Things to Do in Mongolia

From the dunes of the Gobi Desert to nomadic ger camps on the steppe - the essential sights, and how to keep your own record of them.

Travel guide - last updated September 2026

Mongolia has one of the lowest population densities of any country in the world, and a trip here is largely about that emptiness - vast grassland steppe, the Gobi Desert's dunes, and a nomadic herding culture still genuinely practiced rather than performed for visitors. Ulaanbaatar is the arrival point; nearly everything else means multi-day overland travel. Here are 6 places worth building a trip around.

Top attractions

The sights most first-time visitors build an itinerary around.

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Gobi Desert

One of the world's great deserts, with the Khongoryn Els singing sand dunes and the Flaming Cliffs of Bayanzag, where the first dinosaur eggs were ever scientifically discovered.

📍 Gobi Desert, southern Mongolia

🚉 There is no public transport into the Gobi: internal flights reach Dalanzadgad, and everything beyond is by 4x4 with a driver, usually as part of a multi-day camp itinerary.

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Nomadic Ger Camps

Staying overnight in a traditional ger (yurt) with a nomadic herding family is the centerpiece of most Mongolia trips - genuinely lived-in homes rather than a tourist reconstruction, arranged through local guides.

📍 Central Mongolian steppe

🚉 Camps sit hours off the paved roads and arrange their own transfers - the Terelj camps near Ulaanbaatar are the exception, an hour away by road and reachable by taxi.

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Naadam Festival

Mongolia's national festival, held each July, centered on wrestling, horse racing and archery - the 'three manly games' that have defined Mongolian culture for centuries.

📍 Ulaanbaatar (nationwide)

🚉 The main Naadam is at the National Stadium in Ulaanbaatar each July, walkable from Sukhbaatar Square; the wrestling and archery are there, but the horse racing happens 40km out at Khui Doloon Khudag, with shuttle buses on the day.

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Lake Khovsgol

One of the world's largest and clearest freshwater lakes by volume, in northern Mongolia near the Russian border, ringed by forested mountains rather than the steppe that defines most of the country.

📍 Khövsgöl Province, northern Mongolia

🚉 Fly to Murun, then a shared van covers the last 100km to Khatgal at the lake's southern end, about three hours on a rough road.

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Karakorum

The ruined former capital of the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan's successors, with the still-active Erdene Zuu Monastery built partly from the old capital's remaining stones.

📍 Kharkhorin, Övörkhangai Province

🚉 Buses run from Ulaanbaatar's Dragon terminal to Kharkhorin in six to seven hours; the Erdene Zuu monastery is a short walk from the town centre.

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Ulaanbaatar

Mongolia's capital and largest city, with the Gandantegchinlen Monastery and a large statue of Genghis Khan on horseback about an hour outside the city, at Tsonjin Boldog.

📍 Ulaanbaatar

🚉 The city has no metro: buses and taxis cover it, and the Trans-Mongolian railway station links Beijing and Moscow - Sukhbaatar Square and the Gandan monastery are the two fixed points.

Mark Mongolia, get the stamp

🇲🇳MONGOLIAVISITED

🇲🇳MONGOLIALIVED

🇲🇳MONGOLIAWISHLIST

In MyPassportStory, every country you mark - visited, lived in, or still on the list - becomes a stamp like these in your own travel passport. Add the cities you stopped in, draw the route between them, and turn the whole trip into a shareable passport-style image.

Open MyPassportStory

Planning questions

How many days do you need in Mongolia?

10 days lets you combine Ulaanbaatar with a Gobi Desert trip. Two weeks or more allows adding Lake Khovsgol or a Naadam Festival visit if timed for July.

What's the best time to visit Mongolia?

June-September is the main travel season, avoiding Mongolia's extremely cold winters (temperatures regularly drop below -20°C). The Naadam Festival takes place each July 11-13.

Is Mongolia good for a first-time visit?

Yes, though nearly all travel outside Ulaanbaatar goes through an organized tour with a driver and guide, given the vast distances, unpaved roads, and limited independent infrastructure.

Do I need a visa to visit Mongolia?

Many nationalities, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia and most of the EU, can visit visa-free for short tourist stays; other nationalities need a visa arranged in advance. Check the official visa information for your nationality: mfa.gov.mn.

What are some things to do in Mongolia on a tight budget?

Joining a shared-group Gobi Desert tour costs considerably less than a private one, staying with a nomadic family is generally inexpensive relative to hotel accommodation, and Ulaanbaatar's monasteries charge modest entry fees.

Can I rent a car in Mongolia, and what licence do I need?

Self-drive is possible but genuinely inadvisable outside Ulaanbaatar: most of the country has no sealed roads, no signposts and no phone signal, and navigation is by track and landmark. What visitors do instead is hire a Russian van or Land Cruiser with a driver, usually with a guide, which is how every Gobi and Khovsgol trip is run. If you do drive, Mongolia requires an International Driving Permit alongside your home licence, and a Mongolian licence for stays over six months. Official information is published by the Ministry of Road and Transport Development at mrtd.gov.mn, with visitor guidance at mongolia.travel.