Mongolia Top Destinations and Things To Do
Genghis Square (Sukhbaatar Square)
The city’s central square, in front of the Mongolian Parliament building. The square is surrounded by the most important government, business and cultural office buildings. This is the center of Ulaanbaatar and here you will learn some basic information about Mongolia and Ulaanbaatar.
Gandan Buddhist Monastery
The monastery was established in 1838 and is the most active and one of the largest monasteries in Mongolia. See morning chanting, beautiful temples and the huge 27 meters high gold plated Buddha “Megjid Janraisig”.
National Museum of Mongolian History
The museum was established in 1924 and its collection contains over 50000 historical, archeological and ethnological artifacts from prehistoric times to the present. A representative selection of exhibits is displayed in 10 halls, arranged according to historic periods and topics.
Bogd Khaan Palace Museum
This beautiful building complex is Mongolian last king’s winter palace. The palace was built between 1893-1903 and King Bogd lived in this palace with his queen for more than 20 years. Bogd Khaan’s Winter Palace Museum contains a rich collection of the king & queen’s unusual clothes, items they used in everyday life, gifts received from foreign dignitaries, the Buddhist leader’s valuable articles used as leader of Mongolian Buddhists, some of his childhood toys, a ger lined with the skins of 150 snow leopards and many more unforgettably interesting exhibits.
Zaisan Hill War Memorial and Buddha Park
The huge monument on the top of the hill was created as a memorial to the soldiers who died in World War II. Zaisan Hill overlooks the city and offers the best panoramic view of Ulaanbaatar and its surrounding sacred mountains. Buddha Park features a 23 meter tall statue of Buddha built in 2005.
Terelj National Park
One of the highlights of Mongolia, Terelj National Park, is a picturesque place of high granite cliffs that were eroded by natural forces creating a wonderful landscape of granite tors as if sculpted by some giant sculptor. Terelj is only 60-70 km east of Ulaanbaatar. Terelj National Park was established in 1993 and covers an area of 2932 square km in the southern Khan Khentii Mountain Range. This park has a landscape of transition from Siberian taiga forest to grass steppe. In summer the meadows, carpeted with colorful flowers, mountain pine forests and broad streams make this one of the most beautiful areas in Mongolia. The most visited places in the park are Turtle Rock formation and Aryabal Meditation Temple. Hiking, horseback riding and rock climbing are common activities in Terelj.
Khustai National Park
Khustai National Park is located in Altanbulag Sum, Tuv Province and 90 km west of Ulaanbaatar. Khustai has 506 square km area and was established in 1993. The park protects the wild horse “Takhi”, also known as Przewalski’s wild horse, found no where else in the world, and a bio-diversity of other rare wild animals and plants. The quantity of various ecosystems within the park assures an abundance of wildlife. Till now 46 mammal, 172 bird, 2 amphibian, 3 reptile, 16 fish and over 289 insect species have been recorded. Many of these are mentioned in the Red Data Book as globally threatened with extinction such as the Przewalski’s horse, Mongolian gazelle, red deer, Argali sheep, grey wolf, fox, marmot and many more. See the Takhi wild horse and other wildlife.
Chinggis Khaan’s Statue
Chinggis Khaan Statue complex is located in “Tsonjin Boldog”, a historical place where Chinggis Khaan found his golden whip. The statue was created as a memorial to the Man of the Millennium “Chinggis Khaan”. The 40 meter high stainless steel statue of Chinggis Khaan on the horseback is the largest of its kind in the world. Visitors can climb to the top of the horse’s head and have a farseeing and panoramic view over the complex area.
The 13th Century Theme Park
This is the only place you can visit the old time micro kingdom of the 13th Century and experience the genuine way of living and working during that time. Park visitors can enjoy craftsmen art work, Mongolian calligraphy, learn to write Mongolia traditional scripts, try on traditional Mongolian clothes, ride a horse and a camel and take a lot of unforgettable pictures. All camps are open to you and free to experience.
Bogd Khan Mountain
Bogd Khan Uul strictly protected area is the first protected place in the world, since 1778. The Bogd Khan Uul, in the south of Ulaanbaatar, has an area of 416 square km and the highest point is Tsetsee Gun which is 2256 meters above sea level. The Bogd Khan Mountain has over 220 species of plants, some rare animals like red deer, musk deer, Siberian deer, Siberian ibex, wild boar and many species of birds such as common buzzard, woodpecker, stork and others. The mountain is great for hiking and it is popular for its forest with larch trees, grasslands, stunning plants and its animal life. Climbing to the top of the tors of the granite cliff peak, Tsetsee Gun for splendid views is really challenging. The peak is a three hour hike away and five-six hours for the roundtrip hike.
Manzushir
Manzushir Khiid or “Monastery” is located in the southern part of the mountain Bogd Khan Uul, at an altitude of 1800 meters above sea level. The monastery enjoys a beautifully stunning setting surrounded by a forest of Siberian larch with a backdrop of natural granite cliffs eroded into tors of huge rounded boulders. Many thousands have fallen from the cliffs to make a grassy spreading out to the forest. The monastery had over 20 temples and was once home to at least 300 monks but was destroyed in the 1930s. A reconstruction project is underway. The main temple has been restored and converted into a museum but the other buildings in the area remain in ruins. The ruins of the original monastery, dating from 1733, are clearly visible. A god image, carved in the granite rock at the monastery, is a unique historical and cultural exposition. There is a big boiling kettle with a diameter of 2.15 meters, a depth of 1.4 meters and capacity of one ton that is known to have been used here to cook food for 1000 people at one time. A brief visit to a small but interesting nature museum will introduce you to some of the wildlife and natural beauty of the area. This place is ideal for trekking / hiking and taking pictures.
Altai Mountain Range
Altai Mountain Range is located in the west and southwestern part of Mongolia stretching through the territories of 5 provinces. This majestic mountain range consists of two huge separate mountain ranges, Mongol Altai Mountain Range that stretches for 900 km and Gobi Altai Mountain Range that extends for about 700 km. The ranges have heights of 3500 – 4374 meters above sea level. The highest peaks, many over 4000 meters, are permanently covered with glaciers and snow while the valleys have green pastures, that support millions of livestock as well as diverse species of wild animals like wild Argali sheep, Siberian ibex, snow leopard, saiga antelope, gazelle, white and black tailed antelope, wolf, fox, and marmot. These valleys are dotted with small communities of nomadic families and there are hundreds of astonishingly freshwater lakes and streams. Mountain climbing, hiking, relaxing in untouched nature and exploring the variety of nomadic cultural heritages are great activities to be enjoyed in western Mongolia.
Altai Tavan Bogd National Park
Called “The Roof of Mongolia”, Altai Tavan Bogd National Park is in the far west of Mongolia near the borders of Russia and China. The park has an area of 636200 hectares and the highest point is the peak of Khuiten Uul reaching 4374 meters above sea level. Altai Tavan Bogd means Five Holy Peaks of Altai, Khuiten, Naran, Ulgii, Burged and Malchin. The park includes Mongolia’s highest peaks, perpetually snow-capped with beautiful glaciers including the 20 km long Potanin Glacier, the longest in Mongolia. The stunning freshwater lakes of Khoton, Khurgan and Dayan are there in the park. Fauna includes Argali sheep, ibex, maral (Asiatic red deer), stone marten, deer, elk, Altai snow cock and eagles. There are many archeological sites with many balbal - Turkic stone figures, deer stone monuments, burial mounds and petroglyphs.
Kharkhiraa Turgen Mountain Range
The mountains of Kharkhiraa Uul and Turgen Uul are perpetually snowcapped. Kharkhiraa Mountain reaches 4038 meters above sea level and Turgen Mountain reaches 3965 meters. Here there are many kinds of rare plants and animals such as snow leopard and wild Argali sheep. The mountain range is a great place for hiking.
Ethnic Groups
Western Mongolia is Mongolia’s most heterogeneous area with a Khalkh majority and minorities of Kazakh, Bayad, Durvud, Uriankhai, Zakhchin, Myangad, Oold, Torguud, Khoton, Tuvan ethnic groups.
Kazakh – Eagle Hunters
About 90% of Bayan-Ulgii Province population is Kazakh and almost all of them are Muslim. They speak both Kazakh and Mongolian languages. The Kazakh is a minority that has a different culture from the Mongols, herding goats and hunting with trained eagles. Kazakh people hunt with specially trained eagles, the real pride of the Kazakhs. In Bayan-Ulgii you may visit Kazakh eagle hunter’s family and learn about the Kazakh people’s unique lifestyle, traditions and how they train the eagles for hunting.
Gurvan Tsenkher Cave
This cave is 25 km west of the center of Mankhan Sum in Khovd Province. The cave is about 220 meters long and 20 meters high. Inside are ancient rock paintings drawn 40,000 – 12,000 years ago in the Paleolithic Era. The paint pigment is composed of red and brown earths. Soot from smoke also covers the walls and roof of the cave. Among the paintings are mountain goats, buffalo and birds that appear to be ostriches and elephant, both long extinct in Mongolia. The cave became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
Uvs Lake Basin Strictly Protected Area
This strictly protected area consists of Uvs Lake, Turgen Mountain, Torkhlog River, Tes River, Tsagaan Shuvuut Mountain and the Golden Sand Dunes that covers an area of 7125 square km. The protected area contains everything from desert sand dunes to snowfields and marsh to mountain forest. This area has enjoyed state protection since 1993 and was designated as a UNESCO World Biosphere Site in 1997.
Uvs Nuur is the largest lake in Mongolia. The lake surface covers 3351 square km and is 80 km wide and 80 km long. The surrounding area of the lake becomes the coldest part of Mongolia in winter time. Ornithologists have documented over 220 species of birds around Uvs Lake including osprey, white-tailed eagle, black stork, swan goose, bar-headed goose, Eurasian spoonbill, great white heron, whopper swan, great black-headed gull, white-headed gull and cranes.
Khyargas Nuur National Park
Khyargas Nuur is one of the Mongolia’s largest lakes, covering 1406 square kilometres. It is 75 km long, 31 km wide and 80 m deep. The lake surface is at 1028 m above sea level.
Khyargas Nuur, a salt lake amid desert and scrub grass, provides an attractive summer home for birds. The Zavkhan river feeds lake Airag Nuur, which is connected to Khyargas Nuur by a channel. The water is brackish and has rare fish such as Mongolian Grayling.
The lake is one of the essential fantastic part of this tour. There you will feel a kind of relaxing paradise.
Khar Lake
Khar Lake or Khar Nuur was not a common destination in Mongolian tourism until last few years because of its hidden remote location. But it is now a truly worthy natural attraction for Western Mongolian travelers. The lake is surrounded by massive extensive sand dunes and among sand dunes the looks like an Azure Lopez. Visiting the joint part of sand dunes and lake is an unforgettably wonderful experience. Do not see it in your dream, see this wonder in reality with us!
Khangai Mountain Range
The Khangain Nuruu Mountain Range in central Mongolia is the second highest mountain range in Mongolia. The range extends for about 800 kilometers and its average altitude is 2500-3000 meters above sea level. Most of the ancient Mongolian states’ histories connect to this area. Khangai mountains are well-watered, covered with abundant forests, lovely meadows and plenty of fresh streams. The Khangai zone is home to diverse species of flora and fauna including: elk, red deer, musk deer, wild boar, brown bear, wild sheep, ibex, wolf, fox and more. Horseback and camel riding, fishing, boating, bird watching and trekking in spectacular nature are all available here.
Karakorum
Karakorum was established in 1220 and was the capital city of the Great Mongolian Empire. Chinggis Khaan and his descendant khaans Ugudei, Guyug and Munkh lived here ruling the empire. The city was destroyed by soldiers of Chinese Ming Dynasty in the 14th Century. The ruins of Karakorum have been protected since 1961 and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. There are several interesting sites to visit in Karakorum including the Erdenezuu Monastery, the Great Khan’s monument, the legendary Turtle of Karakorum and the Phallic Rock statue.
Erdenezuu Monastery
Erdenezuu is the first Buddhist monastery of Mongolia established in 1585 by Abtai Sain Khan on the ruins of Karakorum. The Erdenedzuu Monastery has a rectangular shaped perimeter wall of 420 meters. There are 108 beautiful stupas surrounding the monastery. The monastery has been protected since 1944 and has also been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. The museum of the monastery has unique exhibits such as the cast image, clothes and musical instruments that were created by Mongolian craftsmen in the 16-18th Centuries.
Elsen Tasarkhai Sand Dunes
Elsen Tasarkhai is one of the most picturesque places of Mongolia and is part of the 80 km long Mongol Els Sand Dunes. This place is a wonderful combination of beautiful sand dunes, majestic granite mountains, green grass land, a clear fresh spring and a tiny lake. Indeed, here you can enjoy seeing the combination of Gobi and Khangai Natural Zones. Camel riding and trekking on steppe and sand dunes are available.
Erdene Khamba Monastery
Beautiful Erdene Khamba Monastery is on magnificient Khugnu Khan Mountain to the east of Elsen Tasarkhai. The monastery was established by the first Mongolian Buddhist saint, Zanabazar and its construction work continued through the 1660s and early 1680s. Zanabazar dedicated this monastery to one of his teachers, Erdene-Tsorj and when Erdene-Tsorj became head of the monastery it became known as Erdene Khamba Khiid. The Monastery was largely demolished by late 1937. Restoration was began in the early 1990s. The Jamsran Temple, Bazarsad Shrines and the Five Kings Temple, on a high shelf of the mountain were reopened. This is a great place for meditation, hiking and taking pictures.
Naiman Nuur –“Eight Lakes”
Khuisiin Naiman Nuur, known as “Eight Lakes”, with a 116 square km area, has been protected as a natural monument since 1992. The lakes of Naiman Nuur lie at an altitude of 2200 meters above sea level. Red deer, wild Argali sheep, Siberian ibex, musk deer, wild boar, duck and other birds have been sighted here.There are nine freshwater lakes, notably Shireet, Bugat, Khaliut, Khaya, Khuis, Shanaa, Duruu, Baga and Shanaga, last one being pretty small. These fresh water lakes are interconnected by ground water channels. The surrounding mountains have a forest belt some 300-400 meters wide while there are no trees at the tops. The reflections of larch forests and majestic mountains on the lake water are amazing. This is a wonderful place for relaxing, walking and bird watching in untouched and exotic nature.
Khushuu Tsaidam - Turkic inscribed monument
This is an ancient Turkish State King’s burial site with inscribed monuments of this Turkic State. One huge monument is 3.3m high and 1.3m wide and the inscription consists of 68 lines that was written in 732 A. D. by the grandson of Kulitegin and devoted to the Bilge King of Turkish origin and his old brother Kulitegin. It is noteworthy that the “Orkhon Inscription” has both a historical and scientific significance. It is the first time the Turkish people were referred to as Turks. There are more than 40 inscribed monuments of Turkic origin in Mongolia and more than 10 of these are in the Orkhon Valley. The monument was cited as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 and is found north of Karakorum.
Taikhar Rock
The mysterious Taikhar Rock, over 10 meters high, is a subject to many local legends. There are more than 150 ancient inscriptions created on the rock over the centuries. These inscriptions include poems, praises, wishes and historical notes written in Uigar, Kidan, Tibetan and Mongolian script.
Ulaan Tsutgalan Waterfall
Ulaan Tsutgalan Waterfall on the Ulaan River flows through basalt rocks formed by a unique combination of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes around 20000 years ago. The Ulaan Tsutgalan Waterfall cascades from an impressive height of 20 meters with a width of 10 meters and extends for 100 meters from the Orkhon River. The waterfall is naturally most impressive after heavy rain but disappears in dry seasons.
Tuvkhun Monastery
Tuvkhun Monastery is located on the top of the 2312 meter high Undur Shireet Mountain overlooking the most beautiful scenery in the Khangai Mountains. The monastery was established by the first Mongolian Buddhist saint, Zanabazar, in 1654. Zanabazar lived, worked and meditated here for 30 years. He created his famous letter “Soyombo” here in 1686. There are 14 small temples, a hermit’s cave, several pilgrimage sites as well as Zanabazar’s boot imprint on a rock. This temple has enjoyed state protection since 1998 and was cited as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. Hiking up to the temple, visiting the monastery sites and views of the natural surroundings from the peak are amazing experiences.
Khorgo - Terkh National Park
Khorgo – Terkh National Park has been protected since 1965 and covers an area of 773 square km. Khorgo Mountain was an active volcano just 8000 years ago and Khorgo is covered with basalt. Red deer, Siberian deer, wild boar, ruddy shell duck, great cormorant, reddish and black ducks are found in the park. During the summer great cormorants commonly nest at Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake. The lake is beautiful with crystal clear fresh water that supports pike & other fish. Torrents of lava issuing from the Khorgo Volcano dammed the Terkh River in the north and south forming the lake at an altitude of 2060 meters above sea level. Other exciting sites to visit in the park are Khorgo extinct volcano, the Yellow Dog’s Hell, the Ice Cave and Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake. Also enjoy swimming, bird watching, fishing and hiking by the lake shore.
Ugii Nuur Lake
The lake covers 25 square km and is at an altitude of 1337 meters above sea level in Ugii Nuur Sum, Arkhangai Province. Ugii Lake is rich in perch and pike and renowned for its fishing. The annual catch from the lake of Ugii is 50 tons. The lake is also a wonderful place for watching Mongolian birdlife. Crane, duck and other species migrate to this area beginning in May. Swan, geese, white spoonbill, Dalmatian pelican and others have also been sighted. A boating journey, bird watching and walking by the lake shore are also available.
The Gobi
The Mongolian Gobi Desert is one of the most mysterious and unique places in the world. Mongolian Gobi is a vast zone of the Gobi Desert and desert steppe. There are 33 different geographic zones in the Gobi of which sandy desert occupies only 3 percent of the total area. The Gobi is often imagined as a lifeless desert, similar to the African Sahara Desert. In reality most of the Gobi is a land of steppes and many camel breeders inhabit this zone that is rich in wildlife and vegetation. The Gobi is surprisingly full of wildlife such as two-humped Bactrian camel, wild Argali sheep, ibex, wild camel, khulan wild ass, white and black tailed gazelle, snow leopard, endangered Gobi bear “mazaalai”. The Gobi Desert was the site of some of the most famous dinosaur fossil discoveries including the world’s first dinosaur egg nests some of which can be seen in the Museum of Natural History in Ulaanbaatar.
There are many things to do in the Gobi: climb the highest sand dunes, see the beautiful Gobi sunset, visit a camel breeder’s family, enjoy camel riding, trek in the green oasis, explore Dinosaur Lands’ Flaming Cliffs where the first dinosaur egg nests were found or other areas of Dinosaur Lands, and hike in Bearded Eagle’s Canyon, the coolest place of the Gobi even in the hot summer and many more.
Khongor Sand Dunes
The beautiful Khongor Els Sand Dunes with an extraordinary length of 180 kilometers and 15-20 meters wide lie on the northern part of the mountains of Sevree and Zuulen. The huge sand dunes are part of the desert zone that make up around 3% of Mongolian territory. The sound produced by masses of sand movement in the wind can be heard as unique natural music. That is why some dunes are named “Duut Mankhan” or Singing Dunes. A green oasis is near Khongor River at the northern edge of the sand dunes. Visiting a camel breeder’s family, riding on two-humped camels, climbing to the top of large sand dunes, trekking in the green oasis, taking great pictures, and seeing beautiful sunsets are some of the great things to do in this place.
Bayanzag – “Flaming Cliffs”
Bayanzag, located near the center of Bulgan Sum, is internationally famous for paleontological finds of dinosaur remains from the Paleolithic Era that include complete dinosaur skeletons, eggs and hatchlings of the Cretaceous Period. Dinosaurs discovered here including: Protoceratops, Oviraptor and the heavily armored Pinacosaurus that were living 70-80 million years ago. Dinosaur eggs with a diameter of 10 to 15 centimeters were found here in Mongolia for the first time in the world in 1922 by American explorer Roy Chapmen Andrews. Here scholars have also found traces and weapons of ancient people. There is also a small museum with interesting dinosaur findings.
Yoliin Am – “Bearded Eagle Canyon”
Yoliin Am is the narrow canyon of a river that flows through 2815 meters high Zuun Saikhan Mountain. The gorge has sheer rock walls with a height of about 200 meters in the central part. It has been protected since 1965 and has an area of 70 square kilometers. Today it is one of the Strictly Protected Areas of Mongolia. The rain that falls at the summit of the mountain flows down into the sheer canyon forming four waterfalls. There are several hundred meters distance between the waterfalls. Yoliin Am is famous for its high & narrow canyons, frozen summer stream and wild life such as bearded eagles, wild Argali sheep, ibex, and Mongolian mice. The stream remains frozen even in July, the hottest month of the year. There is a small museum of the Gobi Three Beauties National Park at the entrance of Yoliin Am.
Khermen Tsav
This is a beautiful sandy cliff canyon of over 250 square km, 10 km wide and 100-200 meters deep. Khermen Tsav is located in northern Gurvan Tes Sum a distance of 400 km from the town of Dalanzadgad. Scientists have defined it as an inland sea bed. Khermen Tsav is known not only by the beauty of its natural formations but also for its dinosaur fossil findings. The Khermen Tsav area has not yet been well studied.
Dinosaur Lands
Mongolia is the world’s second most important country for the discovery of dinosaur species. The USA leads the way with 64 species and followd by Mongolia with 40 species.
Nemegt: Ancient dinosaurs’ skeletons and eggs are found on the mountains of Nemegt. Tarbosaurus, one of the best known of flesh-eating dinosaurs and Saurolophus Angustirostris, one of the largest duck-billed dinosaurs lived at Nemegt in late Cretaceous times. Numerous other types of large dinosaurs have been discovered and continue to be discovered at Nemegt.
Tugrugiin Shiree
It is a steep cliff around 30 meters high to the west of Bulgan Sum. Dinosaur bones appear on the walls and the rare remains of petrified egg with the skeleton of a young dinosaur were found.
Baga Gazariin Chuluu Mountain
The beautiful Baga Gazariin Chuluu is a local protected area. It is a picturesque granite mountain with an elevation of 1751 meters above sea level in the Great Granite Zone of Mongolia. There are some interesting sites to visit: a temple ruin used by Buddhist monks, a hole with Holy Water for the eyes and a small cave.
Tsagaan Suvarga
With its fantastic color combinations, Tsagaan Suvarga or “White Stupas” is one of Mongolia’s greatest natural beauties. It is interesting to see the scarped cliffs of Tsagaan Suvarga, facing east from a distance it looks like the ruins of an ancient city or a complex of white stupas. Over thousands of years the wind has carved this amazing natural beauty. The cliff is 60 meters high and 400 meters wide. Tsagaan Suvarga was an ancient sea bottom and its eroded cliffs are rich in fossil seashells.
Ongi Monastery
The monastery was established in the 1760s by Bari Yonzon Khamba in a small mountainous area along the Ongi River. During its peak use the monastery had over 1000 monks and a complex of around 30 temples. The Ongi Monastery is still active but now only a few monks perform its functions. The remains of two ruined monasteries, the Barlim Khiid on the north bank and the Khutagt Khiid on the south indicate the monastery complex was built in Balba or Tibetian style.
Bichigt Rock Engravings
Bichigt is a canyon with well-preserved rock engravings and drawings dating from the Bronze Age. The rock drawings depict the life of ancient people, daily activities, hunting, agricultural scenes and wildlife in surprising ways. Seeing thousands of examples of ancient arts is an unforgettable experience.
Tsagaan Agui cave
“Tsagaan Agui or White Cave is located in gorgeous Ikh Bogd Mountain in Bayanlig Sum. The White Cave was home to ancient people and scientists have found traces of Stone Age people from 700,000 years ago. The cave’s 40 meters long inner wall is covered with crystals.
Khuvsgul National Park
Khuvsgul National Park is called “Mongolia’s Switzerland”. The National Park covers 8381 square kilometers including the lake of Khuvsgul Nuur and its watershed, the Nuur River basin, and parts of Zuni Saran Mountain. The park has been protected since 1992. Here in the forests are special plants such as adorns sibirica, yellow marsh saxifrage, valeriana officinalis and saussurea involucrate. There are also many rare animals and around 200 species of birds found in the park area including, Euro-Asian otter, beaver, moose, reindeer, red deer, wild Argali sheep, Siberian ibex, snow leopard, lynx, wolf, brown bear, wild boar, black stork, relict gull, osprey, and curlew.
Blue Pearl Khuvsgul Lake
Khuvsgul Lake is the deepest lake in Central Asia with a maximum depth of 262 meters and contains 1 percent of the world’s fresh water. The lake is situated on the north edge of Mongolia and covers an area of 2612 square kilometers. Khuvsgul is a large lake extending 134 kilometers north south and 39 kilometers east west. Dominating the western shore of the lake is Khoridol Saridag Mountain which attains a height of 3200 meters above sea level. 96 rivers and streams feed into Khuvsgul Nuur and the Egiin River flows out draining into the Orkhon River and so to Lake Baikal in the Russian Federation. The reflections of larch forests and Khoridol Saridag Mountain Range on the blue lake water are extremely amazing. Plenty of fish are found in the lake such as Baikal Omul, Lenok, Umber, Siberian Graying and River Perch. Visitors can kayak and boat on the lake, ride horses and even reindeer, enjoy wildlife, explore flora & fauna, hike around the lake and meet shaman and reindeer people.
Tsaatan - Reindeer Herders, Shaman
One of the 20 ethnic groups in Mongolia is the Darkhad people or Tsaatan know as Reindeer Herders. They live in tepees near Khuvsgul Lake and in the taiga forest of the remote northern area of Khuvsgul Province. They herd reindeer for their existence and use reindeer for many purposes: transport, meat, milk, skins for clothes, blood-horns for traditional medicine and other uses. People in Khuvsgul most commonly practice shamanism and some of the most powerful shaman live in this area. There you may visit a Tsaatan or Reindeer herder’s family and explore their special way of the life or meet a shaman.
Amarbayasgalant Monastery
Amarbayasgalant Monastery, the most intact architectural complex in Mongolia. It was built between 1727 and 1736 by Manchurian King Enkh-Amgalan and is dedicated to Saint Zanabazar, Mongolia’s first Buddhist saint. Amarbayasgalant was one of the greatest Buddhist pilgrimage centers where between the 17th and 19th Centuries about one thousand lamas lived, chanted and studied. There were 27 large and small temples. The communists destroyed 10 of the 37 temples and some statues in the late 1930s. The monastery was extensively restored several times with the help of UNESCO. These days, about 50 monks live in the monastery, compared to over 2000 monks in 1930s. Amarbayasgalant has been protected since 1943 and was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
Uran Togoo Extinct Volcano
Uran extinct volcano and its surrounding area has been protected as a “Natural Monument” since 1965 and covers 58 square km. Uran extinct volcano is at an elevation of 1,686 meters above sea level. On the top is of the extinct volcano is a crater, 500-600 meters wide and 50 meters deep, with a small “crater lake” of about 20 meters in diameter. The protected area is the home to numerous kinds of rare animals such as red deer, wild Argali sheep, Siberian ibex and wild boar.
Khukh Nuur – Blue Lake
The full name of the lake is the Blue Lake of Black Heart. Black Heart is the pointed topped mountain on the north side of the lake. Blue Lake is a very important place in Mongolian history particularly of Chinggis Khaan (Genghis Khan). Here Temuujin (Chinggis Khaan’s childhood name) was given the title, “Chinggis Khaan”, and was invested as a “The Great Khaan of all Mongolia” in 1189. The stone ruins of a ger with a diameter of 15 meters on the south side of this lake could be the ruins of the palace ger where Chinggis Khaan was proclaimed khaan. There are also wooden statues in the forest dedicated to Chingis Khaan and the next 32 khaans of Mongolia. The surrounding area of Khukh Nuur is quiet, peaceful and wonderful for hiking & relaxation.
Deluun Boldog in Dadal
It is said in the “The Secret History of the Mongols”, Chinggis Khaan was born in a place called Deluun Boldog that is located in Dadal Sum. Deluun Boldog is considered the birthplace of Chinggis Khaan. In 1962, Khentii Province officials created a monument to the memory of Chinggis Khaan for his 800th birthday anniversary. Khajuu Bulag, the spring where Chinggis was washed after he was born, is not far from the monument where you can drink from the same spring he did.
Baldan Bereeven Monastery
The monastery was built in the 1700s with over 20 temples made of granite stone. At its peak use it was one of the largest monasteries and Buddhist centers in Mongolia with up to 7000 monks living there. All of the monastery buildings were destroyed by the communist in 1937. Now restoration work of the monastery is under way and some temples, numerous carved Buddhas on the steep rock and other truly interesting Buddhist sites are available to see and enjoy visiting. Some ancient Deer Stone Monuments are not far from the monastery.
Binder Ovoo and Rashaan Khad
Rashaan Khad is a rock with numerous types of ancient rock inscriptions and drawings depicting animals, people and ancient Mongolian tribes’ seals. This rock is located near the east of Binder Ovoo, one of Mongolia’s largest and most sacred religious places. The rock inscriptions are in around 20 different scripts such as Orkhon, Kidan, Arabic, Persian, Mongolian and Tibetan. An ancient tomb dating from BC 20000 lies near this rock and many monuments of Paleolithic Neolithic Huns and others are also found here. The rock has been protected by the Mongolian government since 1998.
Uglugch Wall
“Uglugchiin Kherem” or Uglugch Wall was built very carefully and extends into higher places of the area as a fortress in the period of the Kidan State. The wall is made of red granite stone and has height and width of 2 meters and length of over 1 km. No clay was used to build the wall. Chinggis Khaan lived near the wall for some time and there have been some excavation of ancient burials sites near the wall. Scientists say that it might be a fort for archers or tombs for royalty.
