1#Ulaanbaatar
This metropolis is the only really big city in Mongolia. It is a mixture between Russian old buildings with new architectural buildings here and there. You should not leave Ulaanbaatar without having seen the following highlights:
Genghis Khan Square
The country is still proud of Genghis Khan. Everything is imbued with it. But of course there are also critical voices. Whatever you think of Genghis Khan, his statue is immortalized in the National Square. This is also where brides are often photographed.
Zaisan Memorial
For a great view of the entire city, head to this monument. Made for the Russian soldiers who died in World War II.
National museum of Mongolia
Nice new museum with the history of Mongolia nicely mapped out. Here you will be busy for a while. But really a must-see.
Museum of Natural History
What a “separate” museum. The first word that came to mind when I walked in: squishy and iiieee lots of stuffed dead animals. Because of its squishiness, worthy of recommendation.
Of course, you also need to eat well when you are sightseeing. I listed my experiences with good veggie restaurants in Mongolia. And I can tell you, it’s quite doable!
2# Terelj National Park
Definitely go here. I recommend staying overnight here in one of the yurts. I did a day trip, using public transportation. This was a bit ambitious. Anyway, public transportation in Mongolia is somewhat “inconvenient” once you get outside Ulaanbaatar. I sat in the back of a van for 1.5 hours with my traveling companion half on my lap. That does get a little uncomfortable after 1.5 hours. Do you want to go there again in 1 day? If so, check carefully in advance what time the bus returns. When I went, there was only 1 bus back around 8pm. Despite the accessibility by public transportation, the park was super beautiful. I did a ride on a super strong Mongolian horse. Since I can drive and so can my traveling companion, it was a fantastic experience!
3# Gobi Desert
Be sure to go into the Gobi Desert. There are several providers offering tours. I was backpacking so I wanted to go out with like-minded people for 9 days. From our hostel, we went to Khongkor Hostel. This is where they booked our tour.
4# Gachuurt hiking in Mongolia
Here you can hike beautifully. It is an hour’s drive by public transportation from Ulaanbator. Also here was a section of Lotus Children’s center.
5# hang out with the locals
This, of course, is the most fun! Because I was volunteering at Lotus Children’s Centre, I met some nice locals. Here I went out several times in the evening. You learn so many things about the country and its customs.
Curious about what the Gobi Desert is like? Read my blog about how we went from +30 to -10 in Mongolia >>