What to See in Mongolia for First Time Travelers?
Mongolia is a unique place combining the Gobi deserts and green steppes. Where to visit depends on how long you will stay. If you only have two or three days, then two national parks around Mongolia shall not be missed, they are Hustai National Park and Terelj National Park, if time permits, Elsen Tasarhai Semi Gobi will bring you different feelings. If you could stay a few more days, Karakorum & Erdenezuu Buddhist Monastery, Orkhon valley & Ugii Lake in middle Mongolia, Yolyn Am (Eagle Valley) & Bayanzag (Flaming Cliffs, the land or dinosaurs) in the south, Altai Tavan Bogd National Park in the west and Khuvsgul Lake in the north, besides these, horse & camel riding, relaxing at a hot spring and the local herder family visits are all good extensions to enrich your stay in this magnificent country. Our best Mongolia tours can be customized according to your duration.
Horse Racing in Mongolia
Naadam Festival
When is the Best Time to Travel Mongolia?
Mongolia has incessant cold winters, summers are usually short with a little rainfall. This kind of geographical climate is formed because of more than 260 days of sunshine each year shining on the huge semi desert plain. The suitable time for travelling is from May to late September, but the best is July. Since there are no real hotels in some remote areas but only Ger Camps available. Some of them only operate from May to October every year. In the Gobi, it is cold in the morning and evening, but scorching at noon, and windy near lakes. All travelers need to get things ready for keeping warm and preventing sunburn.
The well-known Naadam Festival will be held in July every year. If you happen to travel at this time, you can take part in the grand event as well as enjoying charming sceneries. We offer a wide variety of Mongolia travel packages.
Do I Need a Visa to Visit Mongolia?
Mongolia offers different visa policies for tourists from different countries and regions. Passport holders of 24 countries or regions can enjoy a 14 to 90-day visa free policy. They are Argentina, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Philippines, Russian, Serbia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Nations, Uruguay, USA.
For tourists from Ukraine, although visa free policy is available, an invitation letter is still needed upon entry. For tourists from US, if the duration exceeds 30 days, they are required to register in the Office of Immigration within 7 days after arrival at Ulaanbaatar.
Tourists from countries not mentioned above, a tourist L visa is needed from local embassies. But if you take trans-Siberia trains, the visa must be valid when entering the Mongolian border, not the time getting to the first railway station. If you only pass by Mongolia, a transit visa is enough.
Tourists who are coming from some European countries, where there is no Mongolian diplomatic presence, are eligible to obtain on-arrival visa at the Genghis Khan International Airport. It is not applied to those who enter from other airports or train stations of Mongolia.
How to Get to and Travel Around Mongolia?
Being the economic and transportation center of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar is no doubt the entry city of the country, wherever you will travel, it is a right place that you must pass through. Two airports are available, while most of the international flights use Genghis Khan International Airport. Trans-Mongolia route is an important section of the Trans-Siberia trains. Besides international flight, travelers can also take train to Ulaanbaatar from Beijing in China or Moscow in Russia.
Domestic flights are available to connect big cities or regions, such as Dalanzadgad Airport in the south and Moron Airport in the north. The other transportation is not developed, and English is seldom used here, thus, the best way is to travel with an agency. Generally, for a guided tour, your private guide and driver with a four wheel drive vehicle will take you travel around the huge steppe and desert. Domestic flight will also be arranged in some itineraries. Please check our best Mongolia tours for more choices.
Gandan Monastery, Ulaanbaatar
Choijin Lama Temple Musuem, Ulaanbaatar
Is Mongolia a Safe Country to Travel?
Yes, Mongolia is a safe country to travel. Due to the language barrier and limited transportation means, most of the visitors choose an agency to travel with. They will make all tour arrangements and ensure all guests back to hotels or Ger Camps after dinner, so there is no need to worry about the safety.
Is Internet or Wi-Fi Available in the Ger Camps, and How About the Toilet & Bathroom?
Very few Ger camps have Wi-Fi, but you can buy sim card with data to access internet through your phone. Your tour guide is glad to offer the help.
There are two kinds of Gers, Ensuite and Standard. Ensuite Ger has private bathroom which is attached to its Ger, while standard Ger has shared bathroom which is always in separate block. Generally, we arrange standard Ger since the price for Ensuite is much expensive than that of the standard one. If you want to update to Ensuite in your Mongolia travel packages, please feel free to tell your travel consultant.
Read more on Mongolia Travel Guide.