When Is the Best Time to Visit Mongolia?
The best time to visit Mongolia is in July and August. The season starts changing from May and travelers start coming. The tourist season is at its peak in July with the Naadam Festival (See also Traditional Mongolia Festivals). Mongolia is at its best. It is hot though the weather varies from places within the country. Some parts also have light to heavy showers and the night temperature can drop. Some also feel that the best time to travel in Mongolian could be between May to October. Even if the days are very hot the nights are cold. This period is also marked by many events that visitors can enjoy.
See also Best Time to Visit Ulaanbaatar
Advantages Disadvantages
See also Best Time to Visit Ulaanbaatar| Best Month(s): July to August | Best Season(s): July |
|---|---|
| Temperature: 23 °C (73 °F) - 9 °C (48°F) Clothes to Wear: jeans, casual tops, short sleeve shirts, Long sleeve shirts, sweatshirt or fleece, pairs of socks, rainproof jackets | Advantages: the annual Naadam Festival will be celebrated this month. |
Time to Avoid a Visit to Mongolia
For those who do not like harsh winters, it is best to avoid visiting Mongolia during the winter months. The temperature sometimes drops to as low as -40 °C (-40 °F). But winter has its charm and if you are the sort who avoids crowds, then this is probably the best time you could choose to visit Mongolia. The prices are relatively less though many places cannot be accessed.
Late spring till late autumn is considered ideal for a visit to Mongolia. But every tourist spot and Gers will be over flooded with travelers and it is also quite expensive to travel to Mongolia in this season.
Best Time to Visit Mongolia in the Peak Season & Slack Season
• Peak Season
Mongolia is a favorite destination for travelers in the summers. The best months to visit Mongolia is between July to August, which draws maximum tourists. The weather is pleasant, very sunny and at times gets a bit too hot. Intermittent rainfall makes the climes cooler and appropriate for travelers to enjoy the beauty showered plentifully on this country. Just after summer, autumn too is a preferable season for tourists. The wilderness is resplendent with the myriad hues of the season. You can taste a lot of fresh dairy products that includes cheese as locals prepare these to store for harsh winters.
Advantages• You get to see the best of Mongolia at this time.
• The Gobi Desert on two humped camel backs
• Annual festivals Naadam, Taimen
• Interacting with nomadic families and locals.
• Witnessing the exceptional historical, religious places, wildlife and natural destinations
• Driving on the picturesque muddy countryside
• Spending night under starlit skies in traditional Gers.
• Sipping through Mongolian salted tea, and Mongolian cuisine
• The Gobi Desert on two humped camel backs
• Annual festivals Naadam, Taimen
• Interacting with nomadic families and locals.
• Witnessing the exceptional historical, religious places, wildlife and natural destinations
• Driving on the picturesque muddy countryside
• Spending night under starlit skies in traditional Gers.
• Sipping through Mongolian salted tea, and Mongolian cuisine
Disadvantages• Sporadic rainfall can drop the temperature to subzero.
• Unregulated Gers mushroom wherever they can and migrants coming from the remote areas live in shacks in the outskirts of the capital looking for work.
• The locals and migrants take to excess drinking of cheap liquor especially during the Naadam Festival leading to unruly behavior that tourists may find offensive.
• Unregulated Gers mushroom wherever they can and migrants coming from the remote areas live in shacks in the outskirts of the capital looking for work.
• The locals and migrants take to excess drinking of cheap liquor especially during the Naadam Festival leading to unruly behavior that tourists may find offensive.
• Shoulder Season
September to October and May could be termed as the shoulder season and the Mongolia travel season begins and ends in this period. Early snow in the northern area limits access to some spectacular regions. This is the time when autumn is setting in and the temperature begins to cool. May is the time when the cooler weather departs giving way to warm summer. During autumn various attractions keep travelers occupied. The eagle hunters flaunting their traditional garbs wearing thick woolen coats and the typical fox hair hats are sight to watch. You may even get to hold the eagle. In May while the rivers and lakes are still partially frozen there is an international marathon that attracts many athletes and tourists from different countries to Mongolia.
• Slack Season
Winters can be considered a slack season in Mongolia. Travelers mostly choose not to travel due to the harsh weather which goes as low as -40 °C (-40 °F). If you do venture at this time, you have to take a lot of care to stay warm and avoid the outdoor for long periods as there are chances of getting frostbites. Most places are inaccessible at this time. However, the snow-covered steppe and frozen lakes and rivers have their magnificence. Hotels and traveling cost are relatively low and there is less crowding as people generally avoid this season.
Traveling is an individual choice. We have stated the popular opinion on which is the best time to travel to Mongolia. There is no end to discovery and a traveler’s thirst is insatiable. Especially when it comes to a destination like Mongolia, these is no limit for an intrepid traveler. I am sure you will do a lot of reading before you decide on your ideal month to travel to Mongolia. For an explorer there is always something waiting in every season.
| Month | Travel Suitability | Season | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| January |  | Winter | 16°C(60°F)/-26.5 °C (-16 °F) |
| February | | Winter | 11°C (52 °F)/-24 °C (-11 °F) |
| March |  | Spring | -2 °C (28 °F)/-15 °C (5 °F) |
| April | | Spring | +8 °C (47 °F)/-6 °C (21°F) |
| May |  | Spring | +17°C (63 °F)/+3 °C (37 °F) |
| June |  | Summer | +22°C(71 °F)/ +8 °C (46 °F) |
| July | | Summer | +23°C(73°F)/+11°C (52 °F) |
| August | | Summer | +21.5°C(71°F)/+9°C 48°F) |
| September | | Autumn | +2 °C (36 °F)/+16°C (61 °F) |
| October | | Autumn | -6 °C (21 °F)/+7 °C (45 °F) |
| November | | Autumn | -16 °C (3 °F)/-4 °C (25 °F) |
| December | | Winter | -24 °C (-11 °F)/-14 °C (7 °F) |
Traveling is an individual choice. We have stated the popular opinion on which is the best time to travel to Mongolia. There is no end to discovery and a traveler’s thirst is insatiable. Especially when it comes to a destination like Mongolia, these is no limit for an intrepid traveler. I am sure you will do a lot of reading before you decide on your ideal month to travel to Mongolia. For an explorer there is always something waiting in every season.
- Last updated on Dec. 25, 2020 -