Family of three takhi, stallion, mare and foal, walking across golden autumn grass below snow-dusted hills

Wildlife · Töv Province, west of Ulaanbaatar

Khustai National Park

Mountain steppe west of Ulaanbaatar where the takhi, Przewalski's horse, was returned to the wild

Ambient sound · similar settingChinese bush warbler calling in Gorkhi-Terelj forest

Photo: Tengis Galamez (@tengis_photography) / Unsplash

Discover Khustai National Park

Khustai is one of the great conservation stories of Central Asia. The takhi, known elsewhere as Przewalski's horse, vanished from the wild in the twentieth century and survived only in zoos. From the early 1990s horses bred in captivity were brought back to these hills, and today hundreds of them graze the park's grassy slopes in family groups.

The landscape itself is classic Mongolian mountain steppe, with rolling ridges, patches of birch woodland and the Tuul River valley in the south. Seeing a band of stocky, dun-coloured takhi silhouetted on a ridge at dusk, a short drive from the capital, is an unforgettable experience.

Don’t miss

01Free-roaming takhi (Przewalski's horse) in family groups
02Mountain steppe scenery with birch woodland patches
03The Tuul River valley in the south of the park
04Other wildlife such as red deer, Mongolian gazelle, marmots and birds of prey
05The Moltsog Els sand dunes in the park's protected zone

History & culture

The story of Khustai National Park

The takhi became extinct in the wild in the 1960s. A reintroduction project at Khustai began around 1992, and the area was declared a Specially Protected Area in 1993. The herd has grown since; by 2017 the Smithsonian reported nearly 400 takhi living in the park.

The park also protects a wide range of other species, including Altai wapiti (red deer), Mongolian gazelle, wolves, Eurasian lynx, marmots and many birds of prey. Research continues with international partners, including GPS tracking of takhi family groups.

Local life & traditions

Khustai is surrounded by herding families whose livestock graze right up to the unfenced park boundary, and the park works with these buffer-zone communities. For Mongolians the takhi is a powerful national symbol, and its return is a source of pride. If you visit a herder's ger nearby, follow the usual etiquette: accept offered tea or dairy with your right hand, step over rather than on the threshold and move clockwise inside.

Things to do

Experience it like a local

Most visitors stay at the park's tourist camp and head out with a ranger or guide in the late afternoon, when the takhi often come down from the hills towards water; the horses tend to stay higher in the hills during the heat of the day. Bring binoculars and keep a respectful distance.

The camp has a small museum and shows a film about the park and the takhi. Guided walks, wildlife drives and conservation volunteering programmes are offered, and Khustai makes a natural stop on the road between Ulaanbaatar and Kharkhorin.

When to go

June to September offers the most comfortable weather and the easiest driving, with green grassland in midsummer and golden colours in autumn. Spring can be windy and summer rains can make sandy or muddy tracks harder going. Early mornings and evenings are the best times to see takhi.

Plan your visit

Verified information

Location: About 100 km west of Ulaanbaatar, in Töv Province (Argalant, Altanbulag and Bayankhangai soums); 47°35'-47°52' N, 105°40'-106°37' E Source: hustai.mn ↗
Access: About two hours by car to the main entrance on the north side; large buses cannot reach the camp inside the protected area, and jeeps can travel inside the park Source: hustai.mn ↗

Checked against the sources on 27 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.

Travel tips

Plan to be in the park in the late afternoon or evening, when takhi are most likely to be seen.
Bring binoculars and a telephoto lens rather than approaching the horses closely.
Stay on established tracks and follow ranger instructions.
Book accommodation at the tourist camp in advance during summer.
Pack warm clothing; temperatures drop sharply after sunset even in summer.

General guidance from our specialists, not official information.

Around Khustai National Park: food, markets & places to stay

The park's tourist camp provides accommodation and meals inside the protected area. Ulaanbaatar is about two hours away by car, and the road on to Kharkhorin and the Orkhon Valley continues west, making Khustai a convenient overnight stop on longer itineraries. A 4x4 vehicle is recommended for tracks within the park.

Khustai National Park & what’s nearby

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Gandan Monastery temples with golden roofs in Ulaanbaatar in winter

Religious site

Bayangol District, Ulaanbaatar · 80 km away

Khustai National Park in pictures

White stupas topping the brick outer wall of Erdene Zuu Monastery above a grassy slope under a blue sky

Heritage

Kharkhorin, Övörkhangai Province

Kharkhorin & Erdene Zuu Monastery

In the UNESCO-listed Orkhon Valley, Kharkhorin stands beside the ruins of Karakorum, capital of the Mongol Empire, and Erdene Zuu, founded in 1585 and enclosed by a wall of white stupas.

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Sources & verification

This guide was researched from the sources below and reviewed by our team on 27 October 2026. Facts under “Verified information” link to the page they were checked on; travel tips are general guidance. Photos are credited on each image. The ambient recording’s author and licence are shown in the sound player.

Location — Hustai National Park
Hustai National Park location and geography — Hustai National Park
Khustain Nuruu National Park — Wikipedia
Tracking Takhi on the Steppe — Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute
Khustain Nuruu (Hustai) National Park in Tuv Province — Escape to Mongolia

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