Mongolia is an exclusive and unexplored travel destination that offers a great mix of natural scenic features, a wide range of untouched landscapes, various styles of nomadic life and culture, so travelers can experience authentic Mongolia’s nomadic life. Mongolia is one of the world’s most populated nations, and its nomadic life and preservation of nature have made Mongolia a destination for nature tourism.

So, let’s explore the Top places to visit in Mongolia

Places to visit in Mongolia – Gorki- Terelj National park

National Park GORKHI-TERELJ is considered one of the most beautiful places worth visiting for travelers who want to relax in the surrounding area near Ulaanbaatar. It is one of Mongolia’s primary national parks. Terelj is situated in the valley of the river Terelj, approximately 66 km from the center of Ulaanbaatar.

A small southern section of the park is developed for visitors, with restaurants, souvenir shops, horse and camel rentals, and tourist camps, many of which are run by the former state tourism company, Juulchin Corporation. The majority of the park, however, is undeveloped and difficult to access. The main attraction of this national park is Khagiin Khar lake which is 20 m deep freezing and 80 km upriver from the tourist camps. Another spot is Yestii hot spring water situated 18km upriver. The park also has a Buddhist temple open to tourists. Wildlife in the park includes brown bears and over 250 bird species.

For rock climbers, the park has many rock formations, which include two prominent formations, Turtle Rock and the Old Man Reading a Book (Praying Lama Rock)

If you like adventure activities such as hiking, rafting, horse or camel riding, want to live with nomadic families in the traditional dwelling for a short time, this is the real place to fulfill your wishes.

Places to visit in Mongolia- Gobi Desert

Southern Mongolia is well known for its Gobi Desert, one of the best-kept secrets and rare habitats in the world. The Gobi is a cold desert in general, with frost and snow on its dunes. In winter snow is blown from the Siberian Steppes by the wind. These winds will cause the Gobi in winter to reach -40 °C (-40 °F) to 45 °C (113 °F) in summer. However, the climate of Gobi is very extreme with temperature changes rapidly as much as 35 °C. This is not seasonally but can happen in 24 hours.

 The area is renowned for its unusual formations of nature, many places with true fossils of dinosaurs, and much native flora and fauna. It is the best place to visit in Mongolia to see dunes, mountains, and unusual species, such as Bactrian camels and snow leopards. It’s the perfect place to let your hair down, enjoy the peace and quiet of the never-ending landscapes. A trip to Mongolia without a visit to the Gobi Desert is not complete.

Listed below are some popular activities to fill up your trip to Mongolia

Staying in a ger (yurt)

You can see yurts or Gers at any place, as they are well known in Mongolia. The word ger means “home”. About half of the people of Mongolia still live in traditional, round tents which can be taken down and moved easily. Camping out in these warm, cozy, and spacious dome-like tents right in the middle of the remote countryside is the perfect way to just spend a portion of your entire holiday in Mongolia if you want to get a feeling of the genuine Mongolian wilderness.

Climb the Khongor sand dunes

The Khongor Sand Dunes are the largest sand dunes in the world and one of the most impressive. The moment you reach the top of the dunes, you’ll be met with incredible panoramic desert views.

Visit Bayan zag

The land of dinosaurs – Bayanzag was excavated in 1922 and is recognized worldwide as one of the major sites of millions of years old discoveries of dinosaur bones, fossils, and eggs. At your ease, you can discover the magnificence and quiet land of dinosaurs, and if you are lucky, you can find a fossil or two.

Ride a camel

If you are going to Mongolia your visit is not complete without roaming around sand dunes on the humpback of Bactrian’s camel. These camel rides are not meant for faint-hearted people as camel trek can be very tiring, even if the speed is slow.

Eat Lamb

From dumplings to soups, stews, and many more, lamb is widely used in all kinds of dishes of Mongolia. Mongolia is a real haven if you are a true- mutton lover.

Places to visit in Mongolia-Genghis Khan Statue Complex

This statue of Genghis Khan was built in 2008 in honor of its founder, Genghis Khan, on the occasion of the eight-hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Mongolian Empire. This statue is located around 60 kilometers northeast of Ulaanbaatar. It is not possible to go by public transport, only taxis from the capital will take you to this destination. This impressive statue, covered in 250 tons of gleaming stainless steel, is 40 meters high. There is a visitor center in the statue which is 10 meters high having 36 columns represents the 36 Khans from Genghis to Ligdan Khan.

The attached museum displays the archaeological cultures of the Bronze Age and Xingu in Mongolia, displaying daily utensils, belt buckles, weapons, sacred animals, etc., and the second exhibition is of the Great Khan period around the 13th and 14th century with goldsmith themes, ancient tools, and some crosses. A visitor leisure center that occupies 212 hectares is adjacent to the museum (520 acres).

Mongolian National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet

The National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Mongolia were started in 1963. There always held colorful and unique performances. The ambiance of the theatre inside is really mesmerizing, the Red velvet chairs, red velvet seats, and red velvet banisters occupied the theatre. The walls are yellow with white-printed decorations. There musicians & orchestra plays all traditional instruments including the horse head fiddle. The well-experienced singers perform the throat singing called Khoomi. The audio in the theatre is top quality and every seat provides an outstanding view of the stage. This is the recommended place to visit in Mongolia.

Places to visit in Mongolia-Gandantegchenling Monastery

The Gandantegchenling Monastery is a Mongolian Buddhist monastery situated in the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar that has been restored in 1990. This Monastery has over 150 monks’ residences inside the premises. The center of attraction of this monastery is a 26.5-meter-high statue of Migjid Janraisig which came under state protection in the year 1994. The original statue was built in 1912 but was destroyed in 1937 or 1938 when the Soviet Union’s communist ideologies took root in Mongolia. With the help of nationwide donations, the new statue was mounted and inaugurated in 1996.

Lining the walls of the temple are hundreds of smaller Buddha statues, sitting neatly on shelves behind the glass. Surrounding the main hall are rows of prayer wheels, which you should only spin in a clockwise direction. The whole atmosphere here reminded you of the time you visited the various monasteries of Tibet

The other buildings in the compound are more colleges of Buddhist philosophy and also the Gandan Library, which houses the largest resource of Buddhist sutras and shastras (paper-based heritage) at the national level. without a guide, it is not possible to get much information or knowledge about Gandan Tegchenling Monastery.

Places to visit in Mongolia- Bogd Khaan Palace Museum

A museum complex located in Ulan Bataar, Mongolia, is the Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan or the Bogd Khan Palace Museum. It was the Eighth Jebtsundamba Khutughtu Green Palace, later declared as Bogd Khan Palace Museum. In addition to being the oldest museum, it is also recognized as one of the largest collections in Mongolia. The palace is the only one remaining of the original four Bogd Khan residences.

The complex, built between 1893 and 1903, is one of the few historic Mongolian attractions that the Soviets or the Communist powers did not kill. The Gate of Peace and Happiness, the Cooling Pavilion, and six temples, each with Buddhist artwork, scripture, and thangkas, such as the Naidan Temple and Makhranz Temple, are part of the palace complex.

There are many of Bogd Khan’s belongings on display, such as his bed, his throne, his array of stuffed animals and art, his luxurious ceremonial ger, his traditional boot pair, issued by Russian Tsar Nicholas II to the Khan, and even jeweled regalia worn by the pet elephant of the Bogd Khan. Currently, it is operated under the Mongolian Ministry of Education, Culture, Science, and Sports.

Places to visit in Mongolia – Tolbo lake

34 km away from Bogd National Park from Ulgii town you will see one of the largest and beautiful freshwater lakes of the Magnolia Altai mountains. This lake is surrounded by the high Rocky Mountains. At Tolbo lake on some spots, you can also see some rare water birds. Tolbo lake area is also having some small groups of islands where maybe you can get a chance to meet clans of Kazakh tribe.

Here travelers can enjoy some activities around like mountain climbing, trekking, horse riding, camping, can see some eagle hunters around, and if you are a photography lover this is the ideal place for you to come.

Places to visit in Mongolia- Hustai National Park

Hustai National Park is a great place to visit in Mongolia if you want to visit the famed Mongolian steppe, only a short distance from the capital of Ulaanbaatar, while the stunning Khentii Mountains add some variety to the scenery. It is a pleasure to travel through the national park as you pass through small herds of wild horses making their way through the steppe with faint mountains in the distance. This park is around 100km away from the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. You will be amazed to know that Hustai National Park covers around 50,600 hectares of land, around 459 species of vascular plants, 90 species of moss,33 species of mushroom, and around 44 species of mammals.

Places to visit in Mongolia- Orkhon valley

The scenic beauty of the Orkhon Valley spreads along the banks of the Orkhon River in Central Mongolia, around 320 km west of Ulaanbaatar. It was inscribed by UNESCO in the World Heritage List as representing the evolution of nomadic pastoral traditions spanning more than two ages.

Today, the Orkhon Valley is a large nomadic site where many breeders typically set up camps. The landscapes of the scenic steppes, surrounded by the rich fauna and flora of the lush Khangai Massif, make this region the perfect place to explore nomadic Mongolia in an enchanting leafy atmosphere. Riding horses is also very fun and the valley is the point of leaving for many hikes or treks in the mountains around it.

Places to visit in Mongolia- Yoliin am canyon

In 1965, a small area of 69 square kilometers around Yoliin Am Canyon was already a protected area before the establishment of the Gurvan Saikhan National Park. Yoliin Am lies about 60 kilometers southwest of Dalanzadgad, in the Züün Saikhan Mountains. Yol Canyon, located at an altitude of 2500 meters, forms a gorge so deep and so narrow that only two people can pass through it in some areas. Four small waterfalls are created by the water. While the sun shines a lot in this area, the canyon remains dark, so that a portion of the river at the bottom remains hidden by a thick layer of ice for almost the entire year. Permanent glaciers, endemic trees, and exotic animals such as Siberian ibex, argali, or bearded vultures can be discovered here. In the Yol Valley forest, snow leopards and other predators live as well.

Best Time to visit Mongolia & when not to

Winter is from November in Mongolia, right through December, January, and February. It is also very cold—the lowest reported temperature was -57 °C! However, that is not commonplace; the average winter temperature sits at -40 ° C, which is positively balmy. Off-peak travel in Mongolia, however, offers its own benefits.

In the Gobi Desert, June, July, and August are very hot, not a pleasant combination to travel at this time.

In March, April and May, nomadic herders are on the move, which is an extraordinary sight to see as men from A to B lead their families — and their yaks.

September and October can be very rainy, but if you don’t mind the rain, as it’s bursting with color, the landscape is your reward; the photographs you can get between rain patches will be some of the absolute best in Mongolia.

Each of these awaits you even more in the amazing country of Mongolia. If you are up for a nomadic realistic experience, take a look at a perfectly made holiday and take a trip to Mongolia to see unique people with a beautiful culture.