Where to Go

Experience the daily pattern of Mongolia’s nomadic traditions by arranging a stay in a family’s ger

Mongolia’s biggest drawcard is its incredible scenery: choose from grass-covered steppes, sparkling lakes or forested high mountains and plan a hike or camping trip, or do as the locals do and grab a horse (and a guide!) and venture out into Mongolia’s pristine wilderness

Arrange a camel trek into the otherworldly expanse of the Gobi Desert

Explore the ruins of Karakorum, the 13th century capital of Genghis Khan’s Mongol Empire in the beautiful Orkhon Valley

Catch a performance of traditional Mongolian folk dance, music and throat singing in Ulaanbaatar

While in the capital, learn about Mongolia’s rich history with a visit to the Zanabazar Museum of Fine Art

Don’t miss the Naadam Festival, the country’s biggest annual party, where you can experience traditional costumes, dance, music, food and religious ceremonies as well as watch local men and women compete in a huge two-day tournament of the country’s three beloved ancient sports of wrestling, archery and horse racing

Shop for food, fresh produce, clothing, trekking gear, saddles, religious trinkets, traditional handicrafts, souvenirs and just about anything else you can think of at Ulaanbaatar’s giant Naran Tuul Market (nicknamed Khar Zakh or “Black Market”)—but beware of pickpockets and be sure to leave anything of value at home

See an entirely different side to Mongolia by visiting in winter: rug up like the locals do and head to the frozen Lake Khövsgöl for the annual Ice Festival, or watch fluffy Bactrian camels and their herders race and play polo at the Gobi Desert’s Thousand Camel Festival

Weather

Mongolia’s location deep within central-eastern Asia, at generally high elevation and latitude and far from the moderating effects of any ocean or significant body of water, gives it a classic continental climate with long cold winters, short mild-to-hot summers, and dramatic annual and diurnal (daily) temperature fluctuations.

A major feature of Mongolia’s climate is its zuds (or dzuds), harsh winter conditions that kill millions of head of livestock each year, devastating Mongolia’s pastoral economy and the livelihood of its people. Mongols classify four different types of zud: white, black, cold and ice/iron. The white zud occurs when heavy snow stops animals from accessing the grasses beneath. The black zud occurs when freezing temperatures and a lack of snow cause drought, depriving animals of grasses. The cold zud occurs when temperatures are so low that animals must conserve energy rather than graze. The ice/iron zud occurs when heavy rains freeze on the ground, stopping animals from accessing the grasses beneath. In each variation, millions of animals can be lost, and herders can face multiple zuds in a bad year.

Precipitation is generally low, with Mongolia being well known for its remarkable number of clear, sunny, blue-sky days, averaging between 220-260 per year. Pre-Buddhist animist Mongols worshipped the “Eternal Blue Sky”, and Mongolia is lyrically referred to as “The Land of Eternal Blue Sky”.

Having said that, the weather is unpredictable and can turn ugly in an instant, with thunderstorms, hailstorms, sandstorms, heavy rains, ice, snowfall and fierce blizzards being a part of life.

Mongolia experiences extreme annual and diurnal (daily) temperature fluctuations. The temperature can vary as much as 44°C (80°F) between January and July, and variations of up to 30°C (55°F) in happen a single day.

In the capital of Ulaanbaatar, average daily temperatures vary from a minimum of -25°C (-13°F) to a maximum of -14.4°C (7°F) in January; to a minimum of 10°C (50°F) to a maximum of 21.8°C (71°F) in July.