Places to visit in Mongolia

Altai & the west

• Altai Tavan Bogd National Park (Mountains & hikes): Mongolia's highest mountains and largest glacier, the Potanin, on the borders with China and Russia.
• Ölgii & Kazakh eagle hunters (Culture & nomad life): The Kazakh-majority far west, home of the golden-eagle hunters and the Golden Eagle Festival.

Gobi Desert

• Bayanzag (Flaming Cliffs) (Nature & landscapes): Red sandstone cliffs where the first dinosaur eggs known to science were found in the 1920s.
• Khongoryn Els (Deserts & dunes): Mongolia's largest sand dunes, about 100 km long and up to 300 m high, at the foot of the Gobi Altai mountains.
• Baga Gazriin Chuluu (Mountains & hikes): A cluster of granite rock formations in the steppe with hidden springs and old monastery ruins.
• Khermen Tsav (Nature & landscapes): A remote canyon of red cliffs in the far Gobi, rich in dinosaur fossils.
• Ongi Monastery (Monasteries & temples): The ruins of two large monasteries on the banks of the Ongi river, once home to over a thousand monks.
• Tsagaan Suvarga (Nature & landscapes): Eroded limestone cliffs in bands of white, pink and orange, often called the 'White Stupa'.
• Yolyn Am (National parks & wildlife): A deep, narrow gorge in the Gurvan Saikhan mountains that often keeps a sheet of ice well into summer.

Terelj & Khentii

• Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex (Monuments & viewpoints): A 40 m stainless-steel statue of Chinggis Khaan on horseback, with a viewing deck in the horse's head.
• Turtle Rock (Terelj) (National parks & wildlife): A huge granite boulder shaped like a turtle, the symbol of Gorkhi-Terelj National Park.
• Aryabal Meditation Temple (Monasteries & temples): A hillside temple in Terelj reached by a path of 108 steps, with views over the park.

Central Mongolia

• Erdene Zuu Monastery (Monasteries & temples): Mongolia's oldest surviving Buddhist monastery (1585), surrounded by a wall of 108 white stupas.
• Hustai National Park (National parks & wildlife): Where the takhi, the world's only truly wild horse, was brought back from extinction in the wild.
• Elsen Tasarkhai (Mini Gobi) (Deserts & dunes): An 80 km strip of sand dunes in the middle of green steppe, the easiest dunes to reach from Ulaanbaatar.
• Kharkhorin & Karakorum Museum (Museums & history): The site of Karakorum, Chinggis Khaan's imperial capital, with a modern museum of its archaeology.
• Orkhon Waterfall (Nature & landscapes): A 20 m waterfall dropping into a volcanic gorge in the Orkhon Valley.
• Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake & Khorgo Volcano (Lakes & rivers): A freshwater lake formed by lava flows, next to an extinct volcano you can climb in an hour.
• Tsenkher Hot Springs (Nature & landscapes): Natural hot springs in a forested valley, piped into pools at several ger camps.
• Tövkhön Monastery (Monasteries & temples): A small hermitage high on a forested rock, built by Zanabazar, Mongolia's great Buddhist artist.

Ulaanbaatar

• Gandan Monastery (Monasteries & temples): Mongolia's largest working monastery, home to a 26 m golden statue of Avalokiteshvara.
• Bogd Khan Uul (Mountains & hikes): A protected mountain on Ulaanbaatar's southern edge, one of the world's oldest nature reserves.
• Bogd Khan Winter Palace (Museums & history): The palace and temples where Mongolia's last king lived, with his throne, gifts and gers.
• Central Museum of Mongolian Dinosaurs (Museums & history): A museum of Gobi fossils, including the famous Tarbosaurus skeleton returned to Mongolia.
• Chinggis Khaan National Museum (Museums & history): The large national history museum, from prehistoric Mongolia to the Mongol Empire and today.
• Choijin Lama Temple Museum (Museums & history): A beautiful early-1900s temple complex in the city centre, now a museum of Buddhist art.
• Mandshir Monastery (Monasteries & temples): Ruins of a monastery in a forested valley on the south side of Bogd Khan mountain.
• Naadam Stadium (Culture & nomad life): The National Sports Stadium where the national Naadam festival opens every 11 July.
• Sükhbaatar Square (City sights): Ulaanbaatar's main square, in front of the Government Palace and a giant seated Chinggis Khaan.
• Zaisan Memorial (Monuments & viewpoints): A hilltop Soviet-era memorial with the best panoramic view of Ulaanbaatar.

Khuvsgul & the north

• Khuvsgul Lake (Lakes & rivers): A huge, crystal-clear lake ringed by taiga forest and mountains near the Russian border.
• Amarbayasgalant Monastery (Monasteries & temples): One of Mongolia's most beautiful monasteries, built in the 1730s in a remote valley.
• Tsaatan reindeer herders (Culture & nomad life): Small communities of Dukha reindeer herders living in the taiga west of Khuvsgul.

Eat & drink in Ulaanbaatar

• Caffe Bene (Cafés & coffee): Another big Korean coffee chain, with roomy branches serving coffee, bingsu shaved ice and waffles.
• Café Amsterdam (Cafés & coffee): A long-running café on Peace Avenue that has been a meeting point for travellers for years: coffee, cakes, breakfasts and light meals.
• Fat Cat Jazz Club (Bars & live music): Small jazz club near Sükhbaatar Square with live music from local and visiting musicians most evenings.
• Grand Khaan Irish Pub (Bars & live music): Big, long-running pub on Seoul Street with a summer terrace, beer, pub food and sport on TV.
• Hazara Indian Cuisine (Restaurants): One of Ulaanbaatar's oldest Indian restaurants, with tandoor dishes, curries and plenty of vegetarian choices.
• Khaan Buuz (Restaurants): Cheap and quick Mongolian fast food: steamed buuz dumplings, khuushuur and soups, with branches all over the city.
• Loving Hut (Restaurants): Vegan restaurant with Mongolian and Asian dishes made without meat, including meat-free buuz and khuushuur.
• Modern Nomads (Restaurants): Mongolian restaurant chain with a picture menu, a good first place to try khuushuur, buuz, tsuivan and Mongolian barbecue.
• Rosewood (Restaurants): Italian restaurant on Seoul Street serving pizza, pasta and wine, popular with expats.
• Tom N Toms Coffee (Cafés & coffee): Korean coffee chain with many branches across Ulaanbaatar, open late, with Wi-Fi and plenty of seats.

Shopping in Ulaanbaatar

• Emart (Khan-Uul) (Markets & malls): Large Korean hypermarket south of the river, good for stocking up on food and supplies before a trip.
• Gobi Cashmere Factory Store (Shops & souvenirs): The flagship store of Mongolia's best-known cashmere brand at its factory, with a big range and outlet prices.
• Hunnu Mall (Markets & malls): One of Ulaanbaatar's biggest shopping malls, with shops, a cinema, restaurants and a supermarket.
• Internom Bookstore (Shops & souvenirs): Mongolia's main bookshop chain, with maps, English-language books about Mongolia and phrasebooks.
• Mary & Martha Mongolia (Shops & souvenirs): Fair-trade craft shop selling felt goods, embroidery and handmade gifts from Mongolian artisans.
• Mercury Market (Markets & malls): Indoor food market with fresh meat, dairy, fruit, imported groceries and local produce.
• Naran Tuul Market (Markets & malls): Ulaanbaatar's huge open market for felt boots, ger furniture, saddles and everyday goods.
• State Department Store (Shops & souvenirs): Ulaanbaatar's classic department store on Peace Avenue, with a whole floor of souvenirs, cashmere and traditional clothes.