heymongolia
Festivals

Khuvsgul Ice Festival

Horse-sled races, ice sculpture, skating and tug-of-war on the frozen surface of Khuvsgul Lake.

In winter Khuvsgul Lake freezes a metre or more thick, and in early March the people of Khatgal hold a festival on the ice. Events include horse-drawn sled races, ice skating, tug-of-war, ice sculpture and shamanic ceremonies, and reindeer herders sometimes come down from the taiga.

Most visitors fly or drive to Mörön and continue to Khatgal by road.

  • When: Usually early March
  • Where: Khatgal, on frozen Khuvsgul Lake
  • Region: Khuvsgul & the north

Tips

  • Expect −20 °C or colder: bring proper winter boots and layers
  • Combine with a winter visit to the reindeer herders

Tours for Khuvsgul Ice Festival

  • Khovsgol Ice Festival | Small Group Winter Tour | 14 Days (14 days · Khuvsgul & the north · Eternal Landscapes Mongolia · from $3,655)
    A 14-day small-group winter trip to Khuvsgul for the Ice Festival, with a horse-drawn sleigh journey on the frozen lake and time with Tsaatan reindeer herders.
  • Lake Khovsgul Sleigh Trek & Ice festival (11 days · Several regions · Horse Trek Mongolia · from $5,625)
    An 11-day winter trip flying to Murun for the Khuvsgul Ice Festival, a three-day horse-drawn sleigh trek across the frozen lake and a visit to Tsaatan reindeer herders.
  • Mongolia Ice Festival Cycling Tour – Blue Bear Winter Adventure (10 days · Several regions · Mongolia Biking Experts · from $1,255)
    A 10-day winter trip cycling on the frozen surface of Lake Khuvsgul, timed with the Blue Bear Ice Festival near Khatgal, with guesthouse and camp stays.
  • Khuvsgul Ice Festival (8 days · Altai & the west · Wild Mongolia Partners · from $5,700)
    An 8-day small-group winter trip from Ulaanbaatar via Gorkhi-Terelj to frozen Lake Khuvsgul for the Ice Festival, with sleigh rides and a reindeer herder visit.
  • Winter Ice Festival Mongolia 2026 (7 days · Several regions · Nomadic Trails · from $1,900)
    A 7-day winter trip flying to Murun for the Khuvsgul Ice Festival and a visit to Tsaatan reindeer herders in the taiga, ending with dog sledding in Terelj.
  • Winter Ice Festival (6 days · Several regions · Juulchin Tourism)
  • BLUE PEARL ICE FESTIVAL (8 days · Several regions · Joinme Mongolia)
  • Ice Festival (Several regions · Legendary Gobi Travel)
    A deep-winter trip staying with nomadic families on the snowy steppe, with horse or camel riding and skating on thick river or lake ice.

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