Things to do in Mongolia

25 things to do in Mongolia

Listed in full below. The running order is set by votes and loads with the page.

• Watch sunrise over the Genghis Khan Statue Complex

  Gaze up at the colossal 40-metre stainless‑steel equestrian statue of Genghis Khan as the first light strikes the Tuul River valley. Climb inside to the horse’s head viewing deck for a sweeping panorama of the Mongolian steppe.

  Tsonjin Boldog, near Ulaanbaatar

• Attend the Naadam Festival in Ulaanbaatar’s National Sports Stadium

  Experience Mongolia’s greatest annual celebration of the ‘three manly sports’ — wrestling, horse racing and archery — in a stadium packed with thousands of locals in traditional dress. The opening ceremony alone is a whirlwind of colour, music and pageantry.

  Ulaanbaatar

• Watch the sunset paint the Flaming Cliffs (Bayanzag) red

  Stand on the edge of this vast red sandstone escarpment in the Gobi Desert as the late‑afternoon light sets the cliffs ablaze. The site is famous for the 1920s discovery of dinosaur eggs and Protoceratops fossils.

  Bayanzag, Ömnögovi

• Ride a Bactrian camel through the Khongoryn Els sand dunes

  Trek atop a double‑humped camel across Mongolia’s largest sand sea, where dunes up to 300 m high sing in the wind. The silence and golden curves of this Gobi landscape are unforgettable.

  Khongoryn Els, Ömnögovi

• Soak in the forested Tsenkher Hot Springs

  Relax in natural thermal pools surrounded by larch forests and rolling hills in Arkhangai province. The mineral‑rich water, heated deep underground, is perfect after days of riding or hiking.

  Tsenkher, Arkhangai

• Explore Erdene Zuu Monastery, the first Buddhist monastery in Mongolia

  Walk through the massive walled complex built from the ruins of Kharkhorin in 1586. Inside, white stupas, ornate temples and ancient thangkas tell the story of Mongolia’s Buddhist revival.

  Kharkhorin, Övörkhangai

• Trek to the foot of the Altai Tavan Bogd massif

  Hike beneath Mongolia’s highest peaks, a skyline of permanent snow and glaciers where Russia, China and Mongolia meet. The remote trail past the Potanin Glacier leads into the realm of Kazakh eagle hunters.

  Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, Bayan-Ölgii

• Stay overnight in a traditional ger with a nomadic family

  Sleep in a felt‑lined ger, share milky tea and hear stories of the steppe under a ceiling of stars. In the fertile Orkhon Valley, you’ll learn how families move their herds and live by the seasons.

  Orkhon Valley

• Watch a throat‑singing performance by the Tumen Ekh Ensemble

  Hear the deep khöömii overtone melodies and see the colourful tsam mask dances at a live show in Ulaanbaatar’s National Academic Theatre. This professional troupe keeps Mongolia’s most haunting musical traditions alive.

  Ulaanbaatar

• Hike through the ice canyon of Yolyn Am (Yol Valley)

  Descend into a narrow, shadowy gorge in the Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park where thick blue ice can persist into July. The contrast of arid mountains and frozen stream is surreal.

  Yolyn Am, Ömnögovi

• Face a Tarbosaurus in the Central Museum of Dinosaurs

  Stand before a nearly complete Tarbosaurus bataar skeleton, a cousin of T. rex, along with fossilised dinosaur nests and eggs. This small museum in Ulaanbaatar is one of the richest collections of Mongolian dinosaurs anywhere.

  Ulaanbaatar

• Walk the ruins of Karakorum, the 13th‑century Mongol capital

  Stroll the grassy site where Ögedei Khan built a multicultural trading hub with paved streets and a silver tree fountain. The stone turtles and remnants whisper of the empire’s short‑lived urban heart.

  Kharkhorin, Övörkhangai

• Ride a Mongolian horse across the Orkhon Valley steppe

  Saddle a sturdy, small pony and canter through the vast UNESCO‑listed cultural landscape dotted with ancient burial mounds, deer stones and the Orkhon River. The sense of space here is the essence of Mongolia.

  Orkhon Valley

• Taste authentic khorkhog (Mongolian barbecue) at a city restaurant

  Watch chunks of mutton, root vegetables and hot stones being sealed into a metal canister, then cooked over a fire. At Modern Nomads in central Ulaanbaatar, you can try this smoky, tender feast with your hands.

  Ulaanbaatar

• Visit Gandantegchinlen Monastery, Ulaanbaatar’s Buddhist heart

  Enter the Megjid Janraisig Temple to see the 26‑metre gilded statue of Avalokiteśvara, rebuilt with donations from across the country after the communist era. The chanting monks and fluttering prayer flags create a deeply spiritual atmosphere.

  Ulaanbaatar

• Explore the white‑limestone badlands of Tsagaan Suvarga

  Discover a 60‑metre‑high cliff resembling a white stupa, eroded into fantastical ridges and coloured layers. This hidden‑gem in the Gobi desert looks like a lunar landscape, especially at sunrise.

  Tsagaan Suvarga, Dundgovi

• Mush a dog‑sled team on frozen Lake Khövsgöl

  Harness a team of Siberian huskies and glide across the deep‑blue ice of Mongolia’s largest freshwater lake in winter. The surrounding snowy peaks and total silence make it a true frontier adventure.

  Lake Khövsgöl, near Khatgal

• Join the Golden Eagle Festival in Bayan‑Ölgii

  Watch Kazakh eagle hunters in embroidered coats launch golden eagles from hilltops, then see them speed to their handlers’ arms. The festival includes traditional games like kokpar (goat‑pulling) on horseback.

  Ölgii, Bayan-Ölgii

• Hike to the summit of Bogd Khan Mountain for a city panorama

  Climb the sacred hill that rises immediately south of Ulaanbaatar, through pine forests and rocky outcrops. The view from Tsetsee Gun peak takes in the entire capital sprawled along the Tuul River.

  Bogd Khan Mountain, Ulaanbaatar

• Examine Buddhist art at the Zanabazar Museum of Fine Arts

  Contemplate intricate bronze sculptures, tangka paintings and the personal works of Zanabazar, Mongolia’s great 17th‑century lama‑artist. The museum is housed in a former trading building in the capital’s centre.

  Ulaanbaatar

• Sip a cocktail with a view at the Blue Sky Lounge

  Ride the elevator to the top of the Blue Sky Hotel & Tower for a glamorous night out. Floor‑to‑ceiling windows offer a glittering 360‑degree view over Ulaanbaatar’s skyline and the distant mountains.

  Ulaanbaatar

• Venture into the remote Khermen Tsav canyon

  Journey deep into the Gobi to a colossal red‑rock canyon of towering pillars and labyrinthine gullies. Known only to a handful of travellers, this eroded wonderland feels like walking through a prehistoric painting.

  Khermen Tsav, Ömnögovi

• Stand before Bronze Age deer stones at Uushgiin Uvur

  Walk among carved granite monoliths decorated with stylised flying deer, sun discs and warrior belts. This 3,000‑year‑old ritual site near Mörön remains an open‑air puzzle about the steppe’s earliest nomads.

  Uushgiin Uvur, near Mörön, Khövsgöl

• Devour juicy buuz at the State Department Store food court

  Join the lunchtime rush at Ulaanbaatar’s iconic Soviet‑era shopping centre to taste steamed mutton dumplings, Mongolia’s ultimate comfort food. Piercing the skin and slurping the hot broth inside is a daily ritual.

  Ulaanbaatar

• Drive across the sand sea of Mongol Els (Mini Gobi)

  Navigate rolling sand dunes and wind‑sculpted saxaul trees in this small but striking desert pocket near Kharkhorin. The golden waves offer a taste of the Gobi without the long journey south.

  Mongol Els, Övörkhangai