MONGOLIA
COUNTRY CONTEXT
Size: 603,910 mi² (1,564,120 km²)
Languages: Mongolian is the official language of the country, spoken by ~95% of the population. Russian and English are the most frequently known second languages; Russian is more common amongst older generations, while English is more so amongst younger ones. We can’t speak to the everyday prevalence of Russian, but from our experience, English was pretty rare outside the capital city of Ulaanbaatar.
Currency: Mongolian tugrik (MNT or ₮); within the capital, USD are often accepted for tours or stays at guesthouses.
Something You Should Know: Mongolia is known for its legendary hospitality — and while this is a common traveling trope (how many times have you heard “the locals are so welcoming!” from a country-hopping backpacker?), we have never found it more true than in Mongolia. Don’t be surprised if you get invited to a stranger’s house for dinner, are offered a free ride from the bus stop by someone heading the same way as you, or find yourself popping in at a nomad family’s ger during long-drives across the country.
OUR TRAVEL SUMMARY
While it is not a commonly-visited destination (pre-pandemic, about 400-500,000 tourists visited the country each year), Mongolia remains at the top of our collective favorite places we’ve ever gone. Whether you’re riding a camel through the Gobi Desert’s golden dunes, drinking milk tea with a nomadic family, or tracking down the world’s last wild horses on the Asian steppe, the country is intensely rich culturally and ecologically, and for us, the experience of being there felt wholly unique.
We spent about a month in Mongolia in June of 2023 — splitting that time between a 12-day organized tour of the central and south of the country, a 10-day trip through the north collaborating with a Mongolian-American nonprofit, and ~10 days in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar spread across the month. For accommodations, we stayed at gers (think: yurt-style round huts) throughout the central and south, camped throughout the north, and frequented guesthouses across Ulaanbaatar. Overall, pricing in Mongolia is at two extremes: tours and airfare are really pricey, whereas food, accommodations, souvenirs, etc. within the country are quite affordable.
Between linguistic barriers, the high price of rental cars, and limited tourism infrastructure, Mongolia isn’t the easiest of destinations to journey to as independent travelers. That being said, if you are able to make the trip via an organized tour or on your own, you will be absolutely rewarded, time and time again. See below for our experience-specific guides!
