heymongolia
National parks & wildlife

Turtle Rock (Terelj)

A huge granite boulder shaped like a turtle, the symbol of Gorkhi-Terelj National Park.

Gorkhi-Terelj is the closest national park to Ulaanbaatar, about 1.5 hours away: granite rocks, larch forest, rivers and lots of ger camps. Turtle Rock is the most photographed spot, and the area is great for horse riding, hiking and meeting herding families.

  • Region: Terelj & Khentii (Töv)
  • Best time: All year
  • Time needed: 1 day or 1 night
  • Entry: National park fee

Tips

  • Weekends are busy with city day-trippers.

Tours that visit Turtle Rock (Terelj)

  • Khentii Mountain Bike Expedition (12 days · Terelj & Khentii · Tour Mongolia (Active & Adventure Tours Mongolia) · from $2,450)
    A 12-day mountain bike expedition from Ulaanbaatar through Terelj and the Khentii region, mostly camping, with monastery visits and nomad family encounters.
  • Discover Mongolia Tour (14 days · Several regions · Discover Mongolia · from $2,596)
    A 14-day tour combining the South Gobi, central Mongolia and Khuvsgul Lake, using domestic flights and vans, with ger camp nights and a nomad family stay.
  • Beauty of Mongolia Tour (11 days · Several regions · Discover Mongolia · from $1,930)
    An 11-day tour from Ulaanbaatar covering Terelj, Hustai, Karakorum and the South Gobi, travelling by van with a flight back, staying in ger camps and one night with a nomad family.
  • Taste of Mongolia Tour (8 days · Several regions · Discover Mongolia · from $1,228)
    An 8-day van tour from Ulaanbaatar through Terelj, Hustai, Ugii Lake, Karakorum and the Elsen Tasarkhai dunes, with horse and camel rides and a nomad family visit.
  • Classic Mongolia – Naadam Festival (11 days · Several regions · Nomadic Expeditions · from $9,850)
    An 11-day July group tour combining the Naadam festival in Ulaanbaatar with Terelj National Park and the Gobi, including camel trekking and a nomad family visit.
  • Golden Eagle Festival & Gobi Desert (12 days · Altai & the west · Nomadic Expeditions · from $12,350)
    A 12-day autumn group tour flying to Bayan-Ulgii for the Golden Eagle Festival at Tolbo Lake, then to the Gobi, with Terelj and Ulaanbaatar sightseeing.
  • Tolbo Lake Eagle Festival and the Gobi Desert (11 days · Altai & the west · Nomadic Expeditions · from $11,975)
    An 11-day September trip pairing the eagle festival at Tolbo Lake in Bayan-Ulgii with Terelj National Park and the southern Gobi, using domestic flights.
  • Springtime Horse Treks – 7 Days (7 days · Several regions · Stone Horse Mongolia · from $2,040)
    A 7-day late-spring horse trek with five riding days in Gorkhi-Terelj National Park near Ulaanbaatar, camping in tents with pack horses carrying gear.

Nearby places