Things to do in Mongolia

Gaze up at the colossal 40-metre stainless‑steel equestrian statue of Genghis Khan as the first light strikes the Tuul River valley.

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.

Stand on the edge of this vast red sandstone escarpment in the Gobi Desert as the late‑afternoon light sets the cliffs ablaze.

Trek atop a double‑humped camel across Mongolia’s largest sand sea, where dunes up to 300 m high sing in the wind.

Relax in natural thermal pools surrounded by larch forests and rolling hills in Arkhangai province.

Walk through the massive walled complex built from the ruins of Kharkhorin in 1586.

Hike beneath Mongolia’s highest peaks, a skyline of permanent snow and glaciers where Russia, China and Mongolia meet.

Sleep in a felt‑lined ger, share milky tea and hear stories of the steppe under a ceiling of stars.

Hear the deep khöömii overtone melodies and see the colourful tsam mask dances at a live show in Ulaanbaatar’s National Academic Theatre.

Descend into a narrow, shadowy gorge in the Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park where thick blue ice can persist into July.

Stand before a nearly complete Tarbosaurus bataar skeleton, a cousin of T. rex, along with fossilised dinosaur nests and eggs.

Stroll the grassy site where Ögedei Khan built a multicultural trading hub with paved streets and a silver tree fountain.

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.

Watch chunks of mutton, root vegetables and hot stones being sealed into a metal canister, then cooked over a fire.

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.

Discover a 60‑metre‑high cliff resembling a white stupa, eroded into fantastical ridges and coloured layers.

Harness a team of Siberian huskies and glide across the deep‑blue ice of Mongolia’s largest freshwater lake in winter.

Watch Kazakh eagle hunters in embroidered coats launch golden eagles from hilltops, then see them speed to their handlers’ arms.

Climb the sacred hill that rises immediately south of Ulaanbaatar, through pine forests and rocky outcrops.

Contemplate intricate bronze sculptures, tangka paintings and the personal works of Zanabazar, Mongolia’s great 17th‑century lama‑artist.

Ride the elevator to the top of the Blue Sky Hotel & Tower for a glamorous night out.

Journey deep into the Gobi to a colossal red‑rock canyon of towering pillars and labyrinthine gullies.

Walk among carved granite monoliths decorated with stylised flying deer, sun discs and warrior belts.

Join the lunchtime rush at Ulaanbaatar’s iconic Soviet‑era shopping centre to taste steamed mutton dumplings, Mongolia’s ultimate comfort food.

Navigate rolling sand dunes and wind‑sculpted saxaul trees in this small but striking desert pocket near Kharkhorin.