Mongolia travel blog
Enjoy the moment and read Mongolia travel blog
Mongolia is a landlocked country located in the Eastern Central Asia. The country borders Russia in the north and China in the south. And it is the fifth largest country in Asia and the seventeenth largest country in the world.
Mongolia is the only country which has a nomadic lifestyle and nomadic way of living. And It’s home to one of the World’s largest deserts. Also the country is absolutely one of the world’s last undiscovered travel destinations and the safest country to visit.
Don’t miss these things to do in Mongolia. Visit nomad family, horse riding, camel riding and more.
Population
3,278,290
Area
1,566000 sq km (610,740 sq mi)
Climate
Relatively dry with extreme continental temperatures.
People
Khalkha Mongols (86%), over 20 smaller Mongolian ethnic groups and Kazaks (6%)
Horse Riding
The Mongol horse is the native horse breed of Mongolia. The breed is purported to be largely unchanged since the time of Genghis Khan. So one of the main things tourists want to do in Mongolia is horseback riding. Horses have a huge part in nomad way of living as they serve as a ride for all daily chores. Thus, you can easily spot the horses in every corner of Mongolia. Nearest best destination to do horse riding is Terelj NP from Ulaanbaatar. And the best time to go horse trekking in Mongolia is in the summer and early fall from June – October.
Camel Riding
Mongolia is home to the largest number of two humped Bactrian camels in the World. In the past, camels played a major role in the transport along the Silk Road and the Tea road between Asia and Europe. One of the popular activities is certainly riding a camel in Mongolia. And sitting on a camel is probably the most impressive moment. There is availability to ride a camel in southern Gobi Desert and Central Semi Gobi area. Also you can do camel-back experience at Terelj NP, which is the nearest destination from Ulaanbaatar.
Golden Eagle Festival
The Golden Eagle festival is an annual traditional festival in Bayan-Ölgii aimag. The Mongolian Association of falconers organizes it. It marks the beginning of the hunting season. Also it is a festival to demonstrate the culture of the Kazakhs to the world. And they promote their heritage to their next generations. During the Eagle festival, the Kazakh falconers honour their cultural heritage and compete. The Goldn Eagle Festival is a must-see event in Asia, particularly in Mongolia.
Naadam Festival
Naadam Festival is the most famous traditional event. And it is the biggest national holiday of Mongolia. It allows travelers to mingle with Mongolians and observe the authentic traditional culture. And the Naadam is not a tourist event but a holiday Mongolians celebrate by competing and playing traditional sports and games. The Festival is celebrated every year from 11 to 13 July across Mongolia that focuses on three traditional games: Horse-racing; Wrestling and Archery. Naadam Trip
Mongolia is the home of living nomadic culture
Mongolia is one of the last nomadic countries in the world. Since the Hun Empire, Mongolians have been raising their five domestic animals. And apart from its wonderful landscapes, the main interest of Mongolia lies in its traditional and unique way of life. So understanding this distinctive way of life is certainly the main goal of any traveller coming to Mongolia. And staying with authentic nomad families is the real experience of Mongolian culture. Also it is the highlight of Mongolian tours.
The vast, untouched steppe
Mongolia is land of blue sky and untouched wild nature. In today’s fast changing world, Mongolia is considered as one of the few travel destinations that can offer travelers beautiful, unspoiled landscapes, ancient customs and traditions which have been kept for centuries. Mostly untouched, the Mongolian land is vastly different from developed destinations around the world. Thus, here you can experience nomadic culture and vast, untouched landscapes.
It’s home to one of the World’s largest deserts
The Gobi Desert is the largest desert in Asia. And it is fifth largest desert in the world. People always imagine Gobi as a lifeless sandy desert. In reality, only 5% of the total area is sand dunes. The most part of the Gobi is a land of steppes, sands and mountains. And it is the home for camel breeders; rich with wildlife and vegetation. Also Gobi Desert is a land of dinosaurs. One of the most hospitable nomadic herders live in Mongolian Gobi. Mongolia Travel Blog.
Take break from modern-day stressful civilization
Sometimes you just need a break from the modern world. While time travel isn’t an option, you can feel like you’ve escaped to a more peaceful time in the past by visiting rural Mongolia. When you travel in the Mongolian countryside, you will be refreshed and replenished by the views of natural scenery and the calmness. Perhaps you will even forget which day of the week it is in this timeless environment so far from the world’s modern, noisy and stressful cities.
Our Suggested Mongolia Travel Blog Posts
Khongor Sand Dunes
Khongor sand dunes are one of the largest sand dunes in Mongolia. And it covers a 180km long area. The largest dunes are North West of the range up to 800 meters high. You can climb to the top of the sand dunes and slide down. But it seems a challenge for many people. Once you are on the top of the dunes, slide the sand northwards against the wind. You will hear a sound like an aircraft. This is the sand singing. And you can hear the sand singing when the sand is dry. The view of the desert is awesome from the top of the sand dunes. Experience the endangered two-humped Bactrian camels and big open blue skies in the Gobi Desert.
Tsagaan Suvarga
The scarp of Tsagaan Suvarga is located in Ulziit soum of Dundgovi province. The cliff is 30 meters high and 100 meters wide. Over thousands of years the wind has created this amazing structure. Tsagaan suvarga is a big escarpment with 200m height and 400m long. Also it’s 90 degree of straight, consists of many colors of clay deposits. It looks like an ancient city. And sometimes looks like white stupas from a distance. After heavy rains,the unusual forms of cliffs can also look like a massive waterfall. So you can enjoy hiking around colorful Stupa. Mongolia travel blog
Bayanzag Mongolia Travel blog
Flaming cliffs are located about 100 km at the northwest of Dalanzadgad. Bayanzag is one of the most famous palaeontological sites in the world. American explorer Roy Andrew Chapman first found dinosaur bones and eggs in the area in 1922. During the 2 years he searched through the Mongolian Gobi Desert and he found Dinosaur fossils from Bayanzag, Nemekht Mountain. Also he brought his paleontological findings on 70 camels. And Chapman presented Mongolia one large skeleton on show in the Ulaanbaatar Natural History Museum. The barren cliffs look strikingly flame-like, especially at sunset.
Orkhon Valley
Orkhon waterfall is one of the best sights in Central Mongolia. The waterfall is located on the Orhon River in Bat-Ulzii, Uvurkhangai province. And the Orkhon is the longest river in Mongolia with a length of 1124 kilometres. The area is ideal for Fishing; Horse riding; Cycling and Photography. Also scenic and untouched natural distinct spots allow good opportunities for hiking and horseback riding. This valley is known as the home of Mongolian nomadic culture. The Orkon river Valley has been proclaimed as National Park since 2006.
Khorgo and Terkh White Lake
This national park is the highlight of Arkhangai province. Because of volcanic eruptions, nature has a very unique formation. The White Lake is the jewel of Arkhangai. And it is one of the most beautiful lakes in the country. It is situated at an altitude of 2.060 meters. And the Lake is extremely beautiful with fresh water and rich species of fish and birds. Horgo volcano is a dead volcano covered with basalt. The volcano crater of the Togoo Uul is 200m wide and 100 deep. It was the last active volcano in Mongolia which last erupted 8000 years ago. In 2011, CNN named Terkhiin Tsagaan lake as one of the world’s best tourist destinations.
Khuvsgul Lake
Khuvsgul Lake is one of the major tourist attractions in Mongolia. It is the second-most voluminous freshwater lake in Asia. And it is holds almost 70% of Mongolia’s fresh water and 0.4% of all the fresh water in the world. Water is crystal clear so that you can see the bottom of the lake when you are sailing. And the area is home to Argali sheep; Ibex; Bear; Sable; Moose and Wolves. Also in the province of Khuvsgul are some of the last reindeer herders in the world. They live in the mountain forests close to the lake.
Altai Tavan Bogd
Altai Tavan Bogd is a national park in Bayan-Ölgii Province of Western Mongolia. The meaning of the name is Five Saints of Altai. The Huiten Peak is the highest point of Mongolia at 4374 meters above sea level. And this area’s climate is extremely unpredictable. Thus, you may observe four seasons in one day: The sun will shine, and then it may snow or rain. In 1996, this area officially became a protected National Park. Things to do here include : Climbing; Mountain trekking; Camel and Horse trekking, and Experiencing about the Kazakh culture.
Gorkhi Terelj Mongolia
Gorkhi Terelj is one of the most visited and interesting parks of Mongolia. The natural landscape is colorful and with magnificent alpine scenery. One of the most recognizable attractions of Terelj is Turtle Rock. And a few kilometres from Turtle Rock, you will find another must-see spot, the Ariyabal Meditation Temple. From the top of the temple, you can see the beautiful view of the national park. Don’t miss these things to do in Terelj NP. Hiking; Horse riding; Rock climbing; Flower and Bird watching. Thank you for reading Mongolia travel blog 😊
When to go Mongolia travel blog
The best time to visit Mongolia is during the Mongolian summer, from the mid of June till last week of August. This is the safest time of the year to travel to Mongolia in terms of weather, sunny days throughout Mongolia and sufficient rainfall to make the steppes lush and green. June and September are both very pleasant times to visit Mongolia. September, autumn is enjoyable, colorful, not hot, and not cold. Nomads have plenty of dairy products and are busy processing milk and preparing for winter.
Months to Best
July is the best time to see the Mongolia Naadam Festival.
The best season for Gobi Desert tour: from June to September and October is shoulder season.
July to August is the best season to travel to Northern Mongolia and Khuvsgul Lake tour and September is the shoulder season.
First of October is the chance to see the Golden Eagle Festival in Altai, Western Mongolia.
February is the best time to experience Mongolia winter season.
There are two main ways to get to Mongolia: By Air or By Train
By air
You can get to Mongolia by the Mongolian airline MIAT, the Russian airline Aeroflot, Air China, Korean Air, and Turkish Airlines. The Mongolian airline MIAT has direct flights to Berlin, Moscow, Beijing, Tokyo, Osaka, and Seoul. Korean Air has several flights a week to Ulaanbaatar City. And the Russian Airline Aeroflot makes 2 flights a week to Ulaanbaatar City.
So if you are coming from Europe, our recommended routes are, first to fly to Berlin, then to transfer there to a MIAT flight or fly to Moscow, then take a MIAT or Aeroflot flight to Ulaanbaatar City.
And U.S. travelers might find it less expensive to buy tickets from a Mongolian air-ticket agency in the U.S. Also if you are coming from the U.S., one option is to take a United Airlines flight to Beijing and then transfer to MIAT or Air China flight to Ulaanbaatar. Another option is to fly to Seoul, Korea and then take Korean Airlines flight to Mongolia. Mongolia Travel Blog
By train
Travelling by famous Trans-Siberian railway gives you lifetime opportunities of experiencing different countries, different cultures on one holiday and many more besides it is cost effective, practical and reliable. When you are on the train, you will look at completely different landscapes all daylong through the windows of the train, which is like watching live TV through your window.
There are several branch lines of Trans-Siberian railroad. The longest rail line (7900 km) runs from St. Petersburg through Moscow, Russia and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to Beijing, China. The train spans seven zones and two continents. The journey takes 5 days from Moscow to Ulaanbaatar and takes 35 hours from Ulaanbaatar to Beijing.
We book a train ticket according to the client’s request. And please note that tickets can only be purchased at least one month in advance.
By Bus
From Russia, there are also UB-bound buses from Ulan Ude, leaving at 07:30 from the old bus station (Старый Автовокзал) via the Altanbulag border crossing. This trip usually takes about 12 hours, including customs processing — much faster than the train — and tickets cost RUB1800 one-way. Also there are also night buses that leave on Fridays and Sundays at 19:00. Any travel agency should be able to book tickets. Online booking orders: eticket.transdep.mn
What Should I Bring With Me? Read More
Waterproof jacket
Warm coat/jacket and layers
Swimsuit for hot spa
Sunglasses
A hat
Headscarf to protect you from the sun and winds
Trekking shoes
Rubber slippers
Don’t forget insect repellent
Sun cream
Lip-gloss
Water purifying tablets
First aid kit
Large backpacks and bags
All your camera equipment
