Things to Do in Mongolia

About Mongolia

Vast beyond comprehension and untamed by modernity, Mongolia remains one of Earth's last frontiers where endless grasslands merge seamlessly with infinite sky. This is a land where nomadic traditions pulse through daily life as they have for millennia, where silence holds profound meaning, and where the very air seems to carry whispers of Chinggis Khaan's empire. Step into Mongolia, and you don't just visit a country—you enter a way of being that challenges everything the modern world has taught you about time, space, and connection to the earth.

Travel Tips

• Cash is King Outside Ulaanbaatar: While credit cards work in the capital, most countryside areas, ger camps, and local markets operate on cash only, so withdraw sufficient tögrög before leaving the city as ATMs are extremely rare in rural regions.

• Prepare for Extreme Temperature Swings: Mongolia experiences dramatic daily temperature variations (up to 35°C/63°F difference), so pack layers even in summer—nights can drop below freezing while days are scorching, especially in the Gobi Desert.

• Hire a Local Driver-Guide for Countryside Travel: Roads outside Ulaanbaatar are largely unmarked dirt tracks across open steppe with no GPS reliability, making a experienced local driver essential for navigation and avoiding getting stranded in remote areas.

• Respect Ger Etiquette When Visiting Nomadic Families: Always step over the threshold (never on it), move clockwise inside the ger, accept offered food/drink with your right hand or both hands, and avoid pointing your feet toward the altar or hearth to show proper respect to your hosts.

When to Visit

Best Time to Visit Mongolia: June through early September (particularly July and August) offers the most accessible travel conditions with daytime temperatures of 15-25°C in Ulaanbaatar and the countryside fully green from brief summer rains, though this peak season brings higher accommodation prices (often double off-season rates) and requires booking ger camps months in advance, especially around Naadam Festival (July 11-13), Mongolia's spectacular celebration of wrestling, archery, and horse racing that draws domestic and international crowds. Late August through September provides an excellent compromise with warm days (10-20°C), fewer tourists, and the stunning golden landscapes of autumn, though nights drop to freezing in the Gobi Desert and northern regions. May and early June offer budget travelers lower prices and the dramatic greening of the steppes with wildflowers, but expect cold nights (often below 0°C), limited ger camp availability as many haven't opened yet, and potential spring dust storms. Winter (November-March) is brutally cold with Ulaanbaatar temperatures plunging to -25°C to -40°C and most tourist infrastructure closed outside the capital, making it suitable only for extreme cold enthusiasts willing to experience traditional winter festivals like Tsagaan Sar (Lunar New Year, typically February) and the surreal beauty of frozen landscapes, though domestic flights remain reliable and you'll have genuine cultural immersion with virtually no other tourists.