Endless steppes, the Gobi Desert, nomadic herders and nights in a yurt under a never-ending sky: Mongolia is Asia's great adventure, the least densely populated country in the world.
Mongolia is one of the last great empty spaces on the planet: a huge country, the least densely populated in the world, where the endless steppe, the Gobi Desert and the mountains stretch out with no fences or signs. It's the destination for anyone looking for raw nature, absolute silence and a nomadic culture that is still alive. Here you sleep in gers (the round felt tents), drink salty milk tea with herding families and travel for hours without passing anyone. It's not a trip about comfort: it's an adventure.
The country revolves around Ulaanbaatar, the chaotic capital where almost half the population lives and where nearly every tour starts. From there the great landscapes open up: the Gobi Desert to the south, with its dunes, canyons and dinosaur fossil sites; the centre with Karakorum, the old capital of Genghis Khan's empire; the green, mountainous north with Lake Khövsgöl; and the far west of Bayan-Ölgii, land of the Kazakh eagle hunters. Almost everything is covered in 4x4 vehicles with a guide and driver.
The best thing about Mongolia is a sense of vastness and freedom that's hard to find anywhere else, and genuine contact with nomadic life. What surprises people (and what you need to accept in advance) is that it's more expensive and less comfortable than many expect: there are almost no paved roads beyond the main ones, the distances are enormous and you travel on organised tours. That very roughness is exactly what makes it unforgettable.
The local currency is the tugrik (MNT), which you can't get outside the country, so you change money when you arrive. In Ulaanbaatar there are ATMs and you can pay by card without any trouble, but as soon as you head out to the steppe, the Gobi or the north, everything is cash: bring plenty of tugriks, because you won't see an ATM for days. Dollars or euros are easy to change at banks and exchange offices in the capital; keep some small notes for tips and purchases at the ger camps.
Full converter for MNT →The gateway is Ulaanbaatar's Chinggis Khaan International Airport (UBN), with flights via Istanbul, Seoul, Beijing, Moscow or the Gulf hubs. The other legendary option is arriving by train: the Trans-Siberian and its Trans-Mongolian branch cross the country between Russia and China, stopping in the capital. Once there, getting around is an adventure in itself: there are hardly any paved roads, so the standard approach is to book 4x4 tours with a driver (and often a cook and guide) that link up ger camps; for the long distances to the Gobi or the west, it's worth adding a domestic flight. The best time is the short summer, from June to September, and the highlight is July's Naadam, the national festival of wrestling, archery and horse racing.
The best time to travel to Mongolia is summer, from June to August, when the steppe is green, temperatures are pleasant and every route is possible. July is the peak month because it coincides with the Naadam festival (11-13 July): it's the most vibrant time, but also the busiest and most expensive, so you need to book well in advance. September is an underrated gem: fewer tourists, golden autumn landscapes and weather that's still manageable, ideal for the Gobi.
The Mongolian winter (November to March) is extreme, with temperatures dropping far below zero (Ulaanbaatar is the coldest capital in the world), and it's only recommended for very well-prepared travellers or for specific experiences such as the Golden Eagle Festival in October or the Ice Festival. Spring (April-May) brings sandstorms and wind in the Gobi. If you can choose, aim for July for Naadam or September for peace and quiet and autumn colours. Verified July 2026.
Mongolian cuisine is hearty and pastoral, designed for the cold: lots of meat (mutton, goat, beef, horse), dairy and dough, with few vegetables. The dishes you have to try are buuz (steamed meat dumplings, the national bite), khuushuur (flat fried meat pastries) and khorkhog, a mutton stew cooked with hot stones that is usually made for special occasions. On the steppe you'll be offered airag (fermented mare's milk, slightly alcoholic) and suutei tsai, tea with milk and salt: accepting them is part of nomadic courtesy.
Eating is cheap away from tourist spots: a plate of buuz or a local set meal costs around 3 to 6 dollars, and on tours food is usually included (verified July 2026). Ulaanbaatar has a good range of international and vegetarian options, but in the countryside the diet is almost all meat and dairy, so if you're vegetarian, mention it when planning your tour and bring snacks. Tipping isn't customary at local eateries, though it is appreciated for guides and drivers at the end of the trip.
Mongolia is a safe country in terms of crime: violent crime against tourists is rare. The main thing to watch out for is pickpocketing and petty theft in Ulaanbaatar, especially in crowded places, at the Naran Tuul market (the 'black market') and on public transport. In the countryside the risks are different: accidents, extreme weather, herding dogs (which can be aggressive) and the distance from any hospital. That's why it's essential to travel with an experienced guide and driver and not to venture out alone onto the steppe unprepared.
Health-wise, make sure your routine vaccinations are up to date; depending on the area and season, hepatitis A is recommended and, for long or rural stays, rabies. Don't drink tap water: only bottled or boiled. Good-quality medical care is concentrated in Ulaanbaatar, so travel insurance that covers evacuation (the distances are huge) is highly recommended. Bring a basic first-aid kit. The emergency numbers are 102 (police), 103 (ambulance) and 105 (fire), although in remote areas there's practically no rapid response. Verified July 2026.
Mongolia is more expensive than many imagine, mainly because almost everything is done on an organised tour (4x4, driver, guide, fuel and accommodation). Independently in Ulaanbaatar, a backpacker can get by on 30 to 50 dollars a day, but the real cost of the trip lies in the tours: a circuit through the Gobi or the countryside usually costs between 60 and 120 dollars per person per day all-inclusive, depending on group size (the more travellers, the cheaper per head). A mid-range budget is around 80 to 150 dollars a day.
Concrete examples (verified July 2026): a hostel bed in Ulaanbaatar costs about 7 to 17 dollars; a night at a family ger camp, between 3 and 15 dollars per person; a local set meal, 3 to 6 dollars; and Naadam festival tickets, depending on the category, between 25 and 120 dollars. A full 9-day Gobi tour can run from 900 to 2500 dollars per person depending on the level. These are reference figures that vary a lot depending on the group, the season and the exchange rate.
The language is Mongolian (written in the Cyrillic alphabet), and although English is spoken in Ulaanbaatar and among tour guides, in the countryside communication happens through gestures and with your guide's help. Spanish isn't spoken. Nomadic culture has its own etiquette: when entering a ger you don't step on the threshold, you accept what you're offered (even if it's just with your right hand and a symbolic sip), you don't point your feet at the stove or at people, and you give and receive with your right hand. People are hospitable and direct.
The voltage is 220V with type C and E plugs (the round European ones), so coming from Latin America a universal adapter works well. Connectivity is surprising: Ulaanbaatar has good 4G and it's worth buying a cheap local SIM (Mobicom or Unitel), but in the Gobi and remote areas you'll be without signal for hours or days, which is part of the disconnection. A tip from someone who's been: don't try to rush through Mongolia or travel independently in the countryside. Pick one or two regions, book a good local tour and leave some slack, because the distances and dirt roads are slow and unpredictable.
Mongolia's history is that of a handful of nomadic steppe tribes that, in the 13th century, built the largest contiguous land empire humanity has ever known. Across a vast, sparsely inhabited territory —today the least densely populated sovereign country in the world, with barely some three million people spread over more than 1.5 million square kilometres of steppe, mountain and desert— confederations of horseback herders succeeded one another for millennia: the Xiongnu, the Turks, the Uyghurs. From that world of yurts, herds and riders emerged, in 1206, Temüjin, proclaimed Genghis Khan, who united the Mongol tribes and launched an expansion that would reach from the Yellow Sea to the gates of Europe.
After the fall of the empire, Mongolia went through centuries of fragmentation, the arrival of Tibetan Buddhism, the long rule of the Manchu Qing dynasty and, in the 20th century, a pivotal history: independence from China in 1911, the revolution of 1921 and its transformation into the world's second communist state, a loyal satellite of the Soviet Union. That period left a deep wound —the Stalinist purges of the late 1930s, which razed the monasteries and executed tens of thousands of people— before a peaceful democratic transition in 1990 opened the current chapter: a young republic that combines the memory of Genghis Khan, a nomadic tradition that is still alive and an economy increasingly tied to mining. Travelling through Mongolia, and understanding its steppes and its ruins, means following this thread of more than two thousand years.
Read the full history of Mongolia →Pick a region and open each destination to see what to do, prices and how to get there.
These are the sources we cite most across this country's guides, with how many times each appears. Hard data —tickets, opening hours, requirements, transport— comes from the official source and carries the date we checked it. Restaurant and hotel picks come from guides and reviews, and we say so on each page.
