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Tips to choose your tour in Mongolia

A journey in Mongolia is like no other, and more than anywhere else, it is essential to choose the tour that suits you expectations, dreams and limits.

Deciding to travel to Mongolia is often the fulfillment of a dream, especially for horse riders. Can you imagine yourself cantering in infinite steppes beside Mongol nomads?

But if you want your journey to live up to your dream, many parameters have to be taken into account.

We try to give you a few indications in this page, but you will soon discover that in Mongolia, everything is always possible ...

That's why the advice of our specialists Cecile and Claire will be certainly precious to you!

Is Mongolia a destination for you?

THE BEAUTY OF MONGOLIA is made of unlimitedness, of dizziness in front of a vast and intact nature, punctuated by white yurts and colored Buddhist temples ...

Nature lovers, contemplative spirits, if rough tracks do not frighten you, Mongolia is for you!

 

THE EMOTION OF MONGOLIA is made of encounters with a very charming nomadic population, living in an ocean of greenery between heaven and hearth, riding their horse, faithful companion of a lifetime.

If you think, as St Exupery, that "If you differ from me, far from hurting me, you enrich me", then you will find in Mongolia an eternal spring of spiritual and human wealth which will open you the doors of a lifestyle based on the respect for nature, the rhythm of the seasons, and the step of the herds.

A rough life, which is the price to pay for a freedom that we have forgotten.

Good to know...

This beauty and these feelings will be yours if you are ready to go and find them at the end of rough dirt tracks.

The routes can be long and tiring, it is the logical consequence of the unlimitedness and the very low population density of the country, that involves bad road structures.

Choose thus rather to dedicate yourself to a single region if you are afraid of long hours in 4x4, because of back pain for example.

By staying in the Orkhon Valley region, for example, you will discover a good part of the diversity of the landscapes of Mongolia, by optimizing time spent in transports.

Another important point, is that almost nothing is planned for the "tourist" (no hotel outside Oulan Bator), but it is the delight which waits for the "real traveler" ready to sacrifice a little of his material comfort to go off to explore a country which is often the journey of a lifetime...

On horseback, hiking or with a 4x4?

Do you want to ride a horse in Mongolia?

Can you imagine a more beautiful way of discovering Mongolia than from horseback, the symbol of freedom for the Mongol nomads?

If you are an experienced rider, discover all the variety of our horse riding tours in all the regions of Mongolia...

 

Non-riders avid to experience horse riding ...

If the choice of a horse riding tour is obvious for the numerous riders we send every year to the steppes of Mongolia, a fit non-rider can also find there the opportunity to discover this activity in particularly rewarding conditions.

It is possible, if you are fit enough (used to hiking for example), to choose an equestrian tour. Our Hiking & Horse Riding Tour has precisely been created for you!

We also recommend our "Nomadic Life" tour, which have been specially studied to discover various regions of Mongolia, staying in guest yurts with the nomads, and giving you the possibility to ride a horse with the nomadic family if you wish.

As all our tours, this package is very easily privatizable, so that you can travel with your family and friends, without worrying about your equestrian level with regard to the rest of a group which could be constituted by confirmed riders.

Hiking in Mongolia ...

Hiking in Mongolia is a wonderful way to live close to this fantastic nature for a few days.

Except in the Altai Mountains, the hiking difficulty is moderate. You will hike through gentle slopes, large valleys, along wild rivers and in larch forests.

Every day, you will meet nomadic families, and their free roaming herds of horses, yacks, sheep and goats are an important part of the landscape ... and of the fun of those hiking tours!

For families, we have created a dedicated hiking tour including a horse for the children to rest when needed, so that adults can enjoy a normal hiking pace.

What about a discovery tour with one of our 4x4 drivers?

If you don't want to ride or hike, join one of our discovery tours in a 4x4 with your experienced driver and our selected English-speaking guides...

Our discovery tours in Mongolia are the only opportunity to visit in a single journey different remote regions of Mongolia, when a horseback ride or a hike dedicates itself to an in-depth exploration of a region.

Moreover, vehicles are the only way to visit the southern part of the Gobi Desert - one of the main attractions in Mongolia - as horses can not live there, and climate is too extreme for hiking.

Yurts or tents?

Check carefully the accommodation of your tour before booking, as it is a very important part of the experience of your tour in Mongolia. Outside of Ulaanbaatar where you will find hotels, only 3 kind of accommodation are available.

  • Nights in the wild, under camping tents.
    A simple comfort, but which allows you to immerse completely into the most beautiful landscapes of Mongolia.
    Evenings around campfires, the magic of sunrises over splendid landscapes... This exclusivity is maybe the real luxury!
  • Nights in yurt camps fitted out with sanitary outbuildings (showers, washbasins, toilets), of variable quality depending on the camps.
    This kind of accommodation let you experience the traditional Mongolian yurt, one of the strongest symbols of Mongolia. And we have to admit that yurts have an absolutely magic and romantic atmosphere ...
    This accommodation is the most comfortable, because you sleep in traditional beds, and because yurts are heated with a traditionnal stove.

  • Nights in guest-yurts close to nomadic families, who welcome you for one night or for a longer stay according to the different tours.
    You share the everyday life of a family of nomad herders, and take time to immerse you in the ancestral lifestyle of the steppe...
    You sleep under "guests yurt", next to the family yurt (ger). This type of accommodation is intermediate between the tent and the yurt camps.
    You take advantage of the comfort of a yurt, simpler than those of the camps, but without fitted out toilets.
    Of course, your English-speaking guide is always there to be your ambassador with your Mongolian friends, and help you to take fully advantage of your journey.

More about the three kinds of accommodation in Mongolia ...

Which regions of Mongolia should you visit?

The Orkhon Valley

The Orkhon Valley is "Mongolia as you imagine it": vast landscapes strewed with white yurts, woody mountains where Buddhist monasteries hide...

The Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape was inscribed by UNESCO in the World Heritage List as representing evolution of nomadic pastoral traditions spanning more than two millennia.

In a single journey, if you add a stop at Khogno Khan (known as the "Mini-Gobi"), at the Tsenkher warm springs or at the Ugii Nuur Lake, you will discover highly varied faces of Mongolia, with the shortest possible road transport.

It is also in the Orkhon Valley that you will find the highest diversity of experiences: stays in nomadic families, horseback trails, hikes, discovery tours with accommodation in yurt camps or camping...

Several horse riding tours and hiking tours are dedicated to the Orkhon Valley, and all our discovery tours spend at least 3 nights in this region.

Arkhangai

A secret gem of Mongolia, Arkhangai receives less tourists than the Orkhon Valley and is therefore more authentic and preserved. It's worth the distance (you will need 2 full days on the road to reach the starting point of your tour), you will discover huge grasslands, with smooth mountains and impressive canyons.

Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur Lake and Khorgo Volcano definitely deserve a visit, with their incredible landscape of ancient lava flows.

Our Transmongolia Horse ride will take you deep into this region.

Gobi Desert

Gobi could mean fascination: fascination for the desert, its cliffs sculptured by the wind and the sand, its huge dunes where the last camels roam, its mysterious canyons which seem to lead to another world ...

If you want to visit the most famous sites of the Gobi Desert (Bayanzag Flaming Cliffs, Khongor Els Dunes, Yoliin Am Canyon), you will have to choose a discovery tour, as there are nos horses there and the climate is to extreme for hiking.

Our Gobi Desert & Orkhon Valley Tour takes you from the Gobi Desert to the Orkhon Valley in 2 weeks, to experience both the desert and the steppe landscapes.

It is however possible to hike or ride a horse in typical Gobi landscapes, thanks to a northern strech of dunes between Ulaanbaatar and the Orkhon Valley. You can try our Gobi & Steppes Horse Riding Tour.

... and which region NOT to visit!

Khentii Mountains and Terelj Park

We have decided to STOP our tours in Khentii and Terelj regions, as these are subject to severe garbage problems. As it is only 70 km from Ulaanbaatar, many people go there just for the weekend, and the place is desperately dirty. Moreover, the service in the yurt camps is very bad compared to the high prices they charge, due to the high demand for short trips from the capital city.

 

Lake Khövsgöl

We have decided to STOP our tours at Lake Khövsgöl because we don't want to be part of the touristic harassment of the reindeer breeders (Tsaatans or Dukhas).

 

Altai Mountains

We have decided to STOP our tours in the Altai Mountains because of the frequent outbreaks (foot and mouth disease, plague) and the lack of safe infrastructures.

 

 

 

When is the best season to travel to Mongolia?

Given the extreme continental climate which reigns in Mongolia, the best season extends from the middle of May to the end of September.

During this period, the temperatures are very pleasant and days are long.

  • MAY - Dry and still fresh weather. Be ready for snow as well as for 20° temperatures. Almost no tourists at all.
  • JUNE - Dry and quite warm weather. In the evening, it can still be cold, around 5°C. Almost no tourists and many babies among the herds of the nomadic families.
  • JULY - Warm weather (between 15 and 30°C). Nights can still be fresh. The Naadam festival attracts many tourists but outside Ulaanbaatar, you will still have a feeling of wide empty spaces! Lots of flowers everywhere.
  • AUGUST - Warm weather (between 15 and 30°C). Nights can still be fresh. Less tourists than in July.
  • SEPTEMBER - Temperatures can drop at mid-september. Be ready for snow as well as for 20° temperatures. Almost no tourists at all and incredible autumn colors in the larch forests at the end of the month.

During the rest of the year, it is still possible to travel to Mongolia, you will just have to be ready for very low temperatures (down to -25°C) with very little snow. We only offert tours with nights in guest yurts as most yurt camps are closed and it is impossible to camp because of the weather.

Our office in Mongolia


Mongolia Travel & Tours
/ Randocheval Mongolie LLC

8 toot, 33 bair, Erkhuugiin gudamj
7r khoroo, Sukhbaatar duureg
Ulaanbaatar, MONGOLIA

Our office in France


Randocheval Mongolie
1645 route du Vernéa
38440 Moidieu Détourbe
FRANCE
+33 437 02 2000 (Monday to Friday)

IMPORTANT - Flights in Mongolia


Be aware that very few airlines go to Mongolia, flights are therefore quickly fully booked, especially between June and September. Book at least 6 months in advance to have the best air fares.
If your luggage has been delayed, the airlines do NOT deliver it in Mongolia, they keep it available in Ulan Bator. If your tour has already started, and you are already in the Orkhon Valley for example, it can be very expensive to deliver it.
We can do it for you at extra cost:
- 50 € for a delivery inside Ulan Bator
- 100 € for a delivery in Hustai
- 200 € for a delivery in Khogno Khan
- 300 € for a delivery in Karakorum, the Orkhon Valley or Arkhangai
- 400 € for a delivery at Lake Khövsgöl or in the Gobi Desert
This cost includes the driver & the vehicle for 1 or 2 days depending on the distance + fuel for the vehicule for the round trip + meals and accommodation for the driver if the roundtrip is more than 1 day.
If your flight is late, the same rates apply if you need a private transfer.