Mongolia Travel Tips: Everything You Need to Know

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“Serene lakes, abundant wildlife, high snow-capped Altai peaks, vast verdant landscapes, and hot dusty desert. You can expect all this in Mongolia. Travel here isn’t luxurious and it’s rarely easy. But it offers adventure that will likely change the way you view the world.” 

This guide is filled with Mongolia travel tips and contains *everything* you need to know to travel in Mongolia. How to stay in a real local Ger (what is a ger?), where/how to rent your own vehicle, reputable tours for those that want them, invaluable items you should definitely bring with you, and which ATMs will actually give you cash. Think of it as a “before you go” informative guide. It doesn’t matter how you plan to visit the country — this guide is good for everyone. 

I’ve written a slew of blog posts on travel in Mongolia following our heavily researched 3-week overlanding adventure in the country. 

All Our Mongolia Travel Tips + Mongolia Travel Advice

What to Expect in Mongolia 

Mongolia is a rugged adventure travel destination no matter which way you tackle it. Most of the roads are unpaved and pot-holed while the environment ping-pongs from scorching hot to freezing cold. 

You’ll most likely spend your nights camping in the remote wilderness or sleeping on a very thin “mattress” inside a Ger. Amenities like hot showers are not commonly available. You should be prepared to do your business in the outdoors if need be. 

Ger is a traditional Mongolian nomad house. It’s like a yert, but made from canvas or yak hide. It usually contains several beds, a table w/ sitting area, and a wood stove. 

You’ll also probably spend a lot of time driving or sitting in a vehicle because sights in Mongolia are very spread out. We often spent 10 hours a day in the car. On rough roads. If that sounds miserable to you this might not be your destination. 

Mongolia is also not a foodie haven. It’s mostly survival food like flavorless boiled lamb and packets of instant noodles. 

Towns outside the capital of UB are rarely more than a handful of homes, a Ger camp or hotel, one mini-market for groceries, a restaurant or two, and a basketball hoop. Mongolians love basketball. 

You can also expect stunning scenery, fuzzy yaks and Bactrian camels, rolling sand dunes, and reindeer herders. 

Mongolia doesn’t get a ton of tourists but those that do come are mostly South Korean and Chinese. They almost always travel in large group tours and you’ll see lots of these in the Gobi. 

Toilets in Mongolia 

I feel this deserved its own little section. Be sure to bring your own toilet paper and hand sanitizer. These are some of the toilets you should expect in Mongolia. 

Sometimes they are more enclosed! But outside of cities and fancy ger camps, you should expect this kind of natural squat toilet.

Planning Your Trip 

I’ve written some sample itineraries that I recommend for a 1-week, 2-week, or 3 to 4-week Mongolia trip.  

Keep in mind you will ALWAYS need more time than you think you do in the country. Especially if you are traveling independently— leave yourself time for misadventure. 

Best Time to Visit Mongolia 

Full Travel Season: Late May-September 

Peak: Late June-August 

This is not a year-round destination for most people. Ulaanbaatar is actually the coldest capital in the world with an average temp of -1 degrees C. Up north, temperatures drop to -45 C in winter. If you plan to travel around the country plan your visit for the travel season. Peak season if you can. 

Note: Many remote attractions, businesses, and museums close outside the tourist season. But the few open hotels are usually 1/2 or 1/4 of the price they sell for in July/August. Especially the more luxurious places.

Mongolia Travel Tips for Before You Go…

Things You Should Definitely Pack (or Purchase on Arrival) For Mongolia 

• Warm Layers. Lots of them. It gets cold at night even in the summer months. 
• A good pillow. For camping and Gers.
• A hat and sunglasses for the desert. 
• Lifestraw water bottle. 
• Sunscreen & Bug Spray. 

I wrote a huge post about what to pack in Mongolia if you plan on driving the country yourself. 

If you’ve forgotten anything essential UB can probably help. There are camping and outdoor stores literally all over the city. 

3 Apps to Download for Mongolia 

1. Google Translate 

English is not widely spoken and menus will rarely be in English. The offline version of this app will help you communicate in a pinch. 

2. Maps.Me 

For getting around the country without the internet. 

3. UBCab 

This is Ulaanbaatar’s version of Uber and without a doubt the best way to get around the city. 

Mongolia Maps & Guidebooks 

For most travel, I think blogs have replaced guidebooks. But Mongolia is a very complicated and difficult destination to travel independently. It’s good to have a hard copy map or guidebook on hand. I thumbed through the LP Mongolia guide and found it rather helpful. 

Lonely Planet Guidebook

Wifi & Internet in Mongolia 

Wifi is a no-go pretty much anywhere outside of Ulaanbaatar. Even then it’s not the best. Many of the fancier Gers we stayed at had power and hot water but no wifi. This is why most travelers get a SIM card in the country. Or use this time to really disconnect. We almost NEVER get a SIM while we travel but we did here. 

Mongolia has a surprisingly good network of coverage…we had service in the Gobi desert! 

Getting a Mongolian SIM Card 

If you plan on traveling in Mongolia independently at all you’ll benefit from a SIM card.

The most popular brands with good coverage are Unitell & Mobiphone. 

Note: If you’re road tripping it’s best to have one of each among your group. Maximize your coverage. 

Unlike most countries where you get your SIM at the airport— this isn’t the case for Mongolia. You can get your SIM easily at State Department Store right in the city center instead. Or just head to any of your desired provider’s offices throughout the city.

Outside of UB, you’ll have to get a “local SIM”. This means you need a kind local with an ID card to purchase the plan for you. This is possible but more difficult and why you should get this sorted in UB right away. 

Cash or Card: Money in Mongolia 

Mongolia is a mostly cash economy. You’ll want a lot of it before you head out of Ulaanbaatar. ATMs in rural areas are not usable with a foreign card. 

• Mastercard is not accepted everywhere. Have a backup. 
• Gas stations *typically* take cards but don’t count on them. 
• Basically, everything in Ulaanbaatar accepts card but don’t expect that anywhere else. 
• You might have to try several ATMs in a city to find one with cash in it. 

Note: Most ATMs only allow you to take out 800,000 tugriks at one time. 

Getting Around Mongolia 

Travelers have essentially 4 options when visiting the country. 

1. Take a Tour. 

There is no shortage of tour companies operating in Mongolia. Every single hostel/hotel in Mongolia offers them. There are also hundreds online ready to book long before your trip. You can expect to pay anywhere from $1,500-$3,000 per person for a 7-day tour. This is the most popular and expensive option. 

Tips for Choosing a Tour 

• It will always be cheaper to book your tour in Ulaanbaatar from your hostel or other budget accommodation than online. 
• Tours in Mongolia are super structured and all visit basically the same places. 
• If you plan to visit the nomadic reindeer herders DO NOT book with a guide from Ulaanbaatar. There are lots of reasons for this that I outline in my full post about our visit with the Tsataan Tribe.  

Tour Companies I Recommend 

Get Your Guide Tours

This is my favorite search engine to find tours led by local guides.

Zaya (Gateway to the Reindeer Herders) 

Zaya is the only reindeer herder who speaks fluent English. She can organize your entire visit to the Tsaaganuur area. You can contact her on WhatsApp or via email to organize your visit. She doesn’t always have service because she lives in the Taiga but give her time and she will get back to you. This is important to arrange in advance if you can. 

Whatsapp: +976 9977 0480

Email: zaya_004@yahoo.com

Note: It’s important you go through her because this is the only way your money actually makes it to the tribe you’re visiting. Read more about it here. 

2. Overland or Drive Yourself 

I may be biased but I’ll just come out and say it, this is the best way to experience the country. Mongolia’s sights are impressive but it’s the camping and vast nature in between them that make the country unique. This gives you the most control over your trip. You can expect to pay around $200 per day for a 4×4 vehicle with camping gear and rescue supplies through Drive Mongolia. Be sure to secure your car as far in advance as you can (6 months is recommended). 

Note: This is NOT the route for everyone. Before you commit to driving the country independently please read my blog post “Can You Drive Mongolia on Your Own?” 

Where to Rent Your Car 

While several major car rental companies operate in Mongolia, we chose to use Drive Mongolia for the customer service, the included gear, and the local knowledge. It was also cheaper. So really, there’s no better option. 

Mongolian Road Conditions 

This is something worth considering before you opt to rent your own car. Our group of four managed to navigate across the country on the rough (non-existent) roads but you should prepare for the worst. This is only for people looking to have a “roughing it” style adventure. Read all my blog posts on road-tripping the country to get a better idea of what it’s actually like out there.

3. Rely on Public Transportation

Despite the lack of paved (or sometimes even designated roads), Mongolia has public buses. Or more likely public Russian Vans. Utilizing these will get you to all major towns in Mongolia (even Tsagaannuur!). It won’t however, get you to all the sights and it will not be comfortable.

This is the super budget-friendly option for travelers to Mongolia. Expect a 12-hour ride to cost about $20. 

Mongolia Travel Tips for Super Budget Travelers 

• When you reach a major city like UB, Murun, or Tsagaannuur you can reach out to local guides via your homestay. This way you can see all the sights in the area. 
• Stick to cooking your own meals and small local restaurants for food. Plates at these kinds of places are usually $2.50. 

4. Hire a Driver 

If you don’t want to drive yourself in Mongolia THIS is the next best option. Rather than a structured group tour you can simply hire a driver to take you everywhere you want to go. Funnily enough, this is typically cheaper than hiring your own vehicle (due to Mongolian insurance purposes). Expect about $120 per day for driver and car. 

Where to Hire a Driver? 

• Drive Mongolia. He can also hook you up with a driver, not just a car.
• Facebook Group. This is a great option for solo travelers looking for Mongolia Travel Tips or couples because you can link up with fellow travelers and split the costs.  

Note: Mongolians are insane drivers. Hiring a driver does not mean your car won’t break down, crash, or be extraordinarily bumpy— it just means you’ll have a local there to help you solve the problem. 

Accommodation in Mongolia 

When in Mongolia you’ll likely be utilizing 3 types of accommodation. 

1. Tent Camping (if independently traveling) 

This is totally free. In Mongolia, you can essentially set up your tent anywhere in nature and wild camp 100% for free. You should do this at least once on your trip. 

The Central and Southern areas of the country centered around the Gobi are difficult to camp in because of the lack of grass and rocky soil. Keep this in mind when planning to camp. 

Note: I scoured the Internet for epic campsites recommended by other overlanders but truthfully, it’s all beautiful. Don’t bother looking online and just judge the landscape for yourself.

2. Gers 

This is one of the big attractions in Mongolia. Sleeping in a local Ger camp. These yerts are scattered all over the country and are still the main housing for farmers and nomads today. 

Camps range from small family-run single Ger to sprawling tourist camps with 30+ Gers and extra facilities like showers and toilet blocks. They are priced per person and obviously the basic ones run by families are cheaper. Expect to pay from $8 per person to $20 per person. 

Amenities varied wildly with the Gobi desert camps being most expensive. Occasionally, a basic breakfast would be included in this price. 

Eating at the Gers 

I read a lot about Ger camps offering meals and having restaurants— and while some did, it was not super common in my experience. About 50/50. This is probably because we turned up unannounced and didn’t speak Mongolian. Plan on cooking for yourself UNLESS you are on a tour in which case the Gers always prepared them food. 

Some areas had super luxurious gers that cost up to $200 per night. Obviously, these are not the real nomad Gers. We tried to stick to small ger camps and were always very happy with the experience. Here are some of our favorites. 

Our Favorite Ger Camps

Apache Eco Lodge in Terelj National Park

Address: Горхи-Тэрэлж БЦГ, Eco Ger, Terelj Rd, 13009, Mongolia

Tenkhleg Camp in Murun

Address: J6GJ+VW6, Murun, Mongolia

Do you need a reservation? 

Typically, no. The one exception was in Terelj where many owners actually live in UB so a heads-up would be nice. Just give them a call at the phone number listed on Google. 

We did run into a few instances where camps were full because of arriving tours (high season) but there was always another one just down the road. 

You will always find Ger camps near any attraction or any place you might visit in Mongolia. 

3. Guesthouse/Hostel/Hotel 

You will most likely only use these in major cities like UB. 

If you’re traveling in peak season (you should) you will want to book your accommodation in Ulaanbaatar as far in advance as you can. The cheap city center hostels and hotels book quickly. I recommend a week in advance if possible. 

Ulaanbaatar Accommodation Recs 

The budget-friendly option is in the best neighborhood BUT with a full buffet, excellent wifi, and an incredible shower that can hose off all the dirt after all your cross-country exploring the Ibis is worth an end-of-trip splurge for some.

Food in Mongolia 

Boiled lamb. It’s what’s for dinner. 

And lunch and sometimes even breakfast. This is the staple of Mongolian cuisine. You’ll get so tired of boiled lamb you’ll never want to even look at it again. 

The most popular dishes are fried meat pockets called Huushuur, Tsuivan; a fried noodle dish, and Lavsha; a wheat noodle soup. There are also delicious dumplings. 

Food in UB was alright, but overall unimpressive. This is not a country to come to for the food alone. Instead, all my foodies should go to Vietnam (specifically, Ho Chi Minh City).

Vegans or Vegetarians in Mongolia? 

Expect to cook your own meals. Often small local restaurants had no veg options. 

Mongolia (especially the rural area) is still sustenance farming and eating whatever is available to survive. Vegetarian and veganism is not prominent here.  

As it’s seen as incredibly rude to refuse a cup of tea (which is made with local milk) I would strongly reevaluate why you want to visit this country if you’re strictly vegan. 

For a full list of Mongolian etiquette & superstitions check out this blog post. *coming soon*

General Mongolia Travel Tips 

Here are the odds and ends to wrap up what you need to know for Mongolia travel. 

• Medical care is pretty good in the cities and very good in UB. But outside major cities, you’ll likely be days away from any hospital. 
• Days are long in Mongolia’s peak season! The sun doesn’t set until 8 or 9 PM in August. But obviously, the opposite can be said about traveling in the off-season.

I’m thoroughly impressed if you’re still with me. Mongolia is an incredible destination and one that requires quite a bit of pre-planning but it is so worth it. I hope this guide helps you feel more prepared to land in the country and excited to explore all the natural wonders it has to offer! 

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