The Land of the Eternal Blue Sky
Endless steppe, ancient nomadic culture, golden eagle hunters and star-filled skies. Mongolia holidays are made for travellers seeking somewhere genuinely undiscovered.
Mongolia is one of those places where every day feels entirely different. One morning might start with a Kazakh eagle hunter casting a golden eagle from his wrist in the Altai Mountains. The next could be spent walking the red sandstone of the Flaming Cliffs in the Gobi Desert, riding out from a ger camp to watch Przewalski's wild horses, the last truly wild horses on Earth, graze the open steppe, or lying beneath a night sky so free of light pollution that the Milky Way is visible to the naked eye.
Few countries combine ancient nomadic culture, genuine wilderness, world-class horse riding and skies this dark quite like Mongolia. Whether you want to stay in comfortable, well-run ger camps, ride out with eagle hunters, cross the Gobi by camel or simply watch the stars from somewhere with no light pollution for hundreds of miles, Mongolia offers the freedom to build a holiday entirely around the experiences that matter most to you.
From the dunes of the Gobi Desert to the glacial peaks of the Altai Mountains and the pine forests around Lake Khövsgöl, the landscape shifts dramatically from region to region. It is a country that rewards unhurried travel, where a long drive across open steppe becomes as much a part of the experience as any single destination.
Key Regions and Experiences Across Mongolia
Travelling through Mongolia is less about following a fixed route and more about stringing together a handful of utterly different worlds, since the sheer distances involved mean most itineraries combine two or three regions rather than attempt the whole country in one trip.
Ulaanbaatar is the usual starting point, and worth a day or two in its own right. Soviet-era apartment blocks sit alongside glass towers, gold-roofed monasteries and Sukhbaatar Square, while the National Museum of Mongolia and the enormous Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue, the largest equestrian statue in the world, just outside the city, are an easy way to get your bearings before heading into the wilderness.
An hour and a half from the capital, Gorkhi-Terelj National Park is where the steppe properly begins. Ride out on horseback towards Turtle Rock, visit the clifftop Aryabal meditation centre, or simply watch the light change over the valley from a ger camp veranda. It is the easiest way to feel Mongolia's scale without committing to a long journey.
Further south, the Gobi Desert is far more varied than its reputation as an empty expanse of sand suggests. Camel trek among the towering Khongoryn Els dunes, walk the red sandstone of the Flaming Cliffs, where the first fossilised dinosaur eggs ever recorded were identified, or explore the ice-filled gorge of Yolyn Am, a canyon that can stay frozen well into summer.
In the far west, the Altai Mountains are Mongolia at its most remote. This is the heartland of the country's Kazakh minority and its centuries-old tradition of hunting with golden eagles: ride out with an eagle hunter and his bird, and, if your visit lines up with early October, watch that tradition celebrated in full at the Golden Eagle Festival.
In the north, Lake Khövsgöl, known locally as Mongolia's Blue Pearl, is ringed by Siberian taiga forest and holds close to two percent of the world's fresh water. Kayak or ride along its shoreline, and, with a little more time, visit the Tsaatan, a community of reindeer herders who still live among the surrounding forest.
Central Mongolia holds the country's deepest history. Kharkhorin was once Karakorum, Genghis Khan's thirteenth-century capital, and today is home to Erdene Zuu, Mongolia's oldest Buddhist monastery, within the UNESCO-listed Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape.
Wherever you travel, Mongolia rewards curiosity. The memories tend to come from what you didn't plan for: being invited into a nomadic family's ger for salty milk tea, watching an eagle return to its hunter's wrist on the first cast, or looking up at a sky with no light pollution for hundreds of miles in any direction.
I know Mongolia well. Let me plan your tailor-made trip.
Our Mongolia specialist, Sophie, says:
“Mongolia is the destination I recommend most to clients who feel they've already seen everywhere else. It rewards curiosity rather than ticking off sights: staying with a nomadic family, riding out with eagle hunters, watching the sun set over the Gobi. We build every itinerary around genuinely comfortable lodges and private guiding throughout, so it's an extraordinary trip without ever feeling like an expedition.”
When to visit Mongolia
Find out the best time to visit Mongolia with our month by month guide.
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
January
Mongolia at its most dramatic and least visited: deep snow, frozen rivers and a hard blue sky over an empty steppe, under some of the darkest, clearest night skies of the year for stargazing. Most ger camps outside the capital are closed for the season, so this is a month built around Ulaanbaatar and short winter excursions, ideal for serious photographers and travellers who want the country entirely to themselves.
February
Two of Mongolia's most colourful festivals fall this month: camel racing at the Thousand Camel Festival in the Gobi, and wrestling and horse racing staged directly on the frozen surface of Lake Khövsgöl at the Ice Festival. A genuinely unusual month to see Mongolian culture at its most playful, against a backdrop of snow and ice.
March
Eagle hunters and their birds gather in Ulaanbaatar for the Spring Eagle Festival, an intimate preview of October's larger event in the Altai and a rare chance to see the tradition up close. Lengthening days start to soften the western mountains.
April
An in-between month as the steppe thaws and the first foals appear among the wild Przewalski's horses at Hustai National Park. Weather can be changeable, but it rewards wildlife-focused travellers happy to trade guaranteed sunshine for new life on the steppe and far fewer visitors than summer.
May
Ger camps reopen for the season and the steppe turns green almost overnight. Horses are in peak condition after their winter rest, making this an excellent month for riding, with the main summer crowds still weeks away.
June
Up to seventeen hours of daylight, lush grassland and warm, settled weather make this one of the very best months to visit, especially for Lake Khövsgöl and long days in the saddle, with none of July's festival crowds.
July
The single best month to see Mongolian culture at full volume. The Naadam Festival takes over the entire country from the 11th to the 13th with wrestling, horse racing and archery, and the steppe is at its warmest and most reliable.
August
Summer warmth continues, with excellent conditions for the Gobi Desert before the autumn cool sets in and the last of the northern wildflowers still out around Khövsgöl. The most popular month for international visitors, so lodges and camps are worth booking well ahead.
September
One of the finest months to visit: the steppe turns gold, daytime temperatures are genuinely comfortable, and the crowds of July and August have thinned. The Altai Eagle Festival in Bayan-Ölgii, a smaller cousin of October's main event, falls late in the month.
October
The Golden Eagle Festival in Bayan-Ölgii is Mongolia's most celebrated cultural event outside Naadam, and reason enough on its own to visit the Altai Mountains. Crisp, clear air also makes for outstanding visibility across the Gobi, in the final weeks before camps close for winter.
November
Most ger camps close for the season, so this becomes a month built around Ulaanbaatar's museums and monasteries and the first proper cold of winter. Often the best-value way to add Mongolia onto a wider Asia itinerary, since a short cultural stay in the capital doesn't depend on the ger camp network being open.
December
The start of deep winter, and about as far from a crowded holiday as travel gets. For travellers drawn to extremes, this is Mongolia at its starkest: silent, snow-bound landscapes and some of the clearest, darkest skies of the year for stargazing.
Types of Mongolia vacations
Where to go in Mongolia
Best places to stay in Mongolia
FAQs About Your Mongolia Holiday
Planning a holiday to Mongolia? Our experts share advice on everything from what to pack, when to go, to tips for families, covering the questions we get asked the most.
Why book a Mongolia holiday with Far and Wild Travel?
Mongolia is easy to get wrong: distances are enormous, infrastructure is thin outside Ulaanbaatar, and the difference between a forgettable ger camp and a genuinely excellent one is significant. We hand-pick every lodge and camp ourselves, build in private guiding and driving throughout, and design each itinerary around the regions and experiences that matter most to you rather than a fixed route.
How does Far and Wild Travel plan itineraries in Mongolia?
We start with what you want to see and how much time you have, then combine two or three of Mongolia's regions, since the country is too large to cover properly in a single trip. A private guide and driver are on hand throughout if you'd like the extra support, and every night is spent in a lodge or ger camp we've personally chosen for both comfort and location.
What are the best places to visit in Mongolia?
For dramatic desert scenery and dinosaur history, the Gobi Desert and its Flaming Cliffs are a great choice. For the country's signature cultural experience, consider the Altai Mountains and Bayan-Ölgii, especially around October's Golden Eagle Festival. For an easy first taste of the steppe close to Ulaanbaatar, Gorkhi-Terelj National Park makes a perfect destination. For remote lake scenery and reindeer-herding communities, travel to Lake Khövsgöl in the north.
When is the best time to visit Mongolia?
July, for the Naadam Festival and the warmest, most reliable weather across the steppe. October, for the Golden Eagle Festival in the Altai Mountains. May to September covers the season when most ger camps and lodges are open, with June and September offering excellent conditions and fewer travellers than the July peak.
Is Mongolia good for a wildlife and nature holiday?
Yes, though it rewards a different kind of wildlife interest than a safari. The wild Przewalski's horse, the only truly wild horse species on Earth, was reintroduced to Hustai National Park and can reliably be seen there. The Altai Mountains are home to golden eagles, ibex and argali sheep, and the steppe hosts huge numbers of migratory birds in spring and autumn. Speak to our Asia team about which region best matches the wildlife you're hoping to see.
How long should I spend in Mongolia?
Given the distances involved, we'd recommend a minimum of ten to twelve days to properly combine two or three regions, for example the Gobi Desert with Gorkhi-Terelj, or the Altai Mountains around the Golden Eagle Festival with a few days at Lake Khövsgöl. Shorter trips are possible but tend to stay closer to Ulaanbaatar.
What is accommodation like in Mongolia?
It ranges from five-star hotels in Ulaanbaatar to ger camps out in the wilderness, a ger being the traditional round felt tent used by Mongolian nomads for centuries. The camps we work with have ensuite bathrooms, proper beds and wood-burning stoves rather than anything closer to camping, and most operate a seasonal calendar, broadly May to September or October, with a small number open year-round.
Is Mongolia physically demanding to visit?
Less than its reputation suggests. Most itineraries are built around a private 4x4, with horse riding and longer walks offered as options rather than requirements. Roads in rural areas can be rough, so long driving days are part of reaching the more remote regions, but the pace and activity level of each day is built around you.
