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Before you dive into this 2-week Mongolia itinerary you must read my 1-week itinerary to Mongolia. This guide is meant to be used for travelers driving themselves across Mongolia (like we did). But if you are hiring a guide and driver then this itinerary will also point you in the right direction.
The Gobi Desert, Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake, Khorgo Volcano, Khuvsgul Lake, and Amarbayasgalant Monastery. This two-week tour of Mongolia allows you to see and experience way more of the diverse landscapes Mongolia has to offer than my 1-week plan. If you are Overlanding or self-driving in Mongolia this itinerary will also allow you to try out those crazy dirt off-road tracks that cut across the vast tundra.
Read First: Should you plan a self-drive Mongolia Road Trip?
Again, I beg you to consider a longer stay in the country. Especially if you are self-driving. If you have a guide/driver you can disregard this information. Check out my 3-4 week itinerary for the BEST possible route through the country.
Travel in Mongolia is slow. You’ll want it to be. That’s kind of the beauty of places that still seem untouched and rugged. At home, it might be feasible to cross 300km with ease, but in Mongolia that will often take you the entire day. If you don’t manage to get yourself lost or stuck in a river of course. You’ve got to leave a little wiggle room for adventure.
Here’s my recommendation for a perfect two-week Mongolia itinerary.
How to Spend 2 Weeks in Mongolia
You’ll notice that there aren’t a lot of “attractions” or things to do included in this itinerary. That’s because it’s the places and the road trip itself that ARE the attraction. It’s vast swathes of wilderness that you’ll want to see. There are no incredible places to eat. When you roll into a new town around mealtime you should always follow the crowds of people to an unnamed local spot and eat whatever is on offer. But here’s the full 2-week Mongolia itinerary for independent travelers.
For Days 1-7 See my One Week in Mongolia Itinerary.
Go check it out if you haven’t yet. Also, save my other essential Mongolia travel posts.
Days 8-15 on My 2-Week Mongolia Itinerary
Let’s start your journey in the ancient capital of Kharkhorin and the lovely Erdene Zu Monastery.
Read More: Be sure to read my full guide on Erdene Zu Monastery and why you should visit the ancient capital in the first place.
Day 8: Kharkhorin to Khorgo Volcano
Drive Time: 5 hours for approx 300 KM
It’s totally free to visit the crater.
I’ll be honest, I was underwhelmed with the Khorgo Volcano crater. I’ve been to numerous volcanoes around the world including Crater Lake in Oregon and Mount Ijen in Indonesia. So, maybe I’m difficult to impress. Either way, you can expect a tiny tiny town with a small volcano crater and a nice place to camp. This is also along the way to the prettiest route to Murun from Kharkorin.
If you have a drone, the crater is much more impressive from above. You can (& should) also hike up to the edge of the crater at sunset or sunrise for a lovely view of the surrounding valley.
Where to Eat on the Way to Khorgo: Fairfield Guesthouse Cafe
This is an ESSENTIAL stop. The food here is kinda expensive but huge portions and good. You can also get real espresso-style coffee. But most importantly, the owner of the guesthouse and cafe knows all the best routes through Mongolia and if you are even a little uncertain about these next two days overland he can help you immensely. We did this route in reverse and he gave us the best route through the desert straight from his saved maps on Maps.me. Trust me, you want to stop in here.
Road Conditions to Khorgo
Paved with no problems to report. Well, as far as Mongolian roads go. Be sure to keep an eye out for potholes and livestock.
Where to Stay in Khorgo
Budget Option: You can camp right near the volcano! Wild camping in Mongolia is totally free and this spot is very grassy. Perfect for your tent and a morning jaunt up the volcano.
Mid-Range Option: There are a handful of unexciting hotels in the small town. Not Ger camps like the rest of the country but more hostel-style hotels and shared rooms. Fortunately, even in high season none of them are fully booked.
*Luxury* Option: There are some very touristy ger camps that you will see near the volcano. This is where all the tour groups take their clients. It’s still a ger camp so luxury might be the wrong word, but you’ll still find all the basic amenities.
Day 9: Khorgo Volcano to Murun via Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake & Ikh Uul
Drive Time: 7-8 hours for 300 KM
Getting to Murun is an off-road adventure and involves a full day of driving past small Mongolian “towns” like Ikh Uul and the sprawling volcanic freshwater lake of Terkhiin Tsagaan. Murun itself is nothing to write home about. The town is little more than a collection of dirt roads, small ramshackle communities, and crappy restaurants. Sorry, Murun. But we’re keeping it as real as we can. It’s the second largest city in Mongolia, and cities in Mongolia are no one’s favorite parts of the country.
This IS, however, a great place to re-up on supplies, take advantage of the scant restaurant scene, and walk through local markets to see what life is like in Mongolia for those living outside Ulaanbaatar.
Road Conditions to Murun
Get ready for a full day of off-road adventuring. While the road from Khorgo is about 75% paved (to Ikh Uul) anyway…the paved portion actually brings more problems than the off-road. There are more pot-holes than road as of 2024. But if you take it slow and only travel in the daylight, you shouldn’t have any problems.
Give yourself a lot of time since this will be a very long drive day.
This is also the section of the drive that is NOT correct on Google Maps. You’ll have to rely on maps.me and following the off-road track to reach the main road that cuts through the middle of the country.
Where to Stay in Murun
The town of Murun is a little bleak. If I’m being totally honest with you. That’s why we stayed in Tenkhleg Camp just outside town. Perfect if you have your own set of wheels. The Mountain View Guesthouse looks super comfy and affordable though.
Tenkhleg Camp
Google Address: J6GJ+VW6, Murun, Khovsgol, Mongolia
Day 10: Murun to Khuvsgul Lake
Drive Time: 1.5 hours for 100 KM
Khuvsgul Lake is the largest freshwater lake in the country by volume. Standing on its shores, you would believe it. The water here is tropical blue when the sun hits and you definitely won’t be the only person here! This is one of the most popular destinations for travelers in Mongolia.
I recommend giving yourself a full day to rest and take in the scenery here. You could do one of the many hikes around the shores, take a boat ride out onto the bay, or try a horseback ride.
Road Conditions to Khuvsgal Lake
Paved and easy. This is a super short stretch anyway. But even so, it’s lovely and paved. Maybe the best stretch of road we traveled in the country.
Where to Stay at Khuvsgal Lake
Khuvsgal Lake has an abundance of free camping and an abundance of overpriced luxury gers. That’s because this is the #1 tourist sight for foreign and domestic tourists. Here are two options for lodging that you can book ahead if you’re not down for wild camping.
Luxury: Dalain Chimeg Resort ($70 for two)
Budget: Energy Guesthouse ($10/person)
Day 11: Khuvsgul Lake
You will arrive at Khuvsgul Lake in a small town-like area, but the further around the lake you travel the more unspoiled and serene it will become. So don’t stop there and give yourself time to explore the lake.
Read More: My favorite adventure in Mongolia was our visit to the Tsaatan Tribe of Reindeer Herders. A 2-week itinerary doesn’t leave enough room to reach them. But it’s included in my 3-4 week itinerary *coming soon*.
Day 12: Khuvsgul Lake to Bulgan (or camp somewhere along the way to the next destination)
Drive Time: 5.5 hours for 400 KM
Bulgan is just a stopover on the way back to Ulaanbaatar. It sits about halfway between Murun and Ulaanbaatar.
Road Conditions to Bulgan
The road back toward UB is completely paved. The off-road adventures are almost totally behind you at this point in the trip.
Note: It is possible, although not advisable, to go from Khuvsgul Lake to Amarbayasgalant Monastery in a single long drive day. It will take you around 9 hours. The problem is that the final section of road to bring you to the monastery is unpaved and off-road and should NOT be taken in the dark. This is why I break this drive up into two days. Besides there are plenty of riverside camping areas or ger camps along this route.
Where to Stay in Bulgan
We camped near the river just off the main road rather than staying overnight in the actual town of Bulgan. This is probably your best option because lodging here is sparse and uninspiring. Savor the opportunities to camp.
Day 13: Bulgan (or Camp) to Amarbayasgalant Monastery
Drive Time: 4.5 hours for 275 KM
A stunning ancient monastery set back on a hillside in the middle of a remote steppe. This place was one of my very favorite in Mongolia. I recommend exploring the interior of the monastery and hiking to the hilltop to take in the views from above. We did this at sunrise after camping in the valley and the lighting was incredible.
Read More: My full guide to Amarbayasgalant Monastery & why I loved this area so much.
Road Conditions to Amarbayasgalant Monastery
This road is easy and paved until the last 30 or so KM. Then it quickly deteriorates into a rutted mess. But if you follow the clearly traveled tracks through the grassland carefully you’ll end up in a vast basin with several rivers and a stunning hillside monastery to navigate toward.
Where to Stay at Amarbayasgalant Monastery
Right at the base of it. This was my single favorite place to camp in all of Mongolia. You can camp in the endless grasslands near the rivers OR you can spend $13 and stay in one of the local gers right outside the monastery.
Day 14: Amarbayasgalant Monastery to Hustai National Park
Drive Time: 6.5 hours for 300 KM
Hustai National Park is another vast grassland that contains a bunch of wildlife. Specifically, ancestors to the domesticated horse. The missing link between wild and domesticated if you will. Here you can stay overnight and then tour the park by car hoping to spot deer, antelope, the Przewalski’s Horse, and marmots.
Read More: My full guide to Hustai National Park.
Road Conditions to Hustai National Park
It’s paved up until the last 9 KM. Aside from the backtracking you’ll do on your way back to the main roadway from the monastery, that is. Here you’ll turn off the pavement onto a wide and easily traversable off-road section. It’s a super easy road as far as Mongolia is concerned and labeled clearly with one massive signage on the main road and several smaller ones guiding you to the entrance of the National Park.
Where to Stay at Hustai National Park
There are at least 3 ger camps (all on the higher priced and luxury end of gers) between the paved road and the park entrance. There is a massive ger camp at the park entrance is the best place to go and you should probably make a reservation by phone. Unfortunately, as there is little to no information about these Gers online you’ll need to talk with the owner of one of the guesthouses in UB to make this booking. Or just turn up and hope that they aren’t fully booked for the night.
You can also camp in the grass right across from the Gers at the park entrance. They also have beer you can buy and let you use their bathrooms– so that’s a plus. This isn’t super remote obviously but it’s comfortable and gives you easy access to the park in the wee hours.
Day 15: Hustai National Park to Ulaanbaatar
Drive Time: 2 hours for 100 miles
From here it’s just a quick jump to UB and your flight home. Since the drive time is short you can decide how long to soak in the sunshine on this last morning in Mongolia’s wilderness.
Road Conditions to Ulaanbaatar
Paved. Nothing more to say about it. This is one stretch of road you can always count on to be well-maintained.
Where to Stay in Ulaanbaatar
Here are three accommodations I stayed at and can recommend within the city. The first two budget-friendly options offer easy access to guides and drivers if you aren’t planning on driving yourself. The third is without a doubt one of the most comfortable accommodations in UB and has an epic breakfast buffet.
Sunpath Mongolia Tours ($)
Mongolia Vision Tours ($)
IBIS Styles UB ($$$)
Google Map of Our 2-Week Mongolia Itinerary
Here’s the map for our 2-week Mongolia itinerary. Always remember that in Mongolia, you can’t rely completely on Google Maps to get around. You should download Maps.Me and/or have a paper map, Garmin map, etc. But this will help guide you for the most part.
Important: Maps.Me Off Road Route Map
As I have stated Google Maps can be a little unreliable in off-road situations. Fortunately, I detailed the EXACT route we took on Maps.me and downloaded it for you here. Keep in mind we road-tripped for 4 weeks and this is only the southern off-road section that wasn’t always super clear on Google Maps. If the route is not listed here then you can assume that Google Maps or the Maps.Me basic directions feature has the correct road.
I took a screenshot of what the route will look like when you have downloaded it correctly onto Maps.Me so there is no confusion.
In particular, for this two-week Mongolia itinerary, this route will show you the off-road section from Kharkhorin to Khorgo as well as guide you all throughout the Gobi Desert.
The only way for me to send you the maps.me files of my 2-week Mongolia itinerary is for you to join this Mongolia email list! I won’t send you anything else, just one quick message with the Maps.Me files and if you have any trouble viewing it at all be sure to reach out to me at geena.truman@gmail.com.
Save This 2-week Mongolia Itinerary For Later!
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