Mongolia: The Last Great Empty — A First-Timer's Guide
A country three times the size of France with fewer paved roads than Luxembourg. Mongolia doesn't ease you in — it drops you on a treeless horizon and dares you to fall in love.
I landed in Ulaanbaatar at 2 a.m. on a Tuesday in July, walked out of the new airport into air that smelled like cold grass and diesel, and spent my first twenty minutes trying to explain to a taxi driver that my hotel was not the Chinggis Khaan Hotel. Mongolia does this from minute one: nothing works the way you planned, everything takes longer than it should, and by the third day, you stop minding.
Why Mongolia, why now
The Chinggis Khaan International Airport opened in 2021, MIAT flies to Seoul, Tokyo, Istanbul, and Frankfurt. Visitor numbers crossed 700,000 in 2024. The country is so vast that crowding is physically impossible outside UB and Naadam.
Editor's tips
- Book MIAT flights early — prices triple within 60 days of departure
- The airport bus runs to central UB for $1.50 until 10pm
Ulaanbaatar: love it or endure it
Not a beautiful city. Traffic makes Bangkok look orderly. But the restaurant scene has exploded: Modern Nomads serves elevated Mongolian cuisine ($12 a plate). The State Department Store cashmere floor saves 60–70% over Western retail. Gandan Monastery survived Soviet destruction. One full day is enough before heading to the countryside.
Editor's tips
- Stay near Sükhbaatar Square — Blue Sky Hotel ($90–130/night) is reliable
- Change money at Khan Bank ATMs (3,450 tögrög to $1)
The steppe and ger camps: what to actually expect
The road disintegrates into gravel after an hour, then into tyre tracks through grass. Ger camps near Terelj run $40–80/night with meals. Food is mutton in various forms, rice, milk tea. Pack hot sauce and dried fruit. Don't romanticise the toilets. But the steppe at night — the Milky Way casts shadows — is the only place that made me feel genuinely small.
Editor's tips
- Bring a headlamp, sleeping bag liner, and wet wipes
- Book through local operators like Nomadic Journeys — 20–30% cheaper than international platforms
The Gobi Desert: dunes, dinosaurs, and distances
Not endless sand — a vast rocky basin. Khongoriin Els dunes rise 300 metres. Flaming Cliffs where the first dinosaur eggs were found. Yolyn Am gorge holds ice into July. A 4–5 day Gobi loop from UB runs $350–500 with driver, fuel, camps, meals. The roads are punishing — 5–8 hours/day on corrugated gravel.
Editor's tips
- Hire a driver-guide, not just a driver — $80–120/day for Land Cruiser with fuel
- Pack motion-sickness tablets — the off-road driving is relentless
Eagle hunters of western Mongolia
The Kazakh berkutchi tradition in Bayan-Ölgii — not a performance. About 250 active hunters. Golden Eagle Festival in Ölgii (first weekend of October) draws 60–70 hunters and ~1,000 visitors. Festival tours run $1,200–2,000 for 5–7 days. Day visits to hunter families cost $40–60. Getting there requires a 3.5-hour domestic flight ($150–250 return). Fly.
Editor's tips
- Book festival tours by July — best operators sell out months ahead
- Bring a 200mm+ telephoto lens — phone cameras won't cut it
Practical logistics: visas, transport, food, budget
Most Western passports get 30 days visa-free. Private Land Cruiser with driver: $100–150/day. Buuz dumplings cost $2–4. Mid-range trip: $60–120/day. Travel insurance with helicopter evacuation is non-negotiable.
Editor's tips
- Download Maps.me offline — Google Maps has poor coverage outside UB
- Carry US dollars as backup — ATMs outside UB are rare
Best time to visit Mongolia
Mid-June to early July is the landscape sweet spot. Naadam July 11–13 is the cultural peak. August is warmest. September is underrated — autumn colours, thinner crowds. Winter drops to –30°C.
Editor's tips
- Regional Naadams throughout July–August are smaller, cheaper, more intimate than UB
- September: pack for four seasons in one day
Find the Best Flight Deals
International flights route through Seoul, Tokyo, Beijing, Moscow, Istanbul, Frankfurt. Return fares: $800–1,400 from US, $600–1,000 from Europe.
Where to Stay
UB: Blue Sky Hotel $90–130, Shangri-La $180–280. Countryside: ger camps $40–100/night with meals. High-end: Three Camel Lodge $300–400/night.
Tours & Activities
Mongolia is not a DIY destination. Recommended operators: Nomadic Journeys (premium), Sunpath Mongolia (mid-range), Gertoger (community-based).
Frequently asked questions
Most Western passports (US, EU, UK, Canada, Australia) get 30 days visa-free. Passport needs 6 months validity.
Mongolia is not convenient, not comfortable, and not for everyone. The roads will shake your fillings loose. But there is nowhere else where you can ride a horse across an unfenced horizon, sleep in a ger heated by a dung-burning stove, and wake to a silence so total it rings in your ears. Go while Mongolia is still Mongolia.
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Book on KlookAbout the author
Marcus Chen
Hotels & Deals Editor · Based in New York City
Marcus reviews hotels for a living — and has slept in over 400 of them. Before TravelBuzzy, he ran the hotel desk at a major loyalty publication and consulted for two boutique hotel groups. He covers the Americas, Japan, and luxury travel.
