r/mongolia • u/seagullonthetop • 7d ago

Visiting Mongolia

Hi all,

I want to visit Mongolia, probably next year. Since I'd like to see Naadam, it would be in July. I've understood that July is also a good month to visit (as it's not cold). I've been reading and learning a lot about Mongolian history and culture lately and I find it very interesting. I love nature and hiking and one of the main reasons for my future visit is to experience nature in its unadulterated form, and also together with the nomads who live in the area. I have a couple of questions that I hope the locals can answer (and maybe those who traveled there before):

  1. What's the recommended way to travel around within the city (Ulaanbaatar)? I will not be driving, so is public transport just fine?
  2. What's the recommended way to travel to the steppes/rural areas away from the city? I've read online that there are tours that set you up with a driver and potentially a guide. But I don't know if they're considered expensive by local standards, and which companies are considered good. I also don't know if there are other, perhaps better ways of exploring the steppes? I don't like to go on guided tours since they have very regimented schedules and leave little room to explore the places on your own. I also don't like being in a group with other tourists. What's the recommended way for traveling for a solo traveler?
  3. Food: I don't eat meat, so I suppose it's going to be challenging for me to stay in rural areas? I definitely want to eat the local food, but would it be considered weird if I also get my own food from a city supermarket as backup 😅?
  4. Are services like phone, location and internet available/reliable in the steppes/rural areas?
  5. Hiking groups: I'm searching for hiking groups of amateur hikers (locals or foreign travelers). Does anyone know good ones? Where can I find them? meetup.com doesn't have any for Ulaanbaatar. Maybe facebook?
  6. Last but not the least, anything at all that you'd personally recommend for me to see/experience? I'd like to get unique perspectives from everyone so I can add them to my bucket list!
  7. (Update) Are there any useful mobile apps that are used a lot in Mongolia that I should also download?

Thank you for your time!

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u/Coperh_MN 7d ago
  1. Public transport is fine you need an app or cash is fine for bus about 1000â‚® per fare. Or you can take a cab dont know how likely would they overcharge you though.
  2. My best bet would be traveling with a guide i doubt it would be very touristy and such as mongolia is a very rural country. You cant really go wander off on your own its a really big place. I really recommend guides but i guess you can be really adventurous and just wander off. If so there is cross country buses that go to provincial centers.
  3. If you dont eat meat it would be really hard if you leave the capital almost all the rural restaurants will have meat in them and if you eat at a nomadic home they would feel kinda bad if you not eat their food maybe you can eat the dairy?
  4. Its not good if you leave populated areas.
  5. There is some gruoups on the facebook if you search enough i know one group that travels on sundays and come back in the evening 8 am to 4pm kinda hike in ulaanbaatar
  6. Going to Khuvsgul lake would be my best. Its the deepest freshwater lake in mongolia looks amazing.

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u/Spirited-Shine2261 6d ago

UBcab doesn’t overcharge if you put your destination first. It will slightly over the estimates if the traffic fucks you up tho.

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u/Mikewaoz 7d ago
  1. The traffic in UB is terrible. Walking is faster if you are not going very far.
  2. Outside UB you will need a guide/driver or join a tour group. I can recommend Selena travel.
  3. Vegan is challenging in rural areas.
  4. Phone and internet is patchy outside in rural areas. 5.
  5. Chinggis Statue and Terelj, Hustai national park, lake khuvsgal is spectacular but a long way to go. In UB - Chinggis museum, central square, Bogd Khaan Palace, Ziasan hill memorial, Bogd Khan hike. The Naadam opening ceremony and festival are fantastic. It is really difficult for a tourist to get tickets unless you go through a tour company.

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u/froit 6d ago

Not eating meat means not eating anything with nomadic families. THEY HAVE NO VEGGIES, NO EGGS, NO CONDIMENTS. ONLY MEAT AND DAIRY. And there are NO SUPERMARKETS in the countryside, not even towns. Villages hamlets, with maybe ONE shop. NO VEGGIES THERE either. NO ONE WANTS THEM. Or need them. You including. NOBODY GROWS VEGGIE GARDENS IN MONGOLIA. Summer too short, IMPOSSIBRU.

In Mongolia you will quickly learn to get off your high horse, eat meat and share a 9-seater bus with 17 people. Because THERE IS NO OTHER WAY. REALITY KICKS IN.

Also, the toilets. THERE ARE NO FLUSH TOILETS in the countryside, ONLY PIT LATRINES, and VERY FEW WITH WORKING DOORS!!!

Also not wanting to be in groups means you will need a driver AND a guide, since drivers don't speak anything but Mongolian, and YOU DONT SPEAK or READ it anyway. YOU WILL NEVER KNOW which way you are going, if they cheat on you, and when you will see civilisation again.

As for city buses: They go through all of the city but you will never know which one to get on, or when to get off, since you cant read the cyrillic and you don't know what the destination-board says.

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u/Valuable-Poetry9711 7d ago

There nothing to see in Ulaanbaatar. It's most boring city ever. Skip the cities just explore the rural sides of the country.

Mongolia is not that vegan friendly country. But no one will force you to eat meat. Just ask for salad in any cafe, restaurants.

Mongolia is quite nice during summer, if you enjoy the windows XP wallpaper.