Things to Do in Mongolia in May
May weather, activities, events & insider tips
May Weather in Mongolia
Is May Right for You?
Advantages
- Peak spring green season - the steppe explodes with wildflowers and fresh grass after winter dormancy, creating that iconic emerald landscape you see in photos. This only lasts about 6 weeks annually, and May is right in the sweet spot before summer heat dries everything out.
- Baby animal season across the countryside - you'll see newborn foals, lambs, and calves with herding families. This is culturally significant timing since Mongolians traditionally celebrate new life in spring, and herder families are more welcoming to visitors during this abundant period.
- Comfortable daytime temperatures around 20-21°C (68-69°F) make this ideal for extended outdoor activities like horseback riding, hiking, and ger camping without the brutal summer heat that hits 30°C+ (86°F+) by July or the freezing nights of shoulder season.
- Naadam festival preparations begin - while the main festival is July 11-13, May is when you can watch wrestlers training in parks, archers practicing at ranges, and horse trainers working with racing horses. You get the cultural immersion without the inflated prices and crowds of actual Naadam week.
Considerations
- Highly unpredictable weather patterns - May sits in Mongolia's spring transition period where you might get snow one day and 25°C (77°F) sunshine the next. Pack for all four seasons because weather forecasts beyond 48 hours are essentially guesswork in the Mongolian interior.
- Dust storms are common in the Gobi and southern regions during May as spring winds pick up before summer rains settle the soil. Visibility can drop to under 100 m (328 ft), flights get delayed, and you'll be finding sand in your belongings for weeks. If you have respiratory issues, this is worth considering seriously.
- Rivers and streams run high with snowmelt, which makes some remote areas inaccessible and river crossings genuinely dangerous. Tour operators sometimes have to cancel or reroute trips to places like Khovsgol Lake northern shore or western Mongolia until late May when water levels drop.
Best Activities in May
Multi-day horseback riding expeditions in central Mongolia
May offers the absolute best conditions for extended horse treks because the horses are well-fed on fresh spring grass (they're noticeably more energetic than in dry summer), temperatures are comfortable for 6-8 hours daily in the saddle, and the landscape is at peak beauty. The ground is firm enough for riding but not dust-dry like July-August. You'll ride through valleys carpeted with edelweiss and wild onions, stay with herding families in traditional gers, and cover 25-40 km (15-25 miles) daily depending on your experience level. This is what Mongolia does better than anywhere else on earth, and May is when even locals prefer to ride.
Gobi Desert camping tours with wildlife tracking
May is the last comfortable month in the Gobi before temperatures soar above 35°C (95°F) in summer. You'll have warm days around 22-25°C (72-77°F) and cool nights around 5-8°C (41-46°F) - perfect for sleeping in gers and exploring during daylight. This is prime time for spotting Bactrian camels with newborn calves, ibex in the Yolyn Am ice canyon (which still has ice walls in May), and if you're lucky, endangered Gobi bears near water sources. The spring green-up brings desert wildlife out to feed, and you'll see the Gobi at its most alive before summer dormancy sets in.
Khovsgol Lake northern hiking and kayaking
May is tricky timing for Khovsgol - the lake ice typically breaks up in early to mid-May, so you might catch the dramatic ice-out period when massive sheets crack and shift (locals say it sounds like thunder). By late May, the lake is usually clear and you can kayak along the pristine western shore with the Sayan Mountains still snow-capped behind you. Water temperature is still frigid at 4-6°C (39-43°F), so this is scenic paddling rather than swimming. Hiking trails around the southern shore are accessible and wildflowers are emerging. The Tsaatan reindeer herders are still in lower elevation camps in May, making visits more feasible than in summer when they move higher into the taiga.
Ulaanbaatar cultural immersion and monastery visits
May weather makes walking Ulaanbaatar actually pleasant - you can explore Gandan Monastery for morning prayers at 9am, hike up to Zaisan Memorial for city views without gasping in thin air and heat, and wander the State Department Store and surrounding streets comfortably. The city's museums (National Museum, Bogd Khan Palace, Choijin Lama Temple Museum) are less crowded than summer peak season. Late May brings the Ulaanbaatar Marathon if you're a runner. Worth noting that UB's notorious air pollution is significantly better in May than winter when coal heating creates toxic smog - you can actually see the surrounding mountains most days.
Orkhon Valley historical and hiking expeditions
The Orkhon Valley (UNESCO World Heritage site) is spectacular in May with the Orkhon River running high and powerful from snowmelt, creating dramatic views at Ulaan Tsutgalan waterfall which drops 20 m (66 ft). You can hike to ancient Turkic monuments, visit Erdene Zuu Monastery (Mongolia's oldest, dating to 1585), and stay with herding families in the surrounding valleys. The grass is lush, horses are everywhere, and you get a sense of why this valley has been central to Mongolian civilization for millennia. Temperatures are ideal for the 8-12 km (5-7.5 mile) daily hikes between sites.
Traditional ger homestays with herding families
May is culturally ideal for homestays because herding families are busy with spring activities - you can participate in moving livestock to summer pastures, helping with newborn animals, making airag (fermented mare's milk, which starts production in May when mares are lactating), and learning traditional crafts. The work rhythm is less intense than summer's constant herding, so families have more time to interact with guests. You'll sleep in a guest ger, eat traditional food (mutton, dairy products, buuz dumplings), and experience genuine nomadic hospitality. This is as authentic as tourism gets in Mongolia.
May Events & Festivals
Ulaanbaatar Marathon
Typically held late May (exact date varies annually - check 2026 schedule). This international marathon attracts several thousand runners to race through UB's streets with the Bogd Khan Mountain as backdrop. If you're not running, it's still interesting to watch the city come out to support runners, and there are usually cultural performances and food stalls around Sukhbaatar Square on race day. The half-marathon and 10K options are more manageable if you're not acclimatized to UB's 1,350 m (4,429 ft) elevation.