Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia established 1639, is the country’s economic, cultural and a political center and has a number of tourist attractions where modern life comfortably blends with Mongolian traditional lifestyle. Wide streets are flocked by modern cars, while horsemen and cattle are still common scene and its population as of 2014 is over 1.3 million.

It is the main hub from which foreign tourists start their adventure in this beautiful land. Ulaanbaatar has something for everyone to enjoy with a wide range of performing arts and entertainment, from the traditional throat singing and spectacular contortionist to the likes of concerts pianists, ballerinas, and opera singers. Energetic and always exciting, Ulaanbaatar’s club scene demands to be experienced.

Hustai National Park (Wild horse Park)is located about 62 miles (100km) west of Ulaanbaatar. This area is home to the Mongolian wild horse known as Perzevalski horse (takhi).

Hustai has unique landscape that features mountain steppe and steppe, also there are sand dunes representing Gobi of Mongolia and River wetlands. National park has 450 species of vascular plants, 200 of which are medicinal.

Highlights: The National Park area is ideal for hiking, horseback riding, ornithology, flower watching, and nature photography.

Terelj National Park
Terelj National Park is one of the most visited and interesting national parks of Mongolia. It is connected with Ulaanbaatar by a paved road with 70km.

The National Park is by its natural beauty, forested alpine mountains and interesting rock formations (Massive woolsack weather conditions) very well known.

Highlights: Turtle Rock, Meditation temple Ariyabal and visit local nomadic families. During the summer there are great opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, rock climbing, flower and bird watching.

The Turtle Rock
The Turtle Rock, or called Melkhi Khad by the locals, is an interesting rock formation looking like a turtle. This giant rock formation is a popular spot for visitors to the area. There are you can ride a camel or travel on horseback around scenic nature.

Ariyabal meditation temple
Ariyabal meditation temple is situated in the scenic area of Terelj National Park, 3 km from Turtle Rock. Buddhist Monks performs meditation ritual for many years amongst beautiful and tranquil mountains.

The temple is surrounded by scenic mountains with interesting rock formations and sits at top of the mountain. The entrance of the gate is accessible by car, hiking or on horseback. The distance between the gate and the actual temple is about 1 km and it is only accessible by walking. To get to the top, you would cross the suspension bridge and climb up on 108 stairs, according to Buddhist prayer beads. This small hike is seen as a ritual to cleanse one’s sins. The temple, when observed from distance, can be seen as a beautiful white elephant and the staircase looks as if the dangling elephant’s trunk. From the top, you can enjoy the breathtaking view overlooking the Terelj National Park.

Genghis Khan Statue Complex
Genghis Khan Statue Complex is currently the biggest (40m high) equestrian statue in the world. It is connected with Ulaanbaatar by a paved road with 54km.There is a recreation area, restaurants, and souvenir shops occupy the base structure. From here, visitors use an elevator or walk to the head of the horse through chest and back neck of the horse, where they can have farseeing and good panorama view over the complex area.

Mt. Bogd Khan National Park
Mt. Bogd Khan national park is one of the oldest national parks in the world, protected since 1783.The main entrance to the National Park is 45 kilometers to the south west of the Ulaanbaatar city. In summers, meadows between woods are covered with a number of different types of flowers, most of which are popular edelweiss, producing colorful scenery. There are many hiking routes; the highest peak of Tsetsee Gun is one of the lovely routes by hikers.

Manzshir Monastery
Manzshir Monasteryis located in the luxuriant valley of the Bogd Khan Mountain National Park.It was established in 1733 with 20 temples and 300 monks. Destroyed in 1932, the only remaining temple has been restored and a museum at the site tells the story of the Monastery.

The surrounding area is perfect for walking through green woods, meadows and mountain clear water streams.

13th Century Theme Park
13th Century Theme Park is built and established in real time micro kingdom of the 13th Century to make the real experiences for the tourists during their stay by genuinely providing true environment of the way of living. Within this country, the rule of the law is strong and there is no television, electricity and phones are allowed for the real experience.

Highlights: King’s palace, herder’s camp, shaman’s camp, educational and craftsmen camp.

Gun-Galuut National Park
Gun-Galuut National Park is a local protected area for conservation of global threatened species. Enjoys to see Gun-Galuut vast steppe seems to meet the sky, the imposing mountains, a home land of rare creatures, small lakes, a paradise of birds, Kherlen, the longest river of Mongolia and Tsengiin Burd wetland, in where water and wetland birds lay their eggs. Gun-Galuut Nature Reserve.

The Mongolian government established the Great Gobi National Park in 1975 and the UNESCO designated as the Great Gobi as the fourth largest Biosphere Reserve in the world in 1991. Mongolians consider that there are 33 different Gobi, where sandy desert occupies only 3 percent of the total territory. The area is often imagined as a lifeless desert like in many other parts of the world. Gobi Desert is a land of dinosaurs and it is the home for camel breeders rich with wildlife and vegetation. Dinosaur skeletons and their petrified eggs have been preserved here to the present day. Wild asses, camels, snow leopards, mountain sheep and gazelles flourish here, as do different types of flora.

Khongor Sand Dunes
Khongor sand dunes stretch from the southernmost corner to the far west of the country. The dunes rise abruptly from the plain, in some places reaching a height of 200 meters, and extend over an area between 2-20 km in width and 180 km in length. There is a small river called Khongoryn Gol, with dark green banks full of flowers along the side of the dunes. When it is windy some of the dunes give a strange sound like the engines of an aero plane, for which they are named the “singing dunes”. There is an excellent possibility to ride camels near the dunes.

Bayanzag /Flaming cliffs
Bayanzag / Flaming cliffs – first discovered by Roy Chapman Andrews, famous American explorer in the 1920, flaming cliffs of Bayanzag are an important site for both archeological and paleontological finds. Complete dinosaur skeletons, including One-horned dinosaur (protocertops) and Egg-thief (Oviraptor) and numerous eggs were excavated in ravines between the red flaming cliffs, which look like fire in the middle of the desert from distance.
Activities: desert expeditions, camping, trekking, paleontology

Yoliin Am Canyon
Yoliin Am canyon – One of the best-known travel destinations in the Southern Gobi is Yoliin Am canyon, known as Eagle Valley, which is a part of the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan Mountain National Park (meaning “Three Beautifies of the Gobi”). But in fact, Yol means Lammergeyer, one of the most endangered bird species of prey. Sheltered by high cliff walls on both sides of the canyon, thick ice gorges remain frozen even on summer’s hottest days.
Activities: camping, mountain climbing, trekking, wildlife viewing.

Khermen Tsav
Khermen Tsav is a canyon with beautiful oasis, 6 km in width and 15 km in length located in a distance of 400 km from Dalanzadgad city. The canyon is full of 30 meters high natural formations of cliffs, and looks like remains of ancient cities and temples, iceberg drifting on a sea, huge dinosaurs, turtles and crocodiles.

Hermen Tsav is known not only by its beauty of natural formation but also by its trove of dinosaur fossils. The first full skeleton of a dinosaur was found in this place.

Moltsog Els Sand Dunes
Moltsog Els, is one of the few regions of the Gobi covered by sand dunes.
These magnificent sand dunes are surrounded by hills with willow trees, streams and bushes.

Camel Herder Nomads
Visiting camel herder’s family, explore their unique nomadic lifestyle which has not changed for centuries. Its chance to try drinking Hormog (fermented Mongolian camel milk) when visiting a herder family in their Ger. There is great opportunity to ride a Bactrian camel.

Eastern Mongolia is the least visited region of the country. For explorers, who like destinations that areoff-the-beaten-path, the east is aparadise. Travelers looking for adventures in the great outdoors filled with wildlife, historic sites, and horse riding should consider visiting this part of Mongolia. It’s also where Genghis Khan was born (Khentii Aimag) where visitors can see relics andsites related to his life.

Eastern Mongolia is famous for the land of Chinggis Khaan, Oglogchiin Kherem, Khan Khentii Mountains and Kherlen river.

Dadal – The Birthplace of Genghis Khan
Dadal – the birthplace of Genghis Khan – Temuujin (Genghis Khan) was born into the family of Yesugei Baatar in 1162 at a place called Deluun Boldog by the Onon river in Dadal soum of Khentii aimag. Beginning from 1185, Temuujin directed a military campaign to unite the Mongolian people, which was at that time divided into more than 80 feuding ethnic clans. Finally in 1206 the Great Mongol Empire was established and Temuujin was declared Genghis Khan which meant “Great Khaan”.

There are two monuments dedicated to Genghis Khan. One is a large rock in Deluun Boldog with an inscription in old Mongol script marking the birthplace of the Great Khaan. The other monument was inaugurated in 1962 to commemorate the 800th anniversary of Genghis Khan’s birth. It is a life-size figure of Genghis Khan carved on a white stone in the shape of mountain peaks engraved with old Mongol script.

Khan Khentii Mountain National Park
Khan Khentii Mountain National Park is one of the Mongolian natural and historical treasures, declared by UNESCO as world heritage site.

This area is belongs to the native land of Genghis Khan and contains many important historical and cultural sites. Khan Khentii is covered with forests, taiga, and mountain forest steppe. The park’s most spectacular features are its huge granite blocks, extraordinary view and cliffs as well as meadows rich in wild flowers. This place is very suitable for hiking, fishing, and exploring wildlife.

Baldan Breeven Monastery
Baldan Breeven Monastery is located in small but beautiful valley in the Khan Khentii Mountains, 300 km northeast from Ulaanbaatar. The history of the monastery began in the late 1700s, when His Lofty Noble Holiness Zanabazar sent a group of monks to find a suitable place to establish a monastery in the east of the country. In their search the monks discovered a valley in an extraordinary geographical position, with auspicious omens such as rocks shaped in the form of powerful animals.

Construction of the monastery was completed in the 1780s and it became the Buddhist center of the east. Besides that, local people believed that the monastery was the holiest place in the world to go to for a pilgrimage to purify oneself from evil deeds. The monastery was completely destroyed during the 1930s and later reconstructed.

Blue Lake (Khokh Nuur)
This beautiful small lake as named Blue Lake (Khokh Nuur) is situated in Khan Khentii National Park and surrounded forested Mountains. The lake is involved with Chinggis Khan’s history, beginning in 1185, Temujin directed a military campaign to unite the Mongolian people, which at the time were divided into more than 80 ethnic clans. In 1189 at ‘Black Heart Blue Lake’ he was chosen by his peers to become king of all Mongols and was given the title “Chinggis (Genghis) Khaan.”

Endless plains of the Eastern Mongolia
Except for the Khentiin Nuruu Mountain Range and some forests surrounding it, eastern Mongolia is pure steppe plain. There is some stunning scenery, and it is one of the world’s last great undisturbed grasslands. The most famous and plainest steppe in the country is the far eastern part named Menengyn Tal.

The area is almost uninhabited by people, but home to some of the largest herds of gazelle left on earth. Also, there is one of the world’s last undisturbed grasslands, named as the ‘strictly protected areas’ of Mongol Daguur, Dornod Mongolyn Tal Steppe and Nomrog Region.

Mongol Daguur Steppe & Wetland
Mongol Daguur is a steppe and wetland region in Mongolia listed as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve and Ramsar Site of International Importance.

Mongol Daguur’s steppe and wetlands territory mainly consists of low-mountainous landscapes that support a variety of fauna and flora species. The biosphere reserve provides nesting and breeding grounds for globally endangered species such as the White-naped Crane, while also serving as a migratory stopover site for many rare and endangered species.

Menen Steppe
Menen Steppe – The biggest plain area of Mongolia is Menen steppe located in Dornod province. The steppe is located in the west of Buir Lake and is over 90 km long and over 60 km wide. This is the big steppe in the world which has kept its native land and there are a plenty of pasture plants, antelopes, wolves as well as rare animals. Usually Mongolian antelopes graze and hundreds of them flock and pass winter here. You can see the beauty of the steppe where the perennial, nutritious and segmented grass swings in the Menen steppe. You will feel to exclaim what a grass sea. The eastern region aimags are the home to Mongolian antelopes which have now become very rare in the world. The halves of the antelopes out of three millions in Mongolia flock only in Dornod province. It is impossible to separate native feather grass, huge flock of antelopes and famous Menen Steppe.

Western Mongolia has a lot to offer for adventurous travelers. Spectacular landscapes and sceneries, historic sites, and challenging treks are just some of the reasons this region is worth the visit. Bayan-Ulgii in particular is one of the highlights here as it is dubbed as the ‘roof of the world’ with the tallest mountain -Khuiten Uul at4,374m.

Western Mongoliaare is famous for its beautiful lakes and higher points of Mongolia. Altai mountains is one of the most beautiful destinations for travellers. You can take a direct fly to Ulgii city, to enjoy another culture in a same country.

Bayan-Olgii is a unique place in Mongolia, home of the Kazakh ethnic group. The Kazakhs have a rich culture, close extended families, and many traditions that are still practiced today that are centuries old. Kazakh is the language of everyday communication, with Mongolian used for inter-ethnic interactions and official communication. Islam is the primary religion of the Kazakhs.

Today, many Kazakhs in Bayan-Olgii maintain traditional semi-nomadic herding by moving with their animals several times a year, and living in a Kazakh style ger (larger and taller than a Mongolian ger) during the summer. All Kazakhs keep close ties to extended families. Tradition requires that one must not marry anyone related within 9 generations. As a result, upon meeting each other, Kazakhs always tell if and how they are related. This is not their only tradition, though.

Kazakhs are famous around the world for their intricately embroidered wall hangings (tuskies) used on ger (yurt) walls. A typical ger may have 5 to 7 wall hangings that can take 200 hours to hand stitch each. The curving designs of the wall hangings are patterned after goat horns which symbolize the primary source of wealth of the nomadic herder. This design is used for a wide variety of traditional clothes, home furnishings, and accessories. The Kazakhs are not only known for their artwork, but also for their incredible friendliness.

Golden Eagle Festival
Golden Eagle Festival – Every year Kazakh hunters from all over Bayan-Ulgii province gather in the heart of Altai Mountain to compete with their hunting Golden eagles based speed, agility, and accuracy of their magnificent birds. It is a rare opportunity for visitors to get a close-up Kazakh tradition and culture. The highlight of this fantastic trip is interacting with the Kazakhs and other ethnic groups and living with them for a couple of days to take part in the eagle training and get to know about the unique Kazakh culture.

Mt. Altai Tavan Bogd National Park
Altai Tavan Bogd National Park is located on the Western most point of Mongolia in Bayan-Ulgii Province. This vast mountainous park borders China and Russia with views of Kazakhstan from the highest peak in Mongolia.

The snow-capped Kuiten Mountain, 4374 m (14,201 ft), is the highest of the five peaks of Tavan Bogd Mountains (literally ‘5 Saints’) that gives the park its name. It covers an area of 630,000 hectare and is home to three large freshwater lakes and 34 glaciers, plus several waterfalls. The largest, Pontuninii Glacier, covers 23 sq km. Tavan Bogd Mountains is considered sacred to local Kazakhs, Tuvans, and Mongolians. Also, there are over 10.000 of petroglyphs (Rock paintings) in 15 km of river valley which is registered in World Heritage Site, UNESCO.

Western Mongolia Wildlife
Western Mongolia Wildlife is offers Asia’s most beautiful and unspoiled wilderness, where the snow-capped Altai Mountains tower above remote forests, lakes, and rivers. Teeming with wildlife, including endangered snow leopards, ibexes and Argali wild sheep those are considered the biggest in body size in the world. This region contains the most impressive of Mongolia’s mountain scenery, and is a prime destination for adventurous climbers and hikers.

If you are looking for culture and interacting with ethnic minority groups, the centralregion of Mongolia is the place to go. There is a curious mix of cultures and landscapes of mountains and arid plains.Some popular activities here are fishing, hiking,and backcountry trips through forests, mountains, lakes and rivers. Khovsgol Nuur,the biggestfreshwater lake and the largestriverof Mongoliaare also found in this region.

Mongolian is rich of its unique destinations and attractions.Central part of Mongolia is famous by Khogno Khan monastery ,Tuvkhun Monastery an Ugii lake.

Kharakorum & Erdenezuu Monastery
Kharkhorin is one of the country’s major tourist destinations and historically known as Karakorum the ancient capital of Mongolia Empire, Genghis Khan. The site of Genghis Khan’s fabled city, administrative center of an enormous empire, Karakorum was founded in 1220 in the Orkhon valley, at the crossroads of the Silk Road. The city flourished with wealth and culture, especially as artists and intellectuals were brought over from Europe to enhance the Eurasian capital.

The city was destroyed under war-torn in history this is a place where legends come to life. Later, materials used to build the monumental 400m walls and 108 stupas that surrounded Mongolis’s first Buddhist monastery of Erdene Zuu, built in 1586. The monastery is still active, and there are temple museums and buildings where monks live and pray. The site is not particularly beautiful, but we had a good time and it was a nice experience.

The Kharkhorin of today is a small settlement with little focus on tourism. The Ger camps are rather situated near Erdene-Zuu and other attractions.

Elsen Tasarkhai Sand Dunes
Elsen Tasarkhai magnificent dunes are surrounded by hills with willow trees, streams and bushes, and appear as a small desert in the center of the country. This sand dune is 80km long and the widest part of the sand dune is 9-10 km. Visitors can hire horses and camels to ride around the dunes.

Mt. Khugnu Khan National Park
This picturesque area of Khugnu Khan National Park with mountains, forests, steppes, Gobi desert and mineral water sources all in one location represents two or three different natural zones. Khugnu Khan National Park is ideal for hiking, horse- und camel riding, biking, wild life observation and photography. There are many historical places, including: Uvgun temple, granite stone statues, Senget khad dating back to the Bronze Age and many tombs.

Tuvkhun Monastery
Tuvkhun Monastery was built in 1654 by Saint Zanabazar who was a great sculptor and one of the biggest representatives of Buddhism in Mongolia. The monastery is located on the densely forested and picturesque Rocky Mountain at an elevation of 2000m above sea level.

There is a small cave near the temple known as “Mother Cave”; it is believed that by crawling into this cave, turning about, and re-emerging, one can be symbolically reborn as a pure individual.

Today, there are special formation of rocks which are called womb and cradle, symbolizing rebirth, besides 4 temples and 2 stupas. Several monks live at the monastery year around.

Orkhon Waterfall
Orkhon waterfall (also, called Ulaan Tsutgalan Waterfall) is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Central Mongolia. The height of the waterfall is about 20m (65 feet). The waterfall is located in a beautiful Orkhon river valley with volcanic rocks which listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites for its historical value related to Great Mongolian Empire. There is opportunity to experience their way of life, their culture and traditions. The area is ideal for fishing, horse riding, cycling and photography.

Khushuu Tsaidam Monuments
Khushuu Tsaidam Monuments to Bilge Khaan and Kul-Tegin, dated 732 AD, were found 47 km to the northwest of Karakorum, part of the Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape UNESCO world heritage site. This collection of historical heritage includes stone monuments with runic inscriptions, stone turtles, human statues and other relics. Both monuments were dedicated to Turkish khans who ruled Mongolia between the 6th and 8th centuries.
There is a research center and museum founded jointly by Mongolian and Turkish Friendship Societies.

Ugii Lake
Ugii Lake is located up 1337m from the ocean level and it is a pure water lake, 7.9km long, 5km wide, which is the lake, is home to many birds, fish species and the nomadic families living around the area. The lake, designated as a Ramsar Site of International Importance, is known for its fish and for birdlife. There are 14 kinds of fishes and 144 kinds of birds.

Tsenkher Hot Springs
Tsenkher hot springs are located 30 km south of Tsetserleg city in a beautiful forested mountain valley. The +86.5″C hot spring water is supposed to have curative properties for arthritic joints and other ailments. There are well developed and equipped resorts and the area is an ideal place for bird-watching, hiking and riding.

Khorgo-Terkh National Park
The Khorgo – Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur (Terkh White Lake) National Park is amazingly beautiful scenery of mountains, cliffs, rapid rivers, lakes, extinct volcanoes and fantastic caves green forests and pastures, where the long haired yaks and horse thrive.

The Khorgo Mountain is extinct volcano which lies east of the Lake Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur beautiful lake with crystal clear fresh water. The attractive landscape is rich of flora and fauna.

Visiting Tsaatan nomad family is a great opportinuty to explore their unique lifestyle. Northern part of Mongolia is known by Amarbasygalant monastery,Uran uul(extinct volcano).

Northern Mongolia is a main travel destination of Mongolia.

The highlight of Mongolia’s Northern provinces, an alpine region bordering the forests of Siberia, is pristine Khuvsgul Lake, known as Mongolia’s “dark blue pearl and Darkhad valley – there are over 200 lakes surrounded by high mountains covered with forest and extensive marshland, which is a home of reindeer people -Tsaatan ethnic minority.

Many ethnic groups of Mongolia live in this region. Especially you can see tsaatan (reindeer herders) people’s life. Also there are many unique cultural, historical and natural sights.

Khuvsgul Lake
Khuvsgul Lake National Park is one of the major tourist attractions in Mongolia. This lake is known as the second clearest water lake in the world after Baikal Lake in Russia. Water is crystal clear so that you can see the bottom of the lake when you are sailing. The lake is 136 kilometers long, 36 kilometers wide, 262 meters deep from its surface to the bottom and make up over 1% of the world’s fresh water.

Khuvsgul lake is surrounded by majestic mountains covered with thick pine and larch forests where the unique wildlife of the region flourishes.

There is an excellent opportunity to become acquainted with the lifestyle and traditions of reindeer breeders who live in the mountain forests close to the lake.”

Highlights: The Lake is ideal for kayaking, boating, fishing, horseback riding, trekking, birding, camping, wildlife viewing, and photography.

Uushig Deer Stone Monument
Uushig Deer Stone Monument – A deer-decorated stones in Uushigiin uver of Khuvsgul province considered as most clearly depicted deer stones in Mongolia. These deer stones were aligned from north to south in a single column. Each stone is 3-20m distant from each other and made of tetrahedral granite stone in reddish color. A deer, an arch, a shield, a horse, a knife, the moon, the sun and a mirror figured belt were engraved on the stones.

Darkhad Valley & Reindeer People
Darkhad Basin lies 50 km west of Lake Khuvsgul. There are over 200 lakes in the area, the largest of which is Lake Tsagaan. The lake is well-known for the famous white fish that live in it. The lake is surrounded by high mountains covered with forest and extensive marshland, which are an ideal environment for reindeer breeding.

Most of the Tsaatan minority, or the reindeer breeders, live in this region. This ethnic people’s lifestyle and traditions are of special interest not only to tourists, but also to researchers and scholars from all over the world as they are very isolated in their remote and difficult to reach homeland. Shamanism, the worship of nature, is the main religion of the reindeer breeders.

Shamanism
People in Khuvsgul most commonly practice shamanism and some of the most powerful shaman live in this area. The shamanism rituals is based on the view that besides the visible world the shaman interacts with many other worlds or universes, and that contacting the spirits is an important part of shamans’ work. Every day, month, and year shamans constantly do their work with poetic invocation, music, dance, and creative arts. Today northern Mongolian groups Darkhad, Tsaatan, Hotgoit, and Buryat ethnic group’s shamans still maintain the ancient shamanic traditions.

Uran Togoo National Park
National park’s main highlight is Uran Uul extinct volcano is located on the half way point between the two major travel destinations-the Khuvsgul Lake and Amarbayasgalanr Monastery. The crater of Uran Uul volcano is about 600 meters in diameter and 50 meters in depth and has small lake at the bottom of it.

Amarbayasgalant Monastery
The Monastery is one of the four leading important monasteries of Mongolia. The construction of the monastery temples, towers and other buildings, completed in 1737, represents the creative work and great craftsmanship of that period of time. The style of the monastery is predominantly Chinese, but with strong influences of Tibetan and Mongolian art. The monastery is one of only few monasteries that survived the religious purges of the 1930s thanks to its remote location, nevertheless 10 of the 37 temples were completely destroyed. The restoration of the monastery has recently almost been completed with the aid and assistance of UNESCO.”