All you need to know for your trip to Mongolia
Mongolia is often talked about when conversations surrounding top tourist destinations come up. China and Russia border it.
The country is best known for its nomadic Mongolian culture, history, and delightful tourism outfits. Wild Mongolia is another untapped potential. Mongolia has huge potential in its wildlife avenues.
This article will talk you through what makes the country so special, the best road Mongolia trip destinations, rental cars for travelling Mongolia, etc.
Why should you travel to Mongolia?
Mongolia is regarded as a top tourist attraction around the globe. The Mongolia holiday is a dream for all tourists around the globe.
It is due to its large landscapes and diversified natural aesthetics. The country delivers to tourists different climatic settings, which makes their journeys memorable.
Mongolia is renowned for its potential in off-road trips. Mongolian tours through roads prove to be a source of immense enjoyment for tourists. Missing out on an opportunity to discover Mongolia is definitely not something you want to miss out on!
People from all around the globe visit Mongolia to make the best out of their holiday. There are several travel destinations that are a dream for every tourist.
These include the breathtaking plateaus, Altai Mountains, Mongolian steppes, Genghis Khan monuments, and museums with a rich depiction of Mongolian history and heritage.
Western Mongolia is also a region to behold with its diverse terrain and exuberant landscapes. Furthermore, you are not likely to forget Mongolian food or Mongolian culture anytime soon!
Nomadic herders are also a common sight in Mongolia alongside ger camps . Mongolia tours are bound to cross your paths with various nomadic herders and ger camps.
Travel Highlights in Mongolia
Mongolia is home to many historical sites and breathtaking landscapes. Thousands of tourists visit Mongolia to look at these sites every year.
These include Buddhist Monastery, horse ride fields, camel ride fields, Mongolian steppe, Altai Mountains, trans Mongolian railway, Mongolia range, national park, sand dunes flaming cliffs, hot springs, remains of dinosaur fossils etc.
Up next, we will walk you through the best travel destinations for Mongolia holiday around nomadic life in Mongolia and tell you what they have to offer.
Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar is the capital of Mongolia. It is regarded as the country's heart, soul, and driving force. However, there's more to the country for tourism fanatics, who love to catch a glimpse of beautiful monuments. The capital is home to various sites of great interest for tourists.
The National Museum is one of the most visited tourist destinations within Mongolia. The museum contains weapons, armours, and war archives used by the Genghis Khan army back in the day.
Sukhbaatar Square is also one of the historical sites of Mongolia. It is the central square of Mongolia, which is named after the popular revolutionary Damdin Sukhbaatar.
Gandan Monastery is another tourist attraction due to its strong and rich heritage. It is a famous Buddhist Monastery. The site hosts hundreds of monks each morning who carry out prayers.
Bogd Khan Winter Palace is another point, well-renowned in Ulaanbaatar. It is popular for the tradition of the last monarch keeping an elephant and extorted wildlife in his palace.
Bogd Khan Uul National Park is a common destination for foreign visitors. The national park has various attractions for tourists of all age groups.
Ulaanbaatar, with its historical significance, is famous for other avenues. The city boasts of lively night atmospheres, cuisines, sprawling towers, and long buildings, which add to the overall feel of the city.
Karakorum
Karakorum is an ancient city with lots of historical remains. It is situated at the the northeast of Western Mongolia.
This is what makes it a handful for tourism fanatics. The Karakorum was the capital of the Mongol Empire that encapsulated its control around the world.
People often visit the Orkhon River Valley to witness waterfalls. Tovkhon Monastery is also a major attraction for visitors, which reels back to the famous sculptor Zanabazar. Erdene Zuu Monastery depicts the Karakorum of old times, a shadow of what it used to be.
The area is famous for its camping potential. Hot springs and lakes add essence to the place, which rounds off the perfect tourism destination.
Gobi desert
The Gobi desert is famous for its beautifully assembled dunes that spread like poetry across the city.
They're surrounded by vast plains, making the realistic view even more intriguing. The Gobi desert is a perfect example of poetry in motion, as it encapsulates the viewer's attention.
Moreover, it is not a mere desert with beautiful dunes and beast camels, but more to it.
Various monasteries add the historical significance that visitors are often on the lookout for. Different monasteries prove to attract a massive tourism industry in the Gobi desert.
Kamryn Khiid Monastery is the most famous Monastery in the Gobi desert. It is popular because of the thought that it possesses special healing powers. The Gobi desert is known by some people due to this Monastery.
How can you have out road trips in Mongolia and all the things you should carry
Public transportation in Mongolia is second to none, especially in Western Mongolia, making it a difficult gig to figure out travelling.
However, renting 4×4 cars has been the norm for tourists recently. It solves the problem of transportation, but it ensures better privacy and travelling experiences.
Coming to the essentials for road trips in Mongolia, it is paramount that you carry all the camping stuff, especially when heading towards Western Mongolia.
Roof tents are a must when setting out for camping trips. They prove essential in keeping bugs and critters away and keeping out the cold.
Camping is an integral part of road trips in Mongolia. This is because of the immense potential that many sites in Mongolia hold for camping.
Furthermore, it would be best not to forget other camping essentials that can hamper your progress in setting up camping tents.
The name that fronts up is the Karakorum with various other destinations that prove to be enjoyable camping sites.
Travelling Mongolia -Tours Itineraries
People often get stuck figuring out how to plan their road trips around the country. It is specifically due to the small time frames most people visit.
However, we will walk you through the Mongolia travel itinerary to ensure utmost enjoyment coupled with manageable durations.
1-week travel from Ulaanbaatar to Central Mongolia and Karakorum
This plan is crafted for people who have shorter time durations to travel in the country. You can start by landing in Ulaanbaatar.
According to our projections, you can cover the top sites in Ulaanbaatar in 2 days. Are you wondering what the place to go in Ulaanbaatar is?
Ulaanbaatar is the capital of Mongolia, hence having several top-rated tourist destinations.
The top tourist destinations in Ulaanbaatar include National Museum, Bogd Khan Winter Palace, Bogd Khan Uul National Park, Gandan Monastery, and Sukhbaatar Square.
After completing a wholesome historical intake from Ulaanbaatar, you can start taking leaps towards Central.
This road trip can cover the south Central to North Central and Western Mongolia sites. The distance between Ulaanbaatar and Karakorum is 361.5km, located in the Northern part of Central. The projections for the journey are at roundabouts of 5 hrs.
In the Karakorum, you can make your way to renowned tourist destinations like Orkhon River Valley, Tovkhon Monastery, and Erdene Zuu Monastery.
The Orkhon River Valley showcases brilliant aesthetics of a 20m long water that doesn't cease to catapult viewers into another world.
Additionally, the hot springs and lakes are enough to present a calming yet beautiful landscape to the visitors.
Different activities can be carried out in the Karakorum and adjoining areas, such as camping, barbeque parties, and other water sports. After taking a complete Mongolia tours of Central, you can take a 5-hr trip back to Ulaanbaatar.
2-Week Trip from Ulaanbaatar up to the Gobi desert
In this itinerary, you can cover areas starting from Ulaanbaatar to the Gobi desert in a time frame of 2 weeks. Starting from the historical sites of Ulaanbaatar, you can manage to spend 3-4 days here. Taking a 5-hour trip to the Karakorum, you can experience the breathtaking landscapes that present themselves in between and stop at famous historical sites.
After 2-3 days in the Karakorum, the trip leads to the Gobi, perhaps regarded as the most unique. The dunes spread across the land in a poetic motion transits the tourists into another universe. Various sites can be visited in the Gobi desert, mentioned above. Furthermore, Gobi desert has various camel ride opportunities for visitors.
FAQs
Which is the best rental car to have?
Various rental cars are available in Mongolia. The rental businesses is well developed in Mongolia due to insufficient public vehicles. However, it is not always feasible for tourists to make ends meet while renting cars that have sky-touching prices. Therefore, we have compiled a list of cars that prove fruitful in terms of quality and pricing.
A Toyota Landcruiser and UAZ Patriot is considered a popular choice in Mongolia. This is due to the knocks they can take in, relevant to rocky areas and rough terrains. Additionally, they prove to be reasonably priced.
Do I need a VISA for Mongolia?
Visa requirements are mostly of concern for people looking to fly out to visit Mongolia . A visa is needed to travel to Mongolia. The visa is free of cost for German residents and extends up to two months at a tourist status. For French and UK residents, a visa can be filed through the relevant embassies in the country. However, US residents do not need a visa to enter Mongolian lands, given they have a valid passport. This makes it easier for US residents to visit Mongolia.
How safe is Mongolia?
Mongolia is an untapped travel destination. Security is of great importance for visitors whenever they're exploring options for travel destinations. Talking in security terms, the country has proven to be quite safe for tourists without real reporting of any mishaps. Even though street crimes have been prevalent in the country, it does not indicate a threat to foreigners.