TRAVEL INFORMATION
Pick your trip itinerary and contact us. We will specifically prepare and provide personalized travel tips for you.
Why Mongolia is a must-go destination?
One of the last remaining nomadic cultures and direct descendants of Chinggis Khaan, Mongolia is truly a unique destination. Population wise it is a small country of 3.2 million people however geographically it is rather large, 1.5 million square km /600,000 sq miles/. Whilst Ulaanbaatar the capital city attracts half the population and is rushing towards development, nomadic herders in the countryside are grazing their animals in the wide-open countryside, leaving harmonically with Mother Nature.
VISA
Before you start applying for a visa, please check if you’re in the visa-free countries for the temporary stay. USA, Brazil, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macau, Serbia, Ukraine, Belarus (up to 90 days), Canada, Cuba, Germany, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Laos (up to 30 days), Philippines (up to 21 days), and HongKong, Singapore, (up to 14 days). If you hold a diplomatic passport, please contact our office for the extended details with 30 more countries.
To acquire Mongolian Tourist Visa type “J” for up to 30 days, submit your visa application to Mongolian Embassies/Consulates. To stay longer than 30 days, please contact our sales support team for details.
Tourist Visa List
Completed application form,
Passport in original (must be valid for a minimum of six months before your intended travel to Mongolia)
3.5 by 4.5 cm photo (the size of the photo is mandatory)
A copy of hotel booking or accommodation information in Mongolia or trip itinerary
A copy of flight/train tickets
Proof of sufficient funds, i.e. bank statements for the recent six months (if necessary)
The visa fee is to be paid upon submission of the application. The fee is non-refundable.
A tourist visa is usually valid for a stay of up to 30 days within six months from the date of issue.
Mongolian Embassies are in Astana, Ankara, Bangkok, Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, Beijing, Warsaw, Washington, Vienna, Vientiane, Hanoi, Havana, New Delhi, Cairo, Canberra, London, Moscow, Rome, Ottawa, Paris, Pyongyang, Prague, Sofia, Seoul, Singapore, Stockholm, Tokyo, and Kuwait.
Mongolian Consulates are in Bishkek, Huhhot, Hong kong, Istanbul, Irkutsk, Kyzyl, Osaka, San Francisco, Ulan-Ude, Busan, Erlian, Taipei.
GETTING TO MONGOLIA
Flight
Soon Ulaanbaatar city is opening up its new airport which will increase the number of direct flights and hopefully flight expenses. Right now, Mongolia has a direct flight to 10 cities in the world and major aviation includes:
MONGOLIAN AIRLINES: MIAT to Berlin, Moscow, Beijing, Tokyo, HongKong, Seoul, Guangzhou. Hunnu Air to Manzhouli, AreoMongolia to Irkutsk,
Air China: Beijing – daily, Tianjin Air: Tianjin – 3 times a week,
Korean Air: Seoul – 6 times a week, Asiana: Seoul – 3 times a week, AirPusan: Pusan – 3 times a week,
Turkish Airline: Istanbul via Bishkek – 3 times a week,
Aeroflot: Moscow – 4 times a week, Angara Airlines to Irkutsk – twice a week
SCAT: Astana – twice a week
Train
One way of traveling to Mongolia is to board the Trans-Siberian train from Beijing or from Moscow if you have the time. It takes 5 days to travel from Moscow, 23 hours from Beijing, 13 hours from Irkutsk in Russia. Please contact us for details.
ACCOMMODATION
We have a few selected hotels and ger camps aside from our lodges for their commitment to service quality and similarity to the values we look to deliver. Depending on what you are looking for, we customize our itineraries: combine and balance the cost, experience, and comfort. This means every few days, you will stop at our lodges to refresh and reconnect. Then stop by other ger camps, local hotels or family stays depending on your preferences. Each of these stays enables different experiences and learning opportunities.
TRANSPORTATION WITHIN MONGOLIA
Mongolia is a large country that stretches 2392 km/1486 miles from the west to east and 1259 km/782 miles from the north to south. Most of the destinations and attractions are far apart and mainly connected by earth tracks. For this, we need careful planning and prioritizing when it comes to local transport.
If you are time conscious and trying to avoid driving, we would advise local flights to the major destinations including Gobi Desert, Khuvsgul Lake and Ulgii which is available daily. However, these flights add up to 350 USD for a return flight for one destination. Contact us to check if you can get in our bulk deals.
While driving, we balance the driving time with the opportunity to explore and experience. Driving itself is rewarding in its own way to feel the vastness, enjoy the scenery of hundreds of animals grazing in the pasture along with chances to spontaneous experiences with locals and nomads. Our transportation base is large and we are able to present various options of 45 people coach, air-conditioned minibusses, 4x4Toyota SUVs, or our favorite Russian Furgons. Every single vehicle is cross-checked and equipped with regard to the road conditions in Mongolia. Drivers are friendly, good with roads and trained mechanics.
All this and most of our itinerary spends 2-3 days in a row to avoid constant packing and driving.
MONEY MATTERS
You can either pay us online or upon your arrival with your credit/debit cards. We accept USD, EUR, GBP, CHF, RUB, CNY, JPY, AUD, KRW, and CAD and it can be in cash/wire transfer too.
We advise you not to look for or exchange Tugrug - Mongolian currency before coming to Mongolia as it is often not available and waste of effort, even in Beijing, you may end up paying extra. Upon your arrival in Mongolia, our guide/driver will bring you towards the bank where you can do the fast and safe transaction. The only thing you need to be aware of is to bring newer notes that aren’t torn at sides. ATM machines accept Visa, Master, JCB, and American Express cards in Ulaanbaatar if you have previously notified your bank of your travel plans.
Share your plans with us to get help for the details.
INTERNET AND PHONE CONNECTIVITY
In Ulaanbaatar, you will have a phone connection if you have international roaming and most of the hotels have free Wifi access. However, in the countryside, you may enjoy the true remoteness of Mongolia. At our lodges, we make free Wifi access to our customer although it may be only fast enough for email exchanges. If you need constant phone and internet access while traveling with us, please let us know beforehand and we can bring in the options.
SAFETY AND INSURANCE
Mongolia is generally considered to be a safe place to travel. Violent crimes, kidnapping, and religious extremities are uncommon. However, pickpocketing is becoming an issue recently. Our itineraries don’t include the insurance plan as we try to leave the options for our travelers. However, we work with international and domestic insurance companies for migration, force majors, delayed luggage and other travel incidents. Choose your itinerary and contact us for available options.
To keep our mind at ease, Ulaanbaatar city has several international hospitals with English speaking medicals: SOS Medica, Intermed, Grandmed, and Songdo Hospital. Throughout the country, the basic first aid help is free for everyone.
Mongolia - What and Where?
Follow this page to learn more about must-see places, things to do, new experiences, food, Mongolian culture, heritage, and history.
One of the last remaining nomadic cultures and direct descendants of Chinggis Khaan, Mongolia is truly a unique destination. Population wise it is a small country of 3.2 million people however geographically it is rather large, 1.5 million square km /600,000 sq miles/. Whilst Ulaanbaatar the capital city attracts half the population and is rushing towards development, nomadic herders in the countryside are grazing their animals in the wide-open countryside, leaving harmonically with Mother Nature.
GOBI DESERT
Unlike the romanticized image of deserts with sweeping sand dunes, most of the landscape of The Gobi Desert consists of rocky, hard-packed terrain. A clue to the historical perception of the Gobi as an inhospitable region is found in its name, which derives from the Mongolian word for "very large and dry."
KHUVSGUL LAKE AND TAIGA
The highlight of northern Mongolia is the famous Khuvsgul Lake and the taiga forest. Often called "Mother Ocean", Khuvsgul Lake is a growing lake created by the plate rifting among the snow-capped mountains. The higher altitude and permafrost allow few species to survive including yaks, reindeers, moose and musk deer.
CHINGGIS KHAAN
In the 13th century, Mongolia conquered the largest land empire on earth, covering up 26.1 km.sq. The population of Mongols by then is counted up to be 1.5 million maximum. The founder of the empire and the father to the nation, Chinggis Khaan was truly a one to be born in a millennium.
MONGOL BICHIG AND MONGOLIAN CULTURE
In Mongolia, people speak several different dialects of the Mongolian language. The language itself, in a way to form the words by vowel harmony and the structure of "Subject+Object+Verb", was categorized into the Altaic Language group which includes Turkic, Mongolian, and Tungusic.
NAADAM
Naadam Festival is often mistaken as one and only celebration: Independence day on July 11th. However, for Mongolian, Naadam means much more than that. Naadam includes wrestling, horse racing, archery and ankle bone shooting at various different levels: state, provincial, village, and family - making the whole country celebrating Naadam for months. And the most important aspect is for locals to meet with their friends and family and learn about their life, share their news and re-bond.
