Plan
Plan a Mongolia trip.
Three questions, two recommendations. Or talk to Baska and design your own.
On this page
- Under a week, June-August, first time in Mongolia.
- Two weeks, June-August, want the country wide.
- Twelve to twenty days, summer, drawn to the reindeer culture.
- Early October, want the Golden Eagle Festival.
- July 11-13, want Naadam.
- A weekend out of Ulaanbaatar.
- Two weeks or more, summer, want the Altai.
- None of the above fits.
Most travelers reach this page with one of three constraints: time, season, or interest. The grid below names what we recommend for each combination, drawn from the 24 fixed itineraries we run.
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Under a week, June-August, first time in Mongolia.
Central Mongolia. Karakorum, the Orkhon Valley, Tovkhon Monastery, Tsenkher Hot Springs. The 5-day variant fits a tight window; the 7-day adds Terelj or Terkh White Lake.
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Two weeks, June-August, want the country wide.
The Gobi-and-Central 10-day combines the four landmark Gobi sites with the Central core in one loop. It is the most popular itinerary we run.
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Twelve to twenty days, summer, drawn to the reindeer culture.
The 12-day Tsaatan trip rides three days into the Darkhad Valley to live with reindeer-herding families. The 20-day grand tour combines that with Central and the Gobi.
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Early October, want the Golden Eagle Festival.
The 8-day Golden Eagle Festival tour flies to Bayan-Ölgii for the festival in early October, plus the Altai Tavan Bogd peaks and a visit with a Kazakh eagle hunter family.
We recommend
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July 11-13, want Naadam.
Mongolia's national festival runs July 11-13 in Ulaanbaatar with horse racing on the steppe outside the city. The 4-day tour pairs the festival with a day at Terelj. Book months ahead.
We recommend
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A weekend out of Ulaanbaatar.
Terelj National Park is the closest landscape to the city, granite formations and the Chinggis Khan equestrian statue on the way. The day tour is a one-day round trip; the 2- and 3-day variants add overnight ger camp stays.
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Two weeks or more, summer, want the Altai.
Western Mongolia is 1,500 km from Ulaanbaatar. The 14-day drives the country and back; the 22-day grand expedition splices Northern Mongolia (with the Tsaatan) into the western route.
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None of the above fits.
Talk to Baska. Most fixed routes flex to your dates; everything else is built custom.
We recommend
When to go
Mongolia, month by month.
Countryside tours run roughly May to early October. Midsummer (June–August) is peak; May and September are quieter, cooler shoulder months; and we don't run the long routes in deep winter. Two fixed events anchor the calendar.
| Region | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central | Jan: Closed | Feb: Closed | Mar: Closed | Apr: Closed | May: Shoulder | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Good | Oct: Closed | Nov: Closed | Dec: Closed |
| Gobi | Jan: Closed | Feb: Closed | Mar: Closed | Apr: Closed | May: Shoulder | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Good | Aug: Good | Sep: Good | Oct: Closed | Nov: Closed | Dec: Closed |
| Northern | Jan: Closed | Feb: Closed | Mar: Closed | Apr: Closed | May: Shoulder | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Good | Oct: Closed | Nov: Closed | Dec: Closed |
| Western | Jan: Closed | Feb: Closed | Mar: Closed | Apr: Closed | May: Shoulder | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Good | Oct: Peak season | Nov: Closed | Dec: Closed |
| Eastern | Jan: Closed | Feb: Closed | Mar: Closed | Apr: Closed | May: Shoulder | Jun: Peak season | Jul: Peak season | Aug: Peak season | Sep: Good | Oct: Closed | Nov: Closed | Dec: Closed |
- Peak season
- Good
- Shoulder
- Closed
July 11–13 is Naadam, Mongolia's national festival. Early October is the Golden Eagle Festival in Western Mongolia — the one window worth travelling that month.
Read the full best-time guide