Have you ever wanted to train a golden eagle for hunting on top of a sumptuous snow-capped mountain, surrounded by jewel blue lakes? or transfer to the summer pasture land with the last surviving nomadic tribe by camel caravan through the beautiful oasis surrounded by the singing dunes in the golden gobi? And are you still wondering how to get to Mongolia? So let’s jump into the easy ways to visit Mongolia.

Mongolia is a land-locked country in the far east of Asia, between Russia and China. The principal ways to get to Mongolia are cross the land border by Trans-Siberian train or a car, another option is to fly directly to the capital Ulaanbaatar city. 

1. Flights to Mongolia.

As a land-locked country in a far distant location from the crowded world, there are few international direct flights to approach Ulaanbaatar city – the nomadic capital city. Flights are run all year round by Mongolian national carrier MIAT Mongolian Airlines, and a few foreign airlines including Aeroflot, Air China, Korean Air, Turkish Airlines and Asiana Airlines.

These international airlines are operating flights connecting Ulaanbaatar with Moscow, Beijing, Irkutsk, Seoul, Hongkong, Tokyo, Berlin and Istanbul. We can offer a direct flight booking service to help our customers get the cheapest flights possible to Ulaanbaatar. Please, contact us if you need a cheap yet credible flight booking.

2. Getting to Mongolia by train or rail.

The world-famous Trans-Siberian Railway runs from Moscow to Vladivostok, and one of its branches goes to Mongolia and connects with Trans-Mongolian Railway and it ends in Beijing, China. You can start your railway journey to Mongolia at any of its stations from Moscow to Beijing. Also, you can combine train and air travel when visiting Mongolia, the choice of itinerary is yours, we are able to make your dreams a reality by providing rail tickets to either Beijing or Moscow to/from Ulaanbaatar.

3. Getting to Mongolia by car

Travelling to Mongolia by own driving car is one of the options getting popular among travellers to get to Mongolia, and it challenges most of the travellers’ driving skills, their car knowledge, and their “mentality”. If you are planning to bring a vehicle into Mongolia, you should know about informing the tax authorities and border troops in advance at any of the border crossings in the country. You should complete the customs declaration form and make sure you have all valid vehicle documents, including driving license, and ownership records.

One of the most important things you must know is that if you enter Mongolia in a private vehicle you must leave in the same vehicle, or otherwise pay customs tax. Before starting your travel, you should check your engines and prepare them to be ready on off-road and bumpy roads in Mongolia. If your vehicle is good enough to travel on Mongolian roads, you won’t have trouble and stress.

As the pandemic restrictions are getting better throughout the world, and the countries are getting back to “normal”, the Mongolian government has opened all the borders both air border and land borders to international arrivals, even without any requirements regarding the COVID-19 such as no PCR tests, no vaccinations, and no self isolations required to cross the Mongolian borders from as of April 01, 2022.  You may find additional info on our Mongolia Travel FAQ page, Mongolian e-visa page and packing list for Mongolian trips page. If you have more questions, please directly contact us at info@mongoliantravelagency.com or through our live chat on the bottom right corner of the screen.

Incidentally, as mentioned on our About Us page, Mongolia is not a destination for mass tourism nor a destination of comfort. If you are a keen adventurer who is prepared for more adventurous getaways and planning to experience this nomadic country, we the team of local travel experts will be more than happy to help your wanderlust through our home country. Should you be in search of your ideal journey, you may find your optimal journey on our Mongolian adventure trips page. If couldn’t find one, directly contact us. Our travel experts will arrange your customized journey without any additional fees. Look forward to travelling with you through adventurous Mongolia!

[Updated on the 3rd of April, 2022]

Mongolia is geographically characterized by the great diversity of 5 distinctive zones including mountain forests, the alpine steppe, flat grassland, and in the far south the semi-desert and the Gobi.

The text above tells you an idea – it’s a great and cheap way to get diverse photos of nature, wildlife, and culture.

Let us introduce you to places where the photographers shot world-class photos including Batzaya’s “Mongolian Stallion” on the Telegraph UK, Timothy Allen’s “Incredible Country” on The Telegraph, and more.

Let’s begin the list below:

1. Ulaagchin Lake – A Beautiful lake surrounded by sand dunes

Ulaagchnii Khar Lake has been protected as a Strictly Protected Area since 2010. Ulaagchnii Khar lake is located in the northeast of Erdenemandal soum in the western plateau of Khangai Mountain Range. This lake is a freshwater lake and one of the most beautiful lakes in the country. We can see amazing sand dunes in the southern and northern parts of the lake. The lake is 23.9m long and 3.5m wide on average. The depth of the lake is 47m in the west 23-30m in the east and the deepest point is 57m near the Gatsaa.

2. Khermen Tsav – A stunning canyon in the Gobi desert

Khermen Tsav is a mesmerizing reddish canyon in the Mongolian Gobi desert, in the southern part of Mongolia. It stretches some 15 to 20 km, and it was formed millions of years ago under the ocean that once covered the area.  The now desolate area of today offers some of the most amazing views in Mongolia.

3. Khoton Lake and Khurgan Lake

When you travel to the Altai Mountains in Mongolia, you will find this dazzling beauty. The two connected lakes, home to several species of fishes, some of them are only in the western Mongolian basin, surrounded by magnificent snow-capped peaks and ancient historical remains.

4. Darkhad depression and the Khoridol Saridag Mountains

The Darkhad valley is a large valley in northwestern Khuvsgul province, Mongolia. It is situated between the Ulaan
Taiga and Khoridol Saridag ranges at an altitude of about 1600 m, about 160 km long, and 40 km wide. The view from the valley and mountains are unique. The area is 4270 km². It was transferred from the People”s Republic of Tagna Tuva to the Mongolian People’s Republic in 1925 as a Soviet concession to the Mongolians, who had wanted to incorporate the territory of Tagna Uriankhai into their country. The valley is rich in lakes and rivers, the biggest of which is Dood Tsagaan Lake “lower white
lake” and Shishged River, respectively. The area is famous for its natural beauty.

5. Altai 5 Bogd National Park

Altai Tavan Bogd National Park is an impressive natural reserve and is famous for its 5 highest peaks and largest Potanin glacier, lying on more than 4,000m above sea level, the highest and westernmost region of Mongolia.

The park has not only natural wonders but also it has cultural and historical wonders including thousands of ancient rock carvings, listed on UNESCO World Heritage Site, mysterious stone men and burial mounds, and uncommon nomadic cultures of Kazakh and Tuva people.