Central Mongolia
Central Mongolia
This is where empires were run from the saddle. Kharkhorin's monastery walls rise above the plain, the Orkhon River carves through volcanic rock, and at dusk in Khustai the wild horses come down to drink. Between them, herding families keep camps much as their grandparents did.
The historic heart of the steppe: Kharkhorin and Erdene Zuu, the Orkhon Valley's UNESCO-listed landscape, and the wild takhi of Khustai.
Places to know
Highlights
- 01The stupa-lined walls of Erdene Zuu
- 02Watching takhi at dusk in Khustai
- 03Riding through the Orkhon Valley
- 04The hike to Tövkhön Monastery
- 05Ulaan Tsutgalan waterfall after summer rain
Best months
- January
- February
- March
- April
- May
- June, recommended
- July, recommended
- August, recommended
- September, recommended
- October
- November
- December
Getting there
Khustai is about two hours' drive west of Ulaanbaatar and Kharkhorin roughly six to seven hours on paved road. The Orkhon waterfall adds several more hours of rough track beyond Kharkhorin.
Adventures in Central Mongolia
Classic Mongolia: Gobi to Kharkhorin overland
14 days · Moderate
Horse trekking in the Orkhon Valley
10 days · Challenging
Naadam Festival journey
12 days · Easy
Winter Mongolia: Tsagaan Sar and frozen landscapes
9 days · Challenging
Family nomad adventure
10 days · Easy
Photography expedition
15 days · Moderate
Things to do here
Staying with Nomad Families
Sleep in a family ger, help with the herds and share the rhythm of a working nomadic camp.
Horse Riding
Ride sturdy Mongolian horses across open steppe, river valleys and forested hills with local horsemen.
The Naadam Games
Wrestling, horse racing and archery: the three manly games at the heart of Mongolia's summer festival.
Throat Singing and the Morin Khuur
Hear khöömei, the overtone singing of the steppe, and the morin khuur horsehead fiddle, both UNESCO-listed traditions.
Stargazing
Some of the darkest skies in Asia, with the Milky Way rising over the Gobi and the steppe.
4x4 Overland Journeys
Cross the country by UAZ furgon or Land Cruiser on tracks that link valleys, deserts and mountains.
Cooking with Herders
Make buuz and khuushuur, taste airag and learn the dairy traditions of the steppe with herding families.
Central Mongolia, your way
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