Mongolia Travel Blog & News

Mongolia is a country filled with gorgeous sites and memorable adventures. From dry deserts to snow capped peaks, and historical museums to cultural interactions, there’s so much to see and do while visiting here that will help you grow as a traveler and as a person. It helps to know the best places to visit in Mongolia before you plan your trip. That way, you can be sure you’re hitting all the right marks on your journey, and you can come prepared for the activities. So, here are the best places to visit in Mongolia and what there is to do there.

When you first arrive into Ulaanbaatar, the incredible open spaces around the airport already provide a spot for epic pictures. However, throughout Ulaanbaatar (UB), there are several places where you can make your friends jealous about your travels. These spots all feature either beautiful nature, hip interior design, or amazing local art.

It’s the beginning of the end of Mongolia’s short summer season. Today is a big day for our young monk. Let’s call him Davaa, a good Tibetan name. His name means Monday, and his parents may have chosen his name because he was born on a Monday. The name also honors Tibetan Buddhism, which is practiced in Mongolia. He has only been at the monastery for a year, and he’s going to participate in his first Tsam ceremony. The tsam dances, are morality plays. Their purpose is to remove evil from the area and pass along traditional stories and morals. There can be hundreds of participants, usually monks. Davaa is lucky to participate because he’s still a young monk.

Among the skyscrapers and shopping malls, there sits a white building and a temple in a small clearing. The mountain stands behind it, protecting the city. Not far behind is the mighty Tuul River. The white building is by todays standards, a modest building. The temple is beautiful, but dwarfed by the 6-story mall nearby. However, if you were a lucky visitor to Ich Khirie, as Ulaanbaatar was known then, you would be standing near the largest building in town, if you could even get close enough. This is the home of the Bogd Khan.

While some people prefer to visit Mongolia in the summer, if you find yourself in Ulaanbaatar for the winter, there are still a ton of great activities to enjoy. One of the coolest Winter activities you can do is take a ride on the frozen Tuul river pulled by a team of excited huskies.

Khoomei or Throat singing is one of the most representative traditional arts of Mongolia. Khoomei was originated when people started imitating the voice of nature and animals many thousand years ago, and around 19th century, Khoomei was first developed as an art. Mongolian throat singing was registered in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, as an art native to Mongolia in 2010. At its meeting in Nairobi, the UNESCO Council inscribed Mongolian Khoomii in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of mankind.

If you’re headed to Mongolia, you might be tempted to stay in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, and tour around the Eastern region of the nation for the duration of your trip. We vote, explore beyond! There are a wealth of things to do in Western Mongolia, like observing the ancient practice of eagle hunters or scaling the country’s highest peak. You’ll get to dive deeper into Mongolia’s culture and enjoy a one of a kind experience while touring the other side. So without further ado, here are our favorite things to do in Western Mongolia!

Imagine riding a horse over the Eurasian steppe, winter’s cold embrace around you and an eagle on your arm. You feel the bird twitch, and know that it’s got something in its sights. With a flick of your arm, the bird takes off and flies toward an unlucky rabbit. Before you know it, the eagle dives down and in its talons is lunch for your family.

Surviving two destructions and centuries of rejection, Erdene Zuu is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Mongolia, probably in East Asia. The building of the temple was ordered by the Abtai Sain Khan- grandfather of Zanabazar the Great when the Tibetan Buddhism was declared as the main religion of Mongolia in 1586. For Mongolians, who employed nomadic lifestyle, this kind of building or generally anything that stays in one place was not that common. So, the temple has naturally become the religious center, thus the heart of the Mongolia. The geographical situation was carefully thought out too, it’s built in Kharkhorin- near the old city of Karakorum.

Mongolia has a rich culture, and one of the most well-known aspects is its music. With interesting instruments and mesmerizing vocal techniques, Mongolians over the centuries have developed a unique sound to express their lives on the steppe. There are many elements to learn about, however, we’ll just give you a primer on what the basics are. If you decide to visit Mongolia, you should definitely take the opportunity to hear a live musical performance; it’s definitely worth the flight to get in!