn months of September and October can be very wet, but if you don’t mind the rain, the landscape is your reward as it’s bursting with colour – the photographs you can get between patches of rain will be some of Mongolia’s absolute best.