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Things to do in Mongolia

14 places worth the trip in Mongolia, grouped by what they are. Every guide explains what to see, the best time to go and the practical details, checked against official sources. Best time to visit Mongolia: Jun–Sep.

Nature in Mongolia

Rippled sand dunes of Khongoryn Els in the Gobi Desert under a wispy blue sky with mountains behind
Nature
Southern Mongolia (Ömnögovi and neighbouring provinces)

Gobi Desert

The Gobi spreads across southern Mongolia and northern China. In Mongolia it means gravel plains, mountain ranges, singing dunes, fossil cliffs and herding families with Bactrian camels.

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A boat crossing the deep blue water of Lake Khövsgöl past forested hills
Nature
Khövsgöl Province, northern Mongolia

Lake Khövsgöl

A long, deep lake near the Russian border that holds close to 70 per cent of Mongolia's fresh water, set within a national park of larch forest, meadows and mountains.

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View from a high dune over the dune belt, a green strip of pasture and distant mountains under grey cloud
Nature
Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park, Ömnögovi Province

Khongoryn Els

A long belt of high dunes in the southern Gobi, known as Duut Mankhan, the Singing Sands, for the deep hum the sand can make as it slides.

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Eroded orange-red ridges and gullies of the Flaming Cliffs above a scrub-covered plain
Nature
Ömnögovi Province, southern Gobi

Bayanzag Flaming Cliffs

Eroded orange-red cliffs in the Gobi, named the Flaming Cliffs by Roy Chapman Andrews, where his 1923 expedition found the first recognised non-avian dinosaur eggs.

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Rider on horseback in the grassy valley of Yolyn Am in the Gobi
Nature
Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park, Ömnögovi Province

Yolyn Am

A deep, shady canyon in the Zuun Saikhan range of the Gobi where a thick ice field forms each winter and can linger into early summer.

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Landmarks in Mongolia

Crowds and white tents gathered on the open steppe for the Danshig Naadam festival near Ulaanbaatar
Landmark
Ulaanbaatar and nationwide

Naadam Festival

Inscribed by UNESCO in 2010, Naadam is celebrated every year from 11 to 13 July across Mongolia, with the national festivities in Ulaanbaatar built around wrestling, horse racing and archery.

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Stainless-steel equestrian statue of Chinggis Khaan on its round columned base under dramatic clouds
Landmark
Tsonjin Boldog, Töv Province

Chinggis Khaan Equestrian Statue

Opened in 2008, this 40-metre stainless-steel statue of Chinggis Khaan stands on a visitor centre at Tsonjin Boldog, 54 km east of Ulaanbaatar, with a viewing deck in the horse's head.

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Heritage in Mongolia

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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Mosques & temples in Mongolia

Gandan Monastery temples with golden roofs in Ulaanbaatar in winter
Religious site
Bayangol District, Ulaanbaatar

Gandan Monastery

Gandantegchinlen, known as Gandan, is the centre of Mongolian Buddhism, a working monastery of temples, colleges and prayer wheels crowned by the towering Migjid Janraisig temple.

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Cities in Mongolia

Bronze equestrian statue of Sükhbaatar raising his arm on a granite plinth against a bright blue sky
City
Central Ulaanbaatar

Sükhbaatar Square & Chinggis Khaan National Museum

The central square of Ulaanbaatar, with the equestrian statue of Sükhbaatar and the Government Palace's monument to the great khans, a short walk from the Chinggis Khaan National Museum opened in 2022.

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National parks in Mongolia

Granite rock outcrops and forested hills above green meadow with cabins and white gers in Terelj
National park
Töv Province, north-east of Ulaanbaatar

Gorkhi-Terelj National Park

A protected landscape of weathered granite, river valleys and larch-clad slopes within easy reach of Ulaanbaatar, best known for the turtle-shaped boulder of Melkhii Khad and its ger camps.

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Wildlife in Mongolia

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

About 100 km west of Ulaanbaatar, Khustain Nuruu (Hustai) is where the takhi, the last wild horse species, was reintroduced from 1992 and now roams freely across the mountain steppe.

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Mountains in Mongolia

Snow-covered ridges of the Altai Tavan Bogd range under a deep blue sky with billowing cloud
Mountain
Bayan-Ölgii Province, western Mongolia

Altai Tavan Bogd & Bayan-Ölgii

Mongolia's westernmost province: snow peaks and glaciers of Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, UNESCO-listed rock art, and Kazakh eagle hunters celebrated at autumn festivals.

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Waterfalls in Mongolia

Orkhon Waterfall (Ulaan Tsutgalan) dropping over basalt cliffs into a pool
Waterfall
Bat-Ölzii, Övörkhangai Province, central Mongolia

Orkhon Waterfall (Ulaan Tsutgalan)

A waterfall of about 24 m where the Orkhon River drops into a gorge cut through old lava flows, set in open herding country in the upper Orkhon Valley.

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Mongolia holiday packages

Rippled sand dunes of Khongoryn Els in the Gobi Desert under a wispy blue sky with mountains behind
AdventureNature
Mongolia · 11 nights3★ Camp

Gobi & Nomad Steppe Expedition

  • Flaming Cliffs
  • Ger camp stays
  • Camel trek
Includes accommodation · private transfers · daily breakfast · guided sightseeing
Indicative from
$3,307 pp
Granite rock outcrops and forested hills above green meadow with cabins and white gers in Terelj
CultureAdventure
Mongolia · 7 nights3★ Camp

Naadam Festival & Terelj

  • Naadam opening ceremony
  • Horse riding
  • Herder homestay
Includes accommodation · private transfers · daily breakfast · guided sightseeing
Indicative from
$2,378 pp
Mongolia travel overviewPlan a Mongolia trip

Mongolia travel guides