15 incredible places to visit in Mongolia

If you’re searching for a unique wilderness experience, step this way. Traveling to Mongolia, with its wide horizons and tiny population, will certainly fit the bill. This is a land with an immense sense of space, where rolling steppe and desert dunes stretch on for miles and miles. There are very few man-made structures, settlements or even roads here, so there’s little to distract the eye from the mesmerizing landscapes and skies. Visitors often feel a deep sense of calm because of it, confounded by the soothing absence of Wi-Fi (and even phone signal in parts). Embrace the opportunity for a digital detox and let your connectivity be with nature and humanity; sharing tea with Mongolian nomads, gazing up at an infinity of stars, and slowing down in step with a simpler way of life. In this article, we uncover 15 amazing places to visit in Mongolia, to fill you with inspiration as you start planning your trip.

Top 15 places to visit in Mongolia

1. Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park: the heart of the Gobi Desert

One of the most impactful experiences of traveling in Mongolia is its otherworldly landscapes, and the Gobi Desert is at the heart of it. This epic region is breathtakingly vast, with the Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park encompassing a large portion. Here, you can marvel at a sea of ochre dunes, mountains shimmering above the plains, striking red rock massifs, and icy canyons.

The Gobi is a place of extremes, with hot summers and bitingly cold winters. Despite these harsh conditions, traditional herders still live and work here, and visitors are welcomed into nomadic ger tents with warm hospitality. Travel is slow, with most trips negotiated by bumpy Jeep, horse or camel. But it’s this challenge, this remoteness, this slowing down, that makes touring Mongolia so special.

2. Khongoriin Els: Mongolia’s tallest singing sand dunes

Within the Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park, the ‘Singing Dunes’ of Khongoriin Els are Mongolia’s most spectacular. The shifting sands reach heights of around 300m, undulating between plains and peaks for 100km. Their nickname stems from the whistling sound the sand makes as it shifts in the wind. It’s a hard slog to stride and slide your way to a dune summit, but the effort is rewarded by incredible views across the golden peaks and troughs stretching out all around. Coming back down is fun and a lot faster.

3. Yolyn Am: the ice canyon hidden in the Gobi

The high granite walls of the Yolyn Am canyon close in, snaking between soaring cliffs and blocking out the sun. Deep inside, where the sun’s rays barely touch, the icy clutches of winter hang on well into the early summer months. It’s a strange feeling to walk from baking hot plains to the edge of a frozen river. But it’s just this type of extreme that encapsulates the strange magic of Mongolia travel.

4. Bayanzag (Flaming Cliffs): dinosaur fossil ‘Badlands’

These vivid red rock formations in the lonely expanse of the Gobi Desert were dubbed the Flaming Cliffs in the 1920s by American adventurer Roy Chapman Andrews. The original name is Bayanzag, meaning ‘a place of many saxaul bushes’, a vitally important shrub, offering sustenance and fuel for humans and wildlife. The area has also yielded numerous archaeological finds dating back to the age of the dinosaurs.

5. Tsagaan Suvarga (White Stupa): painted canyon of the steppe

Within the Gobi Desert, where the grassland plains meet the sands, the wind-sculpted rock formations of the Tsagaan Suvarga are seriously photogenic. With multi-hued layers of sandstone striping the canyon walls, Tsagaan Suvarga has been dubbed Mongolia’s Grand Canyon.

6. Khorgo-Terkh National Park: volcanic craters and highland lakes

With its rivers, cool forests and lakes, this central Mongolia national park is popular for hiking and riding trips. Visitors can camp on the shores of tranquil lakes, trek the crater trail around an extinct volcano, and breathe in the pure highland air.

7. Kharkhorin (Karakorum): Mongolia’s ancient capital

Karakorum was once the ancient capital of the mighty Mongol Empire, but was largely destroyed during the 14th century, leaving little physical evidence of its splendor. Today’s visitors will find an excellent museum dedicated to the site and its former glory. The Erdene Zuu Monastery, built in the 16th century using some of the ruins of the city, is another interesting stop on any Mongolia itinerary.

Read more: A beginner’s guide to Mongolia

8. Lake Khövsgöl: the Blue Pearl of Mongolia

In addition to the ‘Blue Pearl’, Lake Khövsgöl is often nicknamed ‘Mother Sea’. Not far from Lake Baikal, across the border, Lake Khövsgöl is nowhere near as vast as its Russian cousin, but it is one of the largest lakes in Mongolia. During winter, the lake freezes over, but the summer beckons in blue skies and blooming wildflower meadows where visitors can relax in ger camps, hike, go horse riding, and meet local reindeer herders.

9. Tövkhön Khiid Monastery: sacred cliffside retreat in the Khangai Mountains

To experience one of the most spiritual places to visit in Mongolia, a day trip from Karakorum will take you to the lovely Tövkhön Khiid Monastery. Cloistered within the cool pine forests of the Khangai Nuruu National Park, the monastery can be reached on a one-hour walk from the trailhead.

10. Ulaanbaatar: Mongolia’s cultural and urban gateway

Ulaanbaatar is where the action is. Granted, urban action is likely not high on your agenda when visiting Mongolia, but spending a few days in this sprawling and frenetic capital city is still worth your time. There are some excellent museums to explore, along with a vibrant mix of music, art and counter-culture, creating an exhilarating contrast to the calm of the landscapes beyond.

11. Gorkhi-Terelj National Park: dramatic landscapes near the capital

Not far from the capital, and an immediate antidote to its bustle and smog, Gorkhi-Terelj National Park is a picture of rural calm. Fertile meadows, grazing livestock, and wooded hills fill the vision. Fast-flowing rivers and streams crisscross the park, and visitors can get the adrenaline pumping again with river rafting in spring and dog sledging in winter.

12. Khustai Nuruu National Park: home of the wild takhi horse

Another national park close to the capital, Khustai Nuruu, is one of the best places to visit in Mongolia for equine enthusiasts. Here you can go horse riding through wide open landscapes, looking out for small herds of the rare, wild takhi horses, which were successfully reintroduced to the park in the 1990s.

13. Tsenkher Hot Springs: remote natural spa in central Mongolia

Between forested hills and wide pastures, the Tsenkher Hot Springs are a series of man-made pools filled with balmy, mineral-rich waters. The spring water is a scalding 185 degrees Fahrenheit (85 degrees Celsius) at source, but it’s cooled for use in the pools.

14. Baga Gazriin Chuluu: granite rock formations of the Middle Gobi

The landscapes of Baga Gazriin Chuluu have a wild-west feel, with red rock formations rising from the plains in weird and wonderful formations. Easy to reach along a paved road from the capital, this is one of the more accessible places to visit in Mongolia for hiking, bouldering and camping.

15. Khentii Province: birthplace of Genghis Khan and pristine wilderness

Khentii Province can be easily added to any Mongolia travel itinerary. Just east of Ulaanbaatar, it is an ancient land of classic steppe and forest. Visitors can hike, camp, go horseback riding, and disappear into the untouched landscape in search of the fabled hidden tomb of Genghis Khan.

Read more: Mongolia: an outdoor lover’s playground

Make it happen

To turn your dreams into reality, reach out to our locally-based travel agents today: with years of experience behind them and a passion for tailor-made experiences, they’re on hand to help you plan the perfect trip to Mongolia.