National History Museum
The National Museum of Mongolia is a leading museum dedicated to preserving Mongolian history and traditional life, attracting more than fifty thousand visitors annually. As such we serve an educational and cultural role, providing the public with opportunities to experience first-hand how Mongolians lived in historical times. The museum was established in 1924 and has remained dedicated to historical investigation and research as well as the collection, preservation and exhibition of artifacts related to Mongolian culture.
The first ever museum in Mongolia was called the Central Museum of Mongolia which was established in 1924 and became the basis for other museums, including the present National Museum of Mongolia.
In the early 1920-s as stated in the first regulation of the newly established Mongolian Academic Institution began to collect different types of interesting objects to present to the public. For this deed, to collect historically, ethnographically, and intellectually important objects relating to the country's past to share with future generations, dedicated great efforts. Mongolian famous scholars O.Jamyan the first director of Mongolian Academic Institution, Ya.Tsevel and N.Dendev etc. Also foreign scholars such as P.K.Kozlov, V.I.Lisovskii, A.D.Simukov, and the American researcher R.C. Andrews contributed in the collection and display of the first museum in Mongolia.
The National Museum of Mongolia was established after the merge of historical, archeological and ethnographical departments of the State Central Museum and the Museum of the Revolution in 1991. It is now located in the facility built for the Museum of the Revolution, which was founded in 1971. The National Museum of Mongolia is currently recognized as one of the leading museums in Mongolia. A significant responsibility for preserving Mongolian cultural heritage therefore lies with the Museum. The National Museum of Mongolia is a cultural, scientific, and educational organization, which is responsible for the collection, care and interpretation of the objects.
The Museum is supported through admission fees and government funding from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. In the last ten years our museum has organized individual and joint exhibitions abroad in Germany, Japan, USA, Korea, Norway, Italy, India, Holland, France, and Taiwan (http://en.nationalmuseum.mn/about).



Gandantegchilen Monastery
Gandantegchilen monastery is one of the representative architectural and religious sites of Mongolia.
The first temple of was built in 1809 and named Yellow temple. The current Avalokiteśvara temple was dedicated to the VIII Bogd Jebtsundamba and built in 1913. There were 20 stupas behind the monastery and over 10 temples were built in the area. Avalokiteśvara temple housed a 25.6-metre (84 ft) statue of the boddhisatva Avalokiteśvara made of gilded bronze and precious stones. In 1911, Mongolia declared its independency and VIII Bogd Jebtsundamba was crowned as a king of Mongolia. The statue of Boddhisatva Avalokiteśvara was started to be constructed in the great occasion of Mongolian people’s independency from foreign repression and in the desire of Mongolian people in 1911 and completed in 1913.
The purges of 1937 fell heavily on Gandan. When the US Vice President Henry Wallace asked to see a monastery during his visit to Mongolia in 1944, Prime Minister Choibalsan guiltily scrambled to open this one to cover up the fact that he had recently laid waste to Mongolia’s religious heritage. Gandan remained a ‘show monastery’ for other foreign visitors until 1990 when full religious ceremonies recommenced. Today more than 600 monks belong to the monastery.
As you enter the main entrance from the south, a path leads towards the right to a courtyard containing two temples. The northeast building is Ochidara Temple (sometimes called Gandan Süm), where the most significant ceremonies are held. As you follow the kora (pilgrim) path clockwise around this building, you see a large statue behind glass of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelugpa sect. The two-storey Didan-Lavran Temple in the courtyard was home to the 13th Dalai Lama during his stay here in 1904 (when he fled Lhasa ahead of a British invasion of Tibet).
At the end of the main path as you enter is the magnificent white Migjid Janraisig Süm, the monastery’s main attraction. Lining the walls of the temple are hundreds of images of Ayush, the Buddha of Longevity, which stare through the gloom to the magnificent Migjid Janraisig statue.
The original statue was commissioned by the eighth Bogd Khan in 1911, in hopes that it might restore his eyesight – syphilis had blinded him; however, it was carted away by Russia in 1937 (it was allegedly melted down to make bullets). The new statue was dedicated in 1996 and built with donations from Japan and Nepal. It is 26m high and made of copper with a gilt gold covering. The hollow statue contains 27 tonnes of medicinal herbs, 334 Sutras, two million bundles of mantras, plus an entire ger with furniture!
To the east of the temple are four colleges of Buddhist philosophy, including the yellow building dedicated to Kalachakra, a wrathful Buddhist deity.
To the west of the temple is the Öndör Gegeen Zanabazar Buddhist University, which was established in 1970. It is usually closed to foreigners (source: Lonely Planet).

Elsen Tasarkhai (Mini Gobi)
Elsen Tasarkhai Mini-Gobi is located in the Khugnu-Tarna National Park which is in 280 kms west of Ulaanbaatar. The National Park is protected as a natural reserve by the state since in 1997 and formed as a national park in 2003. Due to its unique landscape that shows gobi desert, mountain steppe and forest steppe in such harmonized view, as well as its convenient location, the National Park is one of the most visited area in Mongolia. Khugnu-Tarna National Park covers 84,390 hectare land and is comprised of Khugnu Khan Mountain range and Elsen tasarkhai mini gobi which is a part of the Ikh Mongol sand dunes stretches through 80 km with width of 5 km.
What to do in Elsen tasarkhai?
- To visit temple ruins: Erdene Khamba temple monastery
- To ride a camel or a horse:
Here you can ride a camel through sand dunes of Elsen Tasarkhai, absorbing an experience of Gobi desert. Also you can ride a horse through the rocky mountains of Khugnu Khan. You can even reach the temple ruin of Young temple riding a horse.
- To hike
Once you’ve settled at your camp or guest house it’s up to you to hike around the mountain. But please be aware to show some respect to the area and Khugnu Khan Mountain since the locals worship it greatly.
Where to stay?
Here you can stay at nomadic families and experience their lifestyle or stay at tourist camps where you can relax comfortably.
The most favorable month to visit would be any month between June and September.
Khugnu Khan Mountain
Khugnu Khan Mountain is situated in the region of Khangai Mountain Range, which of Quaternary sediments, and geologically compounded with mostly granite stones. It is said that the Khugnu Khan Mountain was formed during Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras so the area is covered with sediments such as sandstones, blunt slates, argillite, granite and marble and high potassium alkaline basaltic rocks related to those eras.
Forest area of Khugnu Khan Mountain is a southern part of Mongolian forest region and located in the mountainside and north parts, mostly larches, Populus tremula- betula wood and scots pines. And high steppes are covered with Caragana microphyla. Seeing from the landscape formation, it is obvious that the area has abundant of wild animals such as grey wolf, corsac fox, red fox, wild boar, steppe polecat, Pallas’ cat, red deer, wild sheep ‘Argali’, etc.,.

Small temple ruin “Erdene Khamba”
There are several temple ruins dated back to 10th century. You can visit Uvgun and Zaluu temple ruins (Old and Young temples) in the skirt of Khugnu Khan Mountain. According to historical records, a monk named Lhalambaldorj, who had possessed power and wisdom of Yamantaka after meditating for so long, took refuge in Mongolian Khugnu Khan Mountain after defeating his heretic king in Tibet around 10th century. So origin of the Old temple starts from here. Unfortunately, the temple was destroyed by Oirad Mongol soldiers of Galdan Boshigt Khan, who didn’t support Buddhism in 17th century. It is located in the middle of the mountain, where you’ll have to hike about 2 hours to reach.  
Ruin of the Young temple is situated in the foot of Khugnu Khan Mountain, where you can reach driving by car right next to it. In order to reach to the temple ruin you’ll have to drive up to a southern hillside of the Khugnu Khan Mountain, where you’re going to see beautiful scenery of a small meadow in the middle of mountain with a small spring pouring down. The Young temple was built by Ungur Gegeen Zanabazar, who moved the Erdene Khamba temple (Old Temple) to this place and restored its Buddhist activities. By early 20th century, the temple became quite big, practicing every kind of influential Buddhist practices with over 1000 monks. However, the temple was destroyed by communist authorities in 1937 and 1938. Over 30 high ranked monks were captured and sentenced during that time. Now there are only two temples remained, one is standing on a rocky hill of Khugnu Khan Mountain. And other one stood in the mountain foothill. The young temple was restored in 1992 by a nun called Davaa and its activity also restored.

Ikh Mongol els
Stretching through Erdenesant soum of Tuv province, Burd soum of Uvurkhangai province and Gurvanbulag soum of Bulgan province, covering 80 km land starting from the western part of Batkhaan Mountain till the western part of Khugnu Khan Mountain, Ikh Mongol els is very beautiful sand dunes. The central road divided the sand dunes in two parts that southern part is called Mongol Els and the northern part is called Khugnu Tarna sand dunes.
What to do in Ikh Mongol Els?
- To ride a horse:
Here you can ride a horse through the low dunes of Ikh Mongol Els.
- To hike
Once you’ve settled at your camp or guest house it’s up to you to hike or walk around the sand dunes.
Where to stay?
Here you can stay at nomadic families and experience their lifestyle or stay at tourist camps where you can relax comfortably.
The most favorable month to visit would be any month between June and September.

Kharkhorin
Kharkhorin soum is one of typical soums in Mongolia, with population of 7,045. It is located on the Basin of Orkhon River (Orkhon Valley) in Uvurkhangai province, about 360km directly west of Ulaanbaatar city. Its geological environment is belonged to the eastern part of Khangai upper zone which is a part of the great zone of Khangai and Khentii Mountain ranges. So the earth surface is dominated by steppe with river or stream alluviums surrounded by lower mountain ranges. Historically, this place has been important spot since XIII century until early XX century, that is, the capital city of Mongol Empire and Religious center of Erdene Zuu were resided throughout the history after another.
Genghis Khan’s third son, next successor Ogodei chose the valley because it was appropriate for a good nomadic camp which was an open steppe with water supply and cool wind shooing all mosquitoes and flies away. The name Karakorum derived from the way he built the palace where a sturdy wall was enclosed, and meaning of the name is ‘black stones’ or ‘black walls’. At first, Karakorum was a warehouse or workshop for most Mongols and Ogodei Khan. They continued to live in their gers around Karakorum for most of the time. But they kept their goods and tribute collection in the Karakorum and craftsmen usually resided there doing their work. Apart from the palaces which were dedicated to Ogodei Khan himself and his wives, he ordered to build several worshipping houses for his Buddhist, Muslim, Taoist, and Christian followers. In order to draw merchants’ attention to Karakorum, Ogodei Khan paid extremely high prices for all kinds of qualified and unqualified goods. Since the Karakorum barely produced anything and its living resource was merchants, Ogodei put great effort to secure trade routes putting his soldiers on guard and organized permanent stations guarded by his soldiers. Mongols planted trees or stone pillars alongside the road which made it quite convenience for merchants who travelled long road. With all these efforts, Ogodei could not make Karakorum as developed as Monke Khan’s Karakorum. Karakorum was still the modest capital city during Ogodei Khan although he laid the foundation of the great Imperial city of XIV century, Karakorum.
Monke was Tolui’s son and Genghis Khan’s grandson, who claimed the throne in 1251. When it came to develop Karakorum, Monke wanted to make it Imperial Capital city. He used his Christian craftsmen who were captured in his European campaign and who had impressed him with their technical abilities of metalwork. One of them was Guillaume Boucher, a Parisian goldsmith. Together with a team of fifty assistant craftsmen, Boucher did a great job turning the Mongol capital into an overwhelming and distinctive styled city. Apart from this European style, the Karakorum was decorated with Chinese and Persian architectures. The most known creation among Mongolians by Guillaume Boucher was the Silver Tree erected in the center of the capital city. It was a mechanical tree which was activated by servants underneath the ground. When the King wanted to summon drinks for guests the mechanical angel that was set on the top of the tree raised the trumpet to her lips and sounded the horn, then the mouths of the serpents that was directed to four universal directions began to pour out a fountain of four kinds of alcoholic beverages into large silver basins located at the base of the tree. It is reported that the Karakorum was the most beautiful city in the world at that time, with four great gates situated in the four sides of the capital city poured with loads of caravans. Alongside with the merchants, numerous scholars and envoys were invited or came on their own will to the capital city and paid their respect to the Great King, Monke. Being the center of political, cultural and trade for different nationalities, Karakorum followed the decree of Genghis Khan, reference to the religious tolerance. It should be noted that the Karakorum city was the important destination for Silk Road merchants.
After Monke Khan’s death, quarrel between Khubilai and Arik Boke for the throne ended with defeat of Arik Boke. Not wanting to stay in Karakorum, Khubilai built his own capital city Khanbalik (current Beijing) in 1272 and old Karakorum was looted and virtually destroyed under the command of Khubilai Khan.
According to historians and archeologists, old capital city Karakorum was located right behind of the Erdene Zuu Monastery. During the Joint Mongol-German archeological excavation which was held on the central area of the Capital city in 2000, archeologists found household items, irrigations system underneath floor, stone street, remnants of ironsmith workshop, workshop of valuable metals, numerous amount of coins and other things. Another important finding was foundation of the Great Buddhist Temple which was recorded in the inscription of Karakorum dated back to 1346. The excavated remnant of the temple is located right behind of the Erdene Zuu Monastery and all related findings are exhibited in the Museum of Karakorum. After you visit the Erdene Zuu Monastery, you can walk to the ancient temple remaining where you can also see the turtle rock which is believed to be made around the time of Karakorum city. The turtle rock is situated right next to the temple remnant.
What to do in Kharkhorin?
- To visit Erdene Zuu Monastery
Erdene Zuu Monastery is the main attraction of Kharkhorin soum.
- To visit the Museum of Kharakhorum
There is another a-must-visit place. It is the Museum of Karakorum, where you can get enough information on Mongol Empire of XIII-XIV century.
- To visit the Memorial monument for Great Kings
The Memorial monument for Great Kings erected on the low hill looks over the wide valley of Orkhon River, where you can hike up to or just drive by your car.

Erdene Zuu Monastery
Erdene Zuu Monastery is located in the Kharkhorin soum of Umnugovi province, 360km westward of Ulaanbaatar city. As you can see, the Orkhon Valley, where the Monastery located, was the center of political and religious activities of Mongolia. Historically, Buddhism spread throughout Mongolian territory three times. According to historical recordings, Mongolian noblemen were trying to cease the political chaos in the country by religious way. Erdene Zuu Monastery was the result of third wave when Abtai Sain Khan, who was the 27th generation of Genghis Khan’s Golden Lineage, met Third Dalai Lama Gyalwa Sonam Gyatso in 1580. The Erdene Zuu Monastery was started to be built in 1586 and the Gurvan Zuu temples were the first ones. When they constructed the Monastery, it is said that they used ruin materials from the old Karakorum city. The Gurvan Zuu temples are called the Main Zuu, the western Zuu and the Eastern Zuu, where sacred statues of Buddha Shakyamuni depicting him in his three different ages are housed in. Henceforth, number of temples and stupas around the area increased greatly. In early 20th century, Erdene Zuu Monastery had 64 temples and over a thousand of young and old monks were living in their own houses or gers around the Monastery and practicing Buddhism. Temples and other constructions are enclosed by wall with chain of 108 stupas. There were also streets of local people, worshippers and pilgrims next to the Monastery. The Erdene Zuu Monastery was famous with its Tsam dance festival, which is the sacred dance performed by monks wearing animated masks and costumes for the purpose of defeating dark spirits that are causing sufferings on earth.    
During the 17th and 18th century, Erdene Zuu Monastery was attacked several times in the result of quarrel between Mongolian big and small noble men. But the Monks always restored their temples and continued their duties until they step into 20th century. Policies against monks started after the death of 8th Bogd Jebtsundamba Khutugt in 1924. Monks had to pay extremely high taxes and young monks were persuaded to disrobe and join the Party. Starting from 1936, the Soviet Ideology cynically attacked all the monasteries and monks throughout the country. The Head Monk Of Erdene Zuu Monastery, Gonchigjantsan, an incarnation of three generations, was sentenced to death and got shot in the head when he was 80 years old. Over 200 high ranked monks were captured and killed and about 100 monks were sentenced for 10 years and imprisoned. The Monastery itself destroyed severely, only 18 temples and other constructions are left and restored later.
The ruins of the Erdene Zuu Monastery started to be protected by the state in 1943 and reconstruction works started. Until 1990 the Monastery was used an a museum and then, with the state permission to practice Buddhism, monks started their activity in the Labrang temple, which is the Tibetan styled temple built in 1786 and located in the eastern area inside of the wall. Other temples and constructions are open to visitors as a museum.
Nowadays, the Monastery exhibits all the religious arts, paintings and sculptures that were made by skillful monks and artisans in 18th to 20th centuries.

Orkhon Valley National Park
Orkhon Valley is in 360 km away from Ulaanbaatar city, becoming central area of Mongolia and holds numerous historical and cultural sites all throughout its dedicated land. The sites on the 150 hectares land of Orkhon Valley National Park was inscribed by UNESCO in the World Heritage List as representing the evolution of nomadic pastoral traditions spanning more than two millennia in 2004. Historically, from the ancient people to the Mongol Empire including the Huns, the Turkic people, the Uighurs, the Kidans, all these great states were centralized around this area due to its environmental and geopolitical advantages.
Majority of the sites were found on the basin area of Orkhon River, which clearly was the main water source of that time. The Orkhon River starts from Khangai Mountain Range flowing 1,124km and joining the Selenge River in northern Mongolia and it reaches to the Baikal Lake.  
Khangai Mountain ranges, where the National Park is located in its eastern part, were formed in the formation movement process of Alps during late Tertiary and early Quaternary. Apart from this formation process, the important factors which created its current earth surface were ancient glaciation, frost and water erosion. Geological identification of the Orkhon Valley National Park is mostly sedimentary rocks that belong to upper and middle Cambrian, lower and middle Devonian, upper Permian, upper Triassic, lower Jurassic and Carboniferous periods of Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras, such as slate, argillite, siltstone, granite, trap rocks and igneous rocks.
Mountainous area is covered with forest which is composed of mostly (89.4%) larches, cedars (10.6%) and birches (small amount). For the rare fauna, grey wolves, corsac foxes, red foxes, Eurasian lynxes, wild boars, red deer, Siberian musk deer, particoloured bat, northern bat, Ussuri whiskered bat and Daurian hedgehogs, etc., which are listed in the Mongolian Red Book of Mammals and protected by State. There are numerous birds such as bar-headed geese, swan geese, whooper swans, black storks, white tailed eagles, Himalayan vulture and cinereous vultures that become habitants in this area. While you’re driving through the valley, you will definitely see some rare and huge birds on the way.
From the most famous sites such as Karakorum city ruins and Erdene Zuu Monastery to the equally important historical sites such as Turkish memorial sites of the 6th and 7th centuries, Uighar capital city Khar Balgas of 8th and 9th centuries and Tuvkhun Hermitage Monastery alongside with the other significant Paleolithic findings are scattered throughout the Orkhon National Park. These named sites are surrounded even more bizarre and authentic nature which will make your tour worth doing.
The coldest month of the year here is January, approximately -15 to -20 Celsius and the warmest month is July, which is approximately 20 to 25 Celsius degree. Winter is long and cold and summer is short and cool. During spring, it gets very windy due to cold and warm air circulations so snow and dust storms often occur during March to May. So June or August would be pleasant months to travel around here.

Orkhon Waterfall
Orkhon Waterfall (its Mongolian name is Ulaan Tsutgalan) is located in 30km from Bat-Ulzii soum, Uvurkhangai province in the west. While you are driving to the Orkhon Waterfall, you’ll witness the volcanic area of Orkhon Valley. Volcanic eruptions were result of structural deformation and compositional differentiation of the earth lithosphere at convergent plate margins, in other word, an orogeny.
According to geologists, there were two major volcanic activities took place creating the current mountains and earth. First magmatic activity occurred at the beginning of the Paleozoic era and its magma came from the sub-due of one plate under another place creating a magmatic activity and forming a chain of mountains. The second magmatic activity was occurred late Carboniferous to early Mesozoic. Geological earth surface of this are comprised two types of rocks, that is, granites from the cooling of the magma (composed of quartz, feldspar, potassium and plagioclases, micas) and basalts from a magma to the surface (composed of plagioclases, pyroxene, olivine and magnetite). Orkhon Waterfall which is the good example of magmatic activities which water falls 25m down creating small fond in the bottom of the cracked earth. Surrounding high walls reveal clear view of magmatic accumulation or volcanic organs.
After you walk to the waterfall for about a kilometer you’ll see it standing on top of the canyon which is literally cracked down from the earth surface. The waterfall might not seem big to you but this is the biggest waterfall in Mongolia and it makes loud roaring sound which its name Ulaan Tsutgalan derived from. You can hike down to the bottom through big boulders. Hiking down might look dangerous or difficult but once you’ve tried you’ll know that was not difficult at all. It is relaxing to watch the waterfall sitting right next to it under the wall.
What to do in Orkhon Waterfall?
- To ride a horse:
Here you can ride a horse.
- To walk
Once you’ve settled at your camp or guest house it’s up to you to hike or walk around the area.
Where to stay?
Here you can stay at nomadic families and experience their lifestyle or stay at tourist camps where you can relax comfortably.
The most favorable month to visit would be any month between June and September. However, you can come here any month, even in winter.

Tsenkher hot spring
The Tsenkher hot spring is one of the most famous hot springs in Mongolia and the place numerous domestic and foreign tourists choose to spend their summer vacation, mending their body and health. The hot spring is located in the Hangay Mountain region, 25km southwest of Tsenkher soum, Arkhangai province. The region is popular with its extinct volcanoes and hot springs. According to scientists, these geothermal water sources lie near the surface under Hangay dome, under its Cenozoic volcanism areas. The geothermal water in Hangai region developed at an intersections of northwest and northeast trending faults as well as contact brecciated zones between Permian, Carboniferous and Devonian sedimentary rocks and Permian-Triassic granitic rocks. So this goes same for the Tsenkher hot spring. Geological formation of the Tsenkher hot spring is comprised of Permian aleurolite and brecciated quartzites.  
The hot spring water is generally a type of bicarbonate-sodium and has weak alkalinity with low mineralization. To more precisely mention, the hot spring contains sodium carbonate, hydrocarbonate, sulfate, fluorite, hydrogen sulfide, Kali, Natrium, Calcium, Magnesium, Ferrum, Hydrosulfur, Boracic, acid, silicone, etc., which are believed to be good for many illnesses. The geothermal water is naturally heated up to 86°C (~180°F) degree however nearby tourist camps and health resorts get spring water through pipes to their places and use the water after cooling down till certain degree which is secure to bath.
When you take a bath it is advised to sit in the hot water for not more than 20-30 minutes and it is better to take off your jewelries for avoiding chemical compounds impact. It is also recommended that people who have heart problems, cardio system illnesses, after surgery treatment or open wound are better stay out of the spring water. Pregnant women are also not advised to sit in the water. People who have no problem can enjoy the spring; swimsuits will make your time here more enjoyable.
Of course, it is impossible to use the hot spring as it is, pouring out of the earth surface for it’s too hot to use. Most of tourist camps are situated near to the hot spring so you can walk from your camp to the hot spring for just about 10 minutes. And when you bath in the hot spring water you can do it in facilities or pools built by camps themselves. Almost every camp has their own water facilities providing treatment services to their guests. Apart from the hot spring, the area is surrounded by high mountains and forests, so you can hike around as well.
What to do in Tsenkher hot spring?
- To ride a horse:
You can order to ride a horse from any camp you’re staying.  
- To walk
Once you’ve settled at your camp, you can hike or walk around the area.
Where to stay?
If you really want to enjoy the hot spring, you should stay at a tourist camp. All the camps around the area have their own hot spring pools where you can dip yourself in and relax.
The most favorable month to visit would be September when number of tourists start to decrease. Numerous domestic tourists like to come here during their summer vacation. So the place would be packed during summer months.

Khorgo – Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake National Park
Khorgo-Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur National Park is announced as a National Park in 1994 comprising Khorgo extinct volcano, which was started to be protected by state in 1965, and Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake as well as its surrounding area, which covers 76,893 hectares land. The National Park is located in the territory of Arkhangai province, 180km away from the central town Tsetserleg of the province. Khorgo-Terkhiin National Park is situated 2100-2500m above sea level and between main mountain range of Khangai Mountain range and Tarvagatai Mountain range. The place is unique because of its earth surface with moraine steppe and mountains that made bizarre and extraordinary landscapes and the lake which was created by a volcano eruption (Terkh White Lake). Magmatic or volcanic activities took place in the area during the Miocene, Pliocene, Pleistocene and Holocene.
Terkh White Lake is fresh-watered lake and located 2060 m above sea level, covering 61 square kilometers, which its length is 16km and width is 6km. Suman river originates from Terkh White Lake and joins Chuluut River. The Khorgo extinct volcano is located in the eastern part of the Terkh White Lake and situated 2178m above sea level and surrounded by strange rock formations. According to experts’ research, the Khorgo volcano erupted during the Holocene (11,700 years ago) and its hot lavas streamed through its wide valley and halted a stream of a river in the valley, which formed the Terkh White Lake in the end. There are about 33 small extinct volcanoes in surrounding area of the Khorgo and Terkh White Lake. The Khorgo extinct volcano is about 200m tall and its crater depth is approximately 100m with diameter of 400m.
For geological formation, the Khorgo-Terkh National Park is comprised with traps or basalts of Cretaceous period, granites of Devonian period and igneous rocks of Quaternary period. Central part of Khangai Mountain range is belonged to very ancient crystalized sedimentary (granites) layer which was formed deep in the earth. These rocks are considered to be formed in the result of process which hot liquid lavas penetrated the earth surface and cooled down there creating hard boulders. Later the boulders were lifted up and created surrounding mountains. The mountain sedimentary is mostly rhyolite, porphyry, andesite, breccia, sandstone, limestone, and argillite, etc., of middle period of Paleozoic era.
Soil around the lake area is quite humid and composed of dark brown soil and with knoll landforms. Mountain steppe area is covered with humid dark soil. The most of the area of national park is quite humid because of ancient glacial accumulation which creates pleasant environment for plants and trees to grow. In the northern area of the mountains Siberian larches (Larix sibirca) and Siberian cedar (Pinus sibirica) forests are common. Spruces and cedars grow in mountain skirts and mountain sides where there is plenty of humidity. For the plants, marshy and aquatic plants are common around the Terkh White Lake.
The Khorgo-Terkh National Park is occupied with numerous mammals as about 22 species of mammals are registered in the area, namely, wild boar (sus scrofa), red deer, Siberain musk deer, Siberian roe deer, red fox, corsac fox, grey wolf and Mongolian marmot. For amphibians, the area has Mongolian toad (bufo raddei) and Asian viper (Gloydus Halys) which the snake you should stay away from for it is venomous. As for being a paradise of birds, the Terkh White Lake is abundant with birds and fishes. Endangered birds in the world such as swan goose, Cinereous vulture, saker falcon and great bustard live here. For migratory birds, bar-headed geese, great cormorants, ruddy shelducks, common goldeneyes, tufted ducks, common mergansers and northern lapwings stop by the lake. A small island in the middle of the Terkh White Lake and the island in the west of the lake become the home for birds to lay their eggs.
Once you’ve reached to the Lake you can have a relaxing walk alongside the lake. As one or two locals serve guests with boats so if you have time you can surf around the lake on a boat. To see the volcano you’ll have to drive by car to the east for few minutes and the hiking up to the volcano will be short, about 15 minutes. Locals fixed the path up to the top and built small concrete steps so it is not that hard to hike up but you need to be careful for there are its slippery loose rocks on some point. Once you’re up on the top you can walk around the edge of the crater in order to see the surrounding are covered with magmatic rocks, which is said that hot lava streamed through 100kms over the Valley below and you’ll see the Terkh White Lake in the western horizon.
What to do in the Khorgo-Terkh National Park?
- To ride a horse:
You can order to ride a horse from any camp you’re staying.  
- To walk
Once you’ve settled at your camp, you can hike or walk around the area.
The most favorable month to visit here is July and August for it’s going to be warmer and pleasanter than other months because of its cool air of big lake and glacial remains of surrounding mountains.

Ugii Lake
Ugii Lake is a freshwater lake and situated in 25km southwest of Ugiinuur soum of Arkhangai province, which precisely lies in the foothill piedmont at the northern flank of the Hangay Mountains and belonged to the Orkhon River basin. This beautiful lake is not that bag, covering 2570 hectare land with a maximum water depth of 15.3m. A tributary of the lake is Old Orkhon River, which generates most of the lake water. The north and northwest of the lake is dominated by montane steppes and montane forest-steppes, where larix, pinus and betula forest are mostly grown. Ugii Lake is lifted 1332m above sea level and 3,4km wide and 7,4km long. The climate in Ugii Nuur is characterized by an extreme continental climate which is cold and dry in winters and relatively warm and wet in summers. Average precipitation around the area is 200-400mm. The Lake starts to freeze in late October and would be covered with ice in mid of November.    
Reason why the lake is special and attracts tourists is that, numerous animals such 266 species of plant, 20 species of mammal, 3 species of amphibian, 129 species of bird, 17 species of fish and 83 species of insect were recorded here and the area was listed in Ramsar Convention, an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands, in 1998, as well as started to be protected by local authority in 2005. About 87 percent of birds in the area are migratory so tourists can have a rare chance to spot unique and exotic water birds such as black-throated loon, horned grebe, great crested grebe, cormorant, whooper swan, white spoonbill and so on. It is obvious that the reason why these all birds gather around the lake, that is, because of abundant fishes such as hucho taimen, lenok, arctic grayling, pike, roach, etc., which can be even more attractive to domestic or foreign tourists who like to fish as a hobby.
What to do in Ugii Lake?
This is the right place where you can just rest and watch interesting birds sitting on a bank of the lake. Apart from doing basic activities such as hiking alongside the lake shore and watching birds, there are more things to do, like sailing on a boat, riding a horse alongside the lakeshore and visiting a nomadic family, if you have time to spare.

Hustai National Park
Hustai National Park belongs to a forested mountain steppe zone of Hentiin Nuruu, situated 100 km west of Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. The south part of the park penetrates the Tuul River basin. This park occupies 50.6 ha of land that is 26 km long (from N to S) and 34 km wide (from E to W). Hustai National Park covers areas of three soums, Argalant, Altanbulag and Bayanhangai of the Tov province. The 2.5 km long Moltsog els sand dunes are part of the Argalant soum and is included in the protected zone of the park.
Reintroducing for the first time the Przewalski’s horse (P-horse Equus ferus przewalskii Groves, 1986) in the wild was the fundamental reason for establishing the park. The State Great Khural (the legislative parliament of Mongolia) declared Hustai National Park a nature reserve (resolution 83) in 1993. The park covers more than 50,000 hectares. Measurable success and valuable conservation outputs since 1992, earned Hustai to be upgraded to a National Park in 1998 (resolution 115).
Hustai National Park’s mission is to achieve a sustainable population of endangered wild Przewalski’s horses while conserving the park’s ecosystem in a manner that includes the active involvement of local people, enhances knowledge of conservation management and enriches visitor experiences through eco-tourism, which in turn, provides financial support for the park. The FRPH and the Government of the Netherlands funded Hustai between 1992-2012. It was eco-tourism which supported the beginning of the primary infrastructure development in the 2000s. So, in 2012, the FRPH and the Government of the Netherlands funding was stopped. Now, the national park finances itself through eco-tourism in order to enable their activities to protect the eco-system of the park (source: www.hustai.mn).
What to do in Hustai National Park?
- To spot wild horses in the wild
You will drive through the mountains in the National park to spot the wild horses. There are several sightseeing spots that you can stop and search for the wild horses. A ranger will help you to see the horses or deer through his binocular or observatory telescope.
- To hike
It is the most favorable place to hike around the national park, with its low grassed hills and beautiful views of mountains. You will enjoy light hiking and soft wind breezes along the way.
- To ride a horse
Not the wild horses, but you can ride a horse at one of nomadic families or you can order a horse from the National Park Office or any camp you are staying.
The Takhi
Takhi is the last know species of wild horses. Takhi or Przewalski’s horse has been reintroduced in Mongolia since 1992. Currently, there are three locations where Takhi can be found – Hustai National Park, Takhiin Tal in the Great Gobi Strictly Protected Area, part B and Khomyn Tal National Park. Today, population is counted over 800 in total, however, it is still insufficient to ensure for this species to survive in the wild.
The Przewalski’s horse once belonged to the fauna of the Mongolian steppe. Due to a combination of climatic changes, pasture competition and hunting, the populations were drastically reduced in the last century. In 1968, Mongolia’s last free-living Przewalski’s horse was spotted in the Great Gobi SPA. After that, it was considered to be extinct in the wild. After various campaigns to capture the wild horses at the turn of the 20th century, some European zoos kept the Przewalski’s horse for exhibition.
In the early 1940s, however, there were only 13 fecund animals worldwide. Thereupon, a stud book was created and selective exchange campaigns between zoos, animal parks and private breeding facilities enabled the species to survive and created the greatest possible genetic variability (source: https://savethewildhorse.org/).
The stature of the takhi is short with a short neck and a relatively large head (shoulder height: 125-147 cm, weight: 240-300 kg). The coat color ranges from pale yellow to reddish brown, with a white color around the nostrils: the so-called flour nose. Occasionally, Przewalski’s horses have black and white stripes running across their legs.
The short mane standing straight up and the dark dorsal stripe that runs along the back to the tail are striking. Due to the elongated dock the long, black hairs begin to grow only toward the bottom of the dock and not at the base of the tail, as is the case with domestic horses. In contrast to the 64 chromosomes of domestic horses, the takhi has 66 chromosomes.
The Przewalski’s horse lives in the barren steppes and plateaus of Asia, mostly at an altitude of over 1,000 meters above sea level. The seasonal forays focus primarily on feeding grounds and watering holes. While the takhi can sometimes cover their water needs with snow during the winter, they stay near watering holes in summer.
The Przewalski’s horses are organized in harems and bachelor herds. A harem consists of an adult stallion and several mature females, as well as their offspring. At the age of two, the young stallions are driven out of the harem and usually join a bachelor herd until they can form their own harem or take it from a competitor. The young mares also leave their harem to join other groups.
The respective grazing areas are overlapping and during the fall, 2-4 harems might temporarily assemble into a large clan, which will separate again later on.



Ungut Monuments
Ungut Monument locates in the Hustai National Park. This is the largest recorded monument of the kind in Mongolia and central Asia, with a collection of 30 stones. It belonged to the Turkish Empire, which ruled Mongolia in the 6th and 7th century. Two stone figures stand of: one lion shaped stone, and one sheep shaped. Additionally, 552 balbal stones stand in a line to the east. The Hustai National Park Trust conserve and protect the Ungut monuments voluntarily since 2001. The Archeological Institute excavated a few monuments and moved some of them to another area in 1976 and 1978, leaving the site uncovered. The HNP Trust restored these monuments at the site and built a fence around it in 2005. A few broken stone monuments were also repaired and tightened with a special liquid glue in 2007, and the fallen balbal stones were fixed in 2009 (source: www.hustai.mn).

Baga gazariin chuluu
Baga Gazriin Chuluu pluton (the name means ‘Stones of small land’) is locates in area of Delgertsogt soum, Dundgobi province. It’s about 15km long and 10km wide granite stone zone. What makes this place one of the main attractions of Mongolia is that these whole massif granites hide many historical and archeological evidences in it. Apart from the sites, this is a place for hiking and wandering randomly on the granite rocks which eroded in flat layers of towers and columns by strong wind that you can note that this place is quite windy in every season.
The Baga Gazriin Chuluu pluton forms a sub-elliptical elevation with a maximum height of 1768m above sea level, surrounded by flat topography of volcano-sedimentary complex, that is considered to be Permian (which spans 47 million years from the end of the Carboniferous period 298.9 million years ago, to the beginning of the Triassic period 252 million years ago) in age. The highest mountain that is 1768m above sea level is called Takhilgyn Khavtsal and worshiped by local people for years. The pluton is accompanied by numerous greisen veins. Sedimentary part of the pluton is built by sandstones, in part with intraclasts and locally muddy, whereas volcanogenis rocks of the complex are represented by ignimbrites. The mineral composition of the Baga Gazriin Chuluu granites is generally monotonous. They contain intergrown K-feldspar, quartz, plagioclase, biotite and muscovite.
Along with the main sites, you might see wild animals like ibexes, wild sheep, gazelles, foxes, rare rodents and birds such as cinereous vulture, rock sparrows, horned larks since this place is both their home and stopover. It is quite rare to see any tree in the Gobi desert except saxauls but here you’ll see aspen trees now and then, grown beautifully in between of granite rocks.
 cannot just go there and see things since they are not an open display like a monastery or a museum. You’re going to drive from place to place through complicated rough roads. Dedicated attractions of Baga Gazriin Chuluu are the Sudutiin Am where a ruin of small temple situates, the Ger Chuluu where you’re going to see number of rock paintings dated back to the late Bronze Age, the eye spring which was believed to be good for treating eyes and Jargalant cave which is 18m long, and there are about 64 Hunnu Graves that were discovered by a joint expedition of Mongol-Hungaria-Russia in 1989.  
In the middle of aspen trees, surrounded by high cliffs of granite stones, there is the ruin of temple. This place is called Sudutyn Am by local people because large amount of grass called sud used to grow in the area. There were two pilgrims used to live and meditate here about 300 years ago. According to a legend, they built their home (ger) on a small spring so that they didn’t need to go out of their ger for fetching water. Later, a high ranked and renowned monk Zava Damdin lived here for a short time to create his works in early 20th century.
What to do in Baga Gazariin Chuluu?
- To do hiking
Giving the spectacular rocky low hills, hiking is a must-to-do. When you do hiking, try not to lose the sight of your guide or a fellow tourist, otherwise you might get lost in maze of granites.

Tsagaan Suvarga (White Stupas)
When you reach the central town of Dundgovi province, you’ll have to drive further for 156 kms to see this scenic place. Reason why people call this place ‘White Stupa’ is that they worship and respect it like the Stupa or a great mountain (khairkhan). Stretching through 400 meters (1312,34 feet) of steep horizontally, facing to the east, White Stupa is formed in 60meters (196,85feet) high and steep clay escarpments which made it look like magnificent castle. You’re going to be taken literally to top of the Stupa since the parking area is there. From here you’re going to walk to the edge of the cliff few yards, then, there is the beautiful sandstone formation.
When you step on top of the White Stupa you’re going to see that right below the White Stupa there are many colorful low hills gradually flattening further to the wide valley. Sand stone formations of the White Stupa composed of many different ores and chemical compositions such as iron and calcium, resulting in such colorful displays as they’re exposed to oxygen. It is believed that there was a sea thousands of years ago and once the sea drained out; this colorful seabed with various sedimentary deposits has been left behind, becoming main subject of ancient legends.
When you climb down from the top and also walk up and down the low hills you need to be extra careful to not to fall or slip over, and bring your water with you. Wind is quite strong here so you need to be careful when you stand on top of the cliffs. It is also great to see sunset here.
What to do in White Stupas?
- To do hiking
It is quite calming to hike around the low hills of colorful sandstone formations.
- To ride a camel
You can order a camel to ride from your camp any time. It would be recommendable to ride a camel after sunset when the heat goes down.
- To explore rock paintings
Del Uul with rock paintings, which locates in the south of the White Stupa. This is 17 km long, 8 km wide low peaks of mountain. The mountain contains about 3000 of ancient petroglyphs, about 20 of square graves and other scripts which are spread throughout the whole mountain and related to different historical times starting from late Iron age to the Mongol Empire of 13th century.  This place is the hot spot for archeologists. It is impossible to see all archeological sites in one day so you can enjoy the petroglyphs while walking around the mountain for an hour.

Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park
This is the biggest national park in Mongolia, 2,697,171 hectare land which covers territory of 9 soums of Umnugovi province and Bayankhongor province in southwest of Mongolia. The National Park was first established in 1993 and expanded to the current size later, where all the protected areas are surrounding Gurvan Saikhan Mountain range (Three Beauties of Gobi). The mountain range comprises three sub ranges, the East, Middle and West mountain range, which will explain its name.
Land formations of the national park are mostly inter-montane basins, pediments, and rocky mountain massifs. Those rocky massifs are the result of Paleozoic coarse-grained, dark-colored, intrusive igneous rocks, sandstones, fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rocks and tonalites, igneous, plutonic rocks, of felsic composition, with phaneritic texture. Basalts of cretaceous age occur in small spots. Since the Quaternary, rocky outcrops have been exposed to heavy frost weathering and are developed into wide area of screes and pediments. Sand dunes cover rather small amount of area compared to other terrain formations.
The most accessible tourist attractions that are located in the National Park are highly appreciated by visitors. To mention some of them, Yol valley, where the bearded vultures dwell, Khongor Sand dunes, where you will experience massive sand dunes lay in the wide flat land and Flaming Cliffs, where the grand dinosaurs lived millions of years ago.
Yolyn am Valley
Yolyn Am Valley is situated in the Eastern Mountain range of the Three Beauties and was started to be protected as a national reservation since 1965 and became part of the national park in 1993. The Yolyn Am Valley is one of the Nine Wonders in Umnugovi province. It is 56 kms from the central town of Umnugovi to reach the valley. Yolyn Am Valley goes through between high rocky mountain massifs of the Eastern Beauty, which is formation of Paleozoic gabbros. There is a narrow stream flows through the valley surrounded by high gorges, which will make your walking quite interesting and fun since you need to cross over the stream several times. This stream freezes forming huge amount of ice during the winter and the ice gradually melts until mid-July of summer, which most tourists find it astonishing to see ice in summer. The length of Yol valley is about 10 km if you walk till the end of the valley which requires 2-3 hours on one side.
The valley is abundant with vegetation, mammals and birds. The reason why they call this place Yolyin Am is that this is the home of Yol vultures (Lammergier-Gypaetus barbatus) or bearded vultures, for having white feathers around their neck. They inhabit around high mountain ranges of Gurvan Saikhan national park and the Yolyn Am valley is the most appropriate place to see the biggest bird of prey in Mongolia. When the sun rises Yol vultures start their day, searching for a prey. Almost 70-90 percent of their diet is based on bone which what makes them special among other vertebrates.
There are many other rare birds inhabit around the valley such as an Altai’s snowcock, a very cautious bird and a wall creeper, a tiny yet beautiful bird. In high gorges of Yolyn Am valley, you might see ibexes and wild sheep. They are really cautious animals so they blend into the nature color, which makes it really hard to see them among the rocks and they are unreachable since they climb up through the cliffs so leisurely. Magnificent snow leopards live in the area of Gobi Gurvan Saikhan national park but it is impossible to see them for ordinary people since they are extremely cautious animals and prefer not to go around the area with human presence. While you’re walking through the valley you’ll see a lot of pallas pika, a small mammal, running from one place to another, collecting their food in their mouth.      
At the entrance of the Yolyn Am valley, there is a small museum of Natural history of the national park where you’re going to see collection of stuffed animals, representing animals live in the national park and the archeological or paleontological discoveries which found in the park. The museum is small but sums up the whole national park. And there are also many ger shops, where you can buy souvenirs made by local people. You’re going to drive from the entrance 10 more km to the parking area and from there your hiking will start. At the parking area local people provide tourists with horse riding and camel riding services and as well as souvenir stands.
With your supply of water, you can enjoy your two-hours hiking with impressive view of high gorges, display of big and small wild animals and birds.
What to do in Yoliin Am Valley?
- To do hiking
Hiking through the valley of Yolyn Am will be your priority.   
- To explore the valley
As you walk through the valley, you need to open your eyes wide open to spot rare birds and mammals, especially you cannot miss the bearded vulture ‘Yol’.
- To do another hiking
If you have time after hiking through the valley, there is another beautiful valley called ‘Mukhar Shivert’ where you can see a 10m high wall of ice which is created by narrow streams flow down and stay there until mid-July. It is located in 7km from Yolyn Am in the south. Rocks are naturally in interesting shapes which local people invented many names for them. After you reach the parking area, you’ll have to walk about 750m to the destination. Since it is the part of the mountain range where Yolyn Am locate you’ll see the bearded vultures including other wild animals.

Khongor Sand dunes
Khongor Sand dune is located in the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park and one of the Nine Wonders in Umnugovi province. It is located 216km away in the west of the central city of the province. Khongor Sand dunes stretch through 130 km and its width varies 3-20km, settled between Sevrei, Zuulun and Bayan Bor high mountain ranges. The highest point of the dunes is 195m and local people call it Duut Mankhan (Singing dunes) for it makes thundering or whistling sound when sands slide down in the wind. Flat, stable and steep sand dune forms are resulted by the local wind and besides, it is believed that the sand dunes were brought here by the wind from the remnants of ancient sea bottom. There are narrow rivers called Khongor River and Seruun Bulag right in the foot of Khongor Sand dunes and stream through about 10 kms and create Adag Nuur (lake) right behind the Duut Mankhan. The area around the foot of sand dunes looks more like oasis, where rain percolates through the loose sand and accumulates on the underlying pediment surfaces. In the oasis, dense salt meadows are dominated and caragana bungei which is a shrub grows 1-6m tall is quite common here. It is well known that water in the gobi desert is salty by local people and so is the soil. Nitraria sibirica grows commonly on saline soils of the Khongor sand dunes but livestock don’t feed on them that much. In contrast, saline meadows are heavily grazed by livestock such as camels.
Oasis of the Khongor Sand dunes is the resource of water for many rare birds and wild animals alongside with local livestock. Birds feed on water species such as Mongolian toads, small fishes and Gammarus species. The most common water birds are Ruddy Shelduck, Mallard, Spot-billed Duck, Little Ringed Plover and Northern Lapwing. You’ll see Pallas Sand grouses everywhere in this area. Apart from the birds, goitred gazelles, Mongolian gazelles and wild ass graze around the area. As you drive to the Khongor Sand dune, possibility to see them in groups is quite high. Even though, during the tourist season they often become alarmed and stay away from the area.
The top priority of tourist activity is hiking up to the top of the sand dunes. Hiking is not going to be easy here because it is going to be literally one step forward and two steps back on sand. For some people it takes time to climb up to the top, varying around 30 minutes to an hour. But when you’re on the top of the dunes you can tell it was worth trying since you can see the mesmerizing sunset which is really hard thing to do as for there can be possibility to miss the sunset. Going down is far easier than climbing up. But there is one difficulty when it’s windy here. You will know that sand particles can be strong and hurt you while you’re walking forward. It’s just going to be one of the many adventures of your trip. Once you’ve finished your hiking, you can go back to your camp and take a nice shower since your body will filled with sands. Another thing you should do is camel riding. It takes usually one hour. Riding camel is nothing to be scared of as for the camels are very gentle animals except for their smell. Khongor Sand dune is the right place to ride camels, picturing the nature and rocked by gentle walking of camels. Depending on the time you arrived at the Khongor Sand dune area, you can ride a camel to the dunes you’re going to climb up or ride around nearby area of the nomadic family.
What to do in Khongor Sand Dunes?
- To ride a camel
Riding a camel is a must-do in Gobi desert. Immersing yourself in the beautiful scenario of Gobi on a camel back will give you a real experience of nomad.
- To do hiking
It is a challenge to hike up to sand dunes. However, if you like to challenge yourself, it will give you a real challenge. Once you are on top of the highest dune, you will feel that your every effort was worth it.

Ruins of Ongi Monastery
Ruins of Ongi monastery are situated on the bank of Ongi River in distance of 18km from Mandal-Ovoo soum of Dundgovi province and one of the evidences shows Communist destruction. The Basin of Ongi River streams through 437 kms, covering territories of 5 soums of Uvurkhangai province, 2 soums of Umnugovi province and Saikhan-Ovoo soum of Dundgovi province. The Ongi Monastery was built on the pediments in front of Sant Mountain, where its soil is semiarid and composed of sandstones and screes.  
In 19th to early 20th century there were ‘Three Monasteries of Ongi River’ which were situated near to each other – Bragri Lama Damtsagdorj (Ongi Monastery) in the north, Middle Monastery which was situated in the middle and Khoshuu Monastery in the south about 20km from other two. On the north bank of Ongi River, Khutagt Lama Monastery was built in 1760s. First two monasteries and the Khutag lama monastery actively cooperated in every ceremony. The Ongi Monastery was built in 1760-1810 by Khutagt Lama Ishdonilkhundev with his subordinate Bragri Lama Damtsagdorj and named the monastery ‘Gundujinbolin’. Bragri Lama Damtsagdorj was born in 1781 and studied Buddhism under Khutagt Lama Ishdonilkhundev’s instruction. He went to Ikh Khuree and Tibet for further education. When he returned, his teacher Ishdonilkhunev started to build the monastery for him.
In early 20th century, number of temples reached to 17 and there were around 10 financial units and over 1000 monks were practicing Buddhism here, which proves that the monastery was quite big and influential throughout the country. The dwellings where monks lived were located on the eastern, western and southern area of the Monastery. Monks studied Buddhism in 4 monastic schools, religious philosophy, mysticism, medicine and mathematics. The repression of religion started to reach the Monastery since 1925 and according to reports mostly high ranked monks, about 200 of them, were captured and executed and numerous monks disrobed and lived as herdsmen. Novices were enrolled to school or to the military army. Their properties such as herds and flocks were confiscated. The Ongi Monastery was mainly built of stone bricks so evident of destructions were left behind. Monks set the foundations of temples on the flat ground, which was dug by them for this reason and used natural rocks and even they made clay brick by their own hands.  
Later in 1998, Ongi Monastery Fund was founded by descendants of the previous monks and erected a Stupa for a memory of the monks, who was sentenced during the purge, in 2000. They restored a temple called ‘Zuun Gudengiin Dugan’ in the middle of the ruins. ‘Ger museum’ was established next to the Zuun Gudengiin Dugan in 2001 and exhibited the things were used by Bragri Lama Damtsagdorj and other remaining items from the original monastery.
What to do in Ongi Monastery?
- You will hike around the ruins and low hills of the area. If you like mountains and strong wind, you will enjoy your hiking.
- If you have a time to spare there are several spots you can hike up to. First one is The Mountain with Deity (Burkhant Shashir Mountain). In 2011, the 2m tall-statue of Luvenjalbuu, a water god was erected on that mountain for a purpose of calling the water of Ongi, which was stopped streaming because of draught and local mining activities.
- Next two routes are more appropriate if you do by car since the locations are little bit longer for hiking. The ruin of China Town (Shaazan Hotyn tuuri) is located in 16 km from the ruins of Ongi Monastery in the southeast. It is not studied well by historians or archeologist and even not mentioned in any historical records though they predict that the site is dated back to 13th century. Even some say that once Ogodei king, Genghis Khan’s third son was residing around here in 13th or 14th century. Anyhow, the place is the proof of sophisticated production of china potteries and decorations. Next one is a meditation cave where monks used to meditate in. it is about 8 km from the Monastery.

Flaming Cliff (Bayanzag)
Bayanzag (the name means ‘rich in saxauls’) is known as Flaming Cliffs in the world proved to be the Djadochta Formation dating from the late Cretaceous period in paleontological field. It is situated in the northern part of Mongolian Gobi Desert in a vast sedimentary basin, 17km away from Bulgan soum of Umnugobi province. The escarpment at Flaming Cliffs, along which the Upper Cretaceous sediments crop out, comprises a morphological boundary between the desert steppe zone, over the escarpment, and the desert basin floor, below the cliffs. It consists of alternating sandy and calcareous beds.  The Flaming Cliffs arenaceous sediments are almost invariably reddish-orange in color. All these red beds made the cliff look so red in sunset; resulted the derivation of its nickname Flaming Cliffs by Roy Chapman Andrews. No matter what time you visit there it will look beautifully red. But if you want to witness what Roy Chapman Andrews saw in early 1920s, you can revisit the Cliffs around sunset time when the cliffs get even redder.
As you may know, the Flaming Cliffs was a famous spot for the archeological and palaeontological expeditions since the early 20th century. With encouragement from his boss Henry Fairfield Osborn, who was a curator at the American Museum of Natural History, Roy Chapman Andrews led the biggest dinosaur skeleton hunting expeditions in Mongolian Gobi desert, in particularly, in Bayanzag in early 20th century. The reason why Mr. Osborn assembled the expedition team is that he was a proponent of the Out of Asia theory of humanity’s origins. During his several expeditions in 1922-28, Roy Chapman Andrews discovered thousands of dinosaur skeletons and eggs, but the most important of all was the skulls of Zalamdalestes which was the first collection of early mammals and was a great contribution to the study of mammalian radiation and human origins just like Mr.Osborn’s great expectation. One important discovery is fossilized eggs belonged to dinosaurs which was the first time human beings saw dinosaur eggs as a whole in 1923. On top of a ‘nest’ of bits of dinosaur eggs, the Andrews team found the skeleton of a bizarre toothless dinosaur, which Osborn subsequently named Oviraptor philoceratops.
Another great discovery was evidences of human presence-flints, scrapers, stone drills, arrow heads, flakes of jasper and chalcedony, pottery, layers of ash and charcoal. The artifacts dated between 12,000 and 7,000 years ago. Andrews team named them ‘Dune dwellers’ and declared that these dune dwellers were the one who first discovered the dinosaurs by seeing their amulet made of ostrich-like dinosaur bone. The locality where these dune dwellers lived situated right in the north of the Flaming Cliffs- Saxaul Forest. Saxaul or Haloxylon ammodendron is a woody plant of the Haloxylon group, which belongs to flowering plants Amarantháceae family of the group. It is a shrub or small tree with a height ranging 1.5-12 m, with forked branches, and the jointed and brittle young shoots. Leaves have the form of different small colorless scales or bumps (only green branches realize photosynthesis). The wood of saxaul is brittle and mainly used for firewood. Green shoots are good fodder for camels, sheep and goats. Saxaul is a surprisingly hardy plant; they can survive strongest drought, unbearable heat and saline soils. During the dune dwellers time, there was a river here that poured over the valley and provided lush living for grasses, bushes, trees, animals and the dune dwellers themselves. After thousands of years, however the river drained out and the grasses cleared by desert wind and droughts, you can still see a beauty of this place.
In 20th century, The Flaming Cliffs was a paradise for paleontologists. They could discover life cycle of dinosaurs and mammals from embryo to adults. But number of expeditions in the Flaming Cliffs decreased greatly starting from 21st century, not because all skeletons are discovered but there are even bigger areas to discover in other parts of Mongolia. Mongolian paleontologists like to say that they are just scratching the surface, so there are more in deep down the earth.
What to do in Flaming Cliffs?
- To see the Flaming Cliffs in sunset
One of the main point of your trip to Flaming Cliffs is to see it in sunset to truly witness the meaning of its name.

Khuvsgul Lake
The Khuvsgul Lake, ‘Blue Pearl’ as Mongolians call it venerating, is the biggest lake in Mongolia, which is located in the Northern Province, Khuvsgul on the southern region of the Eastern Sayan Mountain chain bordering with Russia. The Eastern Sayan Mountian range rises to over 3400m above sea level with its highest peak of Munkh Saridag, 3491m above sea level. The Lake is 136km long and approximately 20-40 km wide, with its maximum depth 262,4m. About 70,000km2 lands, including Khuvsgul Lake became a National Park in 1992. Its biodiversity is huge, which will compile up numerous books and studies.
The region of Khuvsgul is said to have glaciation of the Middle and Late Pleastocene that is, wide spread in the northern and western parts of the Horidol Saridag Mountains and its surrounding area. According to geologists, the Khuvsgul Lake was formed about 4-5 million years ago, becoming southern boundary of the Baikal Rift System which was formed following the collision between the Eurasian Continent and the Sub-continent of India.the south and southwestern regions of the lake’s watershed is covered with majorly carbonates (limestone, dolomite) with phosphorite deposits of Vendian-Early Cambrian. There are some small alkaline rocks and sub-alkaline olivine basalts, a dark-colored, porphyritic volcanic rock, of Paleozoic in the same area. The northern and southern shores of the Lake contain ophiolites of Late Riphean, igneous turbidite deposits from Vendian-Early Paleozoic and granitoids of Paleozoic era, while the northeastern shore is composed of sediments related to Early Precambrian and Late Riphean-Early Paleozoic eras, such as granitoids and olivine basalts.
The water of the Khuvsgul Lake is characterized as fresh and as well as carbonate-rich alkaline lake water, which is the result of its extensive dolomite sedimentary rock layers. The water also contains the concentration of phosphorus. Anyhow, the Khuvsgul Lake is the biggest freshwater lake, which is 60% of the freshwater of Mongolia, generated by many small rivers and only river that outflows from the lake is called Eg River, which is a tributary of Selenge River, goes to the Lake Baikal.
There are numerous lagoons around the lake which become home for many migratory and epidemic birds and fishes, that is, the number is too much to mention here. Not only lagoons, but also forest, forest edge, meadows and shoreline, wherever you go there are enough birds to watch for someone who loves birds. There are 4 islands namely Modon Khui, Khadan Khui, Dalain Khui and Baga Khui in the middle of the lake, which are worshiped by local people. To mention about worshiping, the Khuvsgul Lake and those islands are greatly venerated and worshiped by local people, as well as all Mongolians. You will find many Ovoos (establishment of piled rocks and woods with stripes of cottons or khadag), which usually built by Shamans.    
For any tourist, hiking is a priority, of course. You can hike alongside the lakeshore, but also you can hike up to the mountains. There are several mountains you can climb, such as Horidol Saridag and its highest peak Munkh Saridag and any other mountains in order to take a better look of the lake and surrounding. As you climb up in the forestry mountain you might encounter with wild animals, big and small, such as squirrel, red deer, corsac fox, or any other wild mammals, or you might hear them howling, chewing or pecking. Just don’t wander around alone as you might lose your way and get lost in the wood.
There is a village called Khatgal is located on the southern shore of Khuvsgul Lake, which is the point where tourist camps started to be settled alongside lake shores throughout the lake. This might be the most packed tourist place among the other ones. The good thing is you can do every kind of activities with help of them. You can rent a bike from one of the camps and ride around the lake or you can find a horse to ride around too. Boat service is also easy to find when there are not too many domestic and foreign tourists. In the northern shores some reindeer herders come down to the lake from their high land of forest to present their own culture with reindeers and teepees, which is a must-see display for any tourist.  
An interesting history about the Khuvsgul Lake is that, once we used to transport people and goods on a ship through the Selenge River and Orkhon River, as well as the Khuvsgul Lake in 20th century, cooperating with the Soviet Union merchants. The one evidence of it is a Sukhbaatar ship, which is now being used for tourist matter. So you can have a chance to travel on the ship board and immerse the deep blue scenery of the great water.
You can visit the Khuvsgul Lake almost any time of year since there are places to stay nearby. But it would be enjoyable if you visit around warm July and August. Winter is not too cold and harsh but still it gets cold enough to freeze the whole lake completely around December. Ice stays until April or May so local authority organizes Ice Festival yearly in February or March depending on the climate of the respective year.

Dukha people
Historically, Dukha people were firstly mentioned in the Compendium of Chronicles of Rashid Al-Din, who was a statesman, historian and physician in Ilkhanate Iran and lived between 1247–1318. Compendium of Chronicles described Dukha people as “mountain cattle herders”. However, we accustomed to call these people “tsaatan people”, “darhat people” or “reindeer herders” as they live herding reindeers in the northern part of Mongolia. Currently, there are about 400 dukha people residing in the eastern and western Taiga of Zuunnuur soum of Khuvsgul province.
Dukha people used to live crossing the border between Mongolia and Tuva Republic back and forth, where their habitual pastureland was spread. However, the Tuva had become part of Soviet Union in 1944 and the Dukha people were chased back to Tuva twice when they quietly come back to their original pasturing land. When they returned to Taiga they stayed there becoming minority of Mongolian ethnic groups ever since. Since then Dukha people in northern Mongolia continued to live as reindeer herders, becoming an official subjective to the country.
There is a Government decree on supporting dukha people to preserve their unique culture and the way of life. The Government provides them with compensations, remunerations and other special programs to improve their living condition. They are allowed to visit their relatives in Tuva once in three years with the state covering all expenses.
Tsagaannuur soum, where these people live, is located 1000km from Ulaanbaatar in the north and 300km from the north of Murun city, which is the most isolated and northest village of Mongolia. Today, 96% of the territory of Tsagaannuur soum is protected by the state and declared as a State protected area. Due to the area being protected by the state, the tsaatan people are restricted to do hunting or herding in the area, which makes them strugle even more since the hunting was their main source of food traditionally.
Accomodation and Ger camps
To explore the renowned endless landscapes of the Central Mongolia, Northern Mongolia or the Gobi Desert, you have three accommodation options:
- Touristic ger (yurt) camps: Comfort bed with nice and warm shower.
- Guest-ger (yurt) by nomadic families:  Traditional & Authentic.
- Tent: Into the wild nature.
Touristic Ger (yurt) camps
- Touristic yurt camps (called ger camps) are the most comfortable accommodation in Mongolian countryside.
- "You will stay in traditional yurts (known as gers in Mongolia), each furnished with single beds (ranging from 2 to 5 per yurt), small tables, and a stove. Single yurts are rarely available in most camps, so be prepared to share your yurt with other travelers from your group. While some camps offer yurts with double beds for couples, this cannot be guaranteed."
- You can find nice and warm showers, and toilets in a separate buildings.
- A restaurant provides breakfast and meals
- "Yurt camps provide the most comfortable accommodation available in Mongolia, but don’t expect luxury. Hot water in the showers can be inconsistent, electrical standards may be unconventional, and food quality can be affected by the remote locations and unreliable supply conditions.
- The camps serve simple international cuisine tailored to their diverse clientele, which includes Mongolian locals as well as tourists from Europe, America, and other Asian countries such as China, Korea, and Japan.
- The level of comfort and the quality of furniture in the yurts can vary depending on the camp, and there might be limited options in some areas. We always select the yurt camp that offers the best value for money at each location."
Camping (Tent)
Mongolia remains one of the few places where you can camp virtually anywhere you choose.
Our motorcycle tours take you to the most isolated parts of the country, and we’ve carefully chosen top-notch camping gear to help you fully enjoy this untamed landscape.
To ensure a successful trip, we rely on modern camping equipment that meets Western safety and quality standards for your comfort.
Mongolian Food
Traditionally, Mongolians used to consume food in harmonization with four seasons. For instance, given the fact that beef contains more nutrition and proteins, it is suited for spring. And horse meat is high calorie food though it is digested fast, which is good during winter. Goat meat is used during spring or summer and mutton is used during autumn, etc.
People tend to get tired and exhausted when the spring comes. During this time, goat meat soup gives your strength back because goats graze fast to eat the finest and fresh grasses in spring.
“Like so much in Mongolia, its food – and especially the way it’s consumed – is a reflection of the traditional nomadic lifestyle. Put simply, the short summers are when you fatten up for those long harsh winters when temperatures drop to -20°C for months on end and energy supplies run low. Nomads survived the harsh winters on a protective layer of fat and a diet of dried dairy products and meat produced over the summer months. Come spring, they’d purge out the accumulated cholesterol and consume high-protein meat and high-fat milk products over summer to rebuild that protective layer for the next winter” (Source: Carl Robinson “Mongolia Nomad Empire of Eternal Blue Sky”, 146).
Mongolian cuisine is heavy on meat, which is generally boiled and not grilled or fried. Mutton from the famous fat-tailed sheep is the most common meat and its bulbous tail is considered a real delicacy, similar to bacon but not as greasy.
Wheat, is actually grown in Mongolia and widely used in meals and used for other products, especially vodka. Barley is a popular cereal, fried or malted, and served as a porridge (arvain guril) with milk fat and sugar, or drunk mixed with milk tea.
Except for native onions, aromatic roots and other plants, such as Siberian beet, Mongolians use a range of introduced vegetables, principally carrots, potatoes, cabbage and garlic.
Dumplings stuffed with cooked mutton are the best-known Mongolian dish – as ubiquitous as the Australian meat pie or American hamburger – and come in three versions. Dumplings (called Buuz or bansh) is steamed, dumplings is boiled and khuushuur is deep-fried in mutton fat. Other traditional dishes are meat with fresh noodles or rice and a veriety of stews and soups, often heavy with potatoes and carrots.
At the top of the culinary list – certainly one of the most memorable you will experience if you are lucky enough to have it – is boodog, an exotic goat dish deeply immersed in Mongolian tradition and offered only on special occasions. First, the goat’s entrails and bones are removed and the carcass filled with herbs and hot stones, its neck tightly tied to act as a pressure-cooker. The carcass is then placed over coals to cook for two or three hours. When the goat is ready, the gathered guests are each given a piping-hot and slightly sticky stone, typically round and black, straight from the carcass, which you toss back and forth in both hands “for good luck”.
A simpler and more popular version – known as horhog – uses the fat-tailed sheep, ideally the whole animal. Again with hot stones, chunks of meat and vegetables such as potatoes and carrots are placed in a tightly sealed metal pot and cooked over a hot fire. In a remarkably quick time, usually a half-hour or so, the meat comes out tender and full of flavor. Another popular addition to meals is dried meat, or borts, usually mutton, which is cut into long strips and hung to air-dry. (Source: Carl Robinson “Mongolia Nomad Empire of Eternal Blue Sky”, 149).


Alcohol
“A more elaborate seven-step process distils milk into a traditional spirit called shimiin arkhi. Like other Asians, Mongolians lack a particular enzyme to break down strong alcohol, and thus they produce this relatively weak spirit, certainly far less concentrated than the later imported Russian vodka. Served warm, shimiin arkhi has the rough aslcohol content of wine. But because a large amount of its remaining fat is not distilled, heavy consumption is treacherous, including causing blindness” (Source: Carl Robinson “Mongolia Nomad Empire of Eternal Blue Sky”, 150).

Folk art
Music
One of the greatest features of Mongolian music is “throat singing”, also known as overtone singing or hoomii. Requiring the skills – and much more – of a ventriloquist, the performer’s lips barely move. Also used by Kazakhs and native Siberians, especially the Tuvans, throat siging is a special technique where two distinct tones are produced simultaneously by the vocalist. One is a low and sustained drone while the other is a flute-like harmony that resonates above it, or an overtone. Using different parts of the respiratory system, several techniques are used to vary sound and resonance.
Mongolian folk songs take two main forms: the long song, or urtyn duu, and short song, or bogino duu. A unique Mongolian contribution to world music, the long song - named for the long duration of its syllables with sometimes barely a dozen words in one song – is highly treasured and characterized by continuously gliding pitch, trilling yodels and complex melodies. Tones can range up to three octaves. Music varies with different ethnic groups and its themes can be philosophical, romantic or celebratory and often use the beloved horse as a symbol or theme. Indeed, the sound of many Mongolian songs quickly brings galloping horses to mind. Other strong themes are homesickness and love of parents, especially mothers. Heroic epic songs, or tuuli, are used in religious and shaman rituals.
The most celebrated musical instrument in Mongolian music is the horse-head fiddle, or morin khuur. Dating back to the Hun Period in the second century BCE, legend points its origin to a man turning his beloved horse into a musical instrument upon its unexpected death.