Mongolia map & highlights
You don’t rent a car in Mongolia, you rent a horse or a camel then just sit back and survey the splendour of its endless plains.
The roads in Mongolia veer between a state of OK and ludicrous; a tyre-testing combination of sand, steppe, pot holes and bigger pot holes, driving times are notoriously hard to estimate and speed fluctuate between slow to middling. Fortunately, you won’t be taking your own car, which would likely end up a rattling heap of slowly shaken nuts and bolts – your guide will get you where you need to be, but you’ll need to be flexible on arrival times. Sit back, belt up and look forward to exploring all of the glorious places to visit in Mongolia as they should be explored - by horse or on foot.
The roads in Mongolia veer between a state of OK and ludicrous; a tyre-testing combination of sand, steppe, pot holes and bigger pot holes, driving times are notoriously hard to estimate and speed fluctuate between slow to middling. Fortunately, you won’t be taking your own car, which would likely end up a rattling heap of slowly shaken nuts and bolts – your guide will get you where you need to be, but you’ll need to be flexible on arrival times. Sit back, belt up and look forward to exploring all of the glorious places to visit in Mongolia as they should be explored - by horse or on foot.
1.
Bulgan
2. Dadal
3. Gobi Desert
4. Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park
5. Ikh Nart Nature Reserve
6. Karakorum
7. Khentii
8. Orkhon Valley
9. Gorkhi-Terelj National Park
10. Tarvagatai Nuruu National Park
11. Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur
12. Ulaanbaatar
13. Western Mongolia
2. Dadal
3. Gobi Desert
4. Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park
5. Ikh Nart Nature Reserve
6. Karakorum
7. Khentii
8. Orkhon Valley
9. Gorkhi-Terelj National Park
10. Tarvagatai Nuruu National Park
11. Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur
12. Ulaanbaatar
13. Western Mongolia
Bulgan
1. Bulgan
The first man that Mongolia ever sent into space was born in Bulgan, a town that tourists generally pass through en route to pastures new, but that is well worth standalone consideration if only for its beautiful scenery – emerald green rolling hills punctuated by open-air camps – and the Khalkh and Buriat ethnic groups that live a centuries-old pastoral way of life there.
Dadal
2. Dadal
Widely assumed to be the birthplace of Genghis Khan himself, Dadal has plenty to offer those who might not be super-fans of the all-conquering warrior. The town is pretty upmarket by Mongol standards and is a verdant area of rivers, forests, lakes and log huts as opposed to traditional gers. It’s great for hiking, or perhaps a spot of fishing if you’ve packed your rod.
Gobi Desert
3. Gobi Desert
The Gobi desert is one of few places on Earth with a truly ancient culture and history, due in part to its landlocked position and also because of a harsh environment that sways between scorching sun and icy cold, only yielding a rainfall of 200mm annually. Besides lack of water, the only constant in the Gobi is the incredible hospitality of the cattle herders that dwell there.
Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park
4. Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park
Wonderfully otherworldly, if the landscape of this national park comprised gritty grey rock instead of glorious burned orange sand, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were on the moon. It’s known for its majestic sand dunes, ice canyons and plants that strategically “die” then rapidly bloom after rare heavy rain – natural curiosities that can only exist in such extreme conditions.
Ikh Nart Nature Reserve
5. Ikh Nart Nature Reserve
Home of foxes, gazelles and migrating birds that vacation there for the spring and autumn, this nature reserve throws in a bit of historical bang for your natural buck – you can visit the Cymbur Prayer Ovoo, an ancient Buddhist prayer site to offer tea or money, or try your hand at deciphering the petroglyphs there: large Tibetan script scribed into rock outcrops.
Karakorum
6. Karakorum
Karakorum is an ancient town with a history largely based on flickers of glory quickly scuppered by bad times and unfortunately, fleeting greatness does not an interesting town make. There are relics of bygone splendour and the museum and monastery do pay homage to the once shining capital, but to visit Karakorum now is to visit a rather sad shadow of what once was.
Khentii
7. Khentii
Khentii is full-on Khan country: a place to channel your inner Genghis and explore the historical grasslands from which he launched his merciless military masterplan. The heavily-forested Khentii Mountain Range rises to no more than 2,000m and its scenery is thick and lush – it’s likely anything but a horse will get bogged in, so saddle up and head in on horseback.
Orkhon Valley
8. Orkhon Valley
The Orkhon Valley is a picture-perfect UNESCO World Heritage site with a pastureland landscape so lush it’s as though its been dipped in bright green then dusted with rapeseed yellow. The area is home to a series of important archaeological monuments that date back to the 8th century and the gushing Ulaan Tsutgalan waterfall, which stands proudly at 10 metres wide and 24 metres high.
Gorkhi-Terelj National Park
9. Gorkhi-Terelj National Park
A highlight of Trans Mongolian Railway vacations is spending a few nights at a traditional herding camp. Sleeping in a comfortable portable ger, you’ll experience the culture of a welcoming nomadic family, cautiously sipping your fermented yak’s milk. Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, just outside Ulaanbaatar, is a popular destination – a peaceful picture of rolling hills, unending skies and grazing livestock.
Tarvagatai Nuruu National Park
10. Tarvagatai Nuruu National Park
Sitting deep in western Mongolia, a challenging area to reach, but one that rewards those who reach it by the bucket load, Tarvagatai Nuruu has it all - expansive steppe, forested valleys, mountains, lakes and deserts, and is a genuine wilderness experience. The park is home to huge amounts of plants and wildlife as well as natural hot springs that you can soak in under the stars.
Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur
11. Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur
Known as the White Lake, this freshwater lake is a smaller and less developed alternative to its increasingly polluted counterpart at Khovsgol National Park and is a 16km east to west arc marked out by a string of simple ger camps. A designated Wetland of International Importance, if fishing’s your thing, you’ll love it – permits can be bought from the local ranger for as little as £1 per day.
Ulaanbaatar
12. Ulaanbaatar
Excepting the odd monastic pocket of serenity, Ulaanbaatar is a chaotic city of rapid expansion – it has trebled in size since the 90s and cranes and construction sites dominate the skyline, but there’s something mesmerising about the Mongolian capital and an exciting, quite bohemian vibe that adds an appropriately shocking yang to Mongolia’s nomadic yin, with its jazz and comedy clubs and fashion stores.
Western Mongolia
13. Western Mongolia
The Altai Mountains form a dramatic backdrop in Mongolia’s wild, westernmost province. Here, ethnic Kazakhs lead semi nomadic lifestyles with their livestock, and many traditions have been maintained – including the practice of hunting with golden eagles. Eagle hunting festivals in spring and autumn showcase the Kazakhs’s horsemanship and falconry skills; stay with a local family for a truly immersive experience.
Our Mongolia Vacations
Mongolia nomad horse riding vacation
Horseriding & staying with local Nomadic familes in Mongolia
From
US $2300 to US $2550
9 days
ex flights
Mongolia adventure vacation, small group
Discover the remote Mongolian countryside
From
US $3779 to US $6179
13 days
ex flights
Mongolia tour, hunting with Eagles
Winter experience living with eagle hunters of Mongolia
From
US $1805 to US $2765
9 days
ex flights
Nadaam Festival vacation in Mongolia
Mongolia tour with Naadam Festival departures
From
US $4899 to US $6179
15 days
ex flights
Mongolia family adventure vacation
Life-enhancing local Mongolian adventure for all the family
From
US $3775
12 days
ex flights
Mongolia cycling vacation
The mountains & steppes home to Genghis Khan
From
US $4199 to US $4779
15 days
ex flights
Sample Mongolia itineraries
Adventure Trekking
Ulaanbaatar > Bulgan > Selenge Gol > Khovsgol Nuur National Park > Khoridol Sandag Mountain > Khatgal > Ulaanbaatar
Eastern Mongolia:
Ulaanbaatar > Gobi Desert > Ikh Gazrin Chuluu > Ikh Nart Nature Reserve > Gun Galuut Nature Reserve > Khentii Province > Dadal > Toson Khulstai Nature Reserve > Ondorkhan > Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar > Bulgan > Selenge Gol > Khovsgol Nuur National Park > Khoridol Sandag Mountain > Khatgal > Ulaanbaatar
Eastern Mongolia:
Ulaanbaatar > Gobi Desert > Ikh Gazrin Chuluu > Ikh Nart Nature Reserve > Gun Galuut Nature Reserve > Khentii Province > Dadal > Toson Khulstai Nature Reserve > Ondorkhan > Ulaanbaatar
Multi activity and southern Mongolia:
Ulaanbaatar > Karakorum > Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur > Tosontsengel > Tarvagatai Uul National Park > Marz Mountain Telmen Nuur > South Mongolia (flight) > Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar > Karakorum > Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur > Tosontsengel > Tarvagatai Uul National Park > Marz Mountain Telmen Nuur > South Mongolia (flight) > Ulaanbaatar
Our top Mongolia Vacation
Mongolia nomad horse riding vacation
Horseriding & staying with local Nomadic familes in Mongolia
From
US $2300 to US $2550
9 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2023: 19 Aug, 26 Aug
2024: 24 Aug
2023: 19 Aug, 26 Aug
2024: 24 Aug
Travel Team
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Travel times in Mongolia
The following times give you a rough idea of the travel times between the main attractions in Mongolia:
Ulaanbaatar - Bulgan: 5 hours by road Ulaanbaatar - Gobi Desert: 4 hrs 15m by flight - road
Ulaanbaatar – Karakorum: 5hr 25m by road
Bulgan – Khovsgol: 5hrs 15m by road
Ikh Nart – Khentii: 4hrs 30m by road
Tosontsengel – Tarvagatai Uul National Park: 2hrs by road
Dadal – Toson Khulstai: 2hrs 50m by road
Ondorkhan – Ulaanbaatar: 12hrs 25m by road - flight - road
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