Things to Do in Mongolia in May
May weather, activities, events & insider tips
Low Season · Budget Friendly
May Weather in Mongolia
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
69°F (21°C)
High Temp
68°F (20°C)
Low Temp
2.0 inches (51 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
⚠ Sandstorms slam the south without warning. Visibility drops to 50 m (164 ft). Stash water and a scarf in the vehicle. Drive slow.
Is May Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + The first fresh grass of the season turns the steppe from khaki to emerald, making those horse treks across the Orkhon Valley photogenic instead of the usual dust-brown backdrop
- + Gers stay warm enough at night (around 15°C/59°F) that you won't need the coal stoves that make winter trips smell like a diesel refinery. But cool enough that you'll sleep under the heavy felt blankets instead of sweating through them
- + Naadam preparation season means you can watch the training at Sukhbaatar Square - kids practicing ankle-bone shooting at 6 AM, wrestlers running laps around the Government Palace in full traditional costume
- + Domestic flights drop to shoulder-season rates and guesthouses in the countryside still have availability, so you can book a last-minute trip to the Gobi without selling a kidney
Considerations
- − The wind. May brings the sharq winds from the Gobi that pick up fine dust and blast it into every crevice - your camera, your contacts, that bag of potato chips you just opened
- − Marmot hunting season means some herders are out with rifles and traps, so those Instagram-perfect shots of nomads on horseback might feature a dead marmot slung over the saddle
- − River crossings become obstacles instead of frozen bridges - the Tuul River outside UB swells with snowmelt and can strand you on the wrong side for days if you're heading to Terelj
Best Activities in May
Top things to do during your visit
Steppe Horse Trekking from Tsetserleg to Khorgo Volcano
May is when the grass hits that perfect ankle-length softness, so horses aren't ankle-deep in mud or snow. You can ride 25 km (15.5 miles) per day without the summer heat that makes horses and riders equally miserable. The volcanic crater at Khorgo still has patches of snow in the shaded north face, creating those absurd photo ops of you in a t-shirt standing next to snowbanks.
Booking Tip: Book 7-10 days ahead through licensed operators in Tsetserleg town (see current options in booking section below) - these aren't the packaged UB tours but herders who know which river crossings are passable
Gobi Desert Camel Treks at Khongoryn Els
Temperatures hover around 28°C (82°F) during the day - warm enough to feel like the desert without the 45°C (113°F) summer extremes that make camel riding feel like torture. The famous singing dunes sing in May because the sand moisture content is perfect - summer's too dry, spring's too wet.
Booking Tip: Dalanzadgad airport connections run daily from UB in May, unlike winter's spotty schedule. Camel guides operate independently but coordinate through Dalanzadgad's central square - negotiate directly and check the camels' nose pegs for fresh wounds
Ulaanbaatar Food Market Tours at Narantuul
May marks the return of fresh dairy - airag (fermented mare's milk) appears in plastic jugs alongside the usual vodka bottles. The market smells like a barnyard crossed with a bakery - sour milk and fresh boov (deep-fried dough). You can watch yak butter being churned in tin buckets while teenagers stream K-pop from their phones.
Booking Tip: Early morning tours (7-9 AM) catch the dairy deliveries when products are fresh, not the afternoon leftovers. Licensed guides typically meet outside the main gate with the giant concrete eagle
Altai Mountains Eagle Hunting Demonstrations
This is training season, so you see the real thing - eagles swooping from 600 m (1,969 ft) heights to snag fox pelts dragged behind horses. No summer tourist crowds means 8-10 people watching instead of 80, and the herders haven't switched to their 'performance' routine yet.
Booking Tip: Requires 4WD from Ölgii - book through operators who've worked with the same families for years (see booking section). The demonstration happens at the family's winter camp, not a staged location
Lake Khövsgöl Ice-Breaking Boat Tours
The lake breaks up in mid-May, sending refrigerator-sized ice chunks crashing into each other with sounds like gunshots. Boat tours run from Khatgal harbor through floating ice fields - the contrast of wearing a life jacket over a sweater while navigating between icebergs is peak Mongolia absurdity.
Booking Tip: Book through guesthouses in Khatgal village 2-3 days ahead - boats only run when the ice clears enough, typically after May 15. Early season means captains are less jaded and more likely to let you steer
Where to Stay in Mongolia in May
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for May travellers.
May Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Early May
Ice Festival at Lake Khövsgöl
The last gasp of winter happens first weekend of May - locals race horse sleds across thinning ice, play ankle-bone shooting on frozen lake surfaces, and drink vodka to stay warm. It's like a county fair on ice, with the added thrill that the ice might break underneath you
Mid May
Nomad's Day Festival
Ulaanbaatar's Central Square hosts nomads demonstrating felt-making and throat singing, not tourist performers. The smell of burning dung and boiling mutton soup creates this weird urban-pastoral collision right in front of Gucci and Louis Vuitton stores
Packing Checklist
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Climate-specific gear, brand recommendations, and what to leave at home.
View Mongolia Packing List →Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
The UB-Murun flight costs the same as the 14-hour bus but saves you two days of your life - book through guesthouses, not the airline counter
Herders will offer you fermented mare's milk (airag) - drink at least one sip or you'll offend them. But you can politely decline refills
Out in the countryside, guesthouses still run on crisp USD bills, plastic cards are useless once you leave Ulaanbaatar, and by the last week of the month the lone ATMs are usually hollow husks.
Those flashy 'Mongolian barbecue' joints downtown are Chinese inventions. Hunt down the Wrestling Palace cafeteria for the real deal, cauldrons of boiled mutton and bowls of fermented dairy that locals swear by.
Avoid These Mistakes
I booked the Trans-Mongolian from Moscow to Ulaanbaatar without checking the calendar, May kicks up dust storms so fierce the windows glaze over with grime within hours, turning the scenery into a sepia blur.
Outside the capital, English fades fast. Memorize a handful of phrases or preload an offline translator, because blurting 'where is the toilet' in Mongolian is anything but obvious.
Never shove a lens toward nomads uninvited, horseback riding demands both hands, and explaining to your insurer how your iPhone landed in a steaming yak patty is a conversation you don't want.
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Top-rated things to do in Mongolia this May
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